NBA

Nowitzki again raises Dallas' playoff profile

The Mavericks' big man incorporates lessons from the past, and even the most recent game.

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 7, 2006

DALLAS - As the Heat tries to find ways to handle Dirk Nowitzki, its players no doubt will look at his mistakes that cost the Mavericks playoff games against San Antonio and Phoenix.

The Heat would be wise to heed what happened next.

The Mavericks didn't lose another game in either series, and Nowitzki more than atoned for each flub.

Against the Spurs, Nowitzki missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the end of Game 6, then immediately chided himself for not driving for a layup and drawing a foul.

Given a similar chance in Game 7, Nowitzki showed he had learned his lesson. He converted the 3-point play, forcing overtime and helping Dallas knock out the defending champions.

Against the Suns, Nowitzki went 3-for-13 and scored 11 in a loss at Phoenix that tied the Western Conference final at 2. He came back to score 50 the next game, then sparked a late rally in Game 6 as the Mavericks won to reach to the Finals for the first time in the team's 26-year history.

"He's been good all season long and he's turned into greatness," in the playoffs, teammate Jason Terry said. "Dirk is a legend in the making."

Nowitzki goes into Thursday's Game1 of the NBA Finals averaging 28.4 points and 11.9 rebounds this postseason. If there was an MVP for the entire playoffs, he likely would be the pick.

Sure, Dwyane Wade has been terrific for Miami. But he has Shaquille O'Neal to help carry the load. In Dallas, the playoffs boil down to this: As Dirk goes, so do the Mavericks. The numbers back it up.

In their five losses, Nowitzki has averaged 22.6 points and been the team's top scorer only twice. In their 12 wins, he has averaged 30.8 and led the team 10 times.

"I've seen him thrive in the moment," Terry said. "He knows what's at stake, that every opportunity gets us closer and closer to the championship. He has that vision in his head. You can see when he drives to the basket, there's more intensity. It's on his mind constantly."

Nowitzki has always been great in the playoffs, raising his regular-season averages every time. Well, except last year.

The German struggled with his shot, screamed at his teammates and the Mavs were a mess. They scrambled out of an 0-2 hole in the first round, then lost to the Suns in the second round, an ousting made more painful because his good pal and former teammate Steve Nash led Phoenix.

"I had a tough summer last year sitting on that one," Nowitzki said. "But I think it pushed all of us."

This season, Nowitzki's eighth in the league, was his first without both Nash and Michael Finley, the team leaders who helped bring him along early in his career. It also was his first full year without coach Don Nelson.

Still, it turned out to be his best yet - a testament to his desire to keep improving.

And at the urging of new coach Avery Johnson, Nowitzki developed more of a low post game and improved on defense.

"I've always had big goals for Dirk," said Johnson, Nowitzki's teammate on the 2003 club that reached the conference finals. "I think there's another level for him to go to. We'll keep trying to push him there."

[Last modified June 7, 2006, 02:00:17]