Champs are gone: Mavs eliminate Spurs in OT

05.22.2006

San Antonio, TX (Basketball News) - It took five extra minutes but the defending NBA champions are out of the playoffs, as Jerry Stackhouse hit two clutch jumpers in overtime to propel Dallas to the Western Conference finals with a 119-111 victory over San Antonio in the deciding Game 7 from the AT&T Center.

The Mavericks get very little time to celebrate, as they will square off against the winner of Monday’s game between Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of the conference finals on Wednesday.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 37 points and pulled down 15 rebounds while Jason Terry added 27 points and six boards for the Mavericks, who advanced to the conference finals for the third time in franchise history and the first time since 2003.

Terry played with apparent determination after missing the Game 6 defeat while serving a one-game suspension for punching Spurs forward Michael Finley in the waning seconds of Game 5.

Josh Howard donated 18 points and Stackhouse totaled 13 points and six assists in the victory. The North Carolina product’s second jumper of overtime opened a 114-108 edge with 1:48 left, and San Antonio never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

Dallas still has never lost a playoff series after opening a 3-1 lead, and will begin the quest for its initial trip to the NBA Finals starting on Wednesday.

Tim Duncan poured in a game-high 41 points and grabbed all 15 of his rebounds after halftime for San Antonio, which fell to 2-4 in Game 7s and came up short in its defense of the NBA title.

Tony Parker added 24 points and Manu Ginobili contributed 23 points, but both players disappeared in the final two minutes of overtime.

DAL SAN

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