Inside Report: Spurs-Mavericks preview — Mavs, Spurs conclude season series at the AAC

Earl K. Sneed previews the Mavericks' season series finale against the league-leading Spurs, as the Dallas team tries to draw even at 2-2.

DALLAS — The Mavericks are probably not close enough to the San Antonio Spurs to make a serious dent in their 6 ½-game lead in the Southwest Division with a win over the in-state rival on Friday night. But the Dallas squad still believes that it is the perfect opportunity to send a message should the two teams cross paths again in the postseason.

Looking to conclude the season series at 2-2, the Mavericks (48-20) will welcome in the league-leading Spurs, who are still trying to recover from a season-worst 110-80 loss in Miami on Monday night. And after suffering two losses to the Spurs (54-13) without leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki in the lineup — thanks to a sprained right knee that kept the 7-footer sidelined for nine games — the Mavs freely admit that they plan to inflict their will on the team that ended their season in the first round of the playoffs last year, especially now that their go-to player is back to lead the charge.

“Good test again, and they just came off a tough loss against Miami. I read today somewhere that they had a three-hour practice for the first time all year, so you know they’re gonna be fired up and ready to play,” Nowitzki said. “And always when you lose by a big margin you’re gonna come out swinging, so it should be a fun game. Hopefully, the AAC will be rocking and it should be a fun game to be a part of.”

“Everybody is gonna talk about how this is just another game, not for this team, not for us,” sixth man Jason Terry added. “We’ve struggled since the break against teams that are right there in contention for a championship, so it’s a measuring stick for us. How far have we come? And they’re playing great, so it’s gonna be on us to go out there and prove what we can do.”

But the Mavericks also realize that they’ll have to play much better than they did in the first half against Golden State on Wednesday night, when Nowitzki, Terry and second-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois led their team back from an 18-point deficit to claim a 112-106 road victory. And with the Spurs looking to respond after the disappointing showing on South Beach, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says that his players must avoid the early struggles they were able to overcome against a lesser Warriors team.

“We were sluggish to start the game, maybe a hangover from (Tuesday night against Portland),” Carlisle explained. “Whatever it may be, maybe it’s just a team that had us on our heels. Whatever the case, NBA games are long and you’ve got to keep playing. And we had to stay positive with our guys.”

The coach also fully expects for his squad to be ready to go in the fourth and final regular-season showdown with the Spurs, hoping to feed off the home crowd for inspiration as the Mavs try to begin a three-game homestand with a signature win. But the home crowd will not be the only boost that Carlisle hopes to have, with the playing statuses of forward Peja Stojakovic and backup center Brendan Haywood still up in the air.

Haywood missed his second straight game due to lower back stiffness in the win over the Warriors, while Stojakovic didn’t travel on the team’s two-game road trip, sidelined for the fifth straight outing and receiving treatment back in Dallas for a stiff neck.

Still, should the Mavericks have to play without the two key contributors yet again, Carlisle remains confident as his team prepares to see the Spurs for the first time since suffering a 101-89 road defeat on Jan. 14. Perhaps that confidence comes from the fact that he has a healthy No. 41 on the floor for the fourth go-round.

“Well, every game right now is key, and we haven’t seen them in awhile. We’re in a better health situation than we were. It’s always a tough situation with them, and I know our fans will be great," Carlisle said. “We’re gonna have to be ready, because they’re good.”

Note: The team returns to the American Airlines Center next Friday night to host the league-leading San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio leads the season series 2-1. The matchup will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

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