Thunder's James Harden (13), Kevin Durant (35), Russell Westbrook (0) exult after sweeping Dallas.
James Harden scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma City rallied for a 103-97 victory Saturday night and a first-round sweep of defending-champion Dallas.
The visiting Thunder trailed by 13 points with 9:44 left before Harden scored seven in a row, and nine in a 12-0 run over the next three minutes.
Oklahoma City finally took the lead, and kept it, after Russell Westbrook stole the ball from Dirk Nowitzki and passed to Serge Ibaka for a two-handed slam that made it 92-91 with 5:17 left.
The Mavericks are the second defending champion in five years to be swept in the first round. After beating the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, Miami lost in four games to Chicago the next year.
It was the Thunder franchise's first four-game sweep since 1996, while in Seattle.
Kevin Durant had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who will get a break before playing the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver. The Lakers lead that series 2-1 going into Game 4 on Sunday night in Denver.
Nowitzki had 34 points to lead Dallas. Jason Kidd, the Mavericks' 39-year-old point guard, had 16 points and eight assists in what might have been his final game.
Kidd, who made three three-pointers in the third quarter as the Mavericks built an 81-68 lead, has said he might retire if he doesn't get a "mid-level type offer."
Clippers 87, Grizzlies 86:
Chris Paul had 24 points and 11 assists as Los Angeles won its first home playoff game in six seasons (and a 2-1 series lead) only after Memphis' Rudy Gay missed a jumper just before the buzzer. ... Tied 80-80, Paul hit two free throws, fed Blake Griffin (17 points) for a dunk and added two more free throws for a six-point edge. ... But Gay hit a three-pointer with 12.9 seconds left, Memphis' first field goal since 7:10. After Los Angeles missed three of four free throws, Gay hit another three with 8.9 seconds, but he couldn't repeat the feat after Eric Bledsoe missed two more. ... The Clippers used an 18-1 run spanning the first and second quarter to take a 36-23 lead, but the Grizzlies turned around and dropped a 13-0 run on L.A. to tie it.
Pacers 101, Magic 99:
George Hill hit a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left in overtime and visiting Indiana survived squandering a 19-point fourth quarter lead to take a 3-1 series lead. ... David West scored 26 points, including 12 in the third quarter and four in overtime as Indiana won its third straight. ... Jason Richardson led the Magic with 25 points and Glen Davis added 24 points and 11 rebounds. ... Orlando had used a 14-0 run to cut it to 82-77 with 4:40 left in regulation, but Hill's three-pointer and a Granger basket put the Pacers back up eight with less than three minutes to play. ... But Richardson nailed a 25-footer, Davis added two free-throws, and J.J. Redick hit a three from the win on an inbounds play to tie it with 38.7 left.
Bulls' health:
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says forward Joakim Noah is doubtful for Game 4 on Sunday against the 76ers because of a sprained ankle. C.J. Watson, filling in for Derrick Rose, is struggling with elbow and ankle injuries, but Thibodeau said he will continue to play him.
This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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