In this season of failed Plan A's and emergency Plan B's, I had my doubts the Mavericks would ever get to three games over .500 at any point. Because of a plan that’s worked for 17 years, they’re now 7-4.
When all else fails, Dirk Nowitzki.
Dallas was in trouble last night in Philadelphia. A 19-point first-half lead was gone. A searing Chandler Parsons was benched because of his minutes restrictions. And the younger, more athletic Sixers were hungry for their first win of the season.
Down 82-81 with four minutes remaining, Nowitzki – yet again – displayed how to close out a game. He calmly scored nine of his 21 points, including a 3-point dagger, as the Mavs held on 92-86 for their fourth consecutive victory. He’s not a 13-time All-Star, NBA Finals MVP and future Hall of Famer by accident.
His wide open 3-pointer – only a team starting the season 0-11 would leave him open – gave Dallas a 90-84 lead with 1:47 remaining.
“That was the killer shot for the game,” Mavs’ head coach Rick Carlisle said. “It was huge. Hey look, he's been doing that for almost two decades. You're never shocked when it happens.”
At 37, Dirk can no longer do it every night. He can’t jump over his shadow. He rarely puts the ball on the floor. Nonetheless, he remains one of the best one-trick ponies in the NBA.
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Until the day they bronze his bust, Dirk Nowitzki will be able to take – and make – clutch jumpers.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
