NBA - Mavs blow huge lead but hold on for win and 2-1 lead [video]

OKLAHOMA CITY (NBA) - The Dallas Mavericks wasted the better part of a 23-point lead but just about held on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 93-87 and take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Oklahoma City got off to a very poor start, missing 15 of their first 19 shots and turning the ball over eight times as Dallas took full advantage and went up 35-12 early in the second quarter.

Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant both had poor shooting nights, with the German going seven of 21 from the field while last year's FIBA World Championship MVP missing 15 of his 22 attempts.

Nowitzki got better help from his team-mates with Shawn Marion doing his part at both ends of the court and Jason Terry hitting key baskets.

"Our great defensive effort early on set the tone for us," said Nowitzki.

"We knew they (Thunder) would make a run at some point but we made some big stops and grinded it out a big win.

"We kept our composure down the stretch, with Jet (Terry) and I hitting some key baskets and Jason (Kidd) did a great job of running the floor game."

The Thunder trailed 52-36 at halftime and 70-56 heading into the final frame.

They came to life in the final quarter thanks to the scoring punch of Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The duo accounted for 23 of the team's 31 points in the period as they got the deficit under 10 for good on a Westbrook lay-up with seven minutes remaining.

The home side kept coming and were within four on two occasions in the last minute of the game, first courtesy of Durant and then through Nick Collison.

However, the Mavericks held on with Nowitzki and Terry icing the game from the free-throw line.

Dallas, who tied the Miami Heat for the best regular season road record (28-13), won for the fourth time in a row away from the American Airlines Center in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City were done in by their poor shooting, which included a one of 17 performance from three-point range.

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