DALLAS -- Patty Mills is a shooter no matter when he goes into the game. Will Hernandez Giants Jersey . The San Antonio guard showed it in yet another win over the Dallas Mavericks. Mills scored 26 points starting in place of Tony Parker and the Spurs moved to the brink of the top seed in the Western Conference while likely forcing the Mavericks into a must-win situation with their playoff hopes by beating Dallas 109-100 on Thursday night. Making his second start of the season and seventh of his career with Parker nursing a bad back, Mills had 11 points and a pair of steals in the third quarter when the Spurs turned a two-point deficit into an 11-point lead. "Whether I start or come off the bench, theres a mentality," said Mills, who fell six points short of his season high on 25 shots -- one shy of the most hes taken this season. "Shooting shots is the same." The Spurs beat the Mavericks for the ninth straight time in the regular season, a streak that has lasted more than two years. Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds after leaving briefly in the first quarter because of a hyperextended right knee. Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and five assists. Monta Ellis led Dallas with 24 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 19. Even with Parker back in San Antonio, the Texas rivals looked like the old playoff foes they are in an entertaining game with both teams trying to lock up their post-season plans. The Spurs are in, and the defending conference champions are just a win or an Oklahoma City loss away from securing the top seed in the West. The Mavericks (48-32) are in a scrum with Phoenix and Memphis -- their opponents in the final two games -- for the final two playoff spots a year after missing the post-season for the first time since 2000. Dallas is in a virtual tie with the Suns (47-31) and a game ahead of the Grizzlies (46-32). Both opponents have four games in the last six days of the season, with Phoenix coming to Dallas on Saturday night to finish a back-to-back that starts in San Antonio. "Obviously, Saturdays huge for us," said Devin Harris, who had eight points but was just 1 of 8 from the field. "Weve got to come out with that type of effort, knowing that our seasons on the line and its a game that we must have." The Spurs had a scary moment early when Duncan crumpled to the court holding his right knee and stayed down for a Dallas possession at the other end. When the Spurs got the game stopped with 5:58 left in the first quarter, he headed for a tunnel but emerged a few minutes later and returned to the game. "It really wasnt that bad," Duncan said. "It just scared me more than anything." Parker missed his second straight game after leaving early in a win over Memphis on Sunday. The Spurs trailed by as many as 28 points and never led in a 19-point loss to Minnesota without Parker, but Mills started in place of Cory Joseph and took over against the Mavericks. Mills had eight points on an 11-0 first-half spurt that lasted just a minute and a half and answered a 14-2 run by Dallas to put San Antonio back in front by five. After Duncan, Leonard and Danny Green keyed a 9-2 run to start the second half, Mills scored 11 of the next 13 San Antonio points capped by a 3-pointer for a 71-60 lead midway through the third quarter. "Hes always aggressive," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Hes not going to get a whole lot of rebounds or stop a whole lot of people, but hes going to shoot it. Thats what his skill is. Mills was 6 of 11 from 3-point range, and Green hit three from beyond the arc in the first 5 minutes and finished with 15 points as the Spurs matched their season high with 16 from long range on a season-high 34 attempts. "We just didnt find them quick enough," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was an area that was easily identifiable as one of the big keys of the game." Ellis scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter with the San Antonio lead hovering around double digits. He was just 5 of 16 from the field through three quarters. NOTES: Nowitzki got a standing ovation during a timeout after a video tribute to him passing Oscar Robertson for 10th on the NBA scoring list in a win at Utah on Tuesday. ... Actor Tobey Maguire ("Spiderman" and "The Great Gatsby") was in attendance. Ray-Ray Armstrong Giants Jersey . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. Will Hernandez Jersey . They signed their first kicker. Ottawa inked Nick Setta, a 32-year-old native of Lockport, Illinois, to a contract. http://www.nygiantsproshop.com/authentic-nate-solder-jersey.html .Two San Francisco radio stations say they wont play the song during the duration of the World Series. A Kansas City, Missouri, station responded with plans to play the Grammy-winning track every hour from 7 a.MIAMI - Derrick Rose was fouled on a fast break, staggered off the court and kept going out a tunnel.He came back unhurt, but the Chicago Bulls hardly needed him.Mike Dunleavy led a balanced attack with 22 points and the Bulls overcame a sloppy start Sunday to beat the offensively challenged Miami Heat, 93-75.The Bulls had their lowest-scoring game since Nov. 21 and still won easily, building a 26-point lead in the second half. Dunleavy said the makeup of the team lends itself to scoring consistency.With what we have, there shouldnt be many nights where we struggle offensively, he said. If the outside shots arent going, we have many ways to get inside, and we can push the ball. Weve got a lot of options.Jimmy Butler had 17 points, Taj Gibson 15 and Rose 14 for the Central Division-leading Bulls. They improved to 11-3 on the road, best in the Eastern Conference.Miami leading scorer Chris Bosh (calf strain) missed a game for the first time this season, which left the Heat without enough punch or size to challenge Chicago. Miami shot a season-low 35 per cent, including 4 for 22 from 3-point range.A guy like Chris is irreplaceable, said Dwyane Wade, who had 17 points for Miami. All we ask for and hope for is he can get back as soon as he can when hes healthy.The Heats point total matched their season low.Chicago pulled away in the third quarter thanks to Dunleavy. He was shut out in the first half but scored 19 points on eight shots in the third period, when Chicago outscored Miami 33-16.Dunleavy finished 4 for 5 from 3-point range, while the Bulls shot 9 of 18 beyond the arc and 47 overall.The teams slogged through an ugly first half in their first matchup this season. The Bulls committed 13 turnovers but lled 39-32 because Miami shot only 29 per cent. Kareem Martin Giants Jersey. It was your typical Sunday in Miami, Dunleavy said with a smile. It seems like everybody had a big Saturday night.___TIP-INSHeat: Bosh sat out with a slight strain in his left calf that began to bother him more before the game. No MRI is planned.Its a day-by-day thing so far, Bosh said. I had some soreness there that really didnt let up, and it progressed over a day or so.Forward Josh McRoberts missed his third game in a row because of a right knee bruise. Chris Andersen played 18 minutes after missing the previous nine games with a sprained right ankle.Bulls: Rookie forward Doug McDermott is expected to be sidelined another four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Saturday on a right knee injury that has sidelined him all month. Joakim Noah missed his third straight game because of a sprained right ankle.NICE LINEDunleavys third-quarter stats: 7 for 8 from the field, 3 for 3 from 3-point range and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line.When you hit that zone, you let it fly and you know its going in, he said. Its a great feeling to have.COMING ON LATERose was limited to 27 minutes because of early foul trouble, but he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to stymie any comeback bid by the Heat.He sensed what we needed and knocked down a couple of huge shots for us, coach Tom Thibodeau said.Rose said he tried not to think about the Bulls fat lead.No matter what the score is, I still have to be myself in the fourth quarter, Rose said. Tibs is always telling me I should always be more aggressive in the fourth.UP NEXTBulls: At Atlanta on Monday. The Bulls have won six in a row against the Hawks.Heat: At Brooklyn on Tuesday. Cheap Hawks Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Pistons Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys Cheap Rockets Jerseys Cheap Pacers Jerseys Cheap Clippers Jerseys Cheap Lakers Jerseys Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys ' ' '