It would appear that the biggest source of San Antonio Spurs fans “backup quarterback syndrome” is ready to sign with the place that seemingly invented it–Dallas. Ed Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Dallas Mavericks are close to signing Spurs free agent center Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi (6-11) played 26 games for the [...]

The greatest seventh seed in NBA history? Not exactly a compliment in the eyes of Tim Duncan. Certainly the San Antonio Spurs are the first seventh seed to eliminate a second seed since the NBA Playoffs switched formats to a first round best-of-seven series. But Duncan and the rest of the world will have to [...]

AT&T CENTER–Given a second shot at a closeout game after their disappointing Game 5 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the only adjustment needed by the San Antonio Spurs between games was to find the energy and focus they lacked on the road. “Minds are kind of hard to understand sometimes,” Manu Ginobili said. “We went [...]

The score says the Mavericks beat the Spurs by 22 points, but it was worse than that. And Gregg Popovich knew it. The Spurs’ starters didn’t see action in the 4th quarter. Pop put out the white flag towards the end of the third, and now it’s San Antonio’s turn to regroup. The Mavericks jumped [...]

AT&T Center–A game after Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle benched each of his team’s new acquisitions in the second half, the San Antonio Spurs turned to theirs with the trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker struggling. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s faith was aptly rewarded. Antonio McDyess hit open jumpers, scoring [...]

Bruised and bloodied, but far from broken–well, except for his nose which is, in fact, broken–San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili returned from the locker room part Rocky Balboa, part Michael Jordan. The combination of both was all “El Contusion”. Late in the third quarter of the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 win over the Dallas [...]

For much of the series the Dallas Mavericks have been able to do very little defensively to stop Manu Ginobili. Hedging screens. Trapping. Denying passes. Changing matchups. Scratch broken noses off the list of things that could possibly deter Manu Ginobili, who will start in Game 4 for the San Antonio Spurs despite suffering the [...]

AT&T CENTER–For all the weapons the Dallas Mavericks acquired over this year, through the majority of the second half it was the same lineup that ousted the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s playoffs unexpectedly staring down the same point guard they still have no answer for. The difference? This season Tony Parker brought some [...]

Perception and reality are two vastly different and constantly changing things, especially in an NBA playoff series where momentum shifts freely from one game to the next. A superficial glance at the box scores will tell you that the San Antonio Spurs did a much better job guarding Dirk Nowitzki than in his blitzkrieg Game [...]

How shall the San Antonio Spurs proceed against the Dallas Mavericks? What Game 2 adjustments should the Spurs and Mavericks coaches consider?

For all the anticipation surrounding Manu Ginobili’s return, it was the San Antonio Spurs focus and attention to details that were most sorely missed in the Game 1 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. For much of the past decade the trinity of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker carried the headlines, but it was [...]

THE PRESENT — It’s strange to think about the emotional arc of the last twelve months: The soaring heights, the seemingly bottomless depths. This team tossed me around like a rag doll, while all along, without us knowing it, history was set on loop. The San Antonio Spurs will face the Dallas Mavericks in the [...]

Manu Ginobili’s instincts are true. The San Antonio Spurs begin their 7-game series against the Dallas Mavericks tonight, and the NBA playoffs couldn’t have a better pairing for its opening round.

According to Winston, the Spurs will beat the Mavericks so long as Keith Bogans doesn’t receive too much burn. That, and DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner should play together. (They did last night, and it didn’t seem to hurt.) You’re right, it’s not that simple, but Winston raises several interesting points. Here’s how the Spurs [...]

With just two days left in the 2009-10 regular season, only the first and eighth spots in the Western Conference have been decided. After the Oklahoma City Thunder slipped up against a Brandon Roy-less Portland Trailblazers last night, the Thunder have booked themselves a first round date with the Los Angeles Lakers. As has been [...]