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NBA FINALS: HEAT v MAVERICKS

June 17, 2006

Dirk Nowitzki

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Practice Day

Q. You had said earlier in the series when they were playing you well defensively after the first game, you needed to move around more to get to your spots. It seemed earlier moving around in the last game you were isolating more at the top. Can you just talk about some of the things that you have to concentrate on to kind of get to your spots or get your game going?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, I still thought I had some good shots, especially in the first half. I missed a layup, I missed two or three blank fadeaways, like almost in the painted area that I usually make. So I think I was aggressive early on. I got to the basket a couple times. It was just a matter of us not finishing around the rim, missing the easy shots. We had a couple great looks, a couple shots went in and out, not only mine, but obviously the whole team.
We just got to stick with it. It was just a bad offensive night for all of us. I thought we worked hard for our shots. We got some good looks. We can't be discouraged by that. We have to play our game and go from there.

Q. Have they done anything different scheme-wise than other teams did?
DIRK NOWITZKI: I think in this playoff run, we have pretty much seen it all, seen smaller guys, seen bigger guys, seen athletic guys. When I put the ball on the floor, some guys are coming from behind. I've seen double-teams on the post. I don't think there's necessarily anything that I haven't seen; just keep staying aggressive and take my shots. Obviously that was an off-night for me last game, but I've just got to keep coming and be confident. I know my team is going to be confident in my shots that I take, and we've got to go from there.

Q. Yesterday Avery said that in the first two games here, you guys kind of had an "on-vacation" mentality. Did he address that to your guys and what's your thoughts on that?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, you know, I think obviously if we would have won Game 3, we wouldn't have had the discussion. I think we were up ten with a couple minutes left and we just didn't finish off that game very well. So I don't think we had necessarily a vacation attitude. We fought through that game and had it under control with a couple minutes left. Unfortunately we lost that one.
Game 4 was just a breakdown for all of us. I wouldn't say we had a vacation mentality, but, you know, if that's what Coach feels like, that's what he feels like.

Q. How are the new digs?
DIRK NOWITZKI: The what?

Q. How is the new hotel?
DIRK NOWITZKI: It's really nice. (Laughter).

Q. How can you guys try to get a handle on Dwyane Wade and at least give him something to think about?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, he's been tough. You know, I thought in the first two games, we tried to contain him pretty well and contested his jumpers, but obviously, he did some adjusting, he really shot the ball well. I thought in the last game, we gave him some shots, he made some threes early. He gets to the foul line here at home really, really good.
We all know he's one of the top players in this league, and he really plays tough at home. I think we've got to contain him a little bit early, get at him early. I thought he had great starts in Game 3 and Game 4. So hopefully we can keep him down early a little bit, contest his shots when he takes them, and just go from there. But we all know he's a great scorer in this league.

Q. Do you believe there's a common thread that links players willing to take big shots in a pivotal game like Game 5, and if so, what is it?
DIRK NOWITZKI: What?

Q. Do you think there's a common trait that links players that are willing to take big shots in a big game like Game 5?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, you know, to me every game is big. In this whole playoff run, we had so many big games and must-win situations. This game is really no other. We've got to approach it like every other game. Obviously it's a big one, with the 2-3 format, obviously Game 5 is on the road. We worked hard for home-court advantage and I'd rather have Game 5 at home like you did in any other series when you had home court. Obviously in The Finals it's a little different.
We showed during this playoff run that we can win big games on the road. We closed San Antonio on the road, Game 7, we won in Phoenix on the road. This is a big game. We are all confident and we won't shoot the ball as bad again. We've just got to play our game and take our shots when they are there, and if not, move them and attack the basket, and we'll be all right.

Q. Have you looked at tape of some of your misses, and do you feel that sometimes the way they are bodying up to you, you have a tendency to overuse the fadeaway, and often it's short?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Yeah, I fadeaway a little bit, but even on the shots I make, my shot is a little fadeaway. Maybe I fadeaway a little too much.
But like I said, I still had great looks, especially in the first half, that I usually make. So I mean, I'm not worried really too much. I've just got to come out and be aggressive.

Q. What was your reaction to the Jerry Stackhouse suspension and how does your team guard against -- is your team going to use that as a rallying point in Game 5?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, obviously I think our whole team was mad, disappointed. I thought -- I still think it's a joke. You know, Shaq has fouled us a lot harder already this series and nothing happened. So it's a little disappointing, but I think we look at it as a team; that it's just another stone in our way that we have to overcome. You know, Jet was suspended in the San Antonio series, and if you want to get to the top, you have to fight through some stuff that and that's how we look at it. We have a lot of capable guys who can come in off the bench, like Keith and I think Marquis is going to have a role. It's a team effort and we'll be all right.

Q. With Stackhouse being out for Game 5, do you look to yourself, do you have added pressure on yourself or maybe some other teammates who can pick up that slack?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Obviously Stack is a great scorer for us off the bench. He's pretty much instant offense and he's capable of scoring 20 really, really quick. So obviously Josh, myself, Jet have to shoot the ball better. We all have to pick up some slack. Like I said, we need the bench, too. Marquis is hopefully going to have some good minutes for us, and everybody else. It's a team effort and obviously when somebody is out, some other guys will be aggressive and step up and get those minutes and try to make the best out of them.

Q. Did Avery's mood change very much from Game 4 to Game 5, or has he remained pretty consistent in the way he talks and deals with you guys?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, you know, Avery is always so intense. I mean, it doesn't matter if it's Game 5 of The Finals or a regular game in Charlotte. He's always very intense. You come to shoot around, practices, off the court, sometimes in meetings we can have a little fun, but when it comes time to work, he's one of most intense persons that I've ever been around. That's great, he's keeping us focused. Obviously we're all not happy with the way we played the end of Game 3 and Game 4. So obviously everybody is a little more intense, but, you know, Avery is always like that.

Q. Is it fair or unfair for us to sense any loss of composure since that six-minute mark in Game 3; the Mavericks are changing their hotel, Stackhouse's suspension, physical hit; we saw some transcripts where Avery was on radio and upset and accusing the officials of favoritism and bias; can we read anything into this?
DIRK NOWITZKI: You guys read something into everything. That's what you get paid for. (Laughter).
I don't know, obviously, we changed something, we had to change something. Every time you lose, obviously you look at what you do and what you do wrong. You change some stuff around. The playoffs is about adjusting and we all know that from game-to-game. We switched hotels, kind of get rid of some distractions. You know, we'll see, we'll see how it, works. We looked at a lot of film the last couple days and saw some mistakes that we can't make in this Finals series. Whatever was said or done, it doesn't matter. We've just got to play better.

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