You could see it in their faces. You could hear it in their voices. You could feel it in the locker room after the Spurs defeated them Saturday for the third time in four games this season

"I'd say the advantage is clearly theirs now," Mavs coach Don Nelson said. "This game was very important to us to be able to win the division. We needed this one and we didn't get it."

The Mavs hold a half-game lead over the Spurs, but the Mavs are bleeding. Bleeding from too much Duncan. Bleeding from that painful ending, an 18-foot Duncan jumper with 2.2 seconds to play that sealed their defeat and turned the Midwest Division waters red.

Sharks are circling.