In a tҺrilling finish, the Dallas Mavericks edged out the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-116, advancing to the Western Conference finals with a 4-2 series victory.

The game’s decisive moment came when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fouled Mavericks’ P. J. Washingtоn on a crucial three-point attempt. Washingtоn made the first two free throws and missed the third intentionally, leaving OKC with just 2.5 seconds to respond.“I shouldn’t have fouled him,” Gilgeous-Alexander lamented post-game. “We talked about it all year, the little things that go into winning games… It sucks.” He reflected, “If I had the movement back, I wouldn’t have fouled him. I just would make him miss the shot.”When asked about watching the replay, he said, “I can’t look at it. I don’t want to look at it. I fouled him, clearly, because they reviewed it, so there is nothing to look at.” Gilgeous-Alexander’s acknowledgment of his mistake highlights his maturity and determination to learn from the experience.