Wild, wild West: Spurs host Mavs

Both teams come in hot. Dallas has ripped off seven straight victories after a surprising 0-4 start to the season, while San Antonio has won four in a row and leads the competitive Southwest Division with a 10-2 mark.

The Spurs also handed the Mavs a 97-91 defeat in Dallas in the season-opener for both teams on November 2.

Dallas kept up its winning ways on Tuesday, as Dirk Nowitzki poured in a game- high 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the Mavericks routed Washington, 107-80, at American Airlines Center.

Nowitzki finished 11-of-19 from the field with five assists, while Devin Harris and Jason Terry each contributed 18 for the Mavericks, who outscored the Wizards 56-29 in the second half.

Dallas’ current run is the franchise’s longest since it won 13 consecutive games from January 14-February 9 of last season.

San Antonio is coming off one of its most impressive performances of the year, as the club took apart the reigning world champion Miami Heat by a 106-86 count Wednesday at the AT&T Center.

Tim Duncan scored 19 points while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each contributed 17 for the Spurs. Duncan was 9-of-17 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds, while Parker added five boards and four assists.

Brent Barry contributed 15 points off the bench to the winning effort.

San Antonio, which owns a 4-2 home mark so far this season, kicks off a three- game road trip Sunday in Seattle.

The Spurs have won seven of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the Lone Star rivals and are 4-1 against Dallas at home during that stretch. However, the Mavericks ended San Antonio’s 2005-06 campaign by ousting the Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.