Mavericks' second-half comeback stuns Thunder; Dallas advances to conference finals

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The Dallas Mavericks needed to dig deep in the second half of their Game 6 NBA playoffs game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after going down 16 points and their upstart opponents looking to force a Game 7.

And they did just that, even as the Thunder pushed the gap to 17 points early in the third quarter.

P.J. Washington made two free throws to put the Mavericks up 117-116 with 2.5 seconds left and Dallas survived a last-second heave after he missed the final free throw on purpose.

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Mavericks forward P.J. Washington works to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the second half of Game 6 of the second-round playoff series on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The Mavericks won the series 4-2 and earned a berth into the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

"Being down 17 in a closeout game isn’t a position you want to be in," Mavericks star Kyrie Irving said. "But that’s where we found ourselves. We had to respond the way we’ve been responding all season."

Irving finished with 22 points and three assists. He’s now 14-0 in closeout playoff games.

Luka Doncic finished with a triple-double. He had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He found Washington in the corner for a 3-point attempt. Washington pump faked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and leaned into him to draw the foul.

The Thunder challenged the call but to no avail.

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren walks off the court after the Mavericks game, Saturday, May 18,