Riding on the brilliance of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs touched the 60 win mark for the fourth time in the regular season, since 2002-03. Table-topper Spurs hold a clear advantage over the Dallas Mavericks, who finished the season in eight place. Although Mavericks have enough talent to cause an upset, it's not going to be an easy affair for them.
Mavericks have a blend of experience and youth, with seasoned players like Shawn Marion, Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki, alongside relatively younger faces such as Monta Ellis, Devin Harris and Jose Calderon. Mavericks are a potent offensive unit, but lacks defensive discipline, something they might struggle against Spurs.
Apart from the 'Big Three', Spurs have strong bench strength which is why they are considered as title contenders. Spectacular deep shooting from Danny Green and court covering from Kawhi Leonard are enough to put the Dallas defense under pressure.
Out of the four times this season, Spurs lead the head-to-head encounters 4-0. Against their in-state rivals they have also won nine straight games. The Spurs have everything in their favor and they should not take the attack led by Nowitzki lightly for moving into the semifinals of the Western Conference.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle is well aware that his team has a colossal task ahead of them and although they have played a number of times against Spurs, it will not make much of a difference. "Everybody knows their secrets," Rick Adelman said. "It doesn't do you any good, though."
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 1:00 pm ET (10:30 pm IST, 6:00 pm BST) start with live coverage on TNT in the US. The game can be watched via live streaming online in the US HERE or HERE, while UK viewers can live stream the action HERE. The game can be live streamed by international viewers, including India, HERE.
