Dallas had Game 1 all figured out. The Mavericks clamped down on San Antonio from the three-point line, forcing the offensively-spry Spurs to find another means to score against them. Too bad they succeeded.
Tony Parker took advantage of the Mavericks in the lane, scoring 17 points in the first half. Dallas couldn't keep Parker out of the paint, or the rest of the Spurs bigs off the glass. San Antonio comfortably handled the extra opportunities and closed out Dallas in the fourth quarter, 90-85.
Perhaps most surprising was that Dirk Nowitizki and Monta Ellis combined for a total of 8-of-28 shooting. For San Antonio, Tim Duncan led the way with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Parker finished with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds.
The Spurs finished with the best record in the NBA for a reason. Although the Mavericks threatened in the fourth quarter, San Antonio never looked worried and took care of business at home. If Dallas wants any chance of getting back into this series, it will have to beat the Spurs on Wednesday night.
Game time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio
TV: NBATV
Announcing crew: Ian Eagle, Mike Fratello, Jaime Maggio
Local: FSSW