DALLAS, Texas (AFP) — Tim Duncan scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds and Tony Parker added 29 points and 10 assists as San Antonio downed Dallas Tuesday in a National Basketball Association 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 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.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
