Associated Press Write up:
DALLAS - With three days between games, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has plenty of time to come up with an answer to the two-point-guard lineup Dallas coach Avery Johnson unleashed with rousing success in Game 2.
So, what might Popovich throw at his pupil-turned-rival tonight?
He could go with a really small lineup, plugging in Michael Finley in hopes a postseason return to the arena where his No. 4 jersey may one day hang from the rafters might spark a vintage performance.
Or he could get back to starting one of his beefy centers, Nazr Mohammed or Rasho Nesterovic. Both have come off the bench the last four games, replaced by Robert Horry.
If Popovich really wants to do something wacky, he could start Mohammed and Nesterovic.
Then again, maybe he could stick with his same lineup, but give them different marching orders. Call it "crawling orders," as in having them slow the game back to the pace of San Antonio's 87-85 victory in the opener instead of the 113-91 track new Mavs starter Devin Harris helped Game 2 become.
There's also the old-fashioned playoff formula of turning the game into a wrestling match.
"If you've been watching," noted Dallas' other point guard, Jason Terry, "the first two games were pretty physical."
The reality, though, might not have anything to do with a novel approach.
Thanks to the layoff, the Spurs already have gotten what they might need most: Fresh legs for the two guys who drive their offense, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and time for Tim Duncan to prop up his aching foot.
"If Tony goes good, we go good," Horry said. "If Manu goes good, we go good. Those three guys - Tim, Tony and Manu - are our catalysts."
Duncan has looked like three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan thus far, putting together his best back-to-back games all season.
Showing no signs of the plantar fasciitis that limited him to career lows in most categories, Duncan scored 31 points in the opener and 28 in Game 2. The rout overshadowed a terrific scoring line (8-of-10 from the field, 12-of-14 from the line) and the fact he's made Dallas' upgraded center rotation look like the same old, same old.
The key for the Mavericks is that they've contained - and frustrated - Parker and Ginobili.
"They're doing a good job of not letting us find the open shooters," Ginobili said. "Sooner or later, they'll have to go (at Duncan) more aggressively, and that's where we have to be smarter to find the open shooters."
Parker is averaging 17 points per game and Ginobili 14, but they're shooting a combined 22-of-57, or 39 percent. Should either or both regain their touch and score in the 20s, the Spurs could easily regain momentum and home-court advantage.
"We know those guys aren't going to struggle forever," Johnson said. "The biggest thing with them is they are so quick. We need the quickness to stay with those guys."
Those foreigners haven't been so fast lately.
Parker came into the series bruised on his right thigh and hip, then got conked on the left thigh in the opener.
"I was playing on one leg last game," Parker said, lamenting the bad timing of his worst injuries this season.
Ginobili already was living up to his "El Contusion" nickname when he landed hard on his hip and split his lip in Game 2. His pride is aching, too, as he's scored more than 15 points as many times as he's been held under 10 (twice each).
It's a big drop-off from last postseason, when he averaged 20.8 points and many thought he was the Finals MVP, not Duncan.
"I don't have the energy and confidence I had last year," he said. "I'm trying to get out of that."
Parker said San Antonio will run its offense more through Duncan. That kind of declaration could be a clear indication the Spurs are going to focus on their outside game.
After averaging eight 3-pointers per game in the first round, they've made a total of seven this series while putting up 13 each game.
While fans might be trying to figure out the next shift in Xs and Os, Johnson said his staff haven't played the guessing game any more than usual.
"Our film guy... always brings me 10 or 15 things he would try to do if he was coaching," he said. "But it's nothing but an exercise."
Instead, Johnson seems to be preaching attitude. Asked about bracing for adjustments, star Dirk Nowitzki said, "We'll let them worry about it."
