from Eddie Sefko
5:30 p.m. today; FSSW/ESPN; KESN-FM (103.3), KFLC-AM (1270 in Spanish)
Scouting the Spurs
They are coming off an 87-79 loss at Minnesota in which Tim Duncan was 2-of-12 from the field. That's the worst shooting percentage for him in any game of his career when he's taken 10 or more shots. ... Duncan is averaging a career-low 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. ... They are just 6-5 in their last 11 games. ... Interestingly, the Spurs have traded in their defensive chops for offense. They are in the top five in the league in scoring at more than 98 points per game but are in the bottom third of the league in points allowed and are allowing opponents to hit 46 percent from the field. ... Coach Gregg Popovich celebrated his 63rd birthday Saturday, no doubt at a spot with one of Dallas' most extensive wine lists.
Scouting the Mavericks
They were in need of a show of heart and got it against Utah on Friday, scoring a convincing win even without Dirk Nowizki and, for the final 46 minutes, Jason Kidd. "We definitely needed to bounce back and play well,'' said Brendan Haywood of coming back after a Wednesday home loss to Minnesota by 15 points. "I think a lot of guys had a negative taste in their mouth. You can call it force, you can call it heart. Whatever it is, we needed that game. You could lose one and be in ninth, win one and be in third.'' ... The Mavericks are 7-0 when they play without Nowitzki or Kidd. ... The Mavericks hit 11 of 19 3-pointers against the Jazz, the first time all season they have made more than 50 percent in a game from beyond the arc.
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