San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks Game Thread
By Jay Desai
The San Antonio Spurs kick off their regualr season today with a game against the Dallas Mavericks. The game tip-off is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. TNT will have the television coverage while WOAI 1200 AM will have the coverage on the radio.
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Game Notes from San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks Media Notes
Starting Lineups
San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks
Injuries
San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward – Leonard will be out for the game nursing his eye infection. Kawhi did see some practice time yesterday but it looks like the Spurs will keep him out as a precaution. Marco Belinelli could pick up the starting spot with Leonard out.
Tiago Splitter, Center – Splitter injured his right calf during training camp and has not made enough progress for the Spurs to put him back on the court. Look for Boris Diaw or Matt Bonner to serve as replacement.
Patty Mills, Point Guard – Mills is still healing from surgery on his torn rotator cuff. Expect his minutes to go to Cory Joseph
Dallas Mavericks
Raymond Felton, Point Guard – Felton suffered a high ankle sprain during the preseason. He also has a four game suspension that will kick in once he is no longer injured. Look for some of his minutes to go to Devin Harris.
Quick Hits
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are a perfect 4-0 in franchise history in the first game following an NBAChampionship season.
San Antonio has won five-straight regular season openers, with their last loss in 2008-09 vs. Phoenix. Overall, the Spurs are 16-1 in season openers under head coach Gregg Popovich.
San Antonio is currently on a 9-game winning streak against the Dallas Mavericks, which is tied for the second-longest win streak by either team in series history.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are 20-14 (.588) all-time in season-opening games.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle holds an all-time record of 8-4 (.667) on opening night. Dallas is 3-3 (.500) in season-openinggames under Carlisle.
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 21.8 points in 15 career season-opening games (he missed the 2012-13 season openerrecovering from right knee surgery).
Team Connections
The Spurs franchise was originally located in Dallas … the Chaparrals as theywere called moved to the Alamo City in 1973 after being sold to a group oflocal investors … the first game in Mavs history was a 103-92 win over theSpurs on 10/11/80 … the Spurs set an NBA record by shooting 70.7% (53-75)from the field in a 132-120 win over the Mavericks on 4/16/83… Tim Duncanset a career-high with 53 points against the Mavericks on 12/26/01… Duncan’s53 points is tied for the fourth highest point total in Spurs history … Duncanalso set a Spurs playoff record for points in a quarter on 5/17/06 after scoring21 in the second quarter in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals … inSan Antonio’s 133-126 double-overtime victory on 12/9/08 the Spurs set afranchise record by scoring 17 points in the second overtime period, the mostpoints scored by the Silver and Black in an overtime period … Mavericksforward Richard Jefferson spent two-plus seasons with the Spurs, averaging10.8 points, and 3.9 rebounds in 226 games.