San Antonio Spurs Hold Off Upset-Minded Mavs On Ring Night: SCIC’s Running Diary

Oct 28, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; The NBA Championship banner is unveiled before a basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

In the NBA’s season opener, the San Antonio Spurs hold-off the upset-minded Dallas Mavericks on ring night

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The Dallas Mavericks did what they could to upend the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs on their ring night. Although, even undermanned, the Spurs were not going to have any part of that.

After a standstill first quarter, the Mavericks closed the first half with a 53-45 lead.

However, the San Antonio Spurs bounced back in a big way to open the second half by the way of a 15-4 run that gave the Spurs a three point lead midway through the third quarter.

The San Antonio Spurs carried that momentum the rest of the way, despite a late-push by the Mavs in a way of a 12-4 run and a missed Chandler Parsons 3 at the buzzer, to hold off the upset-minded Dallas Mavericks 101-100 on a night that was not going to be taken away from them. Even without Kawhi Leonard.

Five San Antonio Spurs players reached double figures in scoring, led by Tony Parker‘s 23. Manu Ginobili finished with 18 (off the bench), Marco Belinelli had 15, while Dany Green finished with 13 and Tim Duncan had 14.

Monta Ellis led the way for the Dallas Mavericks with 26 points and six assists in the loss. Dirk Nowitzki added 18 points and six rebounds.

Here is a running diary of everything that went down on Tuesday night between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs:

RUNNING DIARY/GAME NOTES

The San Antonio Spurs really brought back every single player from last year’s championship team. Amazing.

Here we go. The Banner is up!

Tyson Chandler is already doing that thing where he slaps the ball out for an extra possession.

I guess no one wants to score. There first scoreless first quarter ev–

Nevermind.

Danny Green! He’s going to be a key player for the Spurs this season.

Nvd. He just threw the ball out of bounds.

MONTA HAVE IT A– some. Just some. I need to pace myself.

Chandler Parsons just drove right threw the heart of the Spurs defense and got a dunk. The Heat couldn’t do that at all in the Finals.

I miss Manu’s long hair.

And Tyson Chandler is hurt.

Jameer still has the step-back. That’s good to see.

Aron Baynes is causing all sorts of damage. Just got a block (I think) and a point-blank layup.

Boris Diaw is still fat. And he can still move.

Dallas is pretty careless with the basketball early on.

Every time they show Rick Carlisle on the screen, I think of the Riddler.

Green. Open 3.

Dirk. Buzzer.

I remember one summer trying to change my shot to look like Dirk’s. It didn’t work.

End of the First Quarter

I want Raymond Felton. Where is Raymond Felton?

Diaw to Baynes. Man the Spurs are so good.

The Mavs are hanging around. They just took the lead. It does’t feel like they’re winning though. That’s a sign of a good team.

Baynes is doing everything that Tiago Splitter would be doing right now.

Without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu on the floor, the Spurs don’t look lost. That’s quite amazing. How many other teams in the NBA have the luxury of doing that with their three best players on the bench?

Pop.

And that beard.

Richard Jefferson?

Yes. For 3.

Just noticed that Chandler is back in. That’s good.

Chandler looks like the best big on the floor right now. So active.

Monta just got blocked by the rim. Midseason form.

/flips over to Pelicans/Magic. OH

The first thing I see is Aaron Gordon hitting a 3. Can’t make this up. Btw, Orlando is up three.

/flips back over to Spurs/Mavs.

Dallas is really doing a great job on D.

Duncan has been stripped twice (at least) going to the basket now. Credit Dallas’ interior activity.

Duncan comes right back and does his vintage driving fadeaway hook. Point taken.

Whoa. Dallas is leading by 7 now.

Straight out of a TO, Manu posts up Parsons — and wins.

Dallas is now up by 8. They look like the better team right now.

Albeit, that’s with the Spurs missing their best player. We’ll see.

Team leaders at the half:

Mavericks: Monta Ellis 14 points, five assists 

Spurs: Tony Parker 13 points; Tim Duncan 10 rebounds 

HALF

MY GOD, Chandler. GET UP!

And the Spurs cut it to six. Inevitable. TO, Mavs.

Interested to see how Dallas responds here.

Green. 3.

Lead is down to three.

Chandler didn’t get the call, gets technical. Early activity is now turning into frustration.

Lead is now down to two.

Parker one-on-one with Nelson. Advantage, Parker.

Tie game. 57 all. That’s a 12-4 run for the Spurs out of the halftime gates.

Kind of expected this.

Still waiting for the Dallas Mavericks to respond.

Dirk issued a technical now. The first flopping reference of the season, I think.

Spurs lead.

By 1.

Duncan — and 1.

Spurs lead by three.

Still waiting for the Dallas Mavericks to respond.

Dallas hasn’t scored a point in three and a half minutes. 15-4 run now.

Parsons is now 1-7; Ellis breaks the run with a runner.

They finally showed Raymond Felton.

Dirk over Green. TO, Spurs.

Mavs re-take the lead. By 1.

They finally responded.

I wonder if Duncan paints his hair…

The San Antonio Spurs did that thing where the driver (Parker) passes it to the cutter (Manu). So deadly against the Heat last season.

Sigh.

Spurs now lead by 1 again.

Parker and Manu doing Spurs things. Vintage.

Spurs lead by three.

I’m thinking about using vintage as an attachment to every veteran this season.

Vintage Manu step-back jumper to end the quarter.

End of the Third Quarter

The Mavs are hanging around. Down four with a little under 10 minutes to play.

DIAW 3. HE NEEDS TO EAT.

Spurs up 7 now.

9.

San Antonio Spurs basketball, folks.

Uh oh.

And Manu is hurt. Holding his knee.

Looked like he banged knees with Harris

Manu looks fine. He’s back on the floor.

Mavs cut it to five.

Marco Belinelli proceeds to hit a 3. Back up to 8.

Feels like nothing has gone the Mavs way in this second half. All San Antonio Spurs.

Dallas just busted out the three-guard set — Nelson, Harris and Ellis.

A 3 and an Ellis drive, and we have a five-point game.

Spurs go to Duncan, he takes Chandler to school. Lead back up to 7.

Mavs are going to comeback with 3’s. It’s now a four-point game.

Another Parsons miss. It really looks like he hasn’t found his role with this team yet.

Dallas just missed back-to-back 3’s.

Green did not miss his.

Spurs lead by 7 again. And that could’ve been the dagger. A little over 3 minutes to play.

Parsons finally hits a 3, and the Mavs are now within 2.

Welp. Manu with a driving and-1.

And the Mavs just tied the game after two made free throws by Ellis. Amazing.

9-2 run here for the Mavs.

And Duncan just missed a bunny.

Dirk hits a hugggge jumper. Mavs lead by 2.

Parker 3. He’s 4-4 from downtown tonight.

Spurs lead by 1.

Parsons missed 3 at the buzzer.

The San Antonio Spurs survive.

By 1 point.

Final