Thunder blasts Mavericks, Durant has big game

DALLAS — The old Kevin Durant is back.

The four-time NBA scoring champion led the Thunder to a whopping 131-102 win over the Mavs on Thursday to take a 2-1 series lead, scoring 34 points on 11-of-25 shooting. This was just three days removed from his uncharacteristic 7-of-33 shooting performance in Game 2 on Monday.

Durant had nine points after the first quarter, 20 by halftime, 31 after three.

“I see their talent as a problem,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said before the game.

The game was out of the Mavs’ reach early. The Thunder took a commanding 19-point lead in the second quarter and the Mavs never came closer than nine points 30 seconds before halftime. In the third, Dirk Nowitzki scored six straight points to awaken the fans, but Russell Westbrook caught fire at the same time, scoring 12 points and adding four assists in the quarter.

Oklahoma City shot 57.7% from the field and was solid from three-point range too, making 15 of 27. Dallas on the other hand went 6-of-23 from three-point range and 24 of 35 from the free throw line.

Wednesday, Carlisle said rebounding would “continue to be a massively important stat.” It was — Oklahoma City outrebounded Dallas 42-30.

Wesley Matthews led the Mavs with 22 points, while Nowitzki, who was hobbling up and down the court with a bone bruise in his right knee, added 16 and six rebounds.

The Mavericks were without Deron Williams, who is out with a sports hernia injury.