This Western Conference finals series has been about shooting and speed. It has been about surprises, like Boris Diaw hitting a winning shot and DeSagana Diop being interviewed. But mostly it has been about Dirk and Steve.
And Sunday went to Dirk Nowitzki, which could prove fatal to Steve Nash’s hopes of getting to the NBA Finals.
That’s because Nowitzki came up with a dominant all-around game–featuring 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists–to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 95-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Tuesday in Phoenix.
“I thought we were scrambling,” Nowitzki said. “That’s what you have to do against this team. You’ve got to run back. I think we were great in transition defense. We had active hands, a lot of loose balls and deflections. Against this team, it’s an up-and-down game and I think we’re used to it now.”
And it’s getting late for the Suns, who would be down three games to none if it wasn’t for Diaw’s winner in Game 1. It seems Dallas is just too deep and Phoenix without enough in reserve with all its injuries.
It seemed to show in a sloppy fourth quarter in which the Mavs came up with key turnovers and second shots, constantly beating the normally feisty Suns to loose balls and taking advantage of thoughtless mistakes after the game was tied at 72-72 with about 10 minutes left.
The Mavs scored eight straight at that point, twice after offensive rebounds, and when the Suns fought back once again with a chance to cut the Mavs’ lead to two, Thomas accidentally dropped a ball off to Josh Howard, who drove for a 90-84 lead. And in the next Mavs possession, Jerry Stackhouse gathered in a desperate Nowitzki heave at the 24-second buzzer to get another possession.
Nash and Nowitzki were the odd couple of basketball for years in Dallas, the mop-top Canadian kid with the freestyle attitude and the determined German marksman. Their pick-and-roll was becoming the second coming of Stockton/Malone, but with a twist: The big guy faded away for the shot and the little guy turned the corner for the basket.
But they never could quite finish, so Dallas grew tired of waiting and Nash was allowed to sign as a free agent with the Suns last season. He came back to deliver the final insult–a conference semifinals victory over the Mavs.
Nash, who had 21 points and seven assists in Game 3, went on this season to collect his second consecutive league MVP award. That never would have happened in Dallas, where he was regarded as the third best player after Nowitzki and Michael Finley.
Nowitzki has gone on to become the star of the Mavs and with that has taken on the responsibility of adding a little bit of Nash to his game.
Once just a perimeter gunner, Nowitzki now also challenges the basket, which became a defensive focus for the Suns in Game 3.
“He’s probably trying to drive more this year,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said, “trying to be more of an inside presence, less three-point shooter. [But] just as dangerous, just as valuable, just as good.
“He’s causing more problems because he’s getting to the line and that slows the game down a little for us and makes him more dangerous.”
The Suns moved Tim Thomas onto Nowitzki after Shawn Marion had been playing him, and Marion, the Suns’ best defender, moved to try to control Josh Howard, who burned the Suns for 29 points in Game 2 and was tough again with 22.
Nowitzki did return to the perimeter more, hitting a pair of threes early on the way to 10 points in the first quarter. But the Suns were able to control the Mavericks’ other scorers, particularly with Marion harassing Howard into 1-for-7 shooting in the quarter. It enabled the Suns to push ahead 25-22 on 10 points from Diaw in the quarter.
Thomas, who had a tribute to the late NFL fullback Craig “Ironhead” Heyward–a fellow New Jersey native–written on his sneakers, played a major role in a second quarter that saw the Suns lead by 11 but settle for a 52-47 halftime margin.
“I thought that was the turning point,” D’Antoni said. “We kept battling but didn’t get it done. We didn’t play real smart. We didn’t run, spread the floor and hit them with the necessary energy. They got all the loose balls and fast breaks, the things we need to do. They did better at playing small than we did.”
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sasmith@tribune.com
