Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs Live Streaming

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9:30 pm EDT Fri Apr 23, 2010

Tim Duncan turns 34 this weekend. The birthday planning began a year ago, when the San Antonio Spurs told their stiff and sore superstar to take an extra month off in the summer. The Spurs have a reputation in the NBA for front-office smarts, but this decision hardly required brainpower: give Duncan a longer rest, and maybe they would get a few more good weeks out of him. But on the cusp of May, who saw this roaring playoff start against Dallas coming? After laboring in the final weeks of the regular season, Duncan is averaging 26 points and 12.5 rebounds against the Mavericks, who head to San Antonio on Friday with the series tied at one game apiece. Duncan perhaps saved the Spurs from coming home in a 2-0 hole. As the Mavs threatened to erase a 20-point deficit Wednesday night, the Spurs went to their franchise cornerstone on four straight possessions in the fourth quarter. Duncan delivered each time.

Hardly anything new—but hardly anything the Spurs have seen recently. Crunch-time baskets over the last month had been the job of Manu Ginobili, whose resurgence since the All-Star break salvaged a Duncan-era worst No. 7 playoff seed for San Antonio. Duncan, meanwhile, averaged 15.5 points down the stretch. He looked tired and rigid in his movement. As recently as late March he limped out of the locker room favoring his balky left knee, which has been guarded with a brace all season. But maybe this was the Spurs showing their wisdom again, knowing what others might have forgotten: that Duncan was saving his best for a championship run.