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NBA FINALS: MAVERICKS v HEAT

June 9, 2011

Dirk Nowitzki

DALLAS, TEXAS: Game Five

Miami Heat 103
Dallas Mavericks 112

Q. Dirk, can you talk about being one win away from a championship?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Yeah, I mean that was a big win for us, obviously. We didn't want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. So kept plugging there in the fourth. So definitely a big win for us. And now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday's game as Game 7. You don't want to give this great team any hope or anything.
So we got to play more of the same and keep attacking and we'll see what happens Sunday.

Q. Dirk, do you think after five games you guys have finally figured out how to defend the Miami players as well as hitting your stride offensively?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, I don't actually think that was a good defensive night for us. All series long we're trying to figure out our offense. Tonight we're moving and shooting the ball well, but I thought all of a sudden we started giving up too many points. That's not how we won, and that's not how we want to win.
We started trading baskets, even in the first half, when we were going well offensively. We traded baskets, gave up too many lay-ups. So that was a little disappointing. But at least we shot the ball well enough to get the win. I thought J.J. Barea was phenomenal behind screens, making shots, and Jet obviously in the fourth quarter made the big three top of the key to tie it. And basically made a tough one on the right wing to put the game away.
Really, we kind of been waiting on an offensive night for us that we finally shoot the ball well. We felt like we had opportunities in the first four games, just couldn't knock anything down. So that was encouraging to see today that we made some shots.

Q. Dirk, talk a little bit more about Jet's performance and how much easier it is on you when you've got other people stepping up scoring.
DIRK NOWITZKI: Jet was phenomenal. He was aggressive again from the get-go, I felt. Even the first half he came in, had a couple of pull-ups, got in the lane, got a floater, I remember. That's the Jet we need. We need him to attack and get in the lane. It opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else out there. It opens up Tyson on the rolls, that we actually hit him a bunch of times today. Our fives rolling, that was good. Also that opens up the corner threes and made a couple.
We need Jet, Jet attacking. He was great. So did J.J. in the starting lineup attacking, got to the lane a couple of times, made some lay-ups. I thought that opened up his three ball.

Q. Dirk, continue on Jet, you made the comment that you wanted to put a ban on him, a talking ban on him. Does he feed off that at all? And then also, him putting the ball on the floor so much against LeBron, was that his plan? Are you surprised he's been able to do that so successfully?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Well, I think if he just stands there and looks at him, I think LeBron is long enough and quick enough to kind of contest his shot late. So he's got to attack him. He's got to attack his feet. I thought the last two games he did a great job. We got to run -- obviously LeBron threw some screens when he's on him, screen-and-rolls for him. So LeBron constantly has to chase him and fight over some picks. I thought we did a better job of that tonight.

Q. Does he feed off of it?
DIRK NOWITZKI: We all know Jet is a confident young man. He always has a lot to say to us in the locker room. He's always talking. He's just an energetic guy. He loves to talk and he loves to hear himself talk. (Laughter).

Q. Dirk, a lot of these games have been down in the 80s. Why were you guys so effective in getting the score higher in the triple digits? Was a lot of that just based off shot-making?
DIRK NOWITZKI: I thought we got in the fast break a little bit early. That was good. Had some good looks in the fast break. We were able to knock some shots down. But like I said, I thought in the first four games we looked at the film, we stepped into some good shots. We just for some reason we weren't knocking them down like we did in the first three series. I mean, if we would have struggled shooting the ball like that in the first three series, I don't know if we would have gotten here.
Our ability to make shots in the weak side is a big part of what we do. Tonight we talked about it. Keep stepping into those shots when they're there. The J.J. screen-and-roll somewhere he stepped in and shot the ball great all season long. We kept telling him be aggressive and shoot those, and he was phenomenal, and so was Jet. J-Kidd had a big three there when we were up two. We swung it, swung it to go up five. That was a big shot.
I thought we hit big, timely shots tonight.

Q. Dirk, the team as a whole has been very poised and curtailing their celebration. You're one game away from possibly getting that championship. Several players have been here before, but a lot of the team has not. Do you do anything different from this point moving forward to help contain that composure?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Yes, I think like I said, it's not a best-of-five series; it's a best-of-seven. So the first team to four wins. So we couldn't celebrate tonight, even though it was a big win for us. The series is not over. If you look at it really now, all that's happened, you can look they won their two home games, we won all three home games. That's how you look at it. They got two more. So far it looks like everybody protected their home court and they still have two games at home.
So there's really nothing to celebrate. We're going in there Sunday swinging, like we did today, from the jump. And hopefully steal one Sunday.

Q. Dirk, it's five long years for you since you guys were last in The Finals. How much were you able to enjoy this ride you're on right now, and especially the way you delivered down the stretch in your wins?
DIRK NOWITZKI: I really can't enjoy it much, because in the playoffs for some reason you're always on the edge. You don't sleep much. You think basketball 24/7. I can enjoy it hopefully next week when we're on vacation. As of right now, I'm always thinking ahead and thinking about the next game, what can I do better, what didn't I do and what I have to do to get other guys involved and more open.
Hopefully I can enjoy it next week.

Q. Dirk, when Miami took the lead late in the fourth, did you say anything to the team in that huddle at that time out or did anything get said?
DIRK NOWITZKI: Just stick with it. Just stick with it. First of all, this was the last home game in this building in front of our fans, who have been phenomenal all year and pushed us forward. We obviously didn't want to end this season here for them on a loss. I think we addressed that. We wanted to keep plugging, keep going. It was big, I think, when we were down four, the next offense I was able to get in the lane, get a pump fake, get to the free-throw line, kind of settle everybody down, make it a two-point game. And I thought that was big for us not to shoot a bad jumper and they go down in transition again. So it was good to kind of stop the clock, get two free throws and kind of set our defense. I thought that was a big momentum play.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Dirk.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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