Tim Duncan scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds and Tony Parker added 29 points and 10 assists as San Antonio downed Dallas on Tuesday in a double-overtime thriller.
The 133-126 triumph was the Spurs’ third straight victory, and the contest recalled some of the Texas rivals’ past playoff encounters.
The Spurs finally pulled away late in the second overtime to hand the Mavericks their second defeat in their last 11 games.
Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Jason Kidd collected 24 points and 12 assists for Dallas, missing his second triple-double of the season by two rebounds.
Third-year Mavericks guard Jose Juan Barea, somewhat of a revelation as he averaged 20 points in the two previous games as he made his first two NBA starts, got into foul trouble early, but still scored 21 points, with 13 coming in the fourth quarter.
Kidd’s lay-up with 2:10 left in the second overtime put Dallas ahead 125-124, but San Antonio came right back down the court and Bruce Bowen sank a 3-pointer to give San Antonio a two-point lead with 1:50 to play.
Erick Dampier made just one of two free throws with 54 seconds left and then Duncan drove the lane and banked a shot in with 40 seconds to go to make it 129-126.
When Barea rattled a three-point attempt off the rim 11 seconds later, the Mavericks were forced to foul the Spurs, and Roger Mason hit both free throws with 23 seconds left to clinch the triumph.
San Antonio led 107-105 with 1:41 left in regulation when Manu Ginobili tapped in a Parker miss.
Dallas tied it again with 1:23 on the clock on Nowitzki’s turn-around jump shot.
Both teams had multiple shots after that but neither could get one to fall, setting the stage for overtime.
CAVALIERS 114, RAPTORS 94
At Cleveland, Ohio, LeBron James scored 31 points and set the team record for steals, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas became the Cavaliers’ career leader in rebounds as Cleveland moved to 12-0 at home with a victory over the Toronto Raptors.
In winning their ninth straight by at least 12 points, the Cavaliers, now 17-1 since Nov. 3, are the first team in league history to win nine consecutive games in a single season so handily.
Cleveland came in tied with Portland (1990-1991), Chicago (1996-1997), Detroit (2003-2004) and Houston (2007-2008).
JAZZ 99, TIMBERWOLVES 96
At Minneapolis, Mehmet Okur hit the go-ahead shot with 1.7 seconds to play and Utah capitalized on 16 missed free throws by the hosts in Kevin McHale’s season debut as Timberwolves coach.
In Tuesday’s other games it was:
• Suns 125, Bucks 110
• Wizards 107, Pistons 94
• Rockets 92, Hawks 84
• Bulls 105, Knicks 100
• Kings 113, Lakers 101
• Magic 109, Trail Blazers 108
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