Mavs back in NBA Finals

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks are going back to the NBA Finals.

Nowitzki swished a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:14 left and Shawn Marion followed with a 3-point play off a steal, the pivotal plays in yet another fourth-quarter comeback, this one sending the Mavericks to a 100-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night that closed out the Western Conference finals in five games.

After clawing back from 15 points down with 5:04 left in Game 4, the Mavericks trailed by 6 with 4:37 left in this one when they rallied again, outscoring the Thunder 14-4 the rest of the way.

Dallas has never won a championship, and neither has any of its players. Nowitzki and Jason Terry were part of the only Mavericks team to make the finals, in 2006. They were up 2-0 and leading late in Game 3, but lost the series to the Miami Heat in six games.

Dallas could get another crack at the Heat.

LeBron James and Miami lead the Bulls 3-1 in the Eastern Conference finals. If the Heat wins tonight night, the finals will begin Tuesday in Miami. If the Bulls win tonight night, the finals will begin next Thursday in the East winner’s city.

“All I can tell everybody is, we ain’t done yet,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said during the on-court trophy presentation ceremony. Seconds later, fans began chanting, “Beat the Heat,” drowning out coach Rick Carlisle’s on-court interview.

Nowitzki and Marion each scored 26 points, and they were at their best in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki scored 9 in the final period, and Marion had 15. J.J. Barea added 14 and Terry scored 12 in a victory that set off the biggest on-court celebration in franchise history.

The only other time the Mavs made the finals, they won in Phoenix. This time, the home folks got to enjoy it, including franchise founder Don Carter, who traded his signature white cowboy hat — the one that used to be featured in the team’s logo — for a black hat that read “The Finals 2011” with a Mavs logo and the championship trophy. Fans roared again when the overhead video board showed Nowitzki wearing the hat.

Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and seemed to be on a mission to force the series back to Oklahoma City. But he committed 2 crucial turnovers during the furious finish.

Kevin Durant and James Harden finished with 23 points apiece for the Thunder.