Dirk Nowitzki Not Getting the Necessary Offensive Help

Dirk has been a brilliant one-man show offensively in the championship round, but that clearly isn’t enough. Nowitzki’s supporting cast needs to come through if the Mavs are to have any type of chance of winning the title. From the Star-Telegram: “Dirk, playing with a damaged right wrist from the first half, had made 12 straight points, and Dwyane Wade seven straight as they went head up down the stretch. But in an 86-86 deadlock in the final minute, Nowitzki passed instead of shot. It was the right move under double-team pressure. He passed to Jason Terry in the corner. Jet missed, remaining scoreless in the fourth quarter. Which brings us back to Game 2, and the wonderment of why the Heat would have ever allowed Nowitzki to get off the final shot. But then there was Bosh on the other end after the Terry miss. If there was one guy the Mavs wanted taking a clutch shot, it would have been Bosh, who was 6 for 17 from the field at that point. This time, however, there was a bingo at 39 seconds. The Mavs came back with Dirk, and when the double team came again, he was looking for Shawn Marion. But the under-pressure pass was off-target, and although the Mavericks got another chance still two down, Nowitzki couldn’t nail it. But the entire game was a case of the Mavericks repeatedly climbing off the mat, ducking Miami knockout punches. The Heat built a lead of 14 points in the first half, then 13 in the third quarter, then appeared to be pulling away in the fourth with a seven-point lead. Back came the Mavs each time. Wade was answering Dirk in crunch time, but the obvious Mavs problem in this series is Wade has more options when it comes to help. And no, Mario Chalmers was not considered one of those, except his 12 points on four 3-pointers was a huge factor and continued Chalmers’ strong play in the series. Nowitzki totaled out with 34 points, 15 in the fourth quarter. Otherwise? Terry had 15, but none in the fourth, and Shawn Marion added 10 on a poor 4-for-12 shooting night. Beyond Dirk (11 for 21), the other eight Mavs who took a shot were a pathetic 17 for 49. Ugh. ‘Our balance [scoring-wise] has been one of our calling cards, and I think we’re going to get better at it,’ said Rick Carlisle, the Mavs coach. Well, that will have to happen in a hurry, like on Tuesday night.”