Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Final Score: Dallas 94 - San Antonio 97

San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Tim Duncan scored 31 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as San Antonio edged Dallas, 97-94, in a key Southwest Division matchup at the AT&T Center.

Manu Ginobili added 17 points for the Spurs, who have won eight straight games and now lead the Southwest Division by one game over the idle New Orleans Hornets. Michael Finley chipped in with 16 points off the bench, while Bruce Bowen finished with 14 points and a big block in the final seconds.

Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points for the Mavericks, who lost for the first time in four games and fell two games behind the Spurs in the tightly-contested Southwest Division. Josh Howard and Brandon Bass each had 16 points, while Jason Kidd had seven points and 10 assists.

The Spurs entered the fourth quarter with a precarious one-point lead in a game that was nip and tuck throughout.

Things remained razor close as the game headed toward the stretch. Duncan's running hook shot evened things at 89 with 4:16 left.

Jason Terry answered at the other end by stroking a jumper but San Antonio went back in front thanks to the charity stripe. First, Duncan made 1-of-2 from the line and Bowen then hit a pair to make it a 92-91 game with 2:39 remaining.

The give-and-take continued from there. Terry made 1-of-2 from the line before Duncan got loose for a dunk on the pick-and-roll to make it 94-92.

Nowitzki responded for the Mavs with a fadeaway jumper to deadlock things at 94 with just 1:36 left.

Both teams had chances to take the lead from there but couldn't convert until Duncan drew contact from Erick Dampier with 34.5 seconds on the clock. The All-Star, who is normally a shaky free throw shooter, drilled both to give the Spurs a two-point edge, 96-94.

The Mavs had three chances to even things again in the final seconds but Nowitzki misfired on a pair of shots before Bowen rejected a Terry runner with under five seconds to go to secure things.

The Mavs took a slim 25-22 advantage after the opening 12 minutes but Ginobili buried a fall-away jumper as time expired in the second quarter to deadlock things at 47.

The Spurs fell behind by as many as 10 points, 67-57, in the third quarter after Terry deposited a layup with 3:44 left in the frame. But, San Antonio recovered to close the stanza with a 16-5 run to go back in front. Ime Udoka capped the burst by stroking a three at the buzzer to give the Spurs a 73-72 lead.