Dirk Nowitzki way past the fever; Rearing to have a go at Miami Heat in Game 5 – NBA Finals Update
Dallas Mavericks journey to the NBA glory got a big boost on Wednesday when Dirk Nowitzki, their ace forward, showed signs of improvement and participated in a light no-contact training session. Nowitzki, who played the game 4
with a 101 degree fever and still managed to guide his team to victory, said he felt better now.
“I still got a little high temperature,” said Dirk, “but the fever is basically gone. So that’s obviously the main concern always. Anything else, the sniffles or the cough, you don’t really care about that as long as the fever
is gone.”
Dirk got all the help he needed from his teammates in game 4, who stepped up when he was going through a difficult period. Nowitzki was not feeling well before the game and Dallas Mavericks centre Tyson Chandler said he knew right
away after seeing him that Dirk wasn’t a 100 percent.
“When I saw him, I really knew he was under the weather,” Chandler said. “Dirk is a playful guy and outgoing and outspoken when it comes to the locker room. Seeing him not being playful and not really saying much and kind of sitting
in his locker, I knew it was going to be a tough night for him.”
Dirk Nowitzki’s recovery is all important for the Mavericks who face the Heat in a crucial game 5 tomorrow. The NBA Finals series is tied at 2 games apiece and if the Mavericks lose game 5 they face a very unenviable task of winning
two consecutive games on enemy territory. However, if the Mavs can win game 5 they will need only one win from the last two games to clinch the first NBA World Championship in the franchise’s history.
In other news for the injury stricken Dallas Mavericks, Coach Rick Carlisle is still hanging onto hope that reserve centre Brendan Haywood could feature in the coming games. Haywood has been out with a strained right hip. He played
a few minutes in game 4 but was visibly restricted in his movement.
“He gave it a shot last night,” Carlisle said. “It just wasn’t quite where it needed to be. A tough situation. But with each day hopefully Mother Nature can help out. And we’ll see if we can have him ready for tomorrow.”
Haywood is an important player for the Mavs and his strong form over the playoffs has allowed them to give the terrific Tyson Chandler some much needed rest from time to time, without having to fear about a defensive weakness.
The final decision on his participation in game 5 will be made tomorrow.
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