NBA Roundup: Saturday’s Action on the Boards

Tim Duncan’s first three-pointer of the season was worth the wait for the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs’ big man hit a clutch three late in double overtime against the revenge-minded Phoenix Suns.

Then it was Manu Ginobili’s turn, and his layup with 1.8 seconds left pushed the defending champions past the Suns 117-115 Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Now the teams have two days to rest from their marathon best-of-seven Western Conference opener before meeting for Game 2 on Tuesday night.

"I got a wide-open shot. Wound it up. Threw it up there and hoped for the best," said a clearly tired Duncan, who had 40 points and 15 rebounds.

This year’s rematch of what many dubbed last year’s real finals – a tense and testy second-round series between the teams that the Spurs won in six games on their way to the title – got off to a wild start and more than met expectations.

"It feels like a finals game," Duncan said. "It’s the first game of the first series, and we’re going to have to muster energy back up."

Elsewhere in NBA playoff action, it was: Cleveland 93 Washington 86; New Orleans 104 Dallas 92; and Utah 93 Houston 82.

At San Antonio, Game 1 did not look like it would turn into a thriller in the early going. The Suns controlled play for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16 points despite early foul trouble for Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns held a six-point lead with a quarter left in regulation.

The Spurs took their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter, but were down 93-90 with 1:10 to go after Leandro Barbosa’s fast-break layup.

With 15 seconds on the clock, Michael Finley tied it at 93 for the Spurs to send it to overtime.

"We had the game won a few times and just weren’t tough enough or disciplined enough to make every single play when it counted," said Victoria’s Steve Nash, who had 25 points and 13 assists.

Duncan made the big shot in the first overtime. With his team down 104-101, Duncan found himself all alone at the three-point line.

After only a slight hesitation, he fired the ball and made it with three seconds to play. He was 0-for-4 this season on three-point attempts before the fateful shot.

"I didn’t know what was going to happen, honestly," Duncan said. "Manu turned the corner, Shaq just totally leaves me and stayed with Manu."

In the second overtime, Shaq’s dunk tied it at 112 with 1:33 to play. Ginobili’s layup put the Spurs ahead.

Nash missed a key three with less than a minute to play. After risky, cross-court inbounds pass to the Spurs’ Brent Barry, he was fouled. Barry made one of two free throws.

With 15 seconds left, the Suns went to sharp shooter Nash. Nearly falling out of bounds in the corner, he hit a three that made it 115-all.

Then Ginobili drove the lane against Raja Bell and got to the hoop, as he often does, almost at will, and his layup fell.

"What I knew, before taking it to the rim, is that Shaq and Amare (Stoudemire) were not there," Ginobili said. "So, I knew if I had the opportunity to go get in there, get some legs into the shot, I had an opportunity to finish."

Tony Parker added 26 points for the Spurs and Ginobili had 24.

"We had a lot of opportunities to win," O’Neal said. "You can’t make mistakes against a team like that especially here in this building."

But O’Neal wasn’t completely contrite.

"I just wanted to play aggressive, but the floppers prevailed today. Amare and myself are going to continue to play aggressive," O’Neal said of his foul trouble. "Hopefully those guys will compete rather than just fall down."

Stoudemire, who fouled out with 12 seconds left in the first overtime, led the Suns with 33 points. O’Neal scored 11 points.

"They know we let them have one," O’Neal said. "All we need is one in this building."

Phoenix acquired O’Neal in a blockbuster mid-season trade for a series such as this one to give the run-and-gun Suns a defensive boost.

O’Neal played just under four minutes in the first quarter after picking up two quick fouls. He was on the court for just 24 seconds in the second quarter before picking up his third foul and sitting out the rest of the half.

O’Neal missed two shots right off, the first when his dunk off an alley-oop pass missed. He didn’t score in the first half.

Cavaliers 93 Wizards 86

At Cleveland, LeBron James scored 32 points and the Cavaliers won Game 1 of the third consecutive first-round playoff series against Washington.

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Hornets 104 Mavericks 92

At New Orleans, Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first playoff game, lifting the Hornets to a come-from-behind victory over Dallas.

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Jazz 93 Rockets 82

At Houston, Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and Utah beat Houston in Game 1.