One day after the Spurs were eliminated, Michael Finley said he has not decided whether to exercise his final-year option with the club.

Finley is due another $2.5 million should he decide to play another season.

?I haven't really thought about next year, to be quite honest,? Finley said. ?I'm going to sit back with my family now, enjoy this extended period of time off, and when the time comes that I have to make a decision about my future, that's when I'll make it.?

Drew Gooden will be a free agent this summer and has expressed a desire to remain with the Spurs, but is certain to test the market.

?I'd love to be a part of this organization, but that's something we'll have to see this summer,? Gooden said.

Gooden signed with the Spurs shortly after being bought out of his contract in Sacramento.

?I had a great time here; it was a great experience,? Gooden said. ?Whatever happens, it will be a couple of pages in my book that will be memorable.?

For the first time since 2001, an odd year will come and go without the Spurs winning the NBA World Championship.

Dallas defeated San Antonio by a final score of 106-93 at the AT&T Center to close out a 4-1 series.

The Spurs will not have cap space this summer, but could use their mid-level exception to sign a veteran and delay rebuilding.

?Our group is going to be, more than likely, a group that we don?t pull the plunger on,? Spurs General Manager R. C. Buford said. ?We?ll continue to build around those three and hope to add better pieces.?

Rasheed Wallace is a player who has been linked to the Spurs several times in the past and could finally join the club this summer, according to the New York Times.

Spurs forward Tim Duncan knows that there is no magic formula when attempting a comeback from their 3-1 deficit against the Mavericks.

He knows it all starts with a do-or-die win in Game 5.

"We have to, or we're going to go home," Duncan said. "There's no two ways about it. There's no magic answer. We're going to go home and try to win that one."

The Spurs have failed to get past the first round of the playoffs just once since Duncan joined the team in 1997.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker scored 31 points in the first half of the team's loss to the Mavericks on Saturday, matching the franchise record of George Gervin.

Parker went 12-for-17 from the field, giving San Antonio a 55-51 halftime lead over Dallas.

Gervin scored 31 points in a half against the Washington Bullets on April 18, 1978, according to the Associated Press.

The Spurs have been disappointed with their effort thus far in their first round series against the Mavericks, but they plan to change that heading into Game 4, according to the Associated Press.

"It was disappointing, surprising, especially with the standard we set here," Bruce Bowen said. "This team has no choice (but to bounce back). We're disappointed we came out with the effort that we did. ... That's incentive enough."

Dallas thumped San Antonio in Game 3, leading by as many as 26 points early in the third quarter. Coach Gregg Popovich rested his starters in the game, preparing them for the next game.

"We pulled the plug for that purpose," Popovich said. "I'm sure a lot of people were shocked, like, 'Hey, you can't not try.' It's not about that. It's a long process, and I think we have to hopefully try to be wise rather than foolishly brave."

The NBA has decided not to fine Dallas center Erick Dampier in the wake of comments he made towards San Antonio's Tony Parker earlier this week.

Dampier warned that he would put Parker "on his back" with his first foul on Thursday night in Game 3.

The league office announced on Thursday afternoon that no action would be taken against Dampier after conducting a review of the comments and a one-on-one interview with the player.

"I probably shouldn't have said it like that," Dampier said in regret on Wednesday. "Maybe the way it came out, it sounded bad. ... I'm just going to go out there and play the way I've been playing."

While Erick Dampier still voes to be physical with Spurs point guard Tony Parker, he has backed away from his comments where he said he would knock down Parker after a chat with league officials, the Associated Press is reporting.

Previously Dampier had made the comment that "my first foul Thursday night is going to put him on his back," with him referring to the speedy French point guard.

"I probably shouldn't have said it like that," Dampier said on Wednesday. "Maybe the way it came out, it sounded bad. ... I'm just going to go out there and play the way I've been playing."

Dampier vowed on Monday to drop Parker after the Frenchman turned Game 2 into a personal layup drill. Parker scored 38 points in 33 minutes, leading San Antonio to a 105-84 victory that tied the series at one game apiece.

Once Dampier's quote reached the league office, a "review" began, which essentially meant Dampier having to explain himself.

"It wasn't said intentionally to go out and hurt anyone," Dampier said. "I mean, fouls happen in the game. It's just that we want to shut down the paint and not give up any easy layups."

Jason Kidd decided to remain with the Nets as a free agent in 2003, passing over what could have been a golden opportunity to join the Spurs.

"It may be a silly excuse, but I wanted to try to win a championship on my own, and we had that opportunity in New Jersey," Kidd told the Dallas Morning News. "Then, the Nets went in a whole different direction.

"San Antonio did everything right. I just didn't make the right decision at the time."

Unsure of whether or not Kidd was really expressing regret, the News then asked if he wished he had joined the Spurs.

"Well, they've won two championships since then," Kidd said. "I might have had a ring by now."