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  March 19, 2018 9:11 PM PDT

  DALLAS -- Monta Ellis is headed to his first Game 7, and DeJuan Blair gets a chance to play his old team in San Antonio one more time after all. Brandon Mebane Jersey . Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki will return to the site of one of the best moments of his stellar career. Ellis scored 12 of his 29 points to lead a fourth-quarter comeback that also got an energetic boost from Blair in his return after getting suspended, and the Mavericks forced a deciding game in their first-round series with top-seeded San Antonio, beating the Spurs 113-111 on Friday night. "Put all of our chips on the table and see what happens," said Ellis, whose 3-pointer put eighth-seeded Dallas ahead for a good at 94-92 with 5 minutes to go. Tony Parker matched Nowitzki with 22 points to lead the heavily favoured Spurs, who are stuck in a tossup series after they won all four games against the Mavericks during the regular season and had a 10-game winning streak against them after taking the opener. The only other time these teams played a Game 7, Nowitzki had an improbable three-point play to force overtime in San Antonio in 2006. The Mavericks went on to win the second-round series and reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. "Well, its the ultimate thrill," said Nowitzki, who is 4-0 in Game 7s in his career. "Nothing matters anymore. Just this one game." And Blair will be there. He missed Game 5 in South Texas after the league suspended him for kicking Tiago Splitter in the head when he was called for a foul when the pair got tangled up and fell to the court in Game 4. He never said he was mad that the league suspended him, but he showed it, knocking Parker the court with a hard screen that led to a three-point play at the end of the first half for Devin Harris. Then, he had four rebounds and two steals in the fourth quarter -- and finished with 10 points and 14 boards for his second double-double of the series. "His energy was great," said his old coach, San Antonios Gregg Popovich. "He was a man possessed on both ends of the floor. Thought he was really super." Blair had plenty of time to think about Game 6 after watching the previous game alone in his hotel room in San Antonio. "Winning on their court would be the best revenge," said Blair, who spent his first four seasons with the Spurs and was with them for a heartbreaking loss to Miami in the NBA Finals last year. "We just have to bring it next game." The Mavericks handed the Spurs their first road defeat when leading after three quarters this season on the same floor where Vince Carter had given them a 2-1 series lead and sent the crowd into hysterics with an improbable winning 3-pointer. Fans were standing the entire fourth quarter this time, when the Mavericks trailed by five points to start the final 12 minutes before a 14-2 run for an eight-point lead. Parker got the Spurs close again and had a duel of driving layups with Ellis in the final 2 minutes. Parker, who had 13 of his points in the fourth and added six assists, spun through the lane before shovelling one up over Nowitzki with his left hand to get the Spurs within 106-105. The Mavericks pushed the lead back to six before the Spurs made it interesting again with 3-pointers from Danny Green and Patty Mills. It wasnt over until a shot by Mills on an inbound play with 0.4 seconds left was ruled to have been late. It was short anyway. "I thought we just made too many mistakes tonight," said Tim Duncan, who had 16 points and nine rebounds. "Giving up 37 points in the last quarter is just too much for us. Defensively, weve got to be a little more solid than that." Both teams had six players in double figures, with Splitter making 11 of 12 free throws for a playoff career-high 19 points. Danny Green had 17, matching his total for the first five games of the series combined, and Tim Duncan had 16 points and nine rebounds. Carter finished with 13, and Jose Calderon had 12 points and six assists. NOTES: The Spurs were 25-0 on the road when leading after three quarters before this game. Theyre now 55-2 overall for the season. ... The Mavericks had seven turnovers in the second quarter, and the sloppy stretch helped the Spurs cut an 11-point deficit to two at 41-39. Dallas had seven more turnovers in the third, when a six-point lead turned into a five-point deficit. ... Mavericks C Brandan Wright did not play for the first time in the series after playing a series-high 26 minutes in Game 5 when Dallas pick-and-roll defence was shredded. LaDainian Tomlinson Jersey . -- Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after having an operation on a groin muscle. Russell Okung Jersey . Liriano pitched in and out of trouble in his duel with Josh Beckett, and Ike Davis homered to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Friday night.BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona eased into the Champions League quarterfinals for the seventh straight year, shaking off a slump that has dropped it to third place in the La Liga standings. Lionel Messi and Dani Alves scored second-half goals in a 2-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday night that completed a 4-1 aggregate victory. "We had some pretty big setbacks, especially in the way we were playing -- but today we got back to playing the way we know, the Barca people love," Messi said. "Even though the goal came in the second half, I dont think we were ever in danger of an upset." In addition to on-field troubles, Barcelona has been dealing with a tax fraud case involving its acquisition of Neymar last summer, and the resignation of team president Sandro Rosell. The match drew 85,957 to Camp Nou, Europes highest-capacity stadium, but about 14,000 short of a sellout. In the nights other game, Paris Saint-Germain gave up an early goal and rallied past visiting Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 for a 6-1 aggregate win. Barcelona dominated with 56 per cent possession and a 16-9 advantage in shots, and could have gone in front early. French referee Stephane Lannoy didnt award a penalty kick when Messi went over Joleon Lescotts leg in the eighth, and Neymars tap-in of Jordi Albas pass in the 18th was called off for offside in what appeared on replay to be an officiating error. Cesc Fabregas pass bobbled through the legs of defender Joleon Lescott in the 67th minute, and Messi ran onto the ball and flicked it over goalkeeper Joe Hart. Messi has eight goals in five Champions League matches this season and 67 overall in Europes top club competition, four shy of Raul Gonzalezs record. Ciity, in the knockout stage for the first time, played a man short after Pablo Zabaleta received his second yellow card in the 78th. Tyrell Williams Jersey. . The card was given for protesting after Gerard Pique barged into Edin Dzeko inside the area without a penalty kick being award. City defender Martin Demichelis had been ejected in the first leg last month. "Going for a second time down to 10 men after it was a clear penalty, its not easy conditions to come and play against a strong team," City captain Vincent Kompany said. "Over the course of two games, whenever there was 11 players, there wasnt much between the two teams." Kompany scored for City in the 89th from what appeared to be an offside position. Dani Alves scored for Barcelona in the first minute of stoppage time, adding to his goal in the first leg. In Paris, Sidney Sam scored for Leverkusen in the sixth minute, but Marquinhos tied it in the 13th and Ezequiel Lavezzi got a go-ahead goal in the 53rd. PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu saved Simon Rolfes penalty kick in the 28th after Christophe Jallet tugged Eren Derdiyoks jersey as he ran into the penalty area, earning a yellow card. Leverkusens Emre Can was ejected in the 68th for his second yellow card. PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who rested several regulars, felt his team eased up after the opening leg. "Its all well and good saying to the players forget the first game, but its true that subconsciously you tell yourself youve got a bit of a cushion," Blanc said. "But there were players out there who dont play that much, and you have to show your best level. The Champions League is a level above, and I was expecting more from my team."        ' ' '