Inside Report: No. 4 Thunder (1-3) at No. 3 Mavericks (3-1) — Game 5 preview

Earl K. Sneed previews Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, as the Dallas Mavericks enter the night sitting just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals while hosting an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is hoping to stave off elimination.

DALLAS — After seemingly breaking the Oklahoma City Thunder’s will with an epic Game 4 comeback and eventual overtime victory, the Dallas Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center Wednesday night standing a single win away from a spot in the NBA Finals.

But although the Mavs battled back from a 15-point deficit to claim a 112-105 overtime win Monday night, while also extending a franchise-best playoff road winning streak to five, leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki says that he isn’t counting the Thunder out just yet. Not with the Oklahoma City squad looking to stave off elimination while also returning the favor on Dallas’ home floor in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

“I can’t remember another comeback like that. … It was a great comeback. Definitely one of the best that I remember being a Maverick,” Nowitzki said after a 40-point performance to lead the Mavericks to victory. “Once we got to OT, after being down 15 and making that comeback, we talked about it and said, ‘We gotta make a run now. We’re here, this is our ballgame. We’ve got to go for it.’ That’s what we talked about.”

“I think they’re gonna come back in Game 5 and throw everything at us, because they’re desperate now. … They showed they can win on our home court, they stole Game 2 there, so they’re gonna be still confident,” he added. “We’ve got to take it. Nothing is gonna be given to you in this league, especially not in the playoffs.”

Still, the Mavs are riding high after battling all the way back from the big disadvantage thanks to a Nowitzki-led 17-2 run to close out the final 5:04 of regulation, before point guard Jason Kidd’s clutch overtime shooting and forward Shawn Marion’s late-game defense on back-to-back scoring champion Kevin Durant lent a helping hand.

“In the playoffs, you can’t just throw in the towel,” Kidd explained. “We could have easily said, ‘Hey, we did our job, we won Game 3 and now we’re gonna go home with the split. But nobody ever hung their head. Nobody was complaining. We kept playing.”

And after showing the will to win despite being in a double-digit hole with the game winding to a close, the collection of battle-tested 30-somethings head into a desperate outing for the Thunder looking to feed off the emotional high following the come-from-behind victory.

“We were resilient. What more can I say, we did what we had to do,” Marion added. “We were hungry. We wanted it. We just kept fighting and fighting, we got over that hump and we saw daylight.”

“We’ve been on the flipside where we’ve given up 15-point leads. I’ve seen us, give away a 20-point lead, down 15, down 10, come back in the fourth quarter, Dirk finds a way. We just don’t lose confidence in those types of situations,” sixth man Jason Terry explained.

The Mavericks will now try to finish the job, looking to build off their instant classic win in Game 4 by closing out the Thunder in five games while the Eastern Conference Finals series awaits a representative.

But in order to do so, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says that his team can’t be wrapped in the events of two nights prior, choosing instead to emphasize to his players the importance of matching the Thunder’s sense of desperation heading into the potential closeout game.

“Now, we’ve got to move beyond that,” Carlisle said while looking ahead. “It’s a jubilant thing when you can pull off a win like that, but we’ve gotta focus on [Game 5]. … A lot of our guys are veteran guys that have been deep in the playoffs before. They’ve had opportunities to get to the Finals or get a ring and haven’t quite gotten there. So, there’s a laser-like focus with this group doing whatever we can to get the next win. It’s been a group that’s believed in itself all year long. We don’t quit, never give up, and a lot of those qualities came into play [Monday night].

“Right now, we’re really focused on what’s happening here and now. We’re five wins away from our goal. It’s important to see and understand that big picture, and that’s why this next game is important, because it’s another opportunity for us.”

Note: Looking to close out the series, the Mavericks will host Game 5 at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, with the game tipping off at 8 p.m. CT and airing nationally on ESPN. 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.