SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs drubbed Dallas by 29 points two-plus weeks ago and attempt to improve to 3-0 against the Mavericks this season when they visit Dallas on Friday.
San Antonio limited the Mavericks to 83 points in both of this season's previous meetings.
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The Spurs will be without backup guard Manu Ginobili from four to six weeks after he underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a testicular injury. Ginobili was injured during Wednesday's 110-97 victory over New Orleans when Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson kneed him in the groin.
Dallas expects to have point guard Deron Williams (hip) back in the lineup after he missed Wednesday's 93-90 loss to the Miami Heat. The Mavericks are averaging 92.3 points over the last four games, failing to reach 100 in each contest.
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ABOUT THE SPURS (41-8): All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge set season highs in scoring in each of the past two games with 28 points against Orlando on Monday and 36 versus New Orleans on Wednesday. Aldridge is averaging 26 points over the last four games and has begun settling in with the Spurs after a slow start.
"The ball has been going in," Aldridge told reporters. "I'm taking the shots and making them. Playing more confident and more like myself and I think that the team has fed off that energy."
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (28-24): Veteran power forward Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points in the loss to the Heat for his first 20-point outing since Jan. 18. He will be looking to rebound from a horrid last outing against the Spurs, when he scored four points on 2-of-10 shooting in the 29-point loss. Center Zaza Pachulia had 10 points and 15 rebounds for his career-best 22nd double-double - he had 21 with the Atlanta Hawks in 2005-06 - on Wednesday and is averaging 13.8 rebounds over the last four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs have won 17 of the past 21 meetings.
2. Dallas backup PG Devin Harris (toe) will sit out his seventh consecutive contest.
3. San Antonio C Tim Duncan (knee) is expected to miss his sixth straight game and seventh in the past eight.