San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 3 Predictions

Written April 23, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Spurs Mavericks After letting the Dallas Mavericks come into San Antonio and win game 1, the Spurs answered in game 2 with a convincing 105-84 win to even the series at 1 game a piece. While a number of Spurs got in on the scoring action in game 2, it was Tony Parker who stole the show, scoring a game high 38 points and 8 assists. The fact that the Spurs won this game by 21 points and Tim Duncan has just 13 points, shows how tough it is to play this team in the postseason. The Spurs who are already down a man with Manu Ginobili out for the entire postseason, and will likely need more out of Duncan if they want to get out of the first round and keep advancing in the playoffs. The Mavericks had just 3 players score in double figures, with Dirk Nowitski and Jason Kidd leading the way with 14 points a piece. After scoring 25 points in game 1 Josh Howard had just 7 points in game 2. With the series shifted to Dallas for game 3, here is a quick look at what I think each team needs to do to win the game, and my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.

What the Mavericks have to do to win: FIrst off the Mavericks have to do a better job against Parker in game 3, as they can’t allow him to shoot 16 of 22 and hope to have any chance of winning the game. I expect both Howard and Nowitzki to pick up the scoring in game 3, as the Mavericks need both these guys to score closer to 20 points. Jason Terry continues to be a solid contributor off the bench, as he has scored in double figures in both games so far, but besides Terry the Mavs haven’t got much of anything from the rest of the group. The Mavericks also have to come out strong to start both halves in game 3, as they were pretty bad in both the 1st and 3 quarter in game 2 getting outscored 58-36 in those two quarters. Coming home should really help this team, and you can’t forget just how good this team was playing down the stretch, as they jumped from the 8th to the 6th spot in the Western Conference. Bet the Mavericks -4.5 at Sportsbook.com.

What the Spurs have to do to win: If Tony Parker plays like he did in game 2, this team is going to be much better off than many people including myself thought they would be. Though they aren’t going to get past the Hornets or Nuggets with Duncan not scoring at least 20 points a game. Drew Gooden was great off the bench scoring 13 points in just 19 minutes of play. The Spurs won game 2 with great defense, and that is something this team is going to have to rely on even more if they want to make a deep run again this year. The Spurs are not flashy and they will win ugly if thats what it takes, so don’t be surprised if they come into Dallas and give the Mavericks all they can handle. Bet the Spurs +4.5 at Sportsbook.com.

My Prediction: Mavericks -4.5. I like the Mavericks to bounce back in a big way in game 3, and that means you can expect Nowitzki to really get it going. The Mavericks have to be very happy with the split in San Antonio, but they have to capitalize on that with wins in both game 3 and 4 if they want to pull off the upset and move onto the 2nd round. I like the Mavericks to win this one by 7-10 points, though I think it will be close throughout.

For all your NBA betting this postseason, check out our expert NBA picks and the latest NBA odds at Betfirms.

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