Technically, who has Dirk's back?
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:46 pm
Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson didn't name names Monday, but he made it clear that Dirk Nowitzki should have had backup after New Orleans Hornets forward David West tapped him on the cheek during a staredown late in Game 1.
Both players were assessed technical fouls.
"More than anything we need players to not back down from anybody, that's what the playoffs are all about," Johnson said. "More than Dirk doing something about it, I would have liked for somebody else on the team, preferably in the center position, to do something about it.
"Was that clear enough?"
Since Johnson probably wasn't referring to Jamaal Magloire, it seems reasonable to assume Erick Dampier is the center Johnson called out. One problem with that -- Dampier was on the bench at the time. Had he done something about it, a forthcoming suspension for leaving the bench area would have kept him out of Game 2.
That leaves third-year power forward Brandon Bass, who sometimes plays center. Bass and West were teammates the past two seasons with the Hornets.
Three players drew technical fouls in Game 1. Hornets center Tyson Chandler got the first at the 5:36 mark of the third for shoving Nowitzki. Although the Mavs and Hornets do not have a contentious history, the finality of the playoffs always exudes physical and intense action.
"It's never going to be personal out there," Chandler said. "It's just guys playing hard, and it's going to be physical on both ends."
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