OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mavericks lost one of their X-factors in this series when Maxi Kleber went down with a separated shoulder in the first round of the playoffs.
Maybe, just maybe, another X-factor stepped up Thursday night.
Tim Hardaway Jr. supplied strong energy and even better scoring off the bench and helped ignite the Mavericks to a 119-110 victory in Game 2 to knot the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City at a win apiece.
The Mavericks have been a strength-in-numbers team all season. That asset made a huge difference in Game 2.