Spurs hang around, finally defeat the Mavericks

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 Mavericks that doomed them in their last games that counted -- their four straight losses to the Miami Heat 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.

Jason Terry missed a three-point attempt that would have put Dallas ahead with about a minute to go, then Duncan answered with a follow shot off a missed dunk by Francisco Elson.

The Spurs were never threatened again in beating the Mavericks, who edged San Antonio in overtime of Game 7 in a tense Western Conference semifinal series last season.

“We wanted to win really bad. But it’s not the same as the playoffs last season,” said the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili, who scored 16 points. “The only thing that will make us forget is to have a great season and play them again” in the playoffs.