GDT: Mavs vs. Spurs 7:00 CT (4/10/14)

[Underdog]

Spurs-Mavericks Preview

With a playoff spot in sight, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks would love to finally beat the San Antonio Spurs regardless of who their archrivals might be missing.

Especially considering Dallas may get them in the first round.

Now the 10th-leading scorer in NBA history, Nowitzki will try to help the Mavericks halt an eight-game skid against the banged-up Spurs on Thursday night.

The magic number for both teams would have been down to one for this matchup in Dallas, but Memphis and Oklahoma City had other plans.

Had the ninth-place Grizzlies lost to Miami on Wednesday, the Mavs (48-31) could have wrapped up a Western Conference playoff berth with a victory. All San Antonio (60-18) needed to be assured of finishing with the league's best record was a victory over Dallas and an Oklahoma City loss, but the Thunder held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

While it's highly likely the Spurs will get the West's No. 1 seed, they might begin the postseason against a Dallas team which is in seventh but could still be caught by Phoenix or Memphis.

San Antonio is looking to pull off back-to-back season sweeps of the Mavericks for the first time since earning three straight from 1991-94.

Nowitzki has been held to an average of 15.4 points on 40.2 percent shooting during Dallas' eight-game losing streak to the Spurs. Tony Parker has appeared in six of those matchups, averaging 22.0 points on 55.6 percent shooting, but he will sit out a second straight game Thursday due to a minor back injury.

Parker surpassed 20 points in all three meetings this season and the Spurs scored more than 110 in all of them, most recently winning 112-106 on March 2.

"They're a very poised team," Mavs veteran Vince Carter told the team's website after that game. "I mean, they know who they are, and they do a great job of executing."

That includes frustrating Nowitzki, who had 22 points in the last meeting but continually yelled at officials and exchanged some testy words with Gregg Popovich. The Spurs coach threw a variety of defensive looks at him, using Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw and Kawhi Leonard.

"He's such a great player. Nobody stops him," Popovich said. "At least giving him a different look makes me feel better like I'm trying, like I'm doing something."

Nowitzki passed Oscar Robertson for 10th on the career scoring list Tuesday, reaching 26,714 points after getting 21 in a 95-83 victory over Utah.

"It feels kind of surreal, still," the 35-year-old Nowitzki said. "All night, I was trying not to think about it."

Nowitzki has gotten hot this month, averaging 24.4 points on 59.3 percent shooting and hitting 15 of 26 from 3-point range. He's a major reason Dallas is coming off a 4-0 road trip and returns home looking to match its longest winning streak of the season.

The Spurs had won a franchise-record 19 in a row before losing two of their last three, including a 110-91 defeat to lottery-bound Minnesota on Tuesday.

"You can't win every game," Diaw said. "We just wish we played better. Winning or losing, we just wish we played our game better."

San Antonio, though, was missing Parker and Manu Ginobili left in the third quarter with a left calf contusion. His status for this game is uncertain.

Tim Duncan should feel fresh after playing less than 20 minutes, and he's averaged 20.5 points with 13.5 rebounds in the last four meetings.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400490047

[Underdog]

Looks like me and Vinsanity are tag-teaming this win streak... Here's to hoping we can keep it alive!

[EricaLubarsky]

Spurs are tough, but Mavs are getting ready to make the playoffs. If the Mavs want to take a series to 6-7 or even make the playoffs, they need to turn on the NO2 and floor it.

Also, Pop will probably play mind games with this one. Starters? Strange lineups? He'll mess with us somehow.

[Melonhead]

Really need this one because if we lose, then PHX and MEM are must wins. We drop either of those then we have the awesome possibility of missing playoffs.

[C_Man]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Really need this one because if we lose, then PHX and MEM are must wins. We drop either of those then we have the awesome possibility of missing playoffs.

Wrong.

If we beat Memphis we make the playoffs no matter what.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by C_Man

Wrong.

If we beat Memphis we make the playoffs no matter what.

Or if we beat Phoenix.

[C_Man]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Or if we beat Phoenix.

Are you sure about that?

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by C_Man

Are you sure about that?

I'm almost positive unless my brain is just fried today.

-If we beat Phoenix, the most losses we can finish with is 33.

-Meanwhile, either Memphis or Phoenix will also finish with at least 33 losses (Memphis currently has 32; Phoenix will have 32 if we beat them; Memphis and Phoenix also play each other, so at least one will have 33).

-So we'll be at least tied with one of them at 33 losses, and we'd have the tiebreaker over either.

[yahyes]

Give it what you got. Early start of playoffs for the Mavs.

[Melonhead]

Enter the matrix

[BPo001]

Game time! Let's do this!

[Melonhead]

MUST AVOID 8 SEED. GET THE WIN.

DALY O Board!

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Anyone get Mavs FSSW link?

[Melonhead]

The Dallas Jumpshooters!

[GermanDunk]

Morning !

[LSMF]

When will Dallas learn to not leave Danny Green open? When?

[yahyes]

At least challenge their shots.

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Duncan seems injured lol

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by HopeIsAlwaysThere

Anyone get Mavs FSSW link?

TNT for those who are unserved.

http://lag10.com/channel12

[adonis]

Hey Dipshit Rick, you willing to give 'the top 12 player all-time' a shot yet?

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Originally Posted by adonis

Hey Dipshit Rick, you willing to give 'the top 12 player all-time' a shot yet?

U mad? Spurs are tight on him, that's why our players didn't pass to him much.

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

And he just made one.

[yahyes]

Originally Posted by HopeIsAlwaysThere

U mad? Spurs are tight on him, that's why our players didn't pass to him much.

Oh he/she is always upset at the coach. Gotta get used to it...

[GermanDunk]

Pop has watched too many grumpy cat videos

[Vinsanity]

My man B-Wright!

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Harris is really good at drawing fouls

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Originally Posted by yahyes

Oh he/she is always upset at the coach. Gotta get used to it...

I am a newbie, I just don't take things for granted, Rick is a brilliant coach, much better than Avery.

[Underdog]

Anyone have a decent link?

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

The dunks of Wright are so beautiful!

[Oberon]

That last shot by Dirk - seen so many times yet it's still so enjoyable to watch

[Underdog]

Dammit, Dirk needs to grab those easy boards.

[Underdog]

MATRIX BUZZER BEATER!!!

[Melonhead]

Perfect timing block by Daly...just to see the heave at the end of the half go in still has to give some kind of momentum. Great fight in the second quarter Mavs

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Nice shot by Marion, but a bit late, I always like to see more half court shots in the final seconds. Great defense by Sammy.

[Oberon]

No, a bit too late on that one

[Underdog]

Is Duncan injured?

[Melonhead]

why is T Mac saying Duncan has a legit gripe on goaltending on his twitter? Ball was still rising and Daly got his hand on it before it touched backboard. Am i missing something?

[Melonhead]

Mavs doing their typical "dont give two shits about third quarter" show.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

why is T Mac saying Duncan has a legit gripe on goaltending on his twitter? Ball was still rising and Daly got his hand on it before it touched backboard. Am i missing something?

He tries too hard to appear "neutral" sometimes - reminds me of the way Aikman overcompensates at removing bias toward the Cowboys when he's announcing their games.

[HopeIsAlwaysThere]

Dirk should take the charge, but I don't blame him for that.