kepdawg
06-01-2007, 10:20 PM
Deliverance
Dirk's 50 points speak volumes – and put Mavs on cusp of Finals
June 1, 2006
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
Editors' note: The following appeared in the final June 2, 2006 edition of The Dallas Morning News.
Long before Dirk Nowitzki's half-a-hundred put the Mavericks one win away from the franchise's first trip to the NBA Finals, Darrell Armstrong planted the seed for greatness in a team that was staggering badly.
It came in the locker room after that deplorable Game 4 showing, and Armstrong gave an impassioned plea to the Mavericks. "Don't quit," said Armstrong, the Mavericks' eldest statesman. "It was like we thought it was over. I wanted them to know we can't play like that anymore if we want to accomplish anything."
And so, they didn't.
Dirk Nowitzki fights for some of his 50 points against Boris Diaw and the Suns in Game 5.
With Nowitzki heeding not only Armstrong's advice, but his coach's, too, the Mavericks overcame the Phoenix Suns and any self-doubt with a stunning offensive display in the final 15 minutes for a 117-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at American Airlines Center.
Nowitzki's 50 points – he outscored the Suns 15-5 by himself in the crucial stretch and 22-20 in the fourth quarter – are a franchise playoff record. They were the impetus to a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. A Game 6 win Saturday in Phoenix would send the Mavericks against either Miami or Detroit for the NBA championship.
"It was pretty special what he did," coach Avery Johnson said of Nowitzki. "He was disappointed with the last game. And I'm not going to tell you everything that went on behind the scenes. But we were all disappointed."
One of the things that went on was Armstrong stepping up in a very dire postgame locker room and inciting the Mavericks. How uplifting was it?
"More than another point guard's talk was a while back," said Johnson, who as an inactive point guard on the Mavs' 2003 team gave the pregame speech that sparked a Game 7 win against Portland in that playoff run.
And yet, the Mavericks had to overcome plenty in the second half against the Suns on Thursday. After blowing a 14-point lead early, the Mavericks found themselves behind 77-70 with 3:27 to play in the third quarter after a flurry of 3-pointers by Tim Thomas.
The Mavericks would outscore Phoenix 47-24 the rest of the way. Nowitzki scored 29 of their points.
When they were down by seven, Nowitzki said he saw the season slipping away. But Devin Harris' three-point play – his only points of the game – triggered a 10-0 blitz. The Suns were relying on Steve Nash and Thomas, who had 26 points, to stay within 89-88 with under nine minutes to play.
A pair of technical fouls against the Suns, one against an irate coach Mike D'Antoni, meant Nowitzki got a four-point possession when he canned a jumper after the two free throws. In what seemed like a heartbeat, they were up by double figures.
"Definitely a turning point," D'Antoni said of the technicals.
But not nearly as much of a turning point as Nowitzki's sensational evening.
"Fifty-cent, and the win," said Armstrong. "That's all you have to say about Dirk. He took things personal and played like an MVP."
It was a terrific response after Armstrong's MVP speech two nights earlier.
"This team has had to fight through a lot this season," Nowitzki said. "We had to stick together as a team and when we were down seven, I just think everybody realized we don't want this to be over yet.
"We came together as a team and played some good defense and kept attacking."
In the fourth quarter, the Suns were 6-of-17 from the field (35.3 percent). That was the same time frame in which the Mavericks hit 11 of 20 shots (55.0 percent) and outrebounded the Suns 14-6. The boards continued to be a huge asset for the Mavericks.
And if you're looking for a good omen, they have never coughed up a 3-2 lead in a playoff series.
Dirk's 50 points speak volumes – and put Mavs on cusp of Finals
June 1, 2006
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
Editors' note: The following appeared in the final June 2, 2006 edition of The Dallas Morning News.
Long before Dirk Nowitzki's half-a-hundred put the Mavericks one win away from the franchise's first trip to the NBA Finals, Darrell Armstrong planted the seed for greatness in a team that was staggering badly.
It came in the locker room after that deplorable Game 4 showing, and Armstrong gave an impassioned plea to the Mavericks. "Don't quit," said Armstrong, the Mavericks' eldest statesman. "It was like we thought it was over. I wanted them to know we can't play like that anymore if we want to accomplish anything."
And so, they didn't.
Dirk Nowitzki fights for some of his 50 points against Boris Diaw and the Suns in Game 5.
With Nowitzki heeding not only Armstrong's advice, but his coach's, too, the Mavericks overcame the Phoenix Suns and any self-doubt with a stunning offensive display in the final 15 minutes for a 117-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at American Airlines Center.
Nowitzki's 50 points – he outscored the Suns 15-5 by himself in the crucial stretch and 22-20 in the fourth quarter – are a franchise playoff record. They were the impetus to a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. A Game 6 win Saturday in Phoenix would send the Mavericks against either Miami or Detroit for the NBA championship.
"It was pretty special what he did," coach Avery Johnson said of Nowitzki. "He was disappointed with the last game. And I'm not going to tell you everything that went on behind the scenes. But we were all disappointed."
One of the things that went on was Armstrong stepping up in a very dire postgame locker room and inciting the Mavericks. How uplifting was it?
"More than another point guard's talk was a while back," said Johnson, who as an inactive point guard on the Mavs' 2003 team gave the pregame speech that sparked a Game 7 win against Portland in that playoff run.
And yet, the Mavericks had to overcome plenty in the second half against the Suns on Thursday. After blowing a 14-point lead early, the Mavericks found themselves behind 77-70 with 3:27 to play in the third quarter after a flurry of 3-pointers by Tim Thomas.
The Mavericks would outscore Phoenix 47-24 the rest of the way. Nowitzki scored 29 of their points.
When they were down by seven, Nowitzki said he saw the season slipping away. But Devin Harris' three-point play – his only points of the game – triggered a 10-0 blitz. The Suns were relying on Steve Nash and Thomas, who had 26 points, to stay within 89-88 with under nine minutes to play.
A pair of technical fouls against the Suns, one against an irate coach Mike D'Antoni, meant Nowitzki got a four-point possession when he canned a jumper after the two free throws. In what seemed like a heartbeat, they were up by double figures.
"Definitely a turning point," D'Antoni said of the technicals.
But not nearly as much of a turning point as Nowitzki's sensational evening.
"Fifty-cent, and the win," said Armstrong. "That's all you have to say about Dirk. He took things personal and played like an MVP."
It was a terrific response after Armstrong's MVP speech two nights earlier.
"This team has had to fight through a lot this season," Nowitzki said. "We had to stick together as a team and when we were down seven, I just think everybody realized we don't want this to be over yet.
"We came together as a team and played some good defense and kept attacking."
In the fourth quarter, the Suns were 6-of-17 from the field (35.3 percent). That was the same time frame in which the Mavericks hit 11 of 20 shots (55.0 percent) and outrebounded the Suns 14-6. The boards continued to be a huge asset for the Mavericks.
And if you're looking for a good omen, they have never coughed up a 3-2 lead in a playoff series.