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Mavericks aim to stave off elimination again

May 3, 2007 - 1:19 PM Dallas at Golden State 10:30 pm EDT Western Conference first round Warriors lead series, 3-2

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Dallas Mavericks staved off elimination with an astounding comeback on Tuesday. But in order to stay alive, they must beat the Golden State Warriors on the road.

The Warriors can become the first eighth-seeded team to beat a No. 1 seed in a best-of-seven series with a win in Game Six on Thursday.

Golden State nearly pulled it off on Tuesday, holding a 112-103 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game Five. But Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki kept his team alive, scoring 12 points in a game-ending 15-0 run.

Dallas, which won a league-high 67 games during the regular season, was beaten twice on the road in Games Three and Four to fall behind 3-1 in the series.

"Game Six is going to be tough for both teams so we have to close the deal and at the same time they have to win to stay alive," Warriors forward Mickael Pietrus said. "It's going to be a fun game at home, and I hope we end up on top."

Dallas is trying to avoid becoming the third No. 1 seed to lose a first-round series, albeit the other two were in best-of-five series - Seattle lost to Denver in 1994 and Miami lost to New York in 1999.

If the Mavericks win on Thursday, then Game Seven will be Saturday night in Dallas.