(Sports Network) - Just one game after taking down arguably the top offensive
team in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs put up a clunker the following night.
San Antonio will try to regroup Thursday, when the Southwest Division-rival
Dallas Mavericks pay a visit to the AT&T Center.
The Spurs handed the Oklahoma City Thunder a 105-93 setback Monday night in
the Alamo City, then dropped a 107-83 road decision to the lowly Minnesota
Timberwolves the next day. The Spurs had a 28-24 advantage after the first
quarter and lost the next three periods, including a 29-10 margin in the
second stanza.
Seventeen turnovers led to 30 Minnesota points, while Spurs point guard Cory
Joseph paced the team with 15 points. Stephen Jackson and Danny Green finished
with 14 and 10 points, respectively, for San Antonio, which has lost two of
three games since a three-game winning streak.
Minnesota shot 53.7 percent and made 12-of-20 3-pointers. The Spurs only made
35.4 percent of their shots and sank just 9-of-29 from downtown.
"Minnesota was more aggressive than we were for more of the 48 minutes. They
were physical," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They obviously shot it very
well. Both defensively and offensively they had a very good game and kicked
our butt."
San Antonio will play four in a row at home and is 26-4 as the host. It will
also entertain Cleveland, Golden State and Utah on the residency. The Spurs
didn't have Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard on the trip to Minnesota due to sore
knees. Duncan and Leonard are probable Thursday. The Spurs, of course, are
dealing without Tony Parker because of a knee injury.
The Spurs, seeded first in the Western Conference, are a win shy of 50 for a
14th consecutive season.
Dallas enters this matchup on a roll, having won a season high-tying four
straight and five of six games, and will close out a four-game road trip
Thursday.
The Mavericks recorded a 115-108 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday as Vince
Carter scored 23 points off the bench and Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points and 11
rebounds. Jae Crowder and O.J. Mayo scored 14 points apiece for the Mavericks,
who shot 50 percent for the game and are averaging 107.3 ppg in the last four
games. Dallas is 14-2 when shooting 50 percent or better in 2012-13.
"I just felt in the groove," said Carter, who had 13 points during the
decisive fourth quarter. "The basket just seemed extremely big and I felt
comfortable in my shot. I was just in the flow of the game, and a couple of
shots, once I let them go I happened to look down and see the 3-point line was
up there."
Carter sank some big shots to stop Milwaukee's momentum and kept the Mavs'
hopes for a playoff push intact. The Mavs are 2 1/2 games off the eighth and
final postseason spot in the West.
After visiting the rival Spurs, Dallas, which is 13-21 as the guest, will play
two straight and eight of the next nine games at home. In injury news for
Dallas, guard Darren Collison (blurred vision) is questionable Thursday and
veteran forward Shawn Marion (calf) is expected to miss the game. Marion has
missed three straight games.
The Mavericks have lost the first three meetings with the Spurs this season,
four straight overall and eight of the previous 10 matchups between the
division foes. Dallas has lost four straight and 12 of its last 18 at San
Antonio, which hasn't swept a season series with Dallas since winning all four
encounters back in 1997-98.
Carter is averaging 14.3 ppg against the Mavs this season and needs seven
field goals for 8,000 in his career. Duncan is averaging 16.5 ppg in two
meetings with Dallas this season and has faced the Mavs 54 times in his
career, posting averages of 21.1 points and 11.2 boards.
The Sports Network