SAN ANTONIO ? The Dallas Mavericks had procrastinated long enough against their in-state rivals.

A 3-1 series lead over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, squandered. A 20-point lead in Game 7, dried up.

Then, in overtime, it was finally time for Dirk Nowitzki and his new collection of Dallas teammates to get over the San Antonio hurdle.

The Mavericks beat the Spurs, 119-111, Monday night on the strength of 37 points from Nowitzki and 27 from Jason Terry, who was suspended for Game 6 for punching former Maverick Michael Finley below the belt the game before.

“We battled against a championship team, a team with a lot of guts,” Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. “Now, we haven’t won the championship, but how about those Mavs?”

Tim Duncan scored 41 to lead San Antonio.

“It was a special series,” Nowitzki said. “We just believed it was our time to win it.”

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki draws a foul from San Antonio's Manu Ginobili during the final seconds of regulation during their Game 7 playoff showdown. Dallas won, 119-111, in overtime Monday night to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Dallas advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second time in four years, but with almost an entirely new team. Nowitzki is the only remaining starter from the team that was eliminated by the Spurs in 2003.

The Mavericks never have made it to the NBA Finals, but they’ll go into the next round as the favorites.

The Spurs won a franchise-record 63 games, grabbed the West’s top seed and were thinking this would finally be the year they repeated as champions. Instead, they’ll have to try again next year to add to the titles they won in 1999, 2003 and ’05.

Suns 127, Clippers 107

Phoenix – Steve Nash was back in MVP form, and the three-pointers were falling like a welcome desert rain for Phoenix. That combination spelled a one-sided end to Los Angeles’ playoff run and sent the Suns to the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row.

Nash, benefiting from three days of rest after 12 games in 25 days, had 29 points – including 4-of-5-pointers – and 11 assists to lead the Suns in Game 7 of the conference semifinals.

Seven players were in double figures for the Suns, who shot 60 percent overall and made 15 of 27 3-pointers.

Elton Brand capped a magnificent playoffs with 36 points and nine rebounds.