Thunder Sweep Mavericks As James Harden Pops Off In Game 4

And just like that, the Thunder had dismantled the defending champs, making the Mavs the first team eliminated in the 2012 playoffs.

Now, Dallas finishes the job in Dallas.

Despite playing four of the closest games so far in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed the series sweep, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 103-97, in Game 4. The Thunder were eliminated by the eventual champion Mavs in last season’s Western Conference Finals, but, despite winning the four games by an average of 8.5 points, Oklahoma City handled them in this first round series. It was the first time the Mavericks have ever been swept in a best-of-seven playoff series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Mavericks, please visit Mavs Moneyball for check out SB Nation Dallas. For updates and perspective on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head on over to Welcome to Loud City.

Want to tell your favorite team that there’s no pressure no matter what they do? Put together a sign like this Dallas Mavericks fan did on Saturday night.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Mavericks, please visit Mavs Moneyballor check out SB Nation Dallas. For updates and perspective on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head on over to Welcome to Loud City.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Mavericks, please visit Mavs Moneyball or check out SB Nation Dallas. For updates and perspective on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head on over to Welcome to Loud City.

↵↵I hope it works so that we can see his encore, which may entail refusing to give anyone a high-five so that the series won’t end in five games.

↵Also: people own multiple brooms?

The Mavericks, for their part, will attempt to avoid letting that happen and will do everything in their power to remain alive for at least one more game. Dallas has a tall order ahead of them, however, as the Thunder have been one of the best teams in the NBA all season. The Mavericks looked largely disjointed during their Game 3 loss on Thursday night.

Saturday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on TNT.

All this is to say that you can take this cherry-picking with however many grains of salt that you’d like. To me, though, there was a distinct moment when the Mavericks went past the point of desperation and faded into the night. It was the moment when, having been beaten down at their own game, they had no choice but to play Oklahoma City’s. That was when the series was lost.

The first moment happened with just over seven minutes left to go in the second quarter and the Mavericks trailing by double digits. Tired of going down with guys he can’t trust, Carlisle decided that, size and combinations be dammed, he was going to go down with guys he could trust. So, he decided to go with the “cry for help” lineup.

The 2011 playoff run was completely magical for the Mavericks. They hit every big shot, dug out of big holes time and again, won every close game. For the two months, they were 16-5 overall, never requiring so much as a Game 7 to eliminate their opponents.

Eleven months later, the Mavericks are on the brink of elimination while the Heat would appear to have a relatively easy path back to the NBA Finals. After two narrow losses in Oklahoma City (which prompted someone to deem the Thunder underwhelming), the Mavericks were completely overwhelmed back at home. The Thunder were faster, more aggressive, better and, let’s face it, much, much younger than the Mavericks, and it showed. Dallas’ three losses in the series tell two different stories for this team compared to its championship team.

Dallas has played well and might not deserve to be in a 2-0 hole, but they’re in that hole nonetheless. Even though they’ve held Durant offensively and have lost by a cumulative four points, the Mavericks are in a virtual must-win situation on Thursday and, based on Oklahoma City’s home record, Game 4 is a near must-win as well. A 3-0 comeback has never happened, and 3-1 comebacks are extremely rare.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, May 3, 9:30 p.m. ET

I know, I know, Dallas is not New York. These are the defending champs we’re talking about, with a veteran roster that knows how to win playoff games, as we saw last year. And yes, Oklahoma City is up 2-0, which is all that really matters at the end of the day. But last-second wins of one point and three points? Color me unimpressed. I find the Thunder underwhelming. They’re Thunderwhelming.

So what’s wrong with the Thunder?

It’s never good when the fanbase gives up hope with a potential five games left in the series, but it’s tough to blame anyone for believing the Mavs may have already dug themselves too deep of a hole by not overcoming obstacles and taking at least one of two seemingly winnable games.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Mavericks, please visit Mavs Moneyball. For all updates and perspective regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder, head on over to Welcome to Loud City.

The animosity between the two teams was apparent from the outset as both sides shoved and squabbled. The actual gameplay was just as intense, and the close contest was hard-fought right down to the end.

Tempers certainly won’t be cooling off any time soon, as this series still has a long way to go.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Mavericks, please visit Mavs Moneyball. For all updates and perspective regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder, head on over to Welcome to Loud City.

Game Time: 9:30 p.m. ET, Monday

Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Okla.

For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City.

Durant, who struggled all night, threw up a prayer from the free throw line that hit the rim, kissed the backboard, and fell in to give the Thunder a 99-98 victory. It gave him 25 points on the night (on 10-for-27 shooting), and gave Oklahoma City a 1-0 lead in the series.

Dallas controlled most of the game, leading for most of the fourth quarter and keeping Durant in check. But the spring-legged Thunder played suffocating defense in the dying throes of the fourth quarter and closed on a 14-6 run.

Check out our map of the potential outcomes below the jump.

The Thunder have an 84 percent probability of winning the series, and a 50 percent probability of winning 4-0 or 4-1. The probability of a Thunder sweep is greater than any flavor of Mavericks series win. According to the numbers, there’s a 23 percent probability that the Mavericks can push the series to seven games. Once there, the Thunder would be favored, 70-30.

Thunder vs. Mavericks tips off on Saturday. Here is the schedule as released by the NBA. All times are Eastern.

Game 1 - Sat., April 28 at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Game 2 - Mon., April 30 at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Game 3 - Thu., May 3 at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Game 4 - Sat., May 5 at Dallas, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Game 5 - Mon., May 7 at Oklahoma City

Game 6 - Thu., May 10 at Dallas

Game 7 - Sat., May 12 at Oklahoma City, TNT