Thunder storm back against Mavericks to even series 2-2

LOS ANGELES – The Oklahoma City Thunder will head home tied 2-2 with the Dallas Mavericks after a furious fourth-quarter rally carried them to a 100-96 victory in Dallas on Monday (Tuesday Manila time).

Western Conference top seed Oklahoma City trailed most of the night in the face of a stout Dallas defensive effort that included 13 blocked shots.

But the Thunder broke through in the fourth quarter, tying it at 86-86 on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's fadeaway jump shot with 4:02 to play.

Rookie Chet Holmgren followed with a 3-pointer that gave the Thunder the lead for good.

Dallas had the deficit down to one point with 10.1 seconds left, but Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander each made a pair of free throws and the Thunder closed it out.

"We just stuck to it," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 22 of his 34 points in the second half.

"We just plugged away, took it possession by possession and eventually the game turned for us."

Holmgren finished with 18 points and Luguentz Dort had 17 for the Thunder, who made 23 of their 24 free-throws and withstood a triple double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists from Dallas star Luka Doncic.

P.J. Washington led Dallas with 21 points but star guard Kyrie Irving was held to nine.

Doncic said it wasn't a defensive breakdown that cost the Mavs but too many mistakes in the "little details."

He called it "unacceptable" that Dallas made just 12 of their 23 free-throws, and the Mavericks also coughed up 14 turnovers leading to 19 Thunder points.