SAN ANTONIO — Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points and the Mavericks won a playoff series for the first time since 2006, eliminating the Spurs in five games with a 106-93 victory Tuesday night.
The sixth-seeded Mavericks advance to the Western Conference semifinals to play either Denver or New Orleans. The Nuggets lead that series 3-1 and can finish off the Hornets tonight at the Pepsi Center.
Josh Howard rang in his 29th birthday with 17 points, and his biggest gift to the Mavs: a momentum-changing 3-pointer with 4:20 left in the third, which he celebrated by skipping down the sideline and razzing the crowd. When Jason Kidd hit another 3-pointer at the buzzer in the third, his teammates jumped from their seats and spilled onto the floor.
They could sense the victory, and the Mavs put it away in the fourth having never trailed.
The Spurs, meanwhile, end their season the same way it started: plenty of Tony Parker (26 points) and Tim Duncan (30), but not much else.
“The Mavs beat the Spurs,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “They’re the best team, and that’s that.”
