Dirk has strong pointsKarl says Nowitzki is Duncan's equal in making others better12:38 AM CST on Saturday, February 11, 2006By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning NewsDENVER ? Dirk Nowitzki, like most players, has come up short when compared with San Antonio's Tim Duncan. Don't tell that to Denver's George Karl."My feeling is Nowitzki is playing Duncan-like," the Nuggets coach said before Friday night's game against the Mavericks. "He's this big, strong, great player who is allowing the other guys on his team to shine. He's saying, 'OK, it's your night. I'll only get 15 points. You get 25.' And it jumps from Jason Terry to Josh Howard."Karl, unsolicited, then made another comparison to the team the Mavericks must beat to win the Southwest Division."Their big kids have gotten that San Antonio Spurs paint defense," Karl said of the Mavericks. "They make you miss a lot of shots around the basket. That's the biggest defensive improvement I see ? how they control the paint."Missing the point: Backup point guard Devin Harris missed Friday's game because of a left quad strain. He suffered the injury in Thursday's win over Miami.A Mavericks team that averages 13.5 turnovers responded by turning the ball over 10 times in the first quarter against Denver.Veteran Darrell Armstrong took Harris' spot in the rotation.Anger management: Denver forward Kenyon Martin has struggled with injuries this season. Now he's facing another struggle.Two fans claimed that Martin dispatched one of his friends to confront them during Wednesday's home loss to Chicago. Both said the man threatened them and that Martin, a Bryan Adams graduate, confronted them after the game.Martin acknowledged that he knows the person but said he didn't direct anyone to go into the stands after the fans. He also denied talking to fans after the game.The league is investigating."I talked to Kenyon a little bit about how I've made mistakes in my life, and my recognition is, when you're in a lose-lose situation, be quiet and take the responsibility as a man," Karl said.http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...e.160263dd.html
