The Dallas Mavericks avoided elimination with a 113-111 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It was a wild finish in Dallas, and the Texan in-state rivals are now set to face off in Game 7 on Sunday in San Antonio.
Spurs vs. Mavericks results, NBA playoffs 2014: Monta Ellis fuels 113-111 Dallas victory over San Antonio
Another tight series, another Game 7. Monta Ellis did it all Friday night, knocking down huge shots in the fourth quarter to help the Mavs avoid elimination.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Monta Ellis took over the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points in the final 12 minutes as the Mavericks clawed back into the game. Ellis drained jumpers, attacked the paint and hit his free throws while scoring a team-high 29 points. Danny Green and Patty Mills connected on back-to-back desperation threes in the final 30 seconds of the game.
Ellis nearly threw the game way for Dallas with the Mavericks up two, but San Antonio was unable to take advantage of his mental error. He threw a pass out of bounds with 1.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, giving San Antonio the final possession of the game. The Spurs came up empty handed, however, and Dallas escaped an incredible fourth quarter with the victory.
Tony Parker did his best to keep the Spurs in the game late, exchanging shots with Ellis. His spinning layup finish in the final minute was a trademark moment. He bailed out the Spurs in late shot clock situations, drained improbable shots and scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. Parker finished with a team-high 22 points.
The Mavericks held a six-point lead at halftime, but San Antonio outscored Dallas 29-18 in the third quarter. Dallas took back the lead late in the fourth quarter following big plays for Ellis, Dirk Nowitzki and DeJuan Blair. Nowitzki finished the night with 22 points.
See More:
