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Sports

Duncan, Spurs hold off Mavericks 92-91

The Philippine Star

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Tim Duncan had 28 points and 19 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 92-91 victory over Dallas on Thursday night, sweeping their season series with the Mavericks for the first time in 15 years.

Gary Neal added 16 points and Kawhi Leonard had 12 for San Antonio, which has the Western Conference's top record at 50-16.

Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Darren Collison added 12 points and O.J.Mayo, Mike James, Brandan Wright and Vince Carter had 10 points apiece.

San Antonio last swept Dallas during the regular season in 1998, Duncan's rookie season.

The Mavericks pulled within 92-91 on a 7-0 run capped by Nowitzki's fall-away jumper with 28.2 seconds left. After Manu Ginobili missed a jumper, Carter missed a long, fall-away 3 at the buzzer that would have won the game.

Dallas opened the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run to take its first lead at 78-77 on Nowitzki's 3, but Neal hit a 3 on the ensuing possession to give San Antonio a lead it would not relinquish again.

The Spurs had five turnovers in the first quarter, enabling the Mavericks to remain within striking distance. Dallas shot 40 percent from the field (8 for 20) in the first quarter, but San Antonio managed only 36 percent (9 for 25).

The Mavericks had an 8-0 run, capped by a pair of free throws by Nowitzki that tied the game at 32.

After Dallas tied the game at 41, the Spurs went on a 13-0 run bridging the second and third quarters. Ginobili had a jumper and an assist on Danny Green's 3 and Tiago Splitter's three-point play.

Dallas responded with a 14-4 run, going 6 for 9 to open the third and pull within 58-55.

NOTES: Mavericks F Shawn Marion (bruised calf) missed his 10th game of the season. . Five different Spurs have led the team in scoring in the six games since Tony Parker was injured. Before his injury March 1 against Sacramento, Parker had led the team in scoring in 34 of 59 games. . Junior middleweight world champions Saul ''Canelo'' Alvarez and Austin Trout had a stare down at center court before each was presented with their own Spurs jerseys. They were in town to promote their title unification bout on April 20 at the Alamodome, the Spurs' former home. Alvarez is the WBC champion and Trout holds the WBA belt.

vuukle comment

AFTER DALLAS

AFTER MANU GINOBILI

ALVAREZ AND AUSTIN TROUT

BRANDAN WRIGHT AND VINCE CARTER

DALLAS

DANNY GREEN

DARREN COLLISON

DIRK NOWITZKI

GARY NEAL

NOWITZKI

SAN ANTONIO

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