(REUTERS) – San Antonio’s battle-hardened players settled a score by eliminating the Dallas Mavericks from the NBA play-offs in a Texas shootout. The Spurs gained revenge for their defeat by Dallas in last year’s play-offs by winning their first-round series 4-2 following a 97-87 home win over the league’s best road team.
With an ageing roster and the underdog tag this time against the contending Mavericks, the Spurs defied the odds led by their floor general Manu Ginobili, who scored 26 points.
Fellow 30-something Tim Duncan had resurgence with 17 points and 10 rebounds to help complete the upset series win.
San Antonio took one game in Dallas and all three games on their home court against a Mavericks team that compiled an NBA-best 27 road wins during the regular season.
Leading by two points midway the fourth, the Spurs scored six straight to go ahead 86-78 and held on to inflict more playoff heartbreak on the hapless Mavs.
Young guard George Hill provided critical baskets in the final quarter and finished with 21 to spark San Antonio despite going 0-for-4 during the first half.
“I told him at halftime he was being complacent, deferring too much — being Mr Nice Guy,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
“I told him ‘To hell with the rest of the team. Go get your name in the paper!'”
The clinching win was set up by a fast start and 22-8 lead after the first quarter. The Spurs led by 22 in the second before Dallas All-Star Dirk Nowitzki led his team on a run.
The hot-shooting German forward tallied 15 of his 33 in the third where Dallas pulled to within two points.
Caron Butler added 25 points but his efforts counted for nothing as the Western Conference’s second seed bowed out in the first round for the third time in four years.
The Phoenix Suns advanced to a semi-final meeting against San Antonio by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 99-90.
Jason Richardson scored a team-high 28 points while Amare Stoudemire added 22 as the Suns wrapped up a 4-2 best-of-seven series win.