| kentatm |
03-20-2007 12:50 PM |
Dirk takes the blame like a good leader should
Quote:
FWST NEW YORK -- The loss is almost a week old, and Dirk Nowitzki let it linger.
Falling to Phoenix 129-127 in double overtime last Wednesday bothered the MVP contender to the point he could hardly sleep the next few nights, knowing he didn't do enough.
He's moved on since, as have the rest of the Mavericks. It just wasn't easy for Nowitzki.
"I felt like the team played well enough to get the win," he said Monday afternoon. "I just couldn't help my team enough down the stretch to win. I missed free throws. Actually, I had a great look from 17, 18 feet with about 50 seconds left [in regulation] that I think could have clinched the win.
"I took it really, really hard. About as hard as I've ever taken a regular[-season] loss."
Beating Boston on Friday served as the bridge Nowitzki needed to prepare for a showdown at Detroit, a 92-88 win that had essentially the same closing circumstances (a six-point lead with about 30 seconds left) the Mavs had against the Suns.
Lesson learned.
"We were able to finish the deal," Jason Terry said on the eve of tonight's meeting with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Pistons weren't given the same opportunities that Steve Nash exploited at American Airlines Center.
"We were able to rebound," coach Avery Johnson said. "We were all on the same page defensively. We didn't have any breakdowns. We scored the ball when we needed to. We made our free throws."
Nowitzki missed two freebies against the Suns, one of the reasons he beat himself up afterward.
"We feel we had it," he said. "We're up seven with a minute to go. There's no way we should have lost that game, but we did because I didn't make the necessary plays."
Why did Nowitzki take the loss so hard? For one, Phoenix is the only team with a realistic chance of catching the Mavs (54-11) for the top seed in the West. Being at home and the Nash factor -- "He's trying to stick it to us wherever he can," Nowitzki reminded -- added to the buildup.
But more than anything, Nowitzki expects more of himself than anyone. Even Johnson. He expects to be automatic with the game on the line, realizing no one is.
"I'm 28 now," Nowitzki said. "I shouldn't miss a free throw down the stretch, but I guess it happens. We're all human. If we were all machines, the game would be boring. I guess emotions play a factor in a big game like that, and I did miss two free throws that are crucial."
Nowitzki isn't worried about his image or that of the Mavs, even in the media capital of the world, although he joked: "What do they think here in New York?"
He's also smart enough to know what's on everyone's mind.
"What everybody remembers is a little bit of our meltdown in the Finals last year, but the only way that we can make them forget is going there again and hopefully closing it all out," he said. "That's the only thing that really, in my mind even, can make me forget about what happened last year in the Finals."
His motivation isn't derived from gaining national respect. It's certainly not about winning the MVP. It stems from his sense of responsibility to his team.
That's why he remained for an hour, working with trainer Casey Smith, after the rest of the team finished practice at Columbia University. Nowitzki was there so long, the school's team had filtered onto the court to begin warmups.
The routine isn't unique. Nowitzki normally works out at night, when the notepads and cameras aren't around. But he couldn't get a gym Monday night, so he stayed.
Nowitzki's work ethic is well-chronicled. His will to be the difference-maker isn't as well known, at least outside of North Texas.
"I love to have the ball at the end of the games," he said. "That's what it's all about, to have teammates trust you and you have the confidence in yourself that you can get it done.
"So it's a great situation to be in, but on the other hand, we all know if you make it, you're the hero; if you miss it, you're the goat."
And you don't sleep.
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I'm glad to have a guy that puts it on hmself and not other factors. |
