For a game that was supposed to be a playoff preview, we did not learn what much on what to expect when the Mavs and Spurs face off in the playoffs. What we did learn is the Mavericks are exactly where they want to be.
The Mavs 96-89 win over a Spurs team without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili clinched the number two seed in the West and a first round playoff date with San Antonio. The Spurs rested their stars with not much to play for, and probably as a result the Mavs looked flat at times. However they got the win and nobody was forced to play extended minutes.
Caron Butler led the way for Dallas with 20 points, returning from a one game absence. Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points and ended the season with 74 consecutive made free throws. Jason Kidd provided an early spark scoring 13 of his 18 points in the third period before resting the entire fourth quarter. Brendan Haywood contributed heavily on the defensive end with 15 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The Spurs were led by rookie Dejuan Blair with 27 points and 23 rebounds. TonyParker, the lone Spurs star to play had 16 points. In addition to Duncan and Ginobili sitting out, George Hill was forced to leave the game for San Antonio after five minutes due to a sprained ankle.
After a 16-2 run to end the first, Dallas led comfortably the remainder of the game even though the Spurs cut the lead to 6 in the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks finish the regular season with a 55-27 record, good for fourth best in the league. Their 27-14 road record tops the entire NBA. They finished by winning 23 of their final 29 games after the trade with Washington including winning streaks of 13 and 5 to finish the season.
The Mavs will see a much different Spurs team when the series starts on Sunday, but they know they matchup well with the Spurs, winning 8 of the last 10 contests between the teams. Now it is just a matter of them hitting their peak at the right time hoping it continues for a long and memorable playoff run.
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