Manu Ginobili hit a layup with 1.8 seconds left in double overtime to give the San Antonio Spurs a 117-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday as the NBA playoffs got underway.
Tim Duncan had saved the Spurs with a rare three-pointer at the end of first overtime and the defending NBA champions took a 1-0 in the best-of-seven first round series. Duncan finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds.
Phoenix controlled play for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16 points despite early foul trouble for Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns had a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
PHOTO: EPA
The Spurs trailed by three points with 15 seconds left when Michael Finley’s long shot tied it 93-93 to send it into overtime.
With his team down 104-101, Duncan found himself all alone at the three-point line. After only a slight hesitation, he fired and made his first three-pointer of the season with three seconds to play to make it 104-104.
Before Ginobili’s game-winning drive to the basket, Phoenix’s Steve Nash made a three-pointer from the corner to tie it at 115.
The teams will meet again in San Antonio tomorrow before the Western Conference series shifts to Arizona.
Hornets 104, Mavericks 92
In New Orleans, Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first playoff game, lifting New Orleans to a come-from-behind victory over Dallas.
New Orleans stormed back from a 12-point halftime deficit and won going away.
The Mavericks had only nine field goals in the second half and no answer to Paul, whose third year in the NBA has included a maiden All-Star game selection and serious consideration for league MVP.
Cavaliers 93, Wizards 86
In Cleveland, Ohio, LeBron James scored 32 points to lead Cleveland over Washington in the opener of the third consecutive first-round playoff series these Eastern Conference rivals have played.
Called “overrated” by Washington’s DeShawn Stevenson in the final weeks of the season, James scored 20 points in the second half to lead the defending Eastern Conference champions.
James sat out the early part of the fourth quarter to rest a troublesome back. But once he returned to the floor, the superstar forward came through.
With the score tied 84-84, James hit a layup between two opponents with 1 minute, 37 seconds remaining. Following a Washington miss, James dropped a floater with 55 seconds left in the game — and one tick to spare on the 24-second shot clock.
Jazz 93, Rockets 82
In Houston, Texas, Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points to lead Utah over Houston.
Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who were a modest17-24 on the road during the regular season.
Utah had a 34-29 rebounding edge through three quarters and Boozer hit 10-of-20 shots.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two