There were 4 minutes and 47 seconds remaining.
The Mavericks trailed by two, and George's sudden outburst had made the entire team nervous.
Everyone knew Blake was still conserving his energy. If Blake, Curry, and George all caught fire together, Dallas would have no way to stop the three young players.
Of course, the Mavericks still had a chance if someone could create some separation before Blake resumed attacking.
On the Mavericks' bench, Nowitzki frowned as his gaze hardened.
"If we lose tonight, we'll fall behind 3 to 1. Winning the series from there would be incredibly difficult.
"No. We have to win tonight. We have to tie the series!
"We have to reach the Finals!"
Nowitzki was not the only one feeling the pressure.
The Mavericks had led for three quarters and had once been ahead by as many as 20 points, only for George's sudden eruption to put them behind.
That left every Dallas player extremely tense.
But the pressure also became motivation. Determined to win, the Mavericks prepared to give everything they had for the rest of the game.
A moment later, the timeout ended and the decisive battle resumed.
Terry and Marion cut in from opposite sides, crossing paths as they moved without the ball, while Kidd drove down the middle.
At the same time, Marion curled back toward the perimeter and set a screen for Nowitzki, who slid over to the right wing.
"Whoosh!"
Kidd drove and kicked the ball out to him.
Nowitzki caught it and immediately rose for three. His height advantage made Curry's desperate closeout ineffective.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
On the next possession, Nowitzki went to work again.
He posted George on the left block, using his back and waist to repeatedly create contact and establish his rhythm.
Then he spun toward the outside, left George half a step behind, and accelerated laterally toward the basket.
When Frye stepped up to contest, Nowitzki pushed a pass forward to Chandler behind him.
Chandler caught it and rose straight into a powerful two-handed dunk.
On the following possession, Nowitzki received the ball at the right high post with Blake guarding him.
He backed into Blake once, then saw Marion coming over to screen.
"Whoosh!"
Nowitzki accelerated across the court and reached the free-throw line.
He rose into a drifting One-Legged Fadeaway, leaving George's block attempt just short.
"Swish!"
Another basket.
"He made a shot that difficult?!"
George stared in disbelief.
With two baskets and an assist, Nowitzki finally displayed the ability expected of the Mavericks' leader.
He was determined to win, and he had begun taking control.
George was still producing on offense, but compared with the "German Wunderkind," he was not quite at the same level.
Over the next three minutes, the Mavericks attacked with everything they had, while the Suns fought back just as fiercely.
The two teams traded blows, but Nowitzki had found his rhythm and several Dallas "X-factors" were still contributing.
Phoenix, meanwhile, only had George playing above his usual level. Blake had not rested enough and was still recovering his energy.
As a result, the Mavericks had the stronger offensive momentum.
With 1 minute and 47 seconds remaining, Dallas held a four-point lead and possession.
The margin was not large, but the pressure was now firmly on the Suns.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
At the top of the arc, Kidd slowly controlled the ball with a steady dribble.
He was in no hurry.
With a four-point advantage, he began running down the clock and slowing the pace.
That was exactly what an elite point guard should do in the closing moments of a game.
Kidd waited until only 12 seconds remained on the shot clock, then lobbed the ball to Nowitzki and gave him another chance to attack George one-on-one.
"Hmph!"
George grunted softly and stared intently at him.
Nowitzki backed into George, using his strength to force his way into the paint.
"Thud!"
After one more hard bump, he turned and rose into his One-Legged Fadeaway.
"Ah!"
George roared and contested with everything he had.
He defended the possession with complete focus, reacting decisively and displaying every bit of his defensive ability.
The pressure affected Nowitzki's shot.
"Clang!"
The ball bounced off the rim.
"Smack!"
"Great defense!"
Blake secured the rebound and could not help shouting in approval.
George's crucial stop was extremely important for the Suns.
Blake passed the ball to Nash.
"Whoosh!"
Phoenix raced up the court, trying to save time and create a quick scoring opportunity.
With Curry and Blake drawing the defense, Nash once again found George in the left corner.
George had been shooting well tonight.
"Whoosh!"
He rose confidently for three.
The arc was high, and the shot was perfectly aligned.
Would it fall?
"Clang!"
No.
"Ah!"
George growled in frustration after missing the wide-open three.
Fortunately, Curry slipped into the scramble and collected the rebound.
He immediately hooked a pass back outside to Blake.
"Whoosh!"
Blake caught the ball a full meter behind the three-point line and fired without hesitation.
Marion had only just started rushing out to contest when the ball left Blake's hands.
Would it go in?
"Swish!"
A beautiful sound rang out as the ball passed cleanly through the net.
"Great shot!"
George shouted excitedly.
He had missed his own attempt, but the Suns still had Blake, their source of reassurance.
Blake's three cut the deficit to one.
It was exactly what Phoenix needed.
"Damn it!"
"It's Blake again!"
"This is bad. He's finished conserving his energy. Is he about to enter rampage mode again and take over the game?!
"The 'Monster Rookie' already has 46 points tonight!"
"No chance."
"Exactly. Dirk has found his rhythm too. We're still ahead by one, and only 1 minute and 7 seconds remain. The advantage still belongs to the Mavericks."
"That's right!"
"Go, Mavericks!"
After Blake made the three, a tremendous roar swept through the arena.
But the cheers belonged to the Mavericks fans.
Dallas had possession.
At the most critical moment, the Mavericks once again turned to Nowitzki.
He received the ball at the left high post and used a screen to avoid Blake, leaving George as his defender.
"Whoosh!"
Nowitzki immediately attacked with a forceful drive.
He entered the paint and faced a double team from George and Frye, then lifted the ball high toward the rim.
"Thud!"
"Swish!"
The shot banked in.
"In the clutch, the Mavericks can still rely on Nowitzki!"
The powerful finish triggered another wave of astonished cheers throughout the arena.
Dallas led by three.
There were 47.2 seconds remaining.
Phoenix had possession.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Nash held the ball at the top of the arc.
He did not rush.
With the Suns down three, they could patiently execute the possession. A two or a three would both be acceptable.
Of course, they first had to score.
The Mavericks' desperation to win had pushed their defense to another level.
Even though the Suns moved the ball repeatedly, they could not create an opening.
The 24-second shot clock quickly dwindled to its final moments.
With no other choice, Nash passed to Blake at the top of the arc.
3.3 seconds remained on the shot clock.
Blake caught the ball, glanced at the basket, and immediately rose into a fading three-pointer with Nowitzki practically in his face.
It was an incredibly difficult shot.
Yet the ball seemed guided by GPS, flying directly toward the rim and dropping perfectly through the net.
It also beat the shot-clock buzzer.
"Wow!"
"Blake made that shot too! What incredible composure!"
Van Gundy shouted in amazement.
Mike Breen looked equally excited.
"Blake had been quiet for nearly half the quarter, but now he's back.
"That three gives him 49 points tonight.
"He has tied the game again and is carrying the Suns toward victory."
There were 23.2 seconds remaining.
This possession was crucial for Dallas.
A basket would probably decide the game. A miss might send it to overtime.
Kidd brought the ball up.
How would the Mavericks attack?
After draining some time, Kidd drove straight ahead.
Would he shoot, or would he look for Nowitzki?
He was looking for Nowitzki after all.
But wait, there's the whistle!
George has been called for a blocking foul.
The Suns are over the foul limit.
Nowitzki will go to the free-throw line. The Mavericks have been handed an opportunity for easy points.
On the court, George clutched his head and jumped in frustration.
"Ref, I didn't foul him!"
He argued with the official, but the referee ignored him.
George was furious and felt completely wronged, but the call stood.
Nowitzki stepped to the free-throw line.
"Clang!"
"Swish!"
He made one of two.
The Mavericks led by one, and the Suns had only 9.6 seconds remaining.
Phoenix was suddenly in serious trouble.