The Spurs know how high the odds are stacked against them in their first-round series against the Mavericks.
They are down 3-1, a deficit overcome only eight times in NBA history. It is history the Spurs will force themselves to ignore as the series resumes with Game 5 on Tuesday at the AT&T Center. quot;We have to, or we're going to go home,quot; Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. quot;There's no two ways about it. There's no magic answer. We're going to go home and try to win that one.quot;
If not, it would mark an especially early vacation for Duncan. The Spurs have failed to advance past the first round just once since he joined in the team in 1997-98.
That early ouster came in 2000 against Phoenix, a series Duncan missed while nursing a knee injury.
Even before they left Dallas after Saturday's 99-90 loss in Game 4, the Spurs knew the history.
The last time a team recovered to win a series after falling in a 3-1 hole was 2006, when the Suns beat the Lakers in the first round. Later that postseason, the Spurs nearly pulled off the same feat against Dallas - but lost Game 7 at home in overtime.
quot;We know what's at stake,quot; Spurs swingman Ime Udoka said. quot;It's a chance for us to make something special out of this series.quot;
Time and a half: Duncan and Tony Parker each logged more than 40 minutes in Game 4, the first time that had happened this season in a regulation game.
Parker, who had only 12 of his career playoff-high 43 points after the half, appeared drained in the fourth quarter. By the end, his legs had cramped up on him.
quot;I was tired,quot; Parker said.
Duncan, who has been battling sore knees since just after the All-Star break, said he did not think the extra workload would bother him in Game 5. The Spurs did not practice Sunday.
quot;I feel as good as I've felt all year,quot; Duncan said.
Hollins' mea culpa: Ryan Hollins wants to make one thing clear. He did not intend to mock a future Hall of Famer.
In the second half of Game 4, Hollins drew a technical - not to mention the ire of some of his Dallas teammates - after he appeared to taunt Duncan after a putback dunk.
After the game, Hollins told reporters the celebration was not meant to be directed at Duncan. Mortified his actions were construed as a taunt, he says he apologized to Duncan.
quot;I was actually looking in the crowd,quot; Hollins said. quot;I wasn't looking at him. I didn't want him to have the impression that I was trying to taunt him or anything like that. I didn't want to make it seem like that.quot;
