HoopWatch

Tony Parker was sore and Tim Duncan was struggling. Yet there was no way the San Antonio Spurs were giving up, not after six months of waiting to reclaim their edge over the Dallas Mavericks.

Parker shook off a sprained ankle to score 19 points and Duncan scored only 13 points but had a key rebound and putback in the final minute of the Spurs’ 97-91 victory Thursday night in the season opener for both Western Conference powers.

San Antonio trailed for most of the first three quarters, but never by more than 10 points. The Spurs charged ahead over a 6:13 span in which they held Dallas without a point, then protected it down the stretch with good defense and the same kind of errant shooting by the Mavs that doomed them in their last games that counted – their four straight losses to Miami in the NBA finals.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Duncan, who had only five points midway through the third quarter. “Neither team can claim to have played a great game, but we toughed it out.”

Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points for Dallas and Josh Howard had 20. Both hit big shots to keep the Mavericks close in the final minutes, but didn’t get enough help.

Jason Terry missed a 3-pointer that would have put them ahead with about a minute to go, then Duncan answered with a follow shot off a missed dunk by new teammate Francisco Elson. San Antonio was hardly threatened again, silencing a loud crowd, then sending many fans to their cars with about 35 seconds left. (Source: nba.com)

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