Dirk Nowitzki: ‘I’m Having Trouble Bending My Knees’

Like all NBA players, Dirk Nowitzki is slowing work his way into game shape, and the Mavs superstar told ESPNDallas that the biggest obstacle he’s currently facing is regaining his leg strength: “In the fourth quarter, when the Mavs — being the more-rested club — could have wrested control, Nowitzki hit a jumper early, added a couple of free throws, then a game-tying 3-pointer with 6:42 to play. It would be his final points of the game, with his only other shot attempts being two errant 27-footers. ‘I’m having trouble bending my knees,’ Nowitzki said. ‘I’ve just got to get my legs stronger, get my base back. I’ve got to use my legs in my shot, and hopefully they’ll come back soon.’ Nowitzki is finding that games are coming so quickly that as the body begins to get conditioned, it also fatigues because of the lack of recovery time. He played 33 minutes Wednesday and now must bounce back less than 24 hours later to face a surging Utah Jazz team that is 7-1 at home. ‘Some practice days, some lift days would be nice, but we just don’t have it,’ Nowitzki said. ‘This way you’ve got to just adjust on the fly.'”