'Di Na Pakakawalan

MIAMI - Isang panalo na lamang ang layo ng Dallas Mavericks at ni Dirk Nowitzki para sa kani­lang kauna-unahang NBA cham­pionship.

At muling sesentro ang spotlight kina Nowitzki at LeBron James na biglaang ‘nawawala’ sa fourth quarter kung kailan siya kaila­ngan ng Miami Heat.

“That’s just a part of the game if you’re the star or the face of the franchise,” wika ni Nowitzki sa kritisismo kay James. “If you win, it’s great for you, and everybody looks at you. And if you lose, you’re going to get hammered. It’s just part of the business. I think we understand that, we’ve been around long enough. I got the hammered the last 13 years, basically. So hopefully this year I can make the hammering go away for a year.”

May dalawang pagka­kataon si Nowitzki para mapanalunan ang inaasam na korona.

Ngayong gabi sa Game 6 at sa Martes sakaling ma­katabla sa kanilang championship series ang Miami para sa Game 7.

Subalit kailangan ng Heat ng produksyon mula kay James, isang two-time NBA Most Valuable Player awardee.

Nagtala lamang si Ja­mes ng kabuuang 11 total points sa limang laro sa serye sa fourth quarter.

“I wouldn’t say it’s too much. I don’t think so,” wika ni James. “I don’t feel like I’m hurting my team for the time I’m out there. I don’t feel like it’s too much.”

May mali ba sa kanyang shot technique?

“At this point, I don’t think technique has anything to do with it,” sagot ni James. “Shots go in, shots don’t go in. I don’t stop to think about my technique or anything like that.”

Kung hindi naging agre­sibo si James sa mga fourth quarter, si Dwyane Wade ang nagdadala sa Miami kung saan siya nagtala ng average na 28.4 points.

“He’s one of the best players in the world,” sabi ni Wade kay James. “So we’re not necessarily concerned about him to that extent. I want him to play and feel confident.”