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SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs are whole for the first time in months and they performed in the same efficient style that helped them battle through the rash of injuries. Tony Parker had 22 points and seven assists in his return from a six-game absence, leading San Antonios balanced attack in a 112-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. Parker played with his usual relentlessness, finishing 10 for 15 from the field on a series of breakneck drives. He also had just one turnover in 32 minutes, and the Spurs had six players score in double figures. "I thought Parker looked great again coming off a nice little 10-day break they can afford to give him," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "And he just comes in and looks great." Despite a series of injuries, San Antonio (43-16) remains 1 1/2 games behind Oklahoma City (45-15) for the top seed in the Western Conference. Tim Duncan scored 17 points, Kawhi Leonard added 16 and Boris Diaw had 13 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio. Manu Ginobili had 15 points and seven assists as the Spurs extended their winning streak to three games. Nowitzki scored 22 points, Vince Carter added 21 and Monta Ellis had 17 for the Mavericks, who have lost eight straight to the Spurs. Parker looked refreshed after not playing since Feb. 10 for what San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich officially listed as "rest," but unofficially was due to a series of lower body maladies. "I think it was a little bit of (a physical and mental rest)," Parker said. "Pop, I trust his judgment. I didnt want to admit it to myself. But maybe I was tired mentally. Its a lot of basketball the last three years with no break; the (French) national team and NBA. It definitely helped, I felt fresh." The French point guard made his first shot, and on the ensuing possession, drove into the heart of the paint to draw the defence and fired a pass to Leonard for an open 3-pointer that gave San Antonio a 5-2 lead. "I just try to penetrate and make stuff happen," Parker said. "Obviously, I want to score; but I want to do both. I want to create shots for my teammates. Myself and Manu (Ginobili), we can create a lot of offence, we have great shooters all around us. I cant remember the last time we had everybody." Parker punctuated his return with a left-handed layup from the right side of the rim to avoid Dalemberts reach with 45 seconds remaining. "Hes been an MVP candidate, really each of the last three, four, five years," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Look, hes that good and he was obviously fresh tonight. He hit shots that were the shots that were there. Youve got to give him credit for that and we needed to be a little bit better on our coverages." The Spurs visibly frustrated Nowitzki, who continually yelled at officials. Popovich alternated Splitter, Diaw and Leonard defensively on Nowitzki, who shot 9 of 17. "It was just to give him a different look," Popovich said of the rotations. "Hes such a great player. Nobody stops him. At least giving him a different look makes me feel better like Im trying, like Im doing something." Nowitzki also committed two early fouls. "The first one was stupid," he said. "I saw the ball, kind of reach for it. By the time I reached for it, the ball was gone and I hit his arm. I missed my first two shots. I think I was a little anxious; I really wanted to play well. By the time I settled in in the second quarter, I was little too hyped up." Carter kept the Mavericks in the game almost single-handedly in the first half, as Dallas trailed just 48-47. Ginobili scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Spurs opened a 78-67 lead with a minute remaining. Ginobili, who was 2 for 5 on 3s, was energized by the teams return to health. "For Tim and Tony, its been a while, more than a month, probably without all three playing," Ginobili said. "It feels good. As I said the last two games, its very important for us to be healthy, to start feeling confident, to start playing with each other again over the last stretch of the season." NOTES: The Spurs have had 24 different lineups this season. ... San Antonio has won 12 of 14 regular-season games against Dallas. The Mavericks have not beaten the Spurs since a 106-99 victory on March 17, 2012, in Dallas. ... Popovich and Nowitzki engaged in somewhat contentious banter during the game. When Nowitzki was whistled for fouling Parker on a drive, he yelled at official Derek Richardson as he left for a substitution, "Just because (Popovichs) yelling doesnt mean theres a foul." Paul Richardson Jersey .J. -- The New York Jets have promoted Tony Sparano Jr. Custom Washington Redskins Jerseys .J. -- Tom Coughlin doesnt have many options at halfback for the winless New York Giants. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Paul-Richardson-Jersey/ . A groundswell for raising the number of playoff qualifiers to seven in each conference figures to get plenty of support from the 32 owners. Most notably, Arizonas Bill Bidwill, who saw his Cardinals go 10-6 and not get in, while Green Bay (8-7-1) qualified by winning the NFC North. Washington Redskins Jerseys . LOUIS -- The Atlanta Braves used a two-run rally in the ninth to end their road trip with a win. DaRon Payne Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.Arsenal and Everton drew 1-1 on Sunday in a fantastic back-and-forth match between two teams high on style. Both sides passed the ball with confidence, and despite only coming away with a point, Evertons confidence will get a massive boost from having played so well at The Emirates Stadium. One of the talking points during the game was how high Arsenal were defending wide free kicks. The game commentator said it was a dangerous tactic from the Gunners, as it invited the ball to be played in behind the defenders. I disagree, for a number of reasons. 1. The goalkeeper needs space if he is to come and attack the ball. It is essential for the defenders to set a defensive line that gives the goalkeeper enough room to come and claim the ball if (when) it comes into the penalty area. It is a fine balancing act, though, and this is something that Arsenal do exceptionally well. In the 15th minute, Everton had a wide free kick. Arsenal have not yet picked up their defensive marks in this picture, but it indicates just how high they are prepared to hold their line. They are not even ten yards from the line of the ball, and when the ball is played short by Everton, they are quick to react and force the ball away from goal. Wojciech Szczesny has the entire penalty area to come and claim the ball if it is flighted into the box, which is all that he can ask for - an excellent example of a well-organized defensive line from Arsenal. 2. Defenders need to be ball-side, goal-side. By this, I mean that good defenders are always in a position where they are favourite to win the ball if it is played in behind them, and can also get a challenge in if the ball is played into the attackers feet. When defending wide free kicks, it is imperative for the defender to be ball-side, goal-side. You do this by ensuring that you are “touch-tight,” meaning that you are close enough to touch the attacker, and closer to your goal than the attacker.dddddddddddd With a more central free kick, Arsenal still hold a very high line; they are inviting Everton to play the ball into the penalty area. But because they are ball-side, goal-side, they are favourites to win the ball when it comes into the area. The one Everton attacker that is in behind the defensive line is in an offside position, and must come back onside before the ball is kicked. At this point, the Arsenal defenders must get ball-side, goal-side, or they run the risk of being second favourite to win the ball. 3. If the defensive line is set too deep, the goalkeeper cannot react to a header or deflection. This point was perfectly exemplified in Canadas 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic in November. Canadas defensive line was set so deep, that goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld could do nothing about the first goal, scored in just the third minute of the game. Look at how deep the Canadian defensive line is (in red). When the ball is flighted to the near post, Marcel de Jong is out-jumped by Ondrej Celustka, who heads the ball past Hirschfeld. The goal could have easily been prevented had Canada held a more aggressive defensive line nearer the 18-yard line. If the ball is floated in behind the defensive line, it is a much easier play for Hirschfeld to make. Being a good defender is about assessing, prioritizing and mitigating risk. You always want to be in a position where you are favourite to win the ball if it comes into the most dangerous area - which is generally closer to your goal. But there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to your distances from the ball, when to drop in and when to hold your line. That is down to the judgment of the players, who must make those decisions based on their individual and collective skill sets. The best teams, like Arsenal at this point in time, are exceptionally well-organized and consistently make the right decisions as a group when defending. 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