Spurs Vs. Mavericks: San Antonio Cruises To 101-89 Win

The San Antonio Spurs laughed off the weakened Dallas Mavericks 101-89 at the AT&T Center on Friday night, as Tim Duncan and Tony Parker set the tone early. Parker had 10 of his 18 points in the first quarter, as the Spurs jumped out to an eight-point lead at the first intermission. San Antonio didn't let up, leading by 15 at halftime and 24 heading into the fourth.

The Mavericks were sunk by a brutal offensive performance; Shawn Marion was the only Dallas starter who reached double-figures (14 on 6-11 shooting). The Mavericks' top three healthy guards in the rotation -- Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and DeShawn Stevenson -- combined to shoot 7-27 for 19 points. The absence of Dirk Nowitzki has rarely mattered more than in this game, where Dallas' offense looked just horrible.

Perhaps worse and less expected was that the bad offense led to the Mavericks essentially giving up on defense; San Antonio had 14 offensive rebounds in 45 opportunities, with DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess picking up four apiece and Duncan taking another three. Starting a massive frontcourt of Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca ought to have prevented that sort of tidy glasswork, especially where McDyess and Duncan are concerned. When Nowitzki returns -- possibly this weekend; fingers crossed -- he will replace Ajinca, and you figure if the Mavericks meet the Spurs again, the story will be similar on the boards. That's problematic.

If there is a bright spot for the Mavericks, it can be found in rookie Dominique Jones' performance. The first-round pick out of South Florida had 13 points and three assists in 14 minutes off the bench. It was DoJo's first game breaking the double-digit barrier in points, and just his fourth game with 10 or more minutes. That said, that Jones could receive just 14 minutes in such a rout with Dallas' guards playing so poorly, it speaks to Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle's unshakable devotion to his veterans, which victimized Rodrigue Beaubois (and fans of Rodrigue Beaubois) last season.

The 34-6 Spurs host Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets on Sunday. The Mavericks, now 26-12, visit the Grizzlies Saturday night.