Dirk's 48 beats Durant's 40 as Mavs win Game 1, 121-112

Dirk Nowitzki showed no rust from a long layoff, making 10 of his first 11 shots and an NBA playoff-record 24 straight free throws on his way to 48 points, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 121-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Jason Terry( scored 24 points and J.J. Barea added 21 points as the Mavericks picked up where they left off in a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers nine days ago. They broke open a tight game with a 13-0 run late in the second quarter and never trailed again, stretching their franchise-record postseason winning streak to seven games.

Following his 39 points in Game 7 from the previous round, Kevin Durant scored 40 pts., one shy of his most ever in a playoff game. While Nowitzki dominated, Durant’s scoring binge merely helped his team stay close.

Game 2 is set for this Thursday night in Dallas, where the Mavs are 6-0 this postseason.