San Antonio likes to give its aging stars some time off during back-to-back sets, but the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday after having to work overtime a night earlier. San Antonio squandered a 12-point lead in the final 1:35 of regulation before holding on for a 110-108 win over Memphis. The Mavericks should be a bit fresher after a relatively stress-free 110-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
The Spurs could be without the hero against Memphis, as Manu Ginobili felt some tightness in his hamstring late in the game - but still managed to hit a go-ahead shot with 3.6 seconds left in regulation and the winning basket with 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime. "I don't care about missing one game," Ginobili told the San Antonio Express-News, noting he will consider sitting out as a precaution. "I don't want to push it and miss a month." The Mavericks, who are eighth in the Western Conference and have a 2 1/2-game cushion over Denver and Minnesota, are a mediocre 8-9 on the road but they've won four straight away from home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CW35 (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (20-15): Dallas can count on big-time production from stars Dirk Nowitzki (21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds) and Monta Ellis (19.9 points, 5.9 assists) on most nights, but the Mavericks' success is often dictated by the supporting cast. It was veteran reserve Vince Carter (11.4 points) who stepped up with 19 points against the Lakers. The Mavericks aren't noted for their defense, but they actually took over the league lead in steals per game after swiping 17 against Los Angeles -- their most since 2005.
ABOUT THE SPURS (27-8): San Antonio leads the league in bench scoring but will be a bit thin for this one, especially if Ginobili doesn't play. Center Tiago Splitter (shoulder) already is sidelined for three-to-five weeks, though, so the Spurs cannot afford to lose their sixth man for a long stretch. Two more veterans -- Tony Parker (17.5 points, 6.2 assists) and Tim Duncan (14.5 points, 9.7 rebounds) -- continue to lead the Spurs, though Marco Belinelli (10.6 points) has put up big scoring numbers recently.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks SF Shawn Marion (shoulder) will not travel to San Antonio after taking a hard fall and leaving late in the first quarter Tuesday.
2. The Spurs are 13-0 when shooting better than their opponent from the field and 16-0 when outrebounding the opposition.
3. Nowitzki needs one steal to become the 23rd active player with 1,000 in his career.