Dirk just one of Mavs' worries for Game 2
Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, of Germany, with a bandage on his left hand, handles a basketball during an basketball practice in Miami. Nowitzki tore a tendon in his left middle finger during Game 1 of the NBA finals. (June 1, 2011) Credit: AP
MIAMI -- Dirk Nowitzki woke up wondering how much his left hand would be throbbing because of a torn tendon in his middle finger.
Turns out, it wasn't bad at all.
That meant the Dallas Mavericks could turn their attention to all the other problems the Miami Heat caused them in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Mavs hit the practice court Wednesday worried about everything from shooting to rebounding. While they defended pretty well in the opener, they know they must be as good or better in Game 2 Thursday night to return home with a split.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade believe the Heat can be a lot better, too, and are just as intent on protecting their home court to take a 2-0 lead to Dallas this weekend.
Nowitzki took the practice court wearing a splint to keep the finger straight and figures it'll be mostly a nuisance for the next month or two.
Because the problem is on Nowitzki's non-shooting hand, most of what he does will not be affected.
"I think once the game starts, the adrenaline starts flowing, I don't think it will really slow me down much," Nowitzki said. "I'm not really worried about it." Maybe he should be.
"Somebody's going to swat down on it, whether they want to or not," Chris Bosh said. "It's painful. As ballplayers, we all go through it."
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