Nowitzki runs afoul of Barkley & Co.

Lesson No. 1 for Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki: Don’t praise opponents’ strengths, or else TNT’s crew of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber will criticize you.

Lesson No. 2 for Nowitzki: Don’t worry about giving an honest assessment of the scouting report. Color analyst P.J. Carlesimo and host Ernie Johnson will have your back.

Before Game 2 of the Mavericks-Nuggets series on Tuesday, Nowitzki said: “I think [Chris Andersen] does a good job because he’s so long. He contests my shot. [Kenyon] Martin and Nene are stronger and they try to body me more. And Birdman’s [Andersen] just long and when I shoot he can still jump up there and contest the shot. So yeah, they’ve got three very good defenders.”

That prompted Webber to say, “Dirk is scared of a defender,” Smith to say, “It feeds the stereotype that this guy is playing a little soft,” and Barkley to say, “If a guy even thought he could guard me I’d tell him, ‘I’m going to kick your . . . tonight.’ ”

Carlesimo defended Nowitzki’s comments throughout the broadcast, and pointed to his 35-point performance Tuesday as evidence that his frankness didn’t expose any weaknesses. Barkley had to have the last word, though, referencing the Oklahoma Thunder’s firing Carlesimo this season after a 1-12 start.

“That’s why he’s broadcasting the games and not coaching the games,” Barkley said.

Trivia time

Who was lowest-seeded team to win the NBA Finals?

Dungy mum on Vick

Tony Dungy and Michael Vick may not be Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, but the Tampa Tribune rightfully described them as “The Odd Couple.”

The retired Colts coach visited Vick on Tuesday at the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan. Dungy declined to comment to reporters about his conversation with Vick, who is completing his 23-month sentence on federal dogfighting charges and will likely serve out his sentence under home confinement later this month.

Dungy recently told Dan Patrick, however, about his plans to visit Vick.

“I am going out there to really talk about life,” Dungy said. “To talk about the Lord. I know he has made a profession that he has accepted the Lord into his life. Talk to him about what he’s going to face. Most people are going to be against him. He’s got to understand that.”

Trivia answer

The 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who defended their NBA title as the sixth-seeded team. With series victories over the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic, the Rockets became the first NBA team to beat four teams with 50 or more wins in the playoffs.

And finally

On the Rockets’ holding the Lakers 15 points below their season average in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen noted similarities to something that sours Lakers players and fans alike.

Says Feigen: “They brought rapid (if perhaps premature) reminders of last season’s NBA Finals, in which the Celtics pushed around the Lakers with the same sort of defense-first, physical style.”

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mark.medina@latimes.com