Dirk Nowitzki Calls Game-Winning Shot ‘Lucky’

Dirk Nowitzki told the media that he didn’t even see his twisting, clutch layup drop into the hoop last night in Boston. From the Star-Telegram: “On the play, Nowitzki tossed the ball high in the air after he was mauled by Brandon Bass, and the ball somehow made its way through the basket. The bucket and subsequent free throw by Nowitzki snapped an 85-all tie and put the Mavs ahead 88-85 with 5.1 seconds left. ‘In the second half (Kevin Garnett) really fronted me and denied me, pick-n-roll, he was on top of me all the time, and I really couldn’t get any clean catches,’ Nowitzki said. ‘So there at the end, Jet [Jason Terry] set a good screen, and I was able to get a little separation and at least get a catch. I was able to get to the rim, and I didn’t even see the ball go in, to be honest. I saw the contact and threw it up there, and I was real lucky the ball went in.’ […] On the game-winning play, Delonte West, who scored 12 points, said: ‘[Nowitzki] ran over to me and said, ‘I’m going to get this game for us.’ Nowitzki, who scored 16 points and is just three points away from 23,000 points in his career, said he relishes moments when the game is on the line. ‘I grew into those moments,’ Nowitzki said. ‘At first when I got in this league I wasn’t really the player that I am now.'”