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Tim Duncan. Duncan once again nonchalantly kicked the Mavs in the teeth and stole their lunch money, racking up 34 points and 24 rebounds while sending back six Dallas shots. Most impressively, he was able to switch onto Steve Nash when Dallas ran pick-and-rolls and keep Nash in front of him, keying a stifling defense. |
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Steve Nash. Dallas could live with his off-game at the offensive end -- 10 points, nine assists, four turnovers. What they couldn't live with was Nash getting abused by Tony Parker for 19 points in the third quarter, which nearly matched the Mavs' 20 and allowed the Spurs to convert an eight-point halftime deficit into a three-point lead. |
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Dirk goes down. While there were any number of moments that helped decide the game, this one could finish off the series. The Mavs lost Nowitzki to what is currently being called a sprain, but that's often a prelude to worse news. Dallas can only pray that the sharpshooter can return for Game 4. |
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And the league knew it. After the officials bungled the first two games, it was no accident the NBA brought in Danny Crawford -- hands down the best in the biz -- to manage Game 3. His crew, along with Bob Delaney and Bill Spooner, let 'em play (38 fouls) but never let things get out of control. |
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Photo Credits: Duncan (AP), Nash (Glenn James/Getty Images), Nowitzki (AP), Crawford (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) |
