It’s not the best game of his career statistically, but it’s one of his most memorable and probably the most moving (along with his last). In this Game 6 of the Finals, played on June 12, 2011, Dirk Nowitzki however missed a lot of shots, especially in the first half.
This meeting, disputed in Miami, was as often in these 2011 Finals, a series match. Each team had its own, LeBron James in the first quarter, Dirk Nowitzki (18 points in the second half) last.
The German, like his entire team during his Finals, showed remarkable mental strength (Dallas was trailing twice, 1-0 then 2-1) to strike at the right time, where it hurt the most at the Heat. It is he who, with three baskets at mid-distance and a final lay-up, will validate this ultimate victory and the title.
In tears, he leaves the field before the end
“This feeling, that of being in the best team in the world, it’s incredible”, can he say after the game. Erik Spoelstra will talk about the interior of Dallas as one of the most “difficult to defend from the league”.
In the very last seconds of the game, when the title was won, Dirk Nowitzki (21 points at 9/27 in the shoot, 11 rebounds in this Game 6) will join the locker room, overwhelmed by emotion, to cry. It was his teammates who managed to get him back on the court for the trophy award ceremony.
A moment when he was obviously the hero since with 26 points and 9.7 rebounds on average, the Mavericks star is logically crowned MVP of the Finals. These 2011 Finals, but also the 2011 playoffs as a whole, are the undeniable peak of his career.
Because then, Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas will not win a single series of playoffs. The wait will be long since it took until this season to see the Mavericks pass the first round of the playoffs.
