For the second time in two weeks, Gregg Popovich took pregame questions from atop a small platform rather than in his usual scrum, obligingly hunched over a mic as he tried to distill the qualities of an NBA great to an international group of seated reporters. Even regular-season basketball can occasionally get too big for its main stage, and nights dedicated to the Manus and Dirks of the league force some unlikely characters to play narrator at times.
From the pregame pageantry — which included a touching tribute to the retiring Dirk Nowitzki — to the host of blue-clad Mavs fans and Dirk supporters in the crowd, to the playoff intrigue that lingered until past midnight, San Antonio’s 104-95 win over Dallas was a reminder of the various contexts that overlap a game.