Dirk sharing the load with Kidd

Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t have to be reminded of what happened in his last two playoffs series. There’s also no question of what his responsibility is to his team’s chances.

“I understand if we want to do some damage in the playoffs, I’ve got to play well,” he said. “I understand we as a team have to play well, but it starts with me.”

Nowitzki does have a more accomplished sidekick in Jason Kidd to help shoulder the load.

“Jason draws a lot of attention,” Avery Johnson said. “Jason is a perennial All-Star and because he’s a perennial All-Star, he draws a lot of attention. He can beat teams with the pass, he’s scoring more for us, so everybody’s not just focused in on Dirk.”