| NBA News: |
| You would think a seven-foot tall, three-time All-Star with shaggy mane and scraggly goatee would be hard to miss, wouldn't you?
But it seems as if Dallas forward and MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki has operated under the radar this season. Hot starts by other Western Conference power forwards, coupled with the surprising rise of teams in Miami, Phoenix and Seattle may have kept Nowitzki's stellar season subdued in the national consciousness so far. But Nowitzki will get a chance to show his stuff to the nation tonight as the Mavs take the floor against the Rockets |
| NBA Eastern Conference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Central | Southeast |
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Boston Celtics New Jersey Nets New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors |
Cleveland Cavaliers Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks |
Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Bobcats Miami Heat Orlando Magic Washington Wizards |
| NBA Western Conference | ||
| Northwest | Pacific | Southwest |
|
Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Portland Trailblazers Seattle Supersonics Utah Jazz |
Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings |
Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Hornets San Antonio Spurs |
| WNBA | |
|---|---|
| Western Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Houston Comets Los Angeles Sparks Minnesota Lynx Phoenix Mercury Sacramento Monarchs San Antonio Silver Stars Seattle Storm |
Charlotte Sting Cleveland Rockers Connecticut Sun Detroit Shock Indiana Fever New York Liberty Washington Mystics |
| Event | Date | Tickets | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
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NBA All Star Game
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11:59 pm
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US Airways Center
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| More NBA News: |
| Last season, Nowitzki posted his lowest numbers (21.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg) in three seasons. Respectable, but for a player of Nowitzki's stature, those numbers lay well below the standard he had set for himself the season before (25.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 3.0 apg) when he helped the Mavericks to their first Western Conference Finals since 1987-88.
This season, Nowitzki's been a different animal. Some would just say he's been an animal, period, including Nowitzki himself. "I'm just being aggressive," Nowtizki told SI.com's Marty Burns. That he is. Nowitzki's 26.9 points per game is third in the league. He grabs more defensive boards per contest (8.8) than anyone in the league besides Kevin Garnett. And he's no longer satisfied to settle for jumpers. Nowitzki is second in the NBA in free throws made (261) and sixth in free-throw attempts (307). At this pace, Nowitzki would end up attempting 812 free throws, well above the career-high of 538 he set in just his third season. |