DALLAS, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Tony Parker returned from having three stitches taken above his left eye Friday to score 23 points and boost San Antonio past Dallas 113-107.
Although center Tim Duncan and Coach Gregg Popovich both missed their second straight game, San Antonio built a .25-point lead in the third period and held off a late Dallas charge.
Parker took an elbow to the face during the first half as he drove for the basket and had to leave the court for medical attention. He came back to make 9-of-16 shots. Duncan did not make the trip to Dallas due to a sore left knee and Popovich is recovering from an illness.
The Spurs still won their seventh in a row with DeJuan Blair adding 22 points and Gary Neal scoring 18.
Rodrigue Beaubois came off the bench to deliver 19 points for the Mavericks, who suffered their second loss in seven games.
