LOS ANGELES, 19 May 2003 — Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks know what to do in Game Seven. They also know what not to do in Game One.
Nowitzki again came through in an elimination game, totaling 30 points and 19 rebounds Saturday night as the Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings, 112-99, in Game Seven of the Western Conference semifinals.
The third-seeded Mavericks won the seventh game on their home floor for the second straight series and advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1988. They were led by Nowitzki, who has averaged 30.5 points and 15 rebounds in Game Seven wins over Portland and Sacramento.
“We’re not a really experienced playoff team, so every chance we get, it’s great,” said Nowitzki, who made 12-of-20 shots.
Nowitzki also knows what to expect as the third-seeded Mavericks prepare to visit the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs today. After knocking off Portland, Dallas were beaten badly in the opener of their series against Sacramento.
“When you play a Game Seven, you are always on such an emotional high, and the next thing you know, two days later you play against another great team,” Nowitzki said.
Dallas will go into that battle with the nervy Nick Van Exel, who scored 23 points in Saturday’s clincher. He averaged 25.3 points against the Kings and gave the Mavs a new personality that coach Don Nelson loves.
Nowitzki got the Mavs off to a good start with 10 points in the first quarter. After the Kings erased a 39-27 deficit with 15 straight points in a three-minute span, Van Exel tied it with a 3-pointer at the 2:31 mark, triggering a 9-1 spurt that closed the first half and gave Dallas the lead for good.
In the third quarter, Nowitzki scored seven points to help Dallas build a 76-67 lead entering the final period.
The Mavs made five of their 11 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki started a 14-2 run with a shot from the arc and Van Exel added two as Dallas opened its largest lead at 109-89 with just under four minutes to go. “I was just trying to be aggressive,” Van Exel said. “I knew I had a lot of success against Sacramento before. I was always able to get into the paint and make my little flip shots, and throughout this series, I really worked on my 3-point shot.” Mike Bibby scored 25 points and Jimmy Jackson added 24 for the Kings, who failed to get back to the conference finals. They played the final five games of the series without All-Star forward Chris Webber, who suffered a knee injury in Game Two and will have surgery in the near future. “I felt like screaming at the TV and yelling,” Webber said.
