After a heart breaking 85-84 loss in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to bounce back and take the front seat once again when they face the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airline Center on Thursday night.

"It's definitely difficult. You play a team so many times and after a while, things don't work the same," Thunder's starting point guard Russell Westbrook said. "Good teams come back and bounce back and that's what we have to do."

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Many observers believe that Oklahoma City got the upper hand over Dallas. The Thunder swept the Mavericks in their four-game regular season series and got the first win of their playoff series. However, as the saying goes, the ball is round and it is still anybody's game.

According to the Thunder's official site, in order to win against Dallas on Thursday night and take a 2-1 series lead, the Thunder will have to bottle up Raymond Felton and other Dallas guards like Devin Harris, Deron Williams, and J.J. Barea, if he suits up.

Felton came up big with 21 points and a career playoff-high 11 rebounds.

The Thunder also have to keep in check the 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki lurking along the perimeter waiting for catch-and-shoot opportunities while those guards attack off the dribble.

Although the 2007 NBA Most Valuable Player is day to day, he is expected to play after a two-day rest. He is averaging 17.5 points as the only Dallas player to reach double figures in both games.

The 2011 NBA Champion team will try to make corrections and necessary adjustments in time for Game 3,  the Mavs will also try repeating their defensive success against Kevin Durant during Monday's win.

Durant, who is averaging 28.2 points this season, was limited to just 21 points while going 7 for 33 from the field in Game 2. The seven-time All-Star is expected to come out aggressively in Game 3.

TagsOklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Dirk Nowitzki, NBA 2016, NBA Playoffs