The playoffs are when superstars shine brightest. But it's hard to twinkle when you are the center of the other team's defensive universe.

Dirk Nowitzki is finding this out the hard way. Not that he has had a bad series against the Sacramento Kings. He has done plenty to help the Mavericks reach Game 7 against the Kings on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.

The Kings are trying to get to the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row. The Mavericks are looking for their first trip since 1988. San Antonio is waiting in the wings for the victor.

To get there, the Mavericks will need a superlative effort from everybody. But perhaps nobody will be more important than Nowitzki. After averaging 29.9 points in the first round against Portland, the 7-footer has seen that number drop more than 10 points against the Kings, to 19.2 per game. Nowitzki is only the Mavericks' fourth-leading scorer in the series.