Dirk Nowitzki was out of this world and most other people in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals as the Dallas Mavericks took a 1-0 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder; the German scored 48 points on 12-15 shooting from the floor and 24-24 shooting from the line. He was entirely unstoppable; regardless of what the Thunder tried, Nowitzki got the ball into the bottom of the night. His performance truly took on a life of its own, even as Oklahoma City clawed to inside single digits inside the fourth quarter.
But Kevin Durant had a brilliant night, too; the silky spinner had 40 points on 10-18 shooting from the floor and 18-19 shooting from the line. Two of the most effective scorers within the game -- in no way mind their size compared to our usual concept of top NBA scorers -- went toe-to-toe, shot-for-shot, and Dallas came out ahead. Nowitzki's supporting cast deserves some credit; the Mavericks defense held Russell Westbrook to a 3-15 shooting night, and J.J. Barea exploded for 21 points off of the bench on 8-12 shooting.
Even though all eyes are going to be on Dirk and Durant, how those next-tier players perform is going to be key in Game 2 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). Barea is no stranger to major scoring nights; he'd hit the 20-point mark five times considering that Jan. 1. Westbrook has been hot and cold all through the playoffs; to anticipate him to shoot 20 percent once again is madness. Jason Terry and James Harden had been great in Game 1; will either be even superior off the bench? Dirk's unstoppable play and Durant's irrepressible game could wind up deciding the contest and also the series, but they are not the only two who matter.