Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals aided by controversial call late

The Dallas Mavericks fought back from an early double-digit deficit to advance to the Western Conference Finals while the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder saw a once-promising season go up in smoke following a second-half collapse and a controversial foul called late in Game 6.

With 2.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Mavericks trailing the Thunder, 116-115, officials whistled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a shooting foul, giving P.J. Washington three shots at the free-throw line. Replays showed that Gilgeous-Alexander had first made contact with the basketball before fouling Washington, prompting head coach Mark Daigneault to challenge the play. However, the review upheld the ruling on the court and Oklahoma City lost its final timeout.

That would prove costly. Washington hit the first two free throws to give the Mavericks the lead before intentionally missing the third attempt. With no timeouts to advance the ball, the Thunder could only muster a heave from beyond half-court, which didn't land.

Afterward, Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters , "If I had the moment back, I wouldn't have fouled him." Instead, he would have chosen to live with whether or not Washington missed or made the shot.

Ultimately, the upheld call won the game for the Mavericks but didn't lose it for the Thunder. Up by as many as 17 points, Oklahoma City allowed Dallas to crawl back into things in the second half, opening the door for what transpired late.

As they've done several times in the series, Dallas' veterans took over down the stretch. However, the unsung hero was Washington. Ice-cold for most of Game 6 following a tremendous series to that point, he came alive when the Mavericks needed him most.

Washington, who finished with nine points, didn't make his first field goal until late in the fourth quarter, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game, 105-105 with 4:11 to go. Then, 2:10 later, he hit another shot from beyond the arc, giving the Mavericks a three-point lead with 2:01. And finally, in the final seconds, he forced the Gilgeous-Alexander foul, essentially sealing the game for Dallas.

While Washington came up clutch late, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving carried the load in the second half. The pair was the reason the Mavericks overcame a 16-point halftime deficit, combining to score or assist on 57 points in the third and fourth quarters.

It was another day at the office for Doncic, who posted a triple-double, recording 29 points, 10 assists and 10 boards. Meanwhile, Irving again proved capable of ramping up his offensive game in the later stages of games. After scoring only four points (2-of-5) in the first half, he scored 18 in the second, shooting 7-of-18, including four three-pointers.

Gilgeous-Alexander was spectacular again for the Thunder, scoring 36 points (14-of-25) and adding eight assists. But, as has been a trend against the Mavericks, his efforts weren't enough.

He did receive help on Saturday, with Chet Holmgren (21 points) and Jalen Williams (22 points) having big games. However, Lu Dort's foul troubles and bad luck down the stretch doomed the Thunder.

Conversely, the Mavericks are headed to the conference finals for the second time in three years. Now, they await the winner of Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.