NBA: Top 5 Amazing Dirk Nowitzki Moments

#3 2001 WC Semifinals Game 4: Tooth knocked out and comeback

Dallas Mavericks v/s San Antonio Spurs (2001, WC Semifinals)

Dallas made its first playoff appearance in 11 years and upturned the Utah Jazz starring Karl Malone and John Stockton, 3-2 in the first round. Then came the mighty Spurs who would take a 3-0 lead. Dirk had scored just 43 points in the first three games.

With one game away from exiting the playoffs, Game 4 saw a great comeback by Dirk Nowitzki coming back from food poisoning, losing a tooth with 4:52 to play and scoring 30 points with decisive game winning plays. The Mavericks beat the Spurs 112-108 and avoided elimination.

Dirk has a hard memory of the game. In an interview he mentioned “We played hard in Game 4 and were able to steal one. The game we stole here, I came back in [after getting a tooth knocked out by a Terry Porter elbow] and we won the game. Then in Game 5, they were just so good defensively. Whatever we tried, they had counters. They were long in there with those two 7-footers. I mean, they were good.”