Mavericks avoid collapse, beat Thunder 93-87.

 Even when he is out of his game, Dirk Nowitzki can still do the job as closer of the Dallas Mavericks.

Difficult Nowitzki merely a start and made a few key jumping in the fourth quarter, helping the Mavericks to push the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 93-87 victory Saturday night and lead the 2-1 Western Conference final.

The German big had missed 10 of his 14 first shots, but kept Dallas goes him with the Thunder trying to become the second team to rally from a deficit of 23 points to beat the Mavericks in the playoffs.

"It's our guy." Fourth quarters, it will touch the ball as often as we can get it for him, "coach Rick Carlisle said. "If it is missing some shots, it will not be discouraged, it does not get discouraged." He received the kind of commitment, it will continue to it. ?

The Mavericks foutais that Nowitzki could not seem to make a shot of most of the game. They still give him the ball on 10 of the 11 possessions at a given time, and he scored three times - enough to keep in Oklahoma City, in the Bay.

Nowitzki finished with 18 points on 7 for 21 shooting.

"We did not really have much to go in the second half offensively, so I've got to keep attacking for this team, as I have for 13 years," Nowitzki said. "This team needs me to score and keep being aggressive."

From left, Oklahoma City Thunder Nate Robinson players, Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins react on the bench in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks in game 3 of the series of basketball for the NBA Western Conference Saturday, May 21, 2011 finals, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Close

NBA milestone champion Kevin Durant also struggled on the field, hitting 7 just 22 shots to finish with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Russell Westbrook responded to a fourth-quarter benching with 30 points, helping the Thunder make it interesting in the last minutes.

Dallas had already blown a lead of 23 points in the last minutes 13 in the first round to Portland and led by 22 with 17 minutes to go this time.

Westbrook and Daequan Cook each missed 3-pointers that could have included Thunder in three and Westbrook then lost the ball out of bounds before the jump from Jason Terry stretched the advantage to 86-78 with 1: 42 remaining.

Nowitzki added a break of the left elbow to lead eight after during hit two shots-francs, and Dallas held from there.

"We we are beaten by many in the second half, we glued and chaff,"Nowitzki said."".

Also, Shawn Marion scored 18 and Kidd and Terry each chipped in 13. Tyson Chandler had 15 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

The Mavericks, who tied with Miami for best road record during the regular season League, won for the fourth consecutive outside Dallas in these playoffs and recycled home-court advantage just two nights after leaving to escape in the second game.

"In a game like this in the arena of someone else, a loss, you must go out with anger and intensity,", said Terry. "We have."

The Thunder turned on their bench again in the fourth quarter, but this time Westbrook was the Court instead of the hearing, as it was in game 2. Reserve Nick Collison, James Harden and Cook joined the All-Star Game of Durant and Westbrook tandem on the floor, but the bench did not come almost as large in this other - marking just 16 points after increasing the Dallas reserve 50-29 in Game 2.

Thunder missed their 16 early 3-pointers - including eight by in - front of Westbrook in the last minute for the Oklahoma City in 88-83. Dallas made five of his six shots to close out and Terry glissée ball with 10 seconds left and missed the clock on the victory.