DIRK DOES WORK!
The Dallas Mavericks levelled the NBA Finals at 1-1 after a stunning fourth quarter comeback against the Miami Heat.
German power forward Dirk Nowitzki scored the game-winning basket for Dallas with just seconds left to take them to a 95-93 victory, despite trailing by 15 points with just over six minutes to go in the game.
After the game Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said he told his team: “Just hang in. Let’s get some stops. Let’s give ourselves a chance. Let’s put some pressure on them.â€
He continued: “We really hadn’t put any pressure on them at all in two games to speak of … but by being solid and getting a couple of stops and scoring, we got some momentum and it worked out.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said: “No question about it, that’s about as tough a fourth quarter you can have. When it started to slide, it just kept on going … We’re not happy about this. Certainly the way we closed the game is so uncharacteristic for us on both ends of the court.”
Nowitzki, suffering with an injury on his left hand, scored a clutch three-pointer just moments before his game-winning basket, on his way to 24 points. For the Heat Dwyane Wade led the way with 36 points.
The Mavs are the first team to rally from a 15-point deficit in the Finals since the Chicago Bulls against the Portland Trailblazers in 1992.
The two sides meet in Dallas on Sunday for Game 3.
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