In the opener of a second-round series against the Spurs on Sunday, Mavericks Coach Avery Johnson took the calculated risk of letting his former teammate go against his centers with only limited help.

Tim Duncan, a three-time Finals MVP who teamed with Johnson for the Spurs' 1999 championship, made the strategy backfire by scoring 20 of his 31 points in the first half, giving his worn-out teammates the lift they needed to pull out an 87-85 victory Sunday.

"Timmy was awesome," teammate Tony Parker said. "When he plays like that, it makes it easy for everybody."

The Spurs were playing just 36 hours after closing out their first-round series in Sacramento, while the Mavs had been off since Monday.