Mavericks brush past sloppy Spurs in Game 2 to even series

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-92 in Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series on Tuesday night, tying the series at a game apiece.

The story of the game was the sloppy play of the Spurs, who turned the ball over 22 times and found themselves suffering a 21-point loss despite hitting half of their shots from the field, including half of their shots from beyond the arc.

Star Performer

Dirk Nowtizki drew the ire of critics for a poor shooting performance in Game 1, hitting on just 4-of-14 shots from the field, and he could have folded up after opening Game 2 by missing his first six shots. Instead, he went on to knock down seven of his next 10 shots to help the Mavericks build a sizable lead.

Nowitzki finished the game 7-of-19 from the floor for 16 points, filling out his stat sheet with five rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block.

Turning Point

The Spurs were still in the game entering the fourth quarter, though they trailed by 13 points. The Mavericks' lead quickly ballooned to 23 points thanks to an 11-1 run to open the final quarter, which put the game out of reach.

Highlight Reel

DeJuan Blair received plenty of criticism while with the Spurs for his inability to learn the team's offense. Now with the Mavericks, Blair is showing some offensive flair - sort of.

Here he is stealing the ball, then running, stumbling, and bumbling his way to two points at the other end. It was just that kind of night for the Spurs.

Quote of the Night

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle was not mincing words after the game.

Series at a glance

Game 1: SA 90, DAL 85 (Spurs lead 1-0)
Game 2: DAL 113, SA 92 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Saturday, April 26 - 4:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, April 28 - 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Wednesday, April 30 - TBA
Game 6*: Friday, May 2 - TBA
Game 7*: Sunday, May 4 - TBA