Just when the Heat and their fans braced for the sort of premature celebration that ushered in this Big Three era last July, Dirk Nowitzki gave all of Miami the finger. Roll.
What we saw Thursday night was the trademark of a great player, once again, refusing to be betrayed by his body. Just as Isiah Thomas pogo-sticked his way on one leg in 1988, and Michael Jordan sniffled around the court in 1997, the 2010 NBA Finals offered something almost as dramatic. It gave us Nowitzki capping a stunning finish by dropping a layup going left, the ball gently rolling off a torn finger with 3.6 seconds left, the Mavericks fighting back from the brink to seize control of the series.
And that was preceded by a lefty layup that tied the score, then a three-point sucker punch with 26 seconds left that temporarily gave the Mavericks a 93-90 lead.
"I've got all the faith in the world in him," said Shawn Marion.
Great players find a way, as Nowitzki did in the closing freeze-frame moments of Game 2 when he put up the biggest shots, twice with his left, and shut up the building.
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