Carter's 3 at Buzzer Gives Dallas Series Edge
Vince Carter hit a 3-pointer as time expired to give the host Dallas Mavericks a 109-108 victory in Game 3 and a first-round series lead over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
Carter took an inbound pass from Jose Calderon in the left corner with 1.7 seconds left. After a quick pump fake in front of Manu Ginobili, Carter released the ball just before the buzzer.
Ginobili had given the Spurs a 108-106 lead on a layup before Dallas called timeout to set up the play for Carter.
Monta Ellis had 29 points and kept the eight-seeded Mavericks close in the fourth quarter. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 22.
The Mavericks lead the series, two games to one. Game 4 is Monday night in Dallas.
Ginobili, who scored 12 points, dribbled out most of the last 24 seconds before going around Duncan and scoring over Samuel Dalembert. His go-ahead shot spun around the rim and almost came out before falling in.
The Mavericks kept the home-court advantage they earned by winning Game 2 in San Antonio, even though the Spurs held Dirk Nowitzki under 20 points in a third straight playoff game. Nowitzki had 18.
Dallas still had a chance in the closing seconds because of Ellis, who scored 12 points in the fourth-quarter en route to recording a playoff career high. He tied the score twice in the final 1 minute 10 seconds, first with a 3-point play on a floater after he was fouled by Boris Diaw.
91, HAWKS 88 Paul George and David West hit key 3-pointers down the stretch as the top-seeded Indiana Pacers held off the Atlanta Hawks, 91-88, to even their opening-round series at 2-2.
The visiting Pacers finally showed some grit and regained the home-court edge. George put the Pacers ahead, 86-85, with a jumper beyond the arc, and West hit another 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining.
Atlanta had a chance after Kyle Korver was fouled in the corner and knocked down three free throws. But George pulled down an offensive rebound to set up George Hill's driving shot with 56 seconds left.
Pero Antic missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
Game 5 is Monday in Indianapolis.
George scored 24 points, and West added 18.
'We were just in desperation mode,' West said. 'You just can't go down two games in a playoff series. The odds are against you.'
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 29 but struggled in the final minute, turning the ball over with a bad pass and then missing a spinning shot in the lane with Atlanta down by 3.
Indiana left the door open by missing its final four free throws, including a pair by George with 7.5 seconds left when only one would have been enough to seal the victory. But the Pacers buckled down at the defensive end, forcing Antic to shoot a desperation 3 that clanked off the rim.
WIZARDS' NENE SUSPENDED Washington forward Nene was suspended by the N.B.A. for Game 4 of a first-round series against the Chicago Bulls for head-butting and grabbing Jimmy Butler around the neck with both hands and attempting to throw him down.
Nene received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game for the incident, which occurred in the fourth quarter of the Wizards' 100-97 loss to the Bulls on Friday night.
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