Inside Report: No. 4 Thunder (0-1) at No. 3 Mavericks (1-0) — Game 2 preview

Earl K. Sneed previews Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, as the Dallas Mavericks try to build off Dirk Nowitzki's 48-point Game 1 performance while also hoping to slow down Oklahoma City Thunder scoring champ Kevin Durant.

DALLAS — He put on his superhero cape and carried the Mavericks on his back to a victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. But even forward Dirk Nowitzki knows that his team will have to soar even higher in order to jump out to a 2-0 series lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder with a win in Game 2 on Thursday night.

Swishing in an NBA playoff record 24-for-24 from the foul line and falling just two points shy of his career postseason-high, Nowitzki torched every one-on-one matchup Thunder coach Scott Brooks threw the 7-footer’s way, scoring 48 points on 12-of-15 shooting to lift the Mavs to a 121-112 victory and a 1-0 edge in the series on Tuesday night after extending a seven-game playoff winning streak.

Two nights later, however, Nowitzki admits that the Mavericks will have to play even better if they are going to hold serve on their home floor before the series shifts to Oklahoma City for Games 3 and 4.

“I was really looking for my shot early,” Nowitzki admitted after a nine-day layoff. “I was working a lot on my shot after we had a week off. I was in the gym every night and it paid off. I really looked for my shot early and was able to get in a good rhythm. And for a shooter, obviously, when the first couple go in it’s even better for your confidence. Just attacked from there.

“Really, it’s a win. That’s all I care about,” he added. “It was a tough Game 1. … We know we’ve got to be better. We’ve gotta be sharper in Game 2 if we want to win.”

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle agrees with Nowitzki’s assessment, looking no further than the number of free throw attempts the Thunder’s go-to players amassed in the loss.

With back-to-back scoring champion Kevin Durant battling Nowitzki shot for shot to score a team-high 40 points, and Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook aggressively trying to turn around a cold-shooting night, the Mavericks surrendered 37 free throw attempts between the two, one more than Dallas took as a team.

And despite holding Westbrook to a 3-for-15 shooting night to overshadow his 20-point performance, Carlisle and the Mavericks confess that they likely will not find similar success if the Thunder’s dynamic duo is once again able to get to the charity stripe as frequently.

“We’re going to have to quit fouling them as much, obviously,” Carlisle explained. “This series is, in large part, going to be about the free throw line. If Durant and Westbrook get there a lot, they win. So, we were fortunate.”

“We can’t continue to give Westbrook 18 free throw attempts and Durant 19 free throw attempts. That’s just entirely too many free throws. So, we’ll take a look at that and make adjustments,” sixth man Jason Terry echoed.

The Mavericks will also have to find a way to better defend Durant and his troops after allowing 100 or more points for the first time this postseason. And with Durant and Nowitzki on pace for a back-and-forth duel of epic proportions, Dallas’ 10-time All-Star acknowledges that the Mavs’ ability to defend Oklahoma City’s ever-dangerous scoring threat will hinge on a total team effort.

“I’m probably his biggest fan,” Nowitzki said of Durant, “just because he’s kind of a quiet guy, he’s fun to watch, he can get a shot up at any time, he’s athletic, he can get to his spots whenever he wants, so he’s probably one of the toughest covers in this league. So, you’re not gonna stop him with one guy. We’ve got to rotate guys on him, gotta help with five guys and we actually did that and he still got 40. So, the future of this league is in his hands.”

“The important thing for us is we’ve got to defend better,” Carlisle added. “We started off the first 10 games of the playoffs giving up under 90 points a game, and we gave up 112 [in Game 1]. It’s the first time we’ve given up 100. So, if we get in offensive shootouts with this team, that’s not our game. We have to defend a lot better. I understand that they’re a different type of team, but our attention to detail has got to be better in Game 2, our focus has to be better and we’ve got to do a better job of keeping them off the free throw line.”

Note: The Mavericks will host the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at the American Airlines Center on Thursday night, with every game in the series tipping off at 8 p.m. CT and airing nationally on ESPN with matchups coming every other day. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

All remaining the Mavs’ home playoff games at American Airlines Center will be a MAVS ROYAL BLUE-OUT!

Every seat at the American Airlines Center will have a MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt placed in it. We need for you and every Mavs fan to show their Mavs pride. So, dress ready to put on your MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt when you get to your seat.