Mavericks vs. Thunder 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch NBA playoffs online

Dallas is going to have to recreate some game two magic to keep its season alive.

Apr 25, 2016, 2:00 PM UTC

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After three decisive wins, the Oklahoma City Thunder one victory away from its first playoff series win under head coach Billy Donovan. However, the Dallas Mavericks have history on their side. The last time they visited the Sooner State, they escaped with an 85-84 victory.

That close loss in Oklahoma City raised questions about the Thunder's ability to rise to the occasion in the final seconds of tight games. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made that a moot point, at least temporarily, by starching the Mavericks by an average 20-point margin of victory in the last two games of the series. The pair have combined for 104 points in those emphatic wins since leaving the Chesapeake Energy Arena on a sad note a week ago.

As such, things haven’t been so rosy for the Mavericks. Ray Felton’s playoff renaissance (16.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg) has gone nearly for naught as Dallas limped to a 1-3 deficit. While Dirk Nowitzki has been his typically efficient self, underwhelming returns from the rest of the roster and deficient three-point shooting have given the Mavs few avenues for success in this playoff series. In their lone victory, their key to the game was the fact that Durant apparently thought he was recording a Sonic commercial en route to a dismal 7-33 shooting performance.

Dallas can't rely on a similar performance, and they'll have to pick up a season-saving victory without Deron Williams, who will miss the rest of the season with a sports hernia. That means players like Wes Matthews and J.J. Barea will have to play cheat code basketball to lift the Mavericks to a road win.

Even then, that might not be enough to overcome a Thunder team looking to wash away the bad taste of their last game in OKC.