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THE WILL TO WIN DALLAS MAVERICKS - 2010-11 NBA CHAMPIONS

Presented by The Dallas Morning News

Contributors Writers

Project Editors

Tim Cowlishaw David Moore Eddie Sefko Kevin Sherrington Jean-Jacques Taylor Brad Townsend

Kevin Gray Linda Stallard Johnson

Photojournalists Michael Ainsworth Vernon Bryant Fuyang DeLuca Louis DeLuca Tom Fox Steve Hamm Sonya N. Hebert Ryan Henriksen Andy Jacobsohn G.J. McCarthy Mona Reeder John F. Rhodes Lara Solt Brendan Sullivan Matt Strasen

Project Photo Editor Brad Loper

Photo Editors Gary Barber Michael Hamtil Guy Reynolds Chris Wilkins

CopyrightŠ 2011 by The Dallas Morning News • ISBN: 978-1-59725-337-6 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher.

Published by Pediment Publishing, a division of The Pediment Group, Inc. www.pediment.com Printed in the United States of America

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Table of Contents Regular Season...................................7

Conference Semifinals.................... 81

Reaching for answers............................................................................ 8 Dirk’s shot wins it as Mavericks defeat Celtics ....................................... 11 A good burn.........................................................................................16 Foreign aid......................................................................................... 20 Firm belief.......................................................................................... 23 Mavs roll on without Dirk.................................................................... 32 Help wanted....................................................................................... 34 Roaring back...................................................................................... 36 Mavs put out the fire.............................................................................41 Mavs’ streak at 10................................................................................ 48 Maving up............................................................................................51 Jet fueled............................................................................................60 No love for Dirk.................................................................................. 62 Killer instinct..................................................................................... 64

What a steal........................................................................................ 83 Show stoppers.................................................................................... 86 Almost done....................................................................................... 88 Broom service..................................................................................... 92

Conference Quarterfinals.............. 67 Playoff moxie...................................................................................... 68 Blazers answer.................................................................................... 72 Gag reflex............................................................................................74 Next stop: LA...................................................................................... 78

Conference Finals............................ 99 Germanfest...................................................................................... 100 Thunderbolt..................................................................................... 104 Hanging on....................................................................................... 106 Grand larceny................................................................................... 109 Finals surge ...................................................................................... 112

NBA Finals.........................................117 Shot Down......................................................................................... 118 Heat antics get Mavs steamed............................................................ 120 Thanks to Dirk, Mavericks are very much alive ...................................124 Mavericks need to solve Heat, Heat defense — and quickly...................126 Weakened Nowitzki has rough game but finishes strong again.............129 Hot and cold......................................................................................132 One to go...........................................................................................133 Valuable contributions from entire roster pave way to unexpected title................................................................135 Our time............................................................................................138 5

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NBA Finals Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

opposite:  Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and center Tyson Chandler (6) celebrate their win in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter of play in game six of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena Sunday, June 12, 2011 in Miami. Mavs win 105-95.  Tom Fox

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Shot Down Even in defeat, Mavs know they can rely on their defense June 1, 2011, By TIM COWLISHAW

M

IAMI — On many occasions I have questioned whether the Mavericks’ commitment to defense was good enough to win a championship. Pretty much any time during the club’s first 30 seasons, to be honest.

That’s not the case anymore. We have seen that throughout these playoffs, and we saw that again in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

We just didn’t see it long enough for the Mavericks to avoid doing what they have always done — and that’s lose NBA Finals games on Miami’s home floor.

The Heat pulled out a 92-84 victory in Game 1, and, yes, Miami’s superstar pair of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had their highlight-reel moments in combining for 46 points.

But James, Wade and Dallas Lincoln High’s Chris Bosh — the Heat’s unholy trinity, according to most NBA fans — made 23 of 53 shots. If those three are going to make fewer than 44 percent, and Miami as a team shoots below 39 percent, the Mavericks have an excellent chance as this series moves on.

“We didn’t get into much of an offensive flow the entire game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “For a while, it was tough for us to put points on the board.

That’s a very good defensive team.”

Dallas’ Game 1 failures came primarily at the other end of the floor, where Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points but was only 7-of-18 from the field and seemed frequently frustrated.

Nowitzki also suffered a torn tendon on the middle finger of his left hand late in the game. He made one of two shots from the field and all four free throws after the injury, so I’ll be surprised if that’s a series-changing type of thing.

The start of this NBA Finals looked a lot like last year’s Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals, which I basically remember for two reasons. One was that the series between the league’s two feature attractions wasn’t as entertaining as people thought it would be.

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Dallas Baptist gets its NCAA berth With all the conference tournaments going, all Dallas Baptist could do was wait idly until Monday morning, when it learned it was included in the NCAA baseball tournament, college columnist Chuck Carlton writes. 2C

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ALSO INSIDE ■ Awesome Gem surprised

For all his deeds, only a title can secure Dirk’s place among the legends

TIM COWLISHAW wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com timcowlishawblog.dallasnews.com

Crown hangs in balance Mavericks don’t want reign of James to start at expense of their own

M

IAMI — In a figurative sense, the Mavericks and the Heat are playing for the right to wear the NBA’s crown. It seems strange that one player, at least in nickname, already wears one.

Two weeks from now — and nine years after we started seeing his high school games on national television — maybe there will be valid reason to refer to the Miami LeBRON Heat’s best JAMES player as King James.

It is the Mavericks’ task to make sure he remains simply LeBron.

It won’t be easy. As someone once said, “You shoot at the king, you best not miss.”

James and the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki have played at equally high levels in leading their teams to the NBA Finals.

Nowitzki averages more points and is shooting at unconscious levels — 51.7 percent from the field including an almost identical 51.6 from 3-point range, along with 92.9 percent from the foul line.

“What’s phenomenal is he’s

above: A red sea of fans are aglow during the national anthem at American Airlines Arena in Miami prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Mavericks and Heat on May 31. Tom Fox below: Pam Marrufo (center) and Oscar Marrufo (left) cheer to a play in the game along with other Mavericks fans as they watch Game 1 on the giant screen at American Airlines Center. Lara Solt

The other, related to the first, was that the defensive determination both teams showed each night was a foreign concept to the Mavericks. There’s no way last year’s Dallas team could have reached that level of play at the defensive end.

Not a concern anymore.

After disrupting the defending champions and Kobe Bryant along with NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant in the Western Conference finals, the Mavericks did much the same to Miami.

above: Miami forward Chris Bosh dunks between Peja Stojakovic (16) and Brendan Haywood during Miami’s 92-84 win in Game 1. The Heat made 11 3-pointers in the victory. Vernon Bryant above right: Miami’s LeBron James reacts after a dunk in the fourth quarter. James and Dwyane Wade combined for 46 points in the Heat’s Game 1 victory. ames had 24 points and nine rebounds.

Vernon Bryant

They just didn’t do it long enough and — more significantly — they were undermined by their own awful shooting at the opposite end.

The Mavericks can live with Miami shooting 38.8 percent.

Heck, they can do more than live with it. They will be NBA champions if they keep it up because they simply won’t continue to execute this poorly even against a very good defensive Miami team.

The Mavericks did have one hole in their often puzzling zone defense that they must fix before Thursday’s Game 2.

For whatever reason, Heat players occasionally found themselves wide open from 3-point range in one particular spot, deep in the left-hand corner.

Mario Chalmers hit two 3-pointers from there. Mike Miller hit one from there. James had so much time he took a practice dribble to set his feet before drilling a 3 from there.

That’s what enabled the Heat to make 11 3-point shots, a number the Mavericks must reduce in Game 2.

Plug that gap, and I think the defense is fine moving

forward.

Coach Rick Carlisle was frustrated by the team’s inability to turn stops into points, especially in the first half when Miami struggled against Dallas’ zone.

“My sense is that the zone was pretty good,” Carlisle said. “I thought it got us through some stretches where our matchups were challenging, to say the least. But again during those periods, we had opportunities to get some open looks and we didn’t knock them down.”

This team can play Patrick Ewing-Charles Oakley Knicks defense from the ’90s and it won’t cover up the awful offensive numbers from Tuesday night.

Yes, I know Miami is a good defensive team. The Heat has allowed opponents to shoot 45 percent from the field just three times in 16 playoff games.

But Kidd’s ability to orchestrate things against any kind of defense should allow Dallas to shoot better than the 37.3 percent it made in Game 1.

It has to. Otherwise, the Mavericks’ evolution as a solid defensive team, the kind that justifies the “defense wins championships” adage, will be pointless. ■

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Heat antics get Mavs steamed Dallas responds to Miami’s showboating with run to win game June 3, 2011, By EDDIE SEFKO

M

IAMI — Playful body punches were being exchanged, but there had yet to be a knockout blow.

So the Mavericks took notice. Then took offense.

While the Miami Heat started dancing early, the Mavericks enhanced their Comeback Kings reputation with one of the most stunning rallies in NBA Finals history, overcoming a 15-point deficit in the final 6:20 to pull out a 95-93 victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

With the Mavericks clearly motivated by the Heat’s premature giddiness, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry guided them to a remarkable revival, with Nowitzki hitting a 3-pointer with 26.7 seconds left to put the Mavericks ahead, 93-90. Miami tied the score on Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer with 24.5 showing on a busted defense by the Mavericks.

Nowitzki rescued them again, spinning off of Chris Bosh and pushing in a soft, left-handed layup with 3.6 left.

That would be the same left hand where he has a torn tendon in his middle finger, which required him to play with a splint.

So, who needs a splint now after the Mavericks got a split?

They certainly fractured the Heat’s hope of sweeping the first two games in Miami.

And so, the Mavericks leveled the best-of-7 NBA Finals, 1-1, and return to Dallas for the middle three games of the series knowing they have a grand opportunity to be NBA champions for the first time within the next 10 days.

It was eerily similar to Game 3 in 2006, when the Mavericks blew a 13-point lead in the final seven minutes.

They liked being on the good side of the equation a

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lot better.

“If you’re going to win a championship, you’ve got to have the wherewithal to hang in when things are tough,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “All year, our guys have believed, and tonight was another good example. They had to win the game, and it wasn’t easy.”

And for the longest time, it looked like there was no hope of a happy ending.

When Dwyane Wade, who had 36 points, poured in a 3-pointer from the corner right in front of the Mavericks’ bench with 7:14 to go, the Mavericks were down 88-73. Carlisle called a timeout, and LeBron James threw some soft punches into Wade’s chest as the pair did a little dance heading to the Miami bench.

“They were emotional and excited,” said Mavericks forward Brian Cardinal. “I don’t know if it ignited us. I’m sure it helped refocus everybody. You notice everything. That’s the beauty of having 15 guys on the bench. Everybody’s got an eyeball on something.

A 22-5 run later, the Mavericks had proved they

were well aware of the Heat’s antics.

Terry had eight points as the Mavericks crept back slowly. First, they got it to 88-81. Then it was 90-86.

Then Nowitzki hit a jump shot off a Terry feed. Suddenly, it was a two-point game, and Nowitzki tied the score with a layup with 57.6 seconds left.

That set up his 3-pointer. When Chalmers answered, the Mavericks were miffed.

“In our huddle, there were a lot of curse words,” Terry said. “That was my mistake. I left Chalmers wide open.”

But Nowitzki erased the mistake, and the Mavs were the ones who ended up dancing.

above: J.J. Barea and Miami guard Mike Miller mix it up on the floor while scrambling for the ball in the second quarter during Game 2. Tom Fox left: Chris Bosh gets a shot off under pressure from Tyson Chandler (left) and Jason Kidd in the third quarter of Game 2. The Mavericks held Bosh in check, with the former Lincoln High School standout finishing with 12 points. Tom Fox

“First of all, every team in the league does something when they go on a run, whether it’s a chest bump or whatever,” said Wade of the celebratory moment.

“They won the game, so obviously it did something.

But that’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time. Don’t make anything about the celebration. It had nothing to do with the outcome of the game for us.

Defensively, we had breakdowns.”

After Nowitzki’s lefty layup, the Heat had no timeouts left and got only a desperation 3-pointer from

Wade at the buzzer that was off the mark, a rare miss on a night when he had 36 points.

“It was a turning point in the game,” Terry said of the Heat’s antics. “We said there’s no way we’re going out like this, with them dunking on us and stuff. It would have really been disheartening.”

Instead, it was a big show of heart for the Mavericks. ■

below: Jason Kidd (center) rallies his teammates during a timeout late in the fourth quarter of Game 2. The Mavericks, down 15 with less than seven minutes left in the game, rallied for a 95-93 win the even the series, 1-1. Tom Fox

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Above: Legs go flying as Dallas Mavericks shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson crashes into fans in the stands in the first quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena in Miami. Tom Fox

opposite top: Dirk Nowitzki gives Tyson Chandler some encouragement during Game 2. Chandler had a solid night with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Vernon Bryant

opposite bottom: Thad and Darcy Bouton cheer as the wave makes the rounds at American Airlines Center.

Fans in Dallas went to AAC to watch Game 2 on the video board. The game was held in Miami.

Louis DeLuca

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Thanks to Dirk, Mavericks are very much alive June 3, 2011, By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR

M

IAMI — It was a defining moment for Dirk Nowitzki, the kind of highlight that will be shown on the day he’s elected to basketball’s Hall of Fame.

Dirk, the tendon on his left middle finger torn, showed the world the difference between his game now and his game in 2006, when the Mavericks choked away a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals against Miami.

The Mavs rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final six minutes to stun the Miami Heat.

Dallas 95, Miami 93.

Wow. The Mavs, as you would expect, rode their star to victory.

First, Dirk made a 3-pointer from left of the key with 26 seconds left to give the Mavs a 93-90 lead, their first of the second half. Mario Chalmers tied the score with a 3-pointer of his own after Jason Terry failed to follow him to the corner.

Rick Carlisle called a timeout.

Dirk, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, cussed out Jet during the timeout before telling the veteran guard that he had his back. Then Dirk showed why he’s the greatest European player ever and among the best to ever don an NBA jersey.

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Jason Kidd dribbled the ball until about 10 seconds remained before passing it to Dirk at the 3-point line.

Miami had a foul to give but did not use it. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra decided to have Chris Bosh guard Dirk instead of powerful Udonis Haslem, who usually takes the assignment.

Both decisions will be second-guessed liberally.

Bosh, a Lincoln graduate, really had no chance. Superstars live for this moment.

The game slows down for them. They know they’re going to score. It’s just a matter of how they’re going to get it done.

Sometimes, the shot falls; other times it doesn’t. But when superstars let it go, they’re shocked when it doesn’t go in.

In 2006, Dirk would’ve settled for a jumper. This time, he took it strong to the basket.

Dirk dribbled right, then spun left, which he loves to do.

He maneuvered to the basket and with full extension of his left arm gently lofted the ball off the glass and into the net with 3.6 seconds left, his tongue wagging the way Jordan’s used to.

Dwyane Wade’s runner from beyond the 3-point line hit the back off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

Dirk’s performance is even more impressive when you consider he did it with a splint on his left middle finger. He struggled in the first half, making just three of 10 shots.

He missed several wide-open looks, but he persevered and refused to succumb — even when the Heat took a

above: Miami’s Dwyane Wade lies on the floor as Dirk Nowitzki pumps his fist after Wade’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer was no good, giving the Mavericks the win in Game 2. Tom Fox left: Heat center Joel Anthony (front) and LeBron James (rear) force the ball out of Tyson Chandler’s hands under the basket in the second quarter of Game 2. Tom Fox Opposite: Dirk Nowitzki (41) looks for an open teammate as he is defended by Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem in the fourth quarter during Game 2.

Vernon Bryant

Beginning with his back to the basket while dribbling with his left hand, Dirk Nowitzki positions himself for his one-of-a-kind shot. It often comes from a post-up position.

At this point, Miami center Joel Anthony said, the defender should body up on Nowitzki in an effort to crowd him.

“You try to force him away from his spots,” Anthony said.

Once Nowitzki catches the ball in this position, the battle is already half won, according to Mavericks nemesis and former Spurs defensive wizard Bruce Bowen.

“The key to defending the shot is doing all you can to not let him get it,” Bowen said. “Once he gets it, there isn’t much you can do but contest and hope it doesn’t go in.”

“If somebody else shoots a shot like that, you think you’ve got him,” Haslem said, “and when he shoots a shot like that, he’s actually got you.”

Heat forward Udonis Haslem

Creating space

Taking the shot

Once Nowitzki has backed his defender down, he’ll quickly spin to his right and spread his legs apart to create space between him and the defender.

At this point, Nowitzki could deliver an upfake to try to get the defender in the air and draw the foul.

“You have to stay down,” Anthony said. “The thing about it is, if you stay down and he raises up, he’s 7-foot and you really don’t get a great contest once he does raise.”

Nowitzki quickly twists right while ripping the ball upward past the defender and over his head to a shooting position. At the same time, he raises his right knee to maintain his distance from the defender while jumping up and leaning away from the goal.

Nowitzki’s shooting coach, Holger Geschwindner, said there’s more to the shot than meets the eye.

“There is more to it than just jumping around and throwing the ball in the air,” he said. “The arm motion is totally independent of the body motion.”

If the defender can keep his body on Nowitzki, it makes it tougher for him to bring his knee up and get the shot off. But that’s easier said than done because of Nowitzki’s great footwork before the knee comes up.

“The best approach is to crowd him,” Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. “You have to make the catch tough and not give him any space. If he has space, you are at a disadvantage.”

up shot after shot on one leg.

Nowitzki’s longtime shooting coach and mentor, Holger Geschwindner, didn’t teach him the shot. It

separation and get it off?”

Almost every time.

Staff writers Eddie Sefko, Brad Townsend and David Moore and special contributor Craig Barnes contributed to this report

M

Getting in position

away baffles even casual fans.

The shot certainly isn’t fundamentally sound. Rather, it comes from years of lonely nights in gyms, putting

developed over time as a way to get a shot off against a defender in the post.

“It’s all about when I can see if [the defender] is really leaning hard,” Nowitzki said. “Can I get a little

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Dirk’s signature fadeaway jumper leaves opponents defenseless

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James believes the most unstoppable shot in NBA history is the sky hook, the trademark of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki’s one-legged, fadeaway jump shot comes in at No. 2 on James’ list.

“There is no way to block a 7-footer fading away on

one leg,” James said.

Never before has there been a 7-footer with Nowitzki’s skill and shooting ability. And his one-legged fade-

12C

A leg to stand on

By BRANDON GEORGE Staff Writer/bgeorge@dallasnews.com

Miss or make Bowen said he was able to stymie Nowitzki at times.

“When he took one dribble to his right, I knew he was going to spin back to the left and shoot that one-legged fade,” Bowen said. “I would always be right on his left shoulder so it would be tough for him to spin and have any kind of room.”

Once Nowitzki has created enough space to raise his knee and jump, there is little the defender can do to stop him.

Nowitzki extends his long arms over his head and lets go a high-arcing shot that is nearly impossible to block.

Nowitzki lets fly, leaving the defender looking up and praying he somehow misses. It rarely happens on his go-to move.

“The dynamics of the shot make it difficult to defend,” former NBA coach and broadcaster Jack Ramsay said. “The surest way to defend it is to not let him get it, but you don’t know when it’s coming.”

Anthony said he tries to get a hand in Nowitzki’s face and as close to the ball as possible.

“And then, miss or make,” he said, “you live with that.”

Haslem said there is no way to prepare for a shot like Nowitzki’s.

“If somebody else shoots a shot like that, you think you’ve got him,” Haslem said, “and when he shoots a shot like that, he’s actually got you.”

SportsDayDFW.com

C12 M 06-05-2011 Set: 21:36:47 Sent by: rluthra@dallasnews.com Sports

15-point fourth-quarter lead.

“Look, Dirk knows for us to win this series he’s going to have to play all-around basketball,” Carlisle said. “He’s going to have to fight through periods where the ball isn’t necessarily going in the basket, which he did tonight.

“I played with [Larry] Bird for three years. Guys like that don’t feel pain right now. You play, you play, and if you’re feeling pain, you make yourself numb, so you don’t feel it.”

The Mavs rallied from a 16-point deficit in Game 1 against the Lakers at the Staples Center. They rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit at Oklahoma City in

The Dallas Morning News

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

Photos by VERNON BRYANT/Staff Photographer

Game 4 of that series and won in OT. All they had to do was keep playing, especially on the defensive end, and see if they could get a few shots to drop.

That said, a comeback still seemed out of the question because the Heat has done such a good job defending Dirk.

The Heat does it with Haslem denying Nowitzki access to his favorite spots and with double-teams that force him to give up the ball.

Dirk, who grabbed 11 rebounds, finished with 24 points.

“I’m so proud of the team and the way we battled,” Dirk said.

Now we have a series. ■ 125

Mavericks need to solve Heat, Heat defense — and quickly June 6, 2011 , By TIM COWLISHAW

T

he biggest thing we learned in Game 3 was that Game 2 was gone and forgotten like so much ancient history.

The notion that the Mavericks would get a significant momentum boost from their magnificent Game 2 comeback in Miami disappeared in an 88-86 Heat victory Sunday night at American Airlines Center.

It vanished for pretty much the same reason Miami’s huge comeback in Game 3 of the ’06 Finals was so significant.

And that’s Dwyane Wade.

The best player in the ’06 Finals has been the biggest of the megastars in this series. Although Dirk Nowitzki finished with a game-high 34 points, his final shot to tie the score clanked off the rim.

Wade’s 29 points carried the Heat, and, through three games, the Mavericks’ defense has really had no answer for Wade. That’s the biggest reason the Heat owns a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

What the Mavericks lost for certain Sunday night was any hope of celebrating a championship on their home floor. Winning in five games was probably unlikely against a Heat team that has lost just four playoff games, never more than one in a series.

At this point, Mavs fans will take a celebration anywhere they can get it.

But beyond that, the Mavericks may have lost a little faith. This team has thrived on big comebacks this spring — 16 down against the Lakers in Game 1, 15 down against the Thunder in Game 4, 15 down against the Heat last Thursday night — so when the team started fighting back and was actually tied late in the game, you had to think it was close to advantage Mavericks.

But Dallas’ only connection to the winning basket was that it came from Lincoln High’s Chris Bosh with 39 seconds to go.

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The Mavericks were not the better team for much of the first 96 minutes of this series in Miami. But they came home tied in the series, 1-1, because of their 22-5 rally in the final seven minutes of Game 2.

Sunday night was the night to capitalize on that. The home crowd was ready at American Airlines Center, decked out in Mavs blue and louder than the Heat fans tended to sound at American Airlines Arena.

But the early runs that would have energized the crowd even further never came.

Instead, as Carlisle said, the Mavericks just dug holes. That’s particularly troubling against a team that can defend. And this is the best defensive team Dallas has faced in the postseason.

The Heat’s regular-season record didn’t suggest Miami was really any better than the Lakers or Thunder.

But we are seeing something different in this series.

The Heat defense is even better than advertised.

On top of that, the Mavericks haven’t really solved the riddle of Wade any more than they did in 2006.

That’s why this series, featuring two very different teams with different head coaches five years later, is starting to look so familiar. ■

left: A Mavericks fans taunts Dwyane Wade late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 at American Airlines Center. Wade ignored the barbs to score 29 points.

Through the first three games, the Heat guard was averaging 29 points a game and shooting better than 56 percent from the field. Tom Fox

Bosh has not been a huge factor in this series, and keeping LeBron James somewhat under wraps has been managed, largely because of Shawn Marion.

Wade has been a different story.

The team that basically kept Kobe Bryant from taking over games before holding NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant mostly in check has really been challenged to guard Wade.

Wade is averaging 29 points per game and, after making 12 of his 21 field goal attempts Sunday night, he’s shooting 56.7 percent from the field.

That’s significantly higher than Nowitzki has been able to manage (just under 46 percent) against mostly outstanding defense from Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony.

“They hold us to the low 40s (field goal percentage) every game,” Nowitzki said. “They’ve really taken our shooters out of the game.”

Wade scored 19 points in the first half when Miami built a 14-point lead before Dallas rallied to trim it to five by halftime.

It was another bad start for a Mavericks team that has managed to survive slow beginnings in previous rounds and even Thursday night in Miami.

But it’s no way to survive long-term.

“One of the things that hurt us was we were digging out of holes all night,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s very difficult to play from behind all the time.”

Opposite: Dirk Nowitzki tries to pass the ball out of a double-team as Udonis Haslem (left) and Chris Bosh defend in the second quarter of Game 3. Bosh’s jumper with 39 seconds left in regulation gave the Heat an 8886 win and 2-1 series lead. Vernon Bryant

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Weakened Nowitzki has rough game but finishes strong again June 8, 2011, By KEVIN SHERRINGTON

W

hen it became a national storyline that Dirk Nowitzki required a little help from his friends, little did we suspect one needed to be a doctor.

Help came from everywhere for Nowitzki in the Mavs’ 86-83 win over the Heat on Tuesday at American Airlines Center, squaring the Finals at two apiece.

From Jason Terry, whom Nowitzki called out the day before, came 17 points, including a pair of clinching free throws. From Tyson Chandler, 13 points and a monster 16 rebounds. From his coach, Rick Carlisle, a

gamble on a different lineup. From his defense, holding the Heat to a 14-point fourth quarter.

From the pharmacy, a B-12 shot. Maybe a Z-pack.

From the heart, everything Nowitzki had.

Battling a 101-degree fever because of a sinus infection, he clearly wasn’t himself. Hadn’t slept the night before. Even missed the shoot-around Tuesday morning.

And through three quarters of Game 4, his line was as limp as the lift in his jump shot: 11 points and only 4-of-13 from the field.

But when his team needed a big basket in the fourth quarter, was it really any surprise who would take it?

“He’s one of the greatest ever,” Carlisle said. “He wants the ball, and he wants the responsibility of winning and losing the game.

“We make every effort to put him in those situations.”

And here it is: 29.3 seconds left, Mavs ball and the lead, 82-81. Nowitzki takes the ball and waits. Waits

for Udonis Haslem to come out. Waits for the clock to tick.

Waits, waits, waits.

And then with 16 seconds left, he’s gone. Wheeling to his right instead of his left, the move everyone in the NBA expects, he leaves a surprised Haslem in the paint, avoids a strafing run by Dwyane Wade and banks in a layup.

A few players and media members were so impressed with Nowitzki’s 21 points and 11 rebounds under the circumstances that it reminded them of Game 5 in the ’97 Finals, when Michael Jordan, fighting stomach flu, played 44 minutes and scored 38 points, including the winning 3-pointer.

Not everyone was buying the comparison.

“Wow,” Terry said. “A Jordanism? I wouldn’t quite call it that.”

How would you describe it, Jet? “Took it to the rack. Got it done.

“Big time.”

left: Dirk Nowitzki, suffering from a sinus infection and temperature of 101, sits bundled up during a timeout in Game 4. Despite his illness, Nowitzki scored 10 fourth-quarter points, including the basket that sealed the win. Vernon Bryant opposite top left: Jason Terry puts his tongue out after scoring on a fast break as Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers watches in the fourth quarter during Game 4 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center.

Vernon Bryant

opposite top right: Jason Kidd breaks away after recovering a loose ball in the first quarter during Game 4. Tom Fox opposite bottom left: Devyn Bernal and Malory Skaugen of Flower Mound cheer as Dallas Mavericks fans rally at Victory Plaza before Game 4 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center Tuesday, June 7, in Dallas. Vernon Bryant opposite bottom right: Shawn Marion gets his hand on the ball as Miami’s Dwyane Wade tries to pass in the third quarter during Game 4. Marion had a big night, with 16 points and another stellar defensive game. Tom Fox 129

Left: Jason Terry steals the ball from Heat point guard Mario Chalmers in the first quarter of Game 4. Terry was effective coming off the bench with 17 points.

He also contributed on the defensive end with three steals. Louis DeLuca Opposite: Dirk Nowitzki slips past Udonis Haslem to score the biggest basket of the game, a layup with 14.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Mavericks the lead for good in Game 4. Dallas’ 86-83 victory evened the series, 2-2. Louis DeLuca

Nowitzki looked like he didn’t have it in him for most of the game. After making three of his first five shots, he missed eight of his next nine. He let Mario Chalmers run around him in the first half for an uncontested layup. He not only wasn’t making shots, he wasn’t looking for any.

With the Mavs down, 76-69, when he went in for a layup and was fouled by Wade, he went down like a skyscraper imploding. Only it was no act.

Pulling himself up, tugging at the right side of his jersey like always, he made his free throws.

Like always.

After the game, sitting on the podium, his warm-up jacket zipped to his chin, he tried to deflect any praise.

What he did was what anyone would do.

“This is the Finals.” Sniff.

“You’ve got to try your best.” Hack.

“I never thought about MJ’s performance. I was way off, looking at my line.”

Wheeze. Cough. Sniffle.

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Attention NBA media relations personnel: You might want to spray that mike with something.

At one point as reporters tried to get him to put his game into perspective, Nowitzki pulled his warm-up over his mouth and coughed into the collar.

He said he’d be fine by Thursday’s game, which is good, because they’re going to need him again.

The Mavs can’t count on the Heat scoring only 14 points in the fourth quarter again. Or LeBron James scoring only eight points.

But the Mavs can count on Nowitzki.

“We knew he was going to play,” DeShawn Stevenson said. “He’s a soldier. He’s our franchise player and we go through him.

“Him being out there with a fever says a lot, in the Finals, especially with his finger being messed up. He’s a tough player.”

Here’s hoping he got a good night’s sleep Tuesday.

He earned it. ■

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