Spurs hold off Mavs, clinch playoff spot

Portland Trail Blazers centre JJ. Hickson shoots against the New York Knicks during third quarter of their NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. (Reuters)

DPA/Los Angeles

Tim Duncan dropped in 28 points and pulled down 19 rebounds, as the San Antonio Spurs escaped the visiting Dallas Mavericks 92-91 on Thursday night to clinch their 16th consecutive playoff appearance.

Gary Neal added 16 points, and Kawhi Leonard contributed 12 for the Western Conference-leading Spurs (50-16), who recorded their 14th consecutive 50-win season.

With Duncan dominating at both ends, the Spurs led by as many as 13 and 92-84 late on Leonard’s three-pointer but couldn’t put the Mavs away.

Instead, Dirk Nowitzki’s jumper capped a 7-0 run drawing the Mavs to within a point with 28 seconds remaining.

When Argentine Manu Ginobili missed a jumper at the other end with nine seconds left, Dallas had a final shot at the win.

Vince Carter launched a high-arching straightway three-point attempt but it rimmed out at the final buzzer, giving the Spurs a 4-0 series sweep over their Texas-rivals for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

Nowitzki finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Darren Collison scored 12 for the Mavericks (30-34), whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

Elsewhere, Damian Lillard scored 26 points and handed out 10 assists, LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points with 10 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers (30-34) snapped a two-game slide after a 105-90 victory over the injury-depleted New York Knicks.

JR Smith fired in a game-high 33 points for the Atlantic  Division-leading Knicks (38-25), who without knee-injured All-Stars Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Amare’ Stoudemire fell to 0-3 on their five-game road trip.