Dirk Nowitzki didn’t hang around the court to speak with Doris Burke during the trophy ceremony on ESPN, but he did speak with reporters in the press room. Here’s what he had to say.
On returning to the Finals:
It was a big win and it feels good to finally go back [to the Finals]. We’ve tried to make it back and we’ve fallen short. This time hopefully we can finish the job.
On late comebacks in Games 4 & 5:
Just execution down the stretch – we had some good steals and some good rebounds, also had some lucky bounces. In Game 4 we really scrambled on defense when we were down 15, really locked down with guys helping each other defensively. When our defense is solid we create points off of that. We pick up the pace, get the ball into Kidd’s hands, and that’s how we want to play.
On Shawn Marion’s play:
He was spectacular for us. He’s probably our best perimeter defender. He’s long, he’s active with his hands, and he was phenominal the last couple games against [Kevin] Durant. On the other end, he’s versatile. He had a big basket when we were down four late. He’s a competitor, and he’s a big reason that we’re in the Finals again.
On whether he would like to face the Heat in the Finals:
Whatever happens, happens. It’s not in our hands right now. We made it to the Finals, and we’re going to enjoy that for a day or two. It’s good to get these series finished off early. It was big for us to get [Jason] Kidd rested after the last series, and we’re going to have a couple of extra days here again, and we’ll be ready for whoever goes through.
On finishing the job this time:
It’s been a long stretch here. The year after we lost in the Finals we came back and won almost 70 games but lost in the first round. We’ve been trying to get back to this stage ever since and fell short. This is a bunch of veterans who want to play and are not selfish. I think that’s what makes this group special. Everyone sacrifices for each other, and they just want to win.
Watch Dirk’s press conference on NBA.com.