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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) – Just another night for Tim Duncan.
|  | | Newly acquired Juwan Howard receives an encouraging word from Mavs center Shawn Bradley. |
Duncan had 31 points and 13 rebounds, his NBA-best 44th
double-double of the season, as San Antonio beat Dallas 107-104
Saturday night, giving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich his 200th
coaching victory and spoiling the Mavericks' first game with Juwan
Howard in the lineup.
"We can score points, but that's not what we rest our hat on.
We need to go out and defend," Duncan said. "They hit a bunch of
shots and really got back in the game. We stayed consistent, we
went to the line and we kept defending. We made one or two stops
when we needed to and that's what matters."
Duncan scored six of his points over the last 1:23, including
four of five free throws, to ensure the win for San Antonio. He has 198
double-doubles in his 261 career regular-season games.
The Spurs, after blowing a 15-point lead, went back ahead to
stay when David Robinson made two free throws with 2:30 left to
make it 94-93. After Howard missed a short jumper, Derek Anderson
responded with a 3-pointer for San Antonio.
"We stuck together, that's the big reason we played so well,"
said Anderson, who finished with 24 points.
Dallas had gone ahead 91-87 with 4:39 left after Dirk Nowitzki's
second straight 3-pointer. Duncan had a fade-away jumper in between
the 3s.
"We were fortunate at the end," Popovich said.
Howard Eisley hit two 3-pointers as the Mavericks ended the
third quarter with a 14-4 run over the last 3:37 to pull within
73-71. Nash's fadeaway jumper started the run, and then he fed
Michael Finley for a reverse layup and added a short rainbow
jumper.
Eilsey's two free throws tied it at 75 with 10:08 left and it
was tight the rest of the way.
"It was a tough loss," said Steve Nash, who led the Mavs with
29 points and 10 assists. "We played with a lot of energy, but San
Antonio got great balance."
Antonio Daniels had 17 for the Spurs. Robinson finished with 16
points and 10 rebounds.
Howard, the primary player in the Mavs' 5-for-3 trade with
Washington at the NBA trading deadline Thursday, had 12 points and
seven rebounds in 35 minutes for Dallas.
The Spurs built a 52-45 lead after a 17-1 run to end the first
half, and then had their biggest lead when two Robinson free throws
made it 66-51 with 5:41 left in the third.
Just before that late first-half run, Popovich earned a
technical foul when he stepped onto the court to argue no foul
being called on a failed ally-oop to Robinson. The Mavericks got
three points -- Nash's free throws and Finley's 12-foot jumper -- and
led 44-36.
Finley had 23 points, while Nowitzki had 16 and Eisley 14.
San Antonio didn't lead until Duncan's short jumper with 2:08
left made it 47-45. Duncan then had a buzzer-beating 3-pointer
after picking off an errant pass by Eduardo Najera.
Daniels hit a 3-pointer as time expired in the first quarter,
but the Spurs trailed 28-21 at that time.
Howard began his Mavericks career with a foul 13 seconds into
the game, had an assist on the opening basket and then scored on a
short jumper less than two minutes in to make it 4-0.
"I was a little nervous. Being in a new environment and a new
atmosphere and playing with a new team, you never know what to
expect," Howard said. "As time goes by, I'll get used to the
system and I'll get used to playing here. Everything will be like
regular play."
Game notes
Sean Elliott, activated just three days ago for San Antonio
after missing 20 games with rotator cuff tear in his right
shoulder, did not dress Saturday night because of a sore left
thigh. ... Dallas center Shawn Bradley was ejected with 6:31 left
after his second technical foul. Like his previous technical,
midway through the second quarter, Bradley was arguing a foul call
against him. ... It was the 10th sellout for Dallas this season.
The Mavs are 3-7 in those games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 106
Washington 99
Charlotte 86
Philadelphia 85
Miami 75
New Jersey 70
Chicago 90
Vancouver 75
San Antonio 107
Dallas 104
Denver 85
Atlanta 82
LA Clippers 123
Portland 120
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