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Spurs oust Mavs, Suns shine
Source: Agencies |
May 1, 2010, Saturday
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SAN Antonio's battle-hardened players settled a score by eliminating the Dallas Mavericks from the National Basketball Association playoffs in a Texas shootout on Thursday.
The Spurs gained revenge for their defeat by Dallas in last year's playoffs by winning their first-round series 4-2 following a 97-87 home win over the league's best road team.
With an aging roster and the underdog tag this time against the contending Mavericks, the Spurs defied the odds led by their floor general Manu Ginobili, who scored 26 points.
Fellow 30-something Tim Duncan had a resurgence with 17 points and 10 rebounds to help complete the upset series win.
San Antonio took one game in Dallas and all three games on its home court against a Mavericks team that compiled an NBA-best 27 road wins during the regular season.
Leading by two points midway through the fourth, the Spurs scored six straight to go ahead 86-78 and held on to inflict more playoff heartbreak on the hapless Mavericks.
Young guard George Hill provided critical baskets in the final quarter and finished with 21 to spark San Antonio despite going 0-for-4 during the first half.
"I told him at halftime he was being complacent, deferring too much -- being Mr Nice Guy," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters.
"I told him 'To hell with the rest of the team. Go get your name in the paper'!"
The clinching win was set up by a fast start and 22-8 lead after the first quarter. The Spurs led by 22 in the second before Dallas All-Star Dirk Nowitzki led his team on a run.
The hot-shooting German forward tallied 15 of his 33 points in the third where Dallas pulled to within two points.
Caron Butler added 25 points but his efforts counted for nothing as the Western Conference's second seed bowed out in the first round for the third time in four years.
The Phoenix Suns advanced to a semifinal meeting against San Antonio by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 99-90. San Antonio beat the Suns in the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. The opening game is in Phoenix on Monday.
Jason Richardson scored a team-high 28 points while Amare Stoudemire added 22 in Phoenix as the Suns wrapped up a 4-2 best-of-seven series win.
Martell Webster had 19 points for Portland, which failed to advance out of the first round for the second straight year. Brandon Roy had 14 points for the Blazers in his first start of the series after minor knee surgery.
Grant Hill of the Suns advanced past the first round for the first time in his career. Phoenix is 6-1 in its past six potential series-clinching games.
Portland has never won a series that it has trailed 2-3.
The Spurs gained revenge for their defeat by Dallas in last year's playoffs by winning their first-round series 4-2 following a 97-87 home win over the league's best road team.
With an aging roster and the underdog tag this time against the contending Mavericks, the Spurs defied the odds led by their floor general Manu Ginobili, who scored 26 points.
Fellow 30-something Tim Duncan had a resurgence with 17 points and 10 rebounds to help complete the upset series win.
San Antonio took one game in Dallas and all three games on its home court against a Mavericks team that compiled an NBA-best 27 road wins during the regular season.
Leading by two points midway through the fourth, the Spurs scored six straight to go ahead 86-78 and held on to inflict more playoff heartbreak on the hapless Mavericks.
Young guard George Hill provided critical baskets in the final quarter and finished with 21 to spark San Antonio despite going 0-for-4 during the first half.
"I told him at halftime he was being complacent, deferring too much -- being Mr Nice Guy," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters.
"I told him 'To hell with the rest of the team. Go get your name in the paper'!"
The clinching win was set up by a fast start and 22-8 lead after the first quarter. The Spurs led by 22 in the second before Dallas All-Star Dirk Nowitzki led his team on a run.
The hot-shooting German forward tallied 15 of his 33 points in the third where Dallas pulled to within two points.
Caron Butler added 25 points but his efforts counted for nothing as the Western Conference's second seed bowed out in the first round for the third time in four years.
The Phoenix Suns advanced to a semifinal meeting against San Antonio by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 99-90. San Antonio beat the Suns in the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. The opening game is in Phoenix on Monday.
Jason Richardson scored a team-high 28 points while Amare Stoudemire added 22 in Phoenix as the Suns wrapped up a 4-2 best-of-seven series win.
Martell Webster had 19 points for Portland, which failed to advance out of the first round for the second straight year. Brandon Roy had 14 points for the Blazers in his first start of the series after minor knee surgery.
Grant Hill of the Suns advanced past the first round for the first time in his career. Phoenix is 6-1 in its past six potential series-clinching games.
Portland has never won a series that it has trailed 2-3.
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