Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals: Timeline of Dallas' series-clinching comeback vs. Thunder

Kyle Irving

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Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals: Timeline of Dallas' series-clinching comeback vs. Thunder image

The Mavericks are moving on to the Western Conference Finals.

In one of the best games of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Dallas pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback in Saturday's Game 6 to eliminate Oklahoma City. Despite trailing by as much as eight points in the final frame, the Mavericks turned up the intensity on defense and forced Oklahoma City's young squad to surrender its lead.

Luka Doncic's 29-point triple-double powered the victory, but it was Dallas' role players who stepped up down the stretch. Dereck Lively II owned the glass, P.J. Washington went from scoreless in the first three quarters to one of the heroes of the game and Derrick Jones Jr. matched Kyrie Irving as the team's second-leading scorer.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did everything he could to keep the Thunder's season alive, going off for 36 points with a couple of clutch buckets down the stretch. Jalen Williams knocked down a timely 3, and Chet Holmgren scored a late go-ahead lob, but Oklahoma City couldn't get one more stop with the game on the line.

Catch up on the biggest moments from the playoff thriller below, from the frantic final minutes to the game-ending foul.

MORE: How trading Josh Giddey could help Thunder become contenders

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's game-ending foul on P.J. Washington

For as great as Game 6 of the second-round series was, the ending was anti-climactic.

The Thunder trailed by two with 27 seconds remaining when Washington committed an away-from-the-play foul to give Gilgeous-Alexander one free throw and the ball. Gilgeous-Alexander sank the free throw, then found Chet Holmgren on an alley-oop to give Oklahoma City a one-point lead with 20 seconds to go.

In need of a stop to hold onto the tenuous advantage, the Thunder played strong defense for 18 seconds. Doncic was forced to throw a late-shot clock grenade to Washington in the corner, who got Gilgeous-Alexander on an upfake before he attempted a game-winning 3.

Gilgeous-Alexander still tried to block the shot and fouled Washington, handing Dallas three free throws with two seconds remaining in the game.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault faced a tough decision — he could challenge the call, but that risked losing their final timeout to advance the ball. Daigneault did go forward with an unsuccessful challenge, and Washington went to the line to win the game.

Washington hit his first two free throws to give Dallas the lead, then intentionally missed the last one to force Oklahoma City to shoot a halfcourt heave. Williams' heave missed the mark and the Mavericks won the game.

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Big shot after big shot

Everything leading up to that final sequence was exhilarating.

Washington went into the fourth quarter with zero points but found his rhythm with two massive 3-pointers — one to tie the game with four minutes left and one to take the lead with two minutes left.

Irving got in on the big shot-making, flashing his shooter's touch with a key go-ahead 3 with three minutes remaining.

Gilgeous-Alexander responded right away, hitting a tough midrange jumper to tie the game with 2:47 to go.

Two possessions later, Dallas led by three with just over a minute to go and the Thunder almost had the stop they needed. Jones had other plans, hitting a circus turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired to send the crowd into a frenzy and put the Mavericks up five.

Gilgeous-Alexander remained calm once again, crossing halfcourt and immediately drilling a 3 to keep Oklahoma City in it.

That back-and-forth was peak playoff basketball.

Dereck Lively II's dominance on the glass

And you can't tell the story of Game 6 without mentioning Lively's takeover on the glass.

The rookie center finished with a game-high 15 rebounds, including two crucial offensive boards midway through the fourth quarter to make Dallas' comeback possible.

His energy was contagious, leading the Mavericks to a plus-16 rebound advantage on the night. It continued a trend in the series, where Dallas won the battle on the glass every game.

"We don't win this series without D-Live," Doncic said in his postgame interview. "For a rookie, not being scared, it's insane. The way he plays, the way he impacts the game. It's amazing, man."

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.