Nowitzki scores 31 as Mavericks eliminate Spurs

The Dallas Mavericks won their first playoff series since 2006 by eliminating the San Antonio Spurs in five games with a 106-93 win yesterday.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points for Dallas who advanced to the NBA's second round to play either Denver or New Orleans. The Nuggets lead that series 3-1 and can finish off the Hornets at Denver tonight.

"It was a tough series," said Dallas Jason Terry, who scored 19 points. "Obviously our bitter rival, but I think everybody came to play."

In the other West contest, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 25 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers staved off elimination in the playoffs with an 88-77 win over the Houston Rockets yesterday.

It is the first time San Antonio has lost in the opening round since 2000, one year after the Spurs won their first of four NBA titles.

Tim Duncan had 30 and Tony Parker had 26 but once again got little help from the rest of the starters.

"They are a better team than we are," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They made shots. They made more big shots.

"They stopped the runs and then had a little bit run of their own. That's why they won the series 4-1."

San Antonio lumbers into the postseason facing questions about where the NBA's winningest over the last decade goes next.

Injuries played its part, from Duncan's creaky 33-year-old knees to Manu Ginobili playing just 44 games and missing the playoffs because his bad ankles.

France's Parker dismissed critics who say the Spurs winning ways are over.

"We just have to make a couple of changes," Parker said. "With a healthy Manu Ginobili and with couple changes in our role players we will be right back to try and get another run."

Getting to the West semi-finals is a dramatic turn for the Mavericks, who were a borderline playoff team as late as March and got a public lashing from owner Mark Cuban after a listless loss to woeful Oklahoma City.

Dallas won seven of nine entering the playoffs, and has now won 11 of its last 14.

The Rockets, who have not advanced out of the first round of the playoffs in six tries since 1997, hold a 3-2 advantage in the series going into Thursday's game back in Houston.

Luis Scola led the Rockets with 21 points. Yao Ming had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Roy, a two-time all-star and Portland's leading scorer, missed practice on Monday because of flu-like symptoms, while Aldridge didn't practice because of a sore right elbow. Both started yesterday.