Mavericks hungry and Marion 'ready to eat'

Because of the careers have unfolded, with one heartbreak after another, the Dallas Mavericks are suffering from acute hunger pains.

Point guard Jason Kidd has been turned away twice in the NBA Finals with the New Jersey Nets.

Forward Dirk Nowitzki and guard Jason Terry are the lone holdovers from the Mavericks squad that lost to Miami in the 2006 NBA Finals.

And forward Shawn Marion came within one step of reaching the Finals twice, when the Phoenix Suns lost to the Mavericks in the 2006 Western Conference Finals and when the Suns lost to San Antonio in 2005.

So when the Mavs meet the Heat at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Miami in the first game of the NBA Finals, there are Mavericks who would like nothing more than to stuff their faces with four more victories.

"We're poised and we're hungry," Marion said. "I'm ready to eat. My stomach is three-fourths full and I need four more wins to fill up."

After Friday's practice, someone asked Nowitzki if Heat forward LeBron James is hungrier to win an NBA title than Kidd or Nowitzki.

"I think both teams are hungry once you get to this stage," Nowitzki said. "I don't care how hungry you are, both teams are trying to get that ring when you get to this stage.

"Like I said after the close-out game against Oklahoma [City], there is no second-place finish in this league. You get nothing for losing the Finals. Both teams want to win, hungry or not."