He can no longer be called Dirk NoRingski. The greatest player to ever come out of Europe is called Dirk Nowitzki and he cemented his legacy by coming up big late for the Mavericks as they clinched their first ever NBA Championship. Al Dannity reflects on a great redemption story.
Terry leads the charge
For all of his dominance in these NBA Finals, Dirk Nowitzki has blown pretty cold in the early parts of games. Jason Terry jumped off the bench in the first quarter last night as if to say ?Don?t worry, I got this.?
Terry, who like Nowitzki was on the Dallas team that lost in 2006, had no shortage of motivation to deliver big. Aside from facing the prospect of having the tattoo of the Larry O?Brien trophy removed from his arm if they lost, Terry is an emotional leader for the Mavs. Coming off the bench he has delivered some big performances in this post-season, the kind of outings that can?t but inspire the men around him. Last night?s 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting were just what Dallas needed. The NBA Finals don?t have a Sixth Man award but Terry?s performances off the bench were such that he was almost vying for MVP honors.
Dirk brings it in the fourth
After going just 1 of 12 to open the game, Germany?s greatest export stepped up big at the business end of proceedings. While LeBron and D-Wade faded for the Heat, it was Dirk Nowitzki who took command. When Dirk goes into beast mode, NBA betting fans know that he takes on all comers. Last night Nowitzki battled hard on the boards, claiming 11 rebounds in total. After his poor shooting start, Nowitzki went 8 of 15 for the rest of the game to finish with 21 points. This was not his most statistically impressive showing but Nowitzki was there when it mattered. His late lay-up to seal the win was a testament to his endurance. With the game well in hand he drove the lane one last time to stick a dagger in Miami?s heart.
MVP is the cherry on top
After the disappointment of 2006, this journey through the playoffs has been one of redemption on top. This is a player who had become all too familiar with personal success serving as poor compensation for titles. In 2005 he was MVP of the EuroBasket with the German national team but lost the final. Then came Miami?s NBA Finals comeback in 2006. He won the NBA MVP award in 2007 only to get bounced from the playoffs by the Warriors in the first round. For so long it looked like Nowitzki would forever be left wanting. The big German was never content to sit back and take it, the hunger never went away. When he received the Bill Russell Trophy on Sunday night it came after he had scaled the mountain top and that?s what matters most of all.
Source: http://news.sportsinteraction.com/sports/nba-dirk-delivers-for-dallas-mavericks-75481/
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