OKLAHOMA CITY — Even Kevin Durant's game-winning shot looked a bit off.
Kind of expected on a night where pretty much nothing really seemed right.
Side of the rim. Backboard. Some more rim.
Exhale.
Oh, and cue the confetti.
Good news for the Thunder on a bad Saturday night of hoops: Oklahoma City won, beat the defending champion Mavericks, reversed a disturbing trend and did it all in a game where Durant and the rest of the team didn't play well, but were able to figure it out just in time.
Durant's leaning, broken-looking, busted jumper from 15 feet went in with 1.5 seconds left and because of it, the Thunder didn't have to talk about how they didn't play well to start off the 2012 playoffs.
Instead, they can celebrate a 99-98 win over Dallas to open the postseason against the same team that eliminated the Thunder a season ago in the Western Conference Finals, because honestly, they have to figure it couldn't be much worse for Durant and the rest of the team.
"It was a great shot," said Harden of Durant's clincher. "It saved the game for us. I don't think we played well. We had some good spurts, but overall we didn't play our game, but he saved us at the end."
The Thunder's Superman, locked in his phone booth for most of the game, didn't really reveal himself until the final 2:31 when he carried the team back from a seven-point deficit with two free throws, a rebound, a dunk, an assist to Serge Ibaka for a dunk and a foul shot — all before hitting the game-winner.
"I was trying to assert myself on the offensive end," Durant said. "Whether it was passing, rebounding or scoring. Luckily that shot went in."
Yeah, lucky is right. After all, it took Durant 27 shots to get his 25 points. It was an off night, no matter how you look it, erased by a great shot at the end of the game.
Outplayed and outhustled by a cast from Dallas that is slightly older than the folks in the current TV show that shares the same name, the Thunder seemed content to settle for bad jump shots most of the game, even needing a 3-pointer from Ibaka at the end of the first half to stay within three points.
How bad were the Thunder?
They joined a short list of victims who couldn't solve Dallas reserve and league veteran Vince Carter, who rarely jumped, but still scored 13 points and still managed to get seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Jason Terry made 8 of 10 from the field and the bench outscored the Thunder bench, 39-19.
More proof on the Thunder struggles?
The Thunder never led by more than four points, despite making Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki human for all but about five minutes, as he scored seven points in the last 3:42. Unlike last year in the playoffs, Nowitzki didn't save Dallas. He finished with 25 points, but was just 8-of-18 shooting, finishing with 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Yet, here the Thunder are, now just 2-7 against playoff teams since April 1, up 1-0 on the Mavericks and in control in the first round of the playoffs only because Durant, not Nowitzki, saved the game.
"A lot of things did not go well," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, not mentioning the fact his team was outrebounded and had more turnovers. "But we stuck together. It did not surprise me. We fought back."
Which is exactly what happened in the final 2:31 and on the last possession when Durant took the inbounds pass from Russell Westbrook, passed up the chance to a 3-pointer and got to the middle of the court?
"Great players make tough shots," Brooks said. "I like that he drove to the basket and got to a place where he could pull up above the defender. It was nice to see him make that shot."
It was more like it was a relief.
Bailed out by Westbrook and Ibaka most of the game, Durant's shot stole the show but his teammates may have saved the season.
Westbrook had a game-best 28 points and Ibaka had 22, six rebounds and five blocks. Harden, who returned after missing the past two games with a concussion, had 19 points and made 9-of-10 free throws.
"Russ carried us all night," Durant said. "It's all about playing together. We don't care who scores. We just want to win.
And win was pretty much all the Thunder did Saturday inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Past that, they didn't do too much.
"It's the playoffs," Durant said. "No matter how it gets done. Tonight was one of those nights. I wasn't frustrated. I was getting good looks, but they weren't falling. I just have to keep going. I'm confident. Hopefully the next game I'll make a few."
