Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Caron Butler poured in 20 points, and the Dallas Mavericks clinched the second seed in the Western Conference with a 96-89 win over their first-round playoff opponent, the San Antonio Spurs.
Mavs Clinch 2-Seed With 96-89 Win Over Duncan-less Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Mavs (55-27), who will battle the Spurs in the first round for the second consecutive season. Last year, when San Antonio held home-court advantage, but Dallas prevailed in five games.
Jason Kidd contributed 18 points and seven boards, as the Mavs finished their season with five straight wins.
DeJuan Blair recorded a game-high 27 points in addition to a career-best 23 rebounds for the Spurs, who will be seeded seventh and open the playoffs on the road for the first time since 1998 after 11 straight top-4 seeds.
San Antonio, which rested Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, received 16 points from Tony Parker and 14 from Garrett Temple in defeat.
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