- The Dirk Nowitzki appreciation thread -

[mvblair]

Any team including Nowitzky would be a top european team,

Or a top NBA team. Dirk is the only reason Dallas isn't the worst team in the NBA right now.

Well, every shot Nowitzki takes is a shot Howard doesn't take and so I'm perfectly fine with it.

Hah, hah, hah!! Howard is a pretty good player, but he's best when he's moving toward the basket, not taking jump-shots.

But seriously, Dallas is a mess this year. Any team will drop 110 on them, and the Kidd/Harris deal hurt the team in the middle term (right now) while short term success was illusionary in the first place.

I think they would've been much better off with Harris right now. Kidd just is not as big an offensive threat as he used to be. And Dallas could've used a draft pick to get one of the Lopez twins to help in the middle.

Anyhow, Dallas beat Charlotte by 20 points last night and Dirk had 32 (10-21) points.

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Marv Albert Show: Dirk Nowitzki

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Dirk Receives 9th 'Player Of The Week' Honor


DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ― Dirk Nowitzki has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week. This marks the ninth time that the Dallas Mavericks forward has earned the honor.

The title includes games played between November 17 and November 23. During that time span, Nowitzki led the team a perfect 3-0 week, beating out Charlotte, Houston and Memphis. Dallas won by an average of 13 points per game.

Nowitzki averaged 27 points and 10 rebounds per game, shooing .466 from the field, .500 from three-point range and .923 from the line.

Throughout the season, Nowitzki ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring, seventh in free throws and seventh in free throw percentage (tied). He also leads his team in scoring, rebounds and minutes per game.

The Mavs did not have a Player of the Week throughout all of last season. Nowitzki is the first Mavs player to receive the title since he was named the Player of the Week on March 1, 2007.

http://cbs11tv.com/local/Dirk.Nowitz....2.872710.html

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Nowitzki, Barea lead Mavs past Suns


DALLAS(AP) Maybe it was facing buddy Steve Nash. Maybe it was having two point guards in the starting lineup. Maybe it was the way Phoenix kept switching defenders against him without ever finding a stopper.

Something put Dirk Nowitzki into quite the scoring mood.

Nowitzki scored 37 points in three quarters and wound up tying his season high of 39, and the Dallas Mavericks continued their recent surge with perhaps their best performance of the season in a 112-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

"He willed us to a higher level than we've been at,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was clear to me he was not going to let us lose.''

Nowitzki opened the game by hitting a midrange jumper and the Mavericks never trailed.

Nowitzki wouldn't let them, scoring inside or outside no matter whether he was being guarded by a big guy like Shaquille O'Neal or Amare Stoudemire, a medium-sized guy like Grant Hill or Matt Barnes, or even facing a pesky double-team from Nash.

"Since they lost Shawn Marion, they can't match up with him,'' teammate Jason Terry said. "He took advantage of them all night.''

Nash and O'Neal returned to Phoenix's lineup after missing the two previous games, Nash because of flu-like symptoms that cost him several pounds and O'Neal because of sore knees and coach Terry Porter's plan to avoid using him in back-to-back games. Their presence wasn't enough, though, as the Suns lost their fourth straight.

"We haven't found a rhythm or a good balance yet,'' said Nash, who had 20 points and 10 assists without playing the fourth quarter. "We haven't shown a fighting spirit yet to get over the hump. Right now we're in a dark place but we have to believe in each other.''

Stoudemire led Phoenix with 28 points but got his fifth foul late in the third quarter and wasn't a factor after that.

The big problem for the Suns seems to be defense. Nowitzki's big night comes soon after Miami's Dwyane Wade scored 43 against Phoenix and New Jersey's Devin Harris had 47.

"We haven't done a good job of taking the challenge and guarding their guys,'' Porter said. "There's no doubt we'll get better.''

Nowitzki scored 14 points in the first quarter, nine in the second and 14 in the third. He was 16-of-21 at that point and the Mavericks were comfortably ahead going into the final period.

"I felt like I hadn't been shooting the ball extremely good, only in the low 40 percent, and that's not going to cut it,'' Nowitzki said. "But my shot felt good tonight and I got some good looks.''

Nowitzki got one more basket before leaving with 4:04 left. Getting 40 didn't matter as much as knowing the Mavericks were headed toward their eighth win in nine games, pushing them two games over .500 for the first time this season. It also was their fourth straight home win, evening their record in Dallas at 4-4.

"We gained ground tonight - percentage-wise, we're seventh in the West now,'' Carlisle said. "That's huge because we're trying to climb from the abyss of the first two weeks (when they were 2-7).''

The Mavs have a good chance to keep climbing with the next five games at home. And they might've found a spark from the new wrinkle of pairing 5-foot-11 backup point guard J.J. Barea in the lineup with Jason Kidd. Sometimes they've even gone to a three-point-guard lineup with Terry joining them.

Carlisle used that in the fourth quarter when Phoenix got within 10. Barea then scored or set up every point in a 10-0 run. Soon after, he nailed a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 23 and punctuated it with a loud scream drowned out by a roar from fans already on their feet.

"When you have confidence you can do anything and his confidence is high right now,'' Kidd said of Barea.

"He's fearless,'' added Nowitzki. "He's small, but for some reason he's a great finisher in there. He gets to the seams. I just really like that he's in attack mode.''

Barea, who earned the start by hitting the winning shot in the final minute of the previous game, finished with a season-best 18 points. Terry scored 19, continuing his strong play off the bench to make up for the scoring punch lost by Josh Howard being out with an ankle injury. Dallas is 6-1 in the seven straight games he's missed.

Although these teams no longer score like they used to, the Mavericks did a good imitation of their former selves in the first half, scoring 33 points in the first quarter and a season-best 64 by halftime.

The Suns kept up with the pace the first 11 1/2 minutes, then Dallas broke the game open with a 21-4 spurt.

Notes: O'Neal had four points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. He made only 1 of 6 shots. ... Kidd made a 3-pointer, the 1,386th of his career, tying Antoine Walker for ninth in NBA history.

http://www.nba.com/games/20081204/PHXDAL/recap.html

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In tailspin, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki was a sleepy, sore loser


DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki is sleeping a little better these days. At least the best he can.

"I don’t sleep well after games anyway, win or lose," Nowitzki said. "I always have stuff going through my mind, playing plays over, that’s how I’ve always been. After losses it’s usually worse. I’m not in a great mood when we lose."

No one was particularly upbeat during the Dallas Mavericks’ awful 2-7 start that consumed the first two spiraling weeks of a new season.

"I tried to stay positive and still have fun in the locker room with the guys, but you can sense that the atmosphere wasn’t the same," Nowitzki said. "The coaches were pretty much brand new and they were on edge more trying to find answers. We practiced longer. We watched longer films. That’s all a by-product of losing."

Eight wins in nine games later, coach Rick Carlisle limited two off-day workouts to weightlifting and film sessions after the Mavs began this seven-game homestand 2-0.

Nowitzki, 30, will take the extra rest with the improved Atlanta Hawks in town tonight. Over the past nine games, starting with the tide-turning overtime win at New York on Nov. 16 to Thursday’s wire-to-wire dusting of Phoenix, Nowitzki has averaged 38.1 minutes a game.

He’s averaged 27.8 points to lift his season average to 25.1, tied for fourth in the league with Kobe Bryant entering Friday’s games. He’s posted 11.9 rebounds, moving him to a tie for 13th in the league at 8.9.

Of the 7-footer’s seven double-doubles, six have come in the last nine games.

If the five-game losing streak, the longest in eight seasons, seemed like a two-month slog as Nowitzki says, his calling out his teammates in Los Angeles after losing to the Clippers on Nov. 9 almost seems like a different season.

"There’s no question that period was difficult for all of us, but I think particularly him," Carlisle said of his 11th-year power forward.

During the nine-game span that has dulled the thud of the 2-7 start, Nowitzki has displayed numerous double fist pumps and primal roars, his big-shot exclamations typically reserved for postseason pressure cookers.

"He hates to lose," point guard Jason Kidd said. "For him, he felt that maybe he wasn’t giving us enough points. I think it wasn’t so much the points. We just needed him to rebound maybe a little more. He felt as the leader of this team he had to do more, bring up every stat category a little bit more, and he did that."

During the rocky start, Nowitzki met several times with Carlisle behind closed doors to discuss the team’s direction, why players were uncomfortable with the offense and how to go about finding a more complementary mix.

"The last two weeks I like what we’re running," Nowitzki said. "We’re mixing it up with moving plays, pick-and-roll plays, simple stuff, and I just think we found a good mix with coach together."

The Mavs have increased their scoring to 100.2 a game, one of eight teams to average at least 100. Improvement has come at the other end, too. Dallas ranks third in field-goal percentage defense (42.6).

While this run of success has hardly been flawless, Nowitzki said it became possible through teamwork at a critical juncture when fracturing seemed not only possible, but also plausible.

"That was the major thing," Nowitzki said. "The players, one through 15, coaches, free-throw doc, whomever, I mean, if you’re losing, it’s all of us in it together."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In The Hole The top five leading scorers in the NBA through Friday:


Player Avg.
1. Dwyane Wade 28.4
2. LeBron James 27.4
3. Chris Bosh 26.6
4. Kobe Bryant 25.1
4. Dirk Nowitzki 25.1

http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/1078114.html

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Dirk Nowitzki hits key 3-pointer, Mavericks beat Bobcats 95-90


DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki hit a key 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds to play and finished with 23 points to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the trade-depleted Charlotte Bobcats 95-90 on Thursday night.

Jason Terry had 26 points for the Mavericks, 10-0 against the Bobcats.

Emeka Okafor had a season-high 27 points and 17 rebounds, and Raymond Felton added 16 points for Charlotte. The Bobcats have lost five straight.

The Bobcats were short-handed after the trade Wednesday that sent Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary. The Charlotte newcomers are expected to make their Bobcats debuts Saturday night at home against Detroit.

Dallas was up 90-89 lead when Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 28.3 seconds left. Terry added two foul shots with 19.4 left for the final margin.

Terry's short jumper triggered a 12-2 fourth-quarter spurt, with Nowitzki's 3-pointer ending it as Dallas built an 86-80 edge with 5:53 remaining. But the Bobcats answered with an 8-2 run, capped by Ryan Hollins' dunk with 3:09 left, to tie it at 88.

Terry's two free throws with 2:54 remaining put Dallas in front for good, 90-88.

Nowitzki had only nine points at halftime, but the former league MVP heated up in the third quarter, scoring eight straight during one early stretch.

The young Bobcats kept up the pressure while the Mavericks went 4 minutes without a third-quarter field goal until Kidd hit a 3-pointer with 1:05 that pulled Dallas to 3-72. The score was even at 74 entering the final quarter.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said before the game that he was worried about an inspired start by the undermanned Bobcats. Charlotte hit 10 of its first 18 field-goal attempts and the game was tied at 26 heading into the second quarter.

Okafor had a double-double with 4 minutes left in the half and the Bobcats carried a 54-53 lead into the intermission behind Okafor's 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Notes:@ Mavericks F Josh Howard missed his 10th consecutive game because of an ankle injury. There's no timetable for his return. ... Okafor's previous season high was 25 points against Oklahoma City on Dec. 3.

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236397/

[Khalid80]

Nowitzki vs. OKC Thunder: 46 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-10 FT
(Dallas beat OKC Thunder 103-99)

Nowitzki is back to business after a rough start at the beginning of the season.

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Nowitzki vs. OKC Thunder: 46 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-10 FT
(Dallas beat OKC Thunder 103-99)

Nowitzki is back to business after a rough start at the beginning of the season.

Brilliant! He's been scoring 32.7 ppg in the last 6 games. A pity I missed the live game.

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From Dirk Nowitzki, Peace and Joy


Danny Bollinger's the man who documents the moves of your Dallas Mavs; if you're not following his fantastic photog blog, which goes more behind-the-scenes than the Wizard of Oz, you're missing out. A week after this festive photo of Dirk Nowitzki snapped at a charity event made the rounds, Danny was kind enough to forward two click-to-expand outtakes from the same event, both of which prove, yet again, that Dirk is very tall for his age. The one after the jump? Well, it's adorable too. --Robert Wilonsky

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236404/

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Dirk Nowitzki says he'd take a pay cut to help Dallas Mavericks in 2010 free-agent market


Dirk Nowitzki is keeping all options open for his future, including the possibility of taking less money in 2010 to facilitate the Mavericks acquiring a marquee player or players in that summer's bountiful free-agent market.

While adamant that he will not allow himself or the Mavericks to give up on the next two seasons, Nowitzki said he's aware of how brim-full the free-agent pool will be in 2010.

"Every team is trying to be a player in 2010," he said. "Every team is trying to clear money under the cap so they can make a move.

"I'm very fortunate that I've made a lot of money in this league, even though I've never really played for money. I love the sport. I love this organization. Obviously, I want to win. I won the MVP, and individually, there's nothing really left but winning a championship.

"If that means I have to play for less money, it's all possible. It's all open."

During a heartfelt interview on the just-completed road trip, Nowitzki said he believes the Mavericks have the potential to be an elite team this season. He also realizes that the organization and its fans have to keep an eye on the future. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Nowitzki and many others are on that 2010 free-agent list.

Some, like Nowitzki, can exercise an option they have after the 2009-10 season. In Nowitzki's case, he can earn $21.5 million in the 2010-11 season. Or he can opt out and be an unrestricted free agent. A more appealing option for the Mavericks is to extend Nowitzki's contract and reduce the 2010-11 salary considerably, but add many years onto the deal to help make it fair to Nowitzki.

With that sort of deal, the Mavericks could get well under the salary cap and be a major player in the 2010 free-agent frenzy.

"That's still a long time away," Nowitzki said. "Nobody's talked to me about extending or anything like that. I never really thought about it because we're in the midst of figuring this thing out.

"I've got two years, and I don't want to throw these next two years away and say basically we're waiting on 2010 to get another player in. That's not how I want to look at these next two years. I still feel I'm in my prime and I don't want to just throw these next two years away."

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was not surprised to hear that Nowitzki would be open to a reduced salary if it meant getting a marquee player alongside him.

"Dirk is Dirk," Cuban said. "He's a team player all the way and wants to win. He's a first-class guy, and we've grown up together in this organization. So I think we've always tried to be on the same page."

In this NBA era, most salary-related headlines are made by players who refuse to allow their team to buy out their contract for anything less than its full value.

There have been numerous instances, however, of top-tier players surrendering salary so that the team could sign certain players. Michael Jordan was consistently underpaid so that the Chicago Bulls could add key personnel during their championship seasons in the '90s.

Also in the '90s, Charles Barkley signed with Houston for $1 million to facilitate the signing of Scottie Pippen.

Nowitzki's openness to working with the Mavericks financially doesn't mask the fact that the team still doesn't know how good it could be this season. The possibility of trading for a big man who can score or a perimeter ballhandler remains, although the Mavericks apparently have nothing serious in the works.

The trading deadline isn't until Feb. 19.

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236402/

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Did this ask for an ejection? (1:37)

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Dirk got suspended for one game.
This video explains it better:

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Dirk Nowitzki questions league's suspension methods


Dirk Nowitzki isn't happy about the way the NBA handled his suspension. And he shouldn't be.

But the best news out of the incident against the Jazz last week is that the Mavericks' superstar is learning that he'll have to be more disciplined on future trips to Utah.

Nowitzki talked for the first time about the suspension that came after his back-hand swing at Utah's Matt Harpring on Friday.

"I was disappointed they didn't tell me Saturday,'' he said. "There excuse was the investigation took all day. I don't buy that. I think they should have told me Saturday.''

Not that the suspension was unexpected. Earlier this season, Boston's Kevin Garnett gave a similar blow to Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut and got a one-game suspension.

Nowitzki said it's more than just a coincidence that he's been suspended for actions in each of his last two trips to Utah.

"I'd say,'' he said. "But I've got to do a better job keeping my head. That's how they play there. They don't call a lot of fouls there. I just think it's (Utah coach Jerry) Sloan having the boys play hard. It's been like this ever since I got to the league. They let the boys play in Utah and let them play hard. Sometimes on the edge. And I just got to be ready to take more hits and play through it and not lose my head.''

Nowitzki said the league wasn't interested in hearing him talk about what happened before the fourth-quarter incident in Utah.

"They only wanted to know about that one play,'' said Nowitzki, adding he never talked to NBA operations president Stu Jackson. "I obviously never meant to hit him in the face. I just wish they would have told us Saturday so I didn't get my hopes up (of playing Sunday against the LA Clippers).''

And as for the way the investigation took place, he said: "He (Jackson) never called me. I was going to tell him a few stories. But nowadays, it's some NBA security, some assistant or whatever. They just write down what you have to say. They could really scratch it out. They do what they do. I don't know why they interview you. They walk you through the whole spiel _ what were you thinking, what you saw _ then you tell them and you get suspended anyway. I might not even call them back next time.''

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236417/

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Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks have work to do


Dirk Nowitzki, rubbing a swollen nose that he's sort of sure isn't broken, said Thursday he has only one New Year's resolution.

"Make some free throws again," said Nowitzki, who was hit on the bridge of his nose by Minnesota's Craig Smith on Tuesday. "I slipped under 90 [percent] for the first time this year. I was six out of 10 last game. That ain't cutting it."

Nowitzki indeed fell to 89.2 percent with his faulty free throw shooting against Minnesota. And the start of the New Year included other problem areas for the Mavericks to address, namely working on the starts to their games.

"We've had that trouble for a while now," he said. "And it's on us older guys to be ready to play from the tip. We just got to get going a little quicker, get the crowd going. We can't just go through the motions early."

Added Jason Kidd: "We can't put ourselves in that big of a hole if we want to be a good team. But we've been saying that for the last couple weeks."

As for his nose, Nowitzki said he refuses to "wear that visor thing. I'm not a big fan of that. It's a little stiff, a little sore. I might snore a little more, but it's OK."

All-Star update: Nowitzki has become sort of used to going to the All-Star Game. He's played in seven in a row. And he's a solid fourth among Western Conference forwards in fan balloting released Thursday.

It's not much of a priority for him.

"Really, the only thing left is the championship," Nowitzki said. "It's going to stay that way the rest of my career. It's all about winning it all now."

What does get his attention is that this is his 11th season, and yet, he's only 30.

"I was always the young German wunderkind, and now I'm just one of the old guys," he said. "It's amazing how the time flies. I'm enjoying the rest of my career, make the best of it and have fun and see where it takes us."

Asked if he could remember the young kid who showed up in 1998, Nowitzki said: "With the bad teeth and the bad haircut and the terrible earring. I think I had a pinkie ring at one point. Yeah, that was a bad look back in the day. I'm glad I'm over those times."

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236416/

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DALLAS 107, CLIPPERS 102
Dirk Nowitzki's last-minute heroics lead Mavericks past Clippers

Nowitzki blocked a shot and scored with 37 seconds left to put Dallas up for good. The Clippers have now lost eight straight.
Associated Press
January 7, 2009


Reporting from Dallas -- Dirk Nowitzki blocked a shot and then scored with 37 seconds remaining to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Clippers, 107-102, on Tuesday night.

Dallas got started with its highest-scoring quarter of the season and had an 18-point lead before halftime against the Clippers, who had only eight players in uniform because of numerous lingering injuries.

The Clippers' NBA-worst losing streak is now at eight games.

Dallas needed a game-ending 12-1 run to avoid being upset at home, finally going ahead to stay on Nowitzki's high-arching 11-footer after he had blocked rookie Eric Gordon's driving layup attempt at the other end. Nowitzki finished with 34 points.

Gordon, who scored 32 points, had a turnover on the next possession when the ball was knocked from his hands by Jason Kidd -- though the rookie and his coach both thought there was a foul on the play.


The Clippers have gone multiple games without the injured Baron Davis (bruised tailbone), Zach Randolph (left knee), Mike Taylor (right thumb) and Chris Kaman (left knee).

"I'm really proud of our guys, how hard they played and what they did," Coach Mike Dunleavy said. "A couple of bounces didn't go our way, a couple of calls didn't go our way and the Mavericks pulled one off."

The Clippers led the Mavericks for the first time since the first two minutes of the game when Mardy Collins made a three-point shot to make it 95-93 with 6:38 left.

Jose Barea then made a three-pointer to put Dallas back in front, but Al Thornton made three consecutive baskets, two layups before his 24-foot jumper put the Clippers up 101-95 with 2:39 left. That was the Clippers' last field goal.

"We just need to learn how to close games out," said Thornton, who finished with 25 points.

http://dirk-nowitzki-news.newslib.co.../2465-3236419/

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Dallas Mavericks close trip with a fall to Nuggets, 99-97


DENVER – The Mavericks came up with a lot of heart, fight and passion Tuesday night.

And they still came up with a loss.

A gritty effort went unrewarded when Denver's Chauncey Billups was fouled on an 18-foot jumper with 2.2 seconds to play. His free throws were the difference as the Nuggets scored a 99-97 victory at Pepsi Center.

The Mavericks, for all their gritty play in the second half, limped home with an 0-3 road trip and the distressing thought of the New Orleans Hornets waiting for them tonight at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks trailed by 17 points in the third quarter but made a spirited comeback, taking a 95-91 lead behind Dirk Nowitzki, who had 44 points, and Jason Terry.

But they couldn't close it out.

Billups hit two free throws, and Nene got loose for a short hook shot to tie the score, 95-95. After Antoine Wright missed a jumper, the rebound was tipped long and led to a breakaway layup for Denver's Anthony Carter. Nowitzki then broke through the Nuggets' defense for a driving dunk to make it 97-97 with 28 seconds to go.

Then, Billups worked against Jason Kidd, got near the top of the key, went up and was fouled by Terry, who was helping on the play.

"I think Chauncey was hung up in the air and really had nowhere to go, and kicked his leg out and gets the call," Nowitzki said. "The league told us when you kick your leg out this season, it's an automatic offensive foul."

Not on this occasion. It was a bitter finish for the Mavericks, who didn't get a shot when they had to go 94 feet in the final 2.2 seconds, because they had no timeouts.

And so, the Mavericks fell further into ninth place in the Western Conference despite their most passionate play of the road trip during the second half against the Nuggets.

"Our guys fought back all night," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We really battled, and it's tough. Everyone's disappointed. But I'm not disappointed in the effort. But I am disappointed that we couldn't finish it off.

"The people in New York will look at the calls. And if they weren't right, the people who made them will hear about them."

Wasted was Nowitzki's wild night, but the Mavericks also came away knowing that if they put out this sort of effort nightly, rewards surely will come. [...]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.6e81e9c.html

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Dirk Nowitzki helps Mavericks hold off Jazz


DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks can pack some good vibes along with their parkas for an eight-day Eastern Conference tour after Saturday night’s courageous 115-108 victory against the Utah Jazz that snapped a four-game skid.

Dirk Nowitzki continued his torrid season with a game-high 39 points. He let bygones be bygones against the Jazz and instead torched them by hitting 16 of 20 shots, many coming on aggressive drives to the basket.

He finished the game with an ailing right elbow that might have been hyper-extended and an injured right ankle that sent him hobbling into the tunnel — possibly the locker room — with 3:20 left in the game and the Mavs clinging to a 104-101 lead.

"I had to go out and take a couple of steps in the tunnel and loosen up and I was able to go back in the game," Nowitzki said. "I was able to grind it out and whatever happened we needed this win. We needed to get some confidence and get this win."

Nowitzki hobbled back onto the court with 2:02 left and immediately grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw. He didn’t have to score again because he finally received some major help.

Jason Terry had 22 points and five assists and Brandon Bass had 17 points and nine rebounds. Bass’ elbow jumper made it 106-101.

Antoine Wright (11 points) hit a difficult leaner in the lane to make it 108-102 and earlier in the quarter Devean George (six points) made a 3-pointer to counter Andrei Kirilenko’s 3-pointer on the previous possession and keep the lead at five points.

Even Kidd had 11 points and 15 assists.

"Look, it’s a game we had to get," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Our veteran guys showed major-league guts. Utah was firing on all cylinders offensively and our guys, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Dirk just made play after play, offensively and defensively, down the stretch."

The Mavs took an 83-81 lead into the fourth quarter. It felt like the most important final 12 minutes of the season. They had just come off Thursday’s disappointment of losing to New Orleans after being tied heading into the fourth.

On Saturday, Nowitzki, typically on the bench to start the fourth quarter, was in the game. And when J.J. Barea committed a turnover one minute in, Carlisle immediately motioned for Kidd to return.

Carlisle said his substitution pattern reflected matchups, but there was little doubt he needed his veterans in the game.

"This game was the New York game earlier in the season when we were 2-7 and we needed a win," Terry said. "We had lost four in a row; we needed a win here to close out the home stand."

The Mavs continued to attack the basket in the fourth quarter and were into the bonus with just over four minutes elapsed. At the other end, they finally bottled up Deron Williams. He finished with 30 points, but had just five in the fourth quarter, all on free throws.

The Mavs will have a light workout today followed by a four-game road swing that starts at red-hot Philadelphia, which has won seven in a row, including blowout victories over the Trail Blazers and Spurs in its past two home games.

The trip then goes to Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston.

As far as Nowitzki’s late-game injuries, Carlisle said not to worry.

"I think Dirk will be playing," he said.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1150181.html

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Dirk's awesome buzzer-beater a few hours ago to end the 76ers seven-game winning streak. Final score 95-93. How's that for a choker?

PHILADELPHIA(AP) Dirk Nowitzki came through when it mattered.

Despite missing 13 of his first 14 shots and 16 of 23 overall, the seven-foot forward hit a turnaround 17-foot jumper over Reggie Evans at the buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 95-93 victory against Philadelphia, snapping the 76ers' season-high seven-game winning streak.

"I'm a shooter,'' Nowitzki said. "I always think the next one is going in.''

Nowitzki received the inbounds pass with 4.3 seconds left and spun around the 6-foot-8 Evans to deliver the game-winning shot.

"It's easy to get it to him because he's seven feet,'' Kidd said of Nowitzki. "He's done it all year. He's an All-Star and an MVP and he enjoys these moments.''

http://www.nba.com/games/20090119/DALPHI/recap.html

[rikhardur]

Dirk Nowitzki is Mavericks’ only All-Star selection


Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said Dirk Nowitzki’s selection as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team Thursday is a no-brainer.

"He’s had a great year statistically and what he’s meant to us," Carlisle said, "it’s an MVP-type year."

Nowitzki, who will extend his Mavs record on Feb. 15 with his eighth All-Star appearance in 11 seasons, ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 25.7 points a game. He’s averaging 8.4 rebounds and shooting 91.5 percent from the free-throw line.

He will head to Phoenix alone, however. Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, whose 20.3 scoring average is on pace to be his career high, did not receive enough votes from the Western Conference coaches who selected the 12 reserves.

"It’s awful tough in the West," Carlisle said. "It’s so deep there’s going to be a lot of really top-level players left off in the West."

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1174371.html

[camps4kids]

nowitzki is the greatest...he's one of a kind 'round here in germany...there aren't many of his type all over the world!