The San Antonio Spurs approached game six with the right attitude and mentality, as a result; they dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in six games and moved on to the next round where they will face the Phoenix Suns in a Western Conference Semifinals match.

However, it wasn't easy. The Spurs tried to pull away early building a lead as much as 22 points in first half only to see it evaporate in the second half when the Mavs made their run.

Dirk Nowitzki had a spectacular night scoring a game-high 33 points, Caron Butler did his share on offense with 25 points and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois added 16 points for the Mavs but it wasn't enough.

The Spurs got payback and they've done it with a total team effort. But how did they Spurs won the series? Let's checkout these stats.

87 - The Spurs won every game in this series when the Mavericks scored less than 100 points.

40 - The Spurs dominated the post, outscoring the Mavs 40-32 inside the paint.

31 - The Spurs had a 31-15 advantage in free throw attempts for the game but only converted 19 including 1-7 from Tim Duncan . Translation: they need to work hard on their foul shots as they go deeper into the playoffs.

26 - Manu Ginobili scored 26 points in this game clincher after scoring just 7 points in game five.

17 - Tim Duncan scored 17 points on 17 shots from the field and the Spurs outscored the Mavs on the fastbreak 17-10.

7 - Matt Bonner grabbed 7 boards and scored 4 points in just 12 minutes, Tony Parker had 7 rebounds and 8 assist, Richard Jefferson only scored 7 points in 31 minutes of action and Keith Bogans went scoreless in 7 minutes.

0 - Antonio McDyess scored 8 points with 6 rebounds and one block without committing a single turnover in 25 minutes of playing time.

What Next?

Before this series started, I predicted that the Spurs would win over the Mavericks in 6 games. On Thursday night, as the series moves back to San Antonio, the Spurs have the chance to do just that. But why did I post a question that might contradict my prediction?

The answer is simple. The Spurs had a great opportunity of finishing this series in five games in Dallas but failed to do it. With their season on the line, the Mavs did a great job of being the aggressor and played like a team with nothing to lose.

The Spurs on the other hand came out flat right from the start and conceded the game half way into third quarter instead of putting more pressure on a Mavericks team that was on the ropes.

As Manu Ginobili said after Game 5 "We're upset at the way we approached the game, it's something we'll learn from. I hope that's how we take Game 6, because we don't want to come here [in Dallas] for a Game 7."

That statement by Manu pretty sums up how this series might go, if the Spurs are not able to close it out in San Antonio. Then anything can happen in Dallas on Saturday. Something that the Spurs must avoid.

Winning game five in Dallas doesn't necessarily mean that Mavericks have turned the tide in their favor, but they did manage to stay alive and probably have the momentum going into Game 6.

Make no mistake about it, the Spurs are still in control of this series and have another chance of wrapping it up in San Antonio. But something was troubling in game 5. One team showed more resolve and hunger, while the other seems to go through the motions knowing that they'll live another day.

Nonetheless, the Spurs still have Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker -- the main core that has won three championships.

However, they'll need help to get it done. Richard Jefferson has to play the way he played in games two and four and George Hill has to stay solid.

Also, the Spurs should have a collective effort on defense to stop the Mavericks' balanced attack on offense.

For the Spurs to close out this series, they've got to have the right mentality and match the Mavericks' energy and level of play. They should impose their will as they did in games two, three and four.

In game five, the pace clearly favored the Mavs and the Spurs allowed it. Going back in San Antonio, the Spurs should focus on one thing; win and they'll advance to the next round and approach the game like it will be their last.

What do you think? Will the Spurs close it out in six games or will the Mavericks extend this series and force a game seven in Dallas?

After an inspiring game four performance, it seemed like DeJuan Blair would get some extra minutes in game five. And he did, playing more minutes in game five then any other game this series.

But he didn't play 14 minutes and 24 seconds because of his game four performance, he played them because apparently every Spur player forgot to pack their game with them on their trip to Dallas. Blair's stat line for the game: eight points, eight rebounds, four of them offensive, one assist and a turnover.

Blair checked in for the first time with 3:09 left in the first quarter for Tim Duncan and immediately fouled Jason Terry. After collecting a rebound off a Dirk Nowitzki miss, and then a Tony Parker turnover, he fouled Terry again, sending him back to the line.

But Pop kept Blair in and he started the second quarter. Early, he missed a hook shot, but on the next Spurs possession he got his lone assist on a Tony Parker jump shot. Two Dallas possessions later, he fouled Brendan Haywood who was unable to connect on both free throws.

Less then a minute later, he fouled Haywood again, collecting his fourth foul in less then six minutes. Haywood went one for two from the charity strip and Duncan came in to replace Blair. He had one two defensive rebounds, one assist and four fouls.

In the fourth quarter, with all our key players on the bench, and Pop waiving the white flag, this was an excellent opportunity for Blair to get some valuable playing time. And that's what he did, making the most of his time on the court, even though there was no real shot of a comeback.

Blair came in at the 8:14 mark in the fourth, replacing Matt Bonner and was aggressive from the get go. He completed a three-point play after a J.J. Barea foul. Then, after a missed Bogans three, he collected his first offensive rebound, kicked it back out, and then collected his second offensive rebound in one possession after another missed Bogans three, but was blocked by Haywood on his way up for the score.

After a hard DeShawn Stevenson foul, Blair went one for two from the line. Blair collected his third offensive rebound of the quarter after a Roger Mason miss, and went up strong, scoring his seventh and eighth point. On the next Spurs possession, Blair missed a layup, but grabbed the offensive rebound, his fourth of the quarter, and went back up but missed the basket.

Blair seems to play better and better as the series continues. He has a knack for crashing the offensive glass and its evident with him collecting four in the final period. But I would like to see Blair get some minutes when it matters to see how he reacts in huge situations.

We know he can ball when the white flag is up, but with the game and series on the line, which Blair would show up?

The four fouls in six minutes Blair, or the four offensive rebounds in one quarter Blair. With the momentum shifted back in favor of Dallas, don't expect a lot of minutes from Blair in game six, a must win.

DALLAS - After playing three straight games resulting in a 3-1 lead over the Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs were dead on arrival in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs, falling to Dallas 103-81 late Tuesday evening.

Still recovering from a broken nose in Game 3, Manu Ginobili still managed to start for San Antonio alongside Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess, and George Hill. The Mavericks gained the first possession as Dirk Nowitzki made the first shot of the night only to be answered quickly by Ginobili to tie the game 2-2.

Each team seemed to be on their game, consistently scoring early in the first quarter with Duncan and Hill responding with baskets. Hill’s two pointer gave San Antonio its second and last lead of the game at 6-4 before Dallas took charge in a two-minute five-point scoring burst. The Mavericks were allowed as much as a ten-point-lead before the Spurs seemed to make a comeback with Bonner sinking a three-pointer to narrow Dallas’ lead to four. Foreshadowing the rest of the game, turnovers landed San Antonio in trouble early on as the ended the first quarter trailing Dallas, 27-21.

DeJuan Blair tried his best to play aggressively, but found himself back on the bench after four fouls in just six minutes’ playing time. The Mavericks were able to make a 9-2 scoring run to begin the second quarter, until Ginobili was able to add two free throws and a basket to bring the Spurs back within nine points with just under seven minutes left in the half.

The team in silver and black appeared to have a pulse as Tony Parker led the team’s scoring in the last six minutes with eleven points. Reminiscent of the foul on Ginobili that led to his ejection in Game 4, Eduardo Najera fouled Parker with a hand to the face as Parker went for a layup. Hill, Duncan, Jefferson and McDyess also made additions to the scoreboard, the latter showing aggression on the offense by making a slam dunk off of a missed basket by Ginobili. Their attempts were not enough to slam the brakes on the Mavericks’ own offense, as San Antonio turnovers (count’em, seven in the first half) handed Dallas the lead at the half, 53-46.

The Spurs’ serious control problem carried into the second half with a turnover less than 30 seconds into the third quarter. Jefferson was able to make a two-point jumper three minutes in to end a six-point spree by Dallas led by Caron Butler, who ended the game with a career-high 35 points. Fouls sent the Mavericks to the line nine times in the third, where they were able to score sixteen points.

Ian Mahinmi became a major contributor in the third quarter, beginning with a slam dunk off a pass from Parker between Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Just minutes later, Mahinmi caught a pass from Roger Mason for a two-point basket before blocking a Shawn Marion shot - the same shot that Hill was able to turn around for a basket to narrow Dallas’ lead to 24 points. Hill had previously added two baskets earlier in the quarter, but couldn’t save the Spurs, who ended the quarter down 82-64.

No doubt about it, several San Antonio televisions turned off around this point with the knowledge they could catch game six later in the week. This writer forced herself to watch the entire game in order to pass on the news that it was probably worth it to go to bed a little earlier - nothing changed.

The Spurs still lost.

Most likely in an effort to avoid further or possible injury, coach Gregg Popovich decided it was worth resting his experienced players and kept Mahinmi, Blair and rookie Garrett Temple on the court alongside Mason. San Antonio headed home with a 103-81 loss, but still maintains the series lead at 3-2.

The Spurs have a chance to win it all on home court as they tip-off against Dallas on Thursday night at the AT&T Center at 7:00 p.m.

If game four was all about the Spurs' role players stepping up, this time it was the Mavericks' turn to return the favor. Facing elimination, the Mavericks played like a team with no tomorrow and outplayed the Spurs right from the get go.

Caron Butler provided the offense for the Mavs, scoring 35 points with 11 boards and Brendan Haywood gave the inside toughness that Dallas needed, he finished with 8 points and 8 boards in 31 minutes of action.

Now let's look at the numbers that helped the Mavs to extend this series.

35.9 - After averaging 48.0% in field goal percentage in the first four games of the series, the Spurs went cold in this one; making just 28 of 78 of their shots or 35.9% for the entire game.

28 - Roger Mason Jr. get the minutes he wanted and played for 28 minutes. However, he did not take advantage of his time on the floor. Hitting only 1 of 6 shots as he scored 3 points with 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls.

21? - Tim Duncan started the series on a strong note, scoring 25 or more points in the first 3 games. But #21 has only averaged 7.5 points over the last two games. Not a good sign for the Spurs.

4 - Brendan Haywood has 4 blocks in this game as he provided good interior defense for the Mavs.

Richard Jefferson took only 4 shots in 24 minutes after scoring 15 in Game 4 and Manu Ginobili committed 4 turnovers in just 18 minutes of play.

The Spurs need to realize that they need to win 4 games to advance to the second round.

0 - Keith Bogans went 0-5 from the field in 12 minutes of playing time.

Points to Ponder

• The Spurs came out flat in this game, not the right way to close out an opponent. They have to be prepared mentally and physically for the Mavs in Game 6
• Coach Gregg Popovich opted to give the starters a little more rest instead of trying to come back for the win and end the series.
• The Mavs responded by pure aggression and playing better basketball overall.
• The Spurs will have homecourt as they try to finish the series in six games at home. However, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have not played very well the last 2 games. If the Spurs want to end this series in six, they will need Timmy and Manu to be themselves.
• The Mavericks might be feeling good about themselves after a blowout victory despite trailing the Spurs in this series 3-2.

Jeff and I were invited, once again, to participate in the WOAI Sports Roundtable. Due to some work scheduling conflicts, I couldn't go, but luckily Jeff was there and represented all of Project Spurs well.

Jeff and the panel discussed the Spurs-Mavs series and went into detail and if they really should be considered a seventh seed in a very competitive Western conference.

Click here to watch the video on WOAI.com.

Rarely can a player change the momentum of a game in 12 minutes of play, but in Sunday night's victory over the Dallas Mavericks, that's exactly what DeJuan Blair did. Blair finished the game with seven points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot.

Blair checked into the game with 1:52 left in the first to give Tim Duncan a breather. Right away, Blair missed an early lay-up against Brendan Haywood, but that would be Blair's only missed field goal of the night. With time running out in the first, Tony Parker made a strong move to lane but was blocked by Haywood. Blair recovered the loose ball and was able to find George Hill in the corner for a three as time expired. Blair's assist gave the Spurs a three point lead heading into the second quarter.

In every game this series, the team winning the first quarter has gone on to win the game. Recovering loose balls, or as Rick Carlisle called them in his post game interview 50/50 balls, would be a reoccurring theme for Blair the rest of the game.

Blair started the second quarter in place of Duncan. Three minutes into the second quarter, Blair made a tough, physical move on Haywood, using his body to push off him and creating enough space to finish with an easy lay-up over the bigger Mavericks center. Blair made the best of his minutes and gave Duncan needed time to rest.

Unlike the previous three games, Blair showed up big for the Spurs in the second half. He came in for Duncan with 3:13 left in the third and picked up were he left off in the first half. He recovered another 50/50 ball then scored another lay-up.

On the next Dallas possession, after a Ginobili loose ball foul, Blair picked off Caron Butler's inbound pass and knocked it to Richard Jefferson. Jefferson passed it to Ginobili who missed a contested lay-up, but Blair was there and grabbed another one of his five offensive rebounds, and got fouled going strong to the rim. Blair and Mavercks star Dirk Nowitzki got into it after Manu hit free throws for a technical on Nowtizki, but Blair made the right decision and calmly walked away, not risking the chance of getting a technical and giving the Mavs easy points.

When the fourth quarter started DeJuan Blair was still on the court, and Duncan was on the bench, resting his now 34-year-old knees. He grabbed his fourth offensive board off a missed Jefferson three, then passed it to Ginobili who was clotheslined by Edurado Najera. Najera was called for the flagrant two foul and ejected from the game. Ginobili made both free throws and the Spurs retained possession of the ball. Blair then grabbed his fifth rebound of the night and scored his sixth and seventh point on the tip in of a Ginobili miss. On the very next Mavericks possession, Blair blocked a J.J. Barea jump shot. But with tensions running high between these bitter two rivals, after a missed Tony Parker shot, Blair hit Jason Kidd across the face and was called for a flagrant one foul. Duncan came in for Blair at the 10:07 mark in the fourth.

Playoff basketball is extremely emotional, and Blair being the young player that he is might have got a little two emotional. But that's exactly what we want from Blair. A player who leaves it all out on the court and gives everything he has to the team.

Sunday night, that's what Blair did. He sacrificed his body and left it all out on the court in the little amount of time he had. I think we might see Blair play a couple more minutes per game. And I can't wait.

The Spurs 'big three' struggled in this one combining for just 31 points on 9-34 shooting from the field. However, as bad as that sounded, the Spurs found a way to win. With George Hill leading the way, the Spurs were able to take a 3-1 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks in their 1st round playoff matchup.

That being said, let's take a look at some of the numbers that stood out in this game.

64.3 - The Spurs continues to struggle from the foul line and just made 18-28 (64.3%). They have to make their free throws count moving forward.

41 - George Hill became the first player other than Duncan, Ginobili or Parker to lead the Spurs in scoring in a playoff game since 2007. A span of 41 games, Hill scored 29 points on 11-16 shooting from the field and 5-6 from behind the arc.

28 - The Mavericks scored 31 points in the second quarter, 30 in the fourth; but they only managed to score 28 points in the first and third quarters combined.

23.5 - With the San Antonio Spurs' defense suffocating them, the Dallas Mavericks just shot a measly 23.5% from the field during the third period.

11 - Tim Duncan scored just 4 points on 1-9 field goal shooting on his 34th birthday but he did managed to grab 11 boards. A game high tied with Dirk Nowitzki.

The Mavericks led by 11 points at the half, but the Spurs turned an 11 point deficit into a 7 point lead entering the final period after holding the Mavs to just 11 points for the entire 3rd quarter.

George Hill matched the Mavericks' point total in the third quarter, scoring 11 points in the third period.

8 - The Spurs had more steals than the Mavericks, 8-5. Four by Manu Ginobili and two by George Hill. The Mavs committed 8 turnovers in the third quarter alone.

1 - Leading 3-1, the Spurs just needed to win one more game to advance into the next round.

0 - George Hill didn't commit a single turnover for the game despite playing a game-high 45 minutes.

Looking Ahead

The Spurs did their part protecting homecourt and now hold a 3-1 series lead over the Mavs. Game 5 is on Tuesday in Dallas. The Spurs should put more pressure on the Mavs and come out playing hard and try to finish this series as early as possible. Manu Ginobili will need the 'extra' time to heal and Duncan will welcome some needed rest before another series starts.

A year ago, the Spurs front office looked like geniuses when they acquired the services of then free-agent Roger Mason Jr. With injuries to key players (Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker) at the time, he emerged as one of the best offseason pickups in 2008.

In his first year as a Spur, he went on to provide good production at the two guard spot as he averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 82 regular season games at 30.4 minutes of playing time. He also shot the ball well, connecting 42.5 percent from the field, 42.1 percent behind the arc and 89 percent from the foul line.

He even got the moniker "Big Shot Rog" because of his penchant for hitting game winners during the regular season. Most notably against the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and the LA Lakers.

However, once the post season started against the Mavericks, his numbers went down to 6.6 points, 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds in five games as the Spurs were bounced out in the first round of the playoffs in 2009.

At the start of this season, with the Spurs key players back healthy, and with the offseason acquisitions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess, things looked good for the Spurs. It could also mean a better year for Mason, because according to Coach Popovich most Spur plays better during their second year.

Not for Mason, the lack of minutes has limited his production and has affected his confidence. In 79 games this season, his averages are 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.2 minutes action. His shooting percentages also went down, 38.9% from the field, 33.3% from the 3-point area and 79.4% from the free throw line.

He also demanded to be traded at the trade deadline because he felt that the lack of playing time has affected his performance. The Spurs tried to grant his wish but to no avail. He will remain a Spur at least for the remainder of the season.

As the Spurs meet the Mavericks once again in a first round playoff series, Roger Mason Jr. has fallen out of the rotation. So far, he is scoreless in four playoffs games against the Mavs and he hasn't been given much time to prove his worth. He is only averaging 5.3 minutes per game including a 1-minute outing in game three and did not play in game four.

But the fact remains, Manu is playing well right now, George Hill has been solid and is recovering nicely from an injury and Tony Parker has embraced his off the bench role and the Spurs are playing good basketball with Mason virtually not a part of it.

The only way for Mason to earn more minutes is to make his shots when given the chance and maybe make a hustle play or two when he is on the floor. He has to make the Spurs realize that he really wants to help the team win.

The problem for Mason? Back in March he asked for more minutes and didn't take advantage of it when given the chance. Now in April, as the Spurs are trying to get past an old foe to further advance into the playoffs he might not get another chance.

What are your thought? Does Mason deserve more minutes in the playoffs? Where should his minutes come from? Or is he better off warming on the Spurs' bench? Tell us what you think.