Duncan Makes Up for Rough Start

There was nothing flashy about the play or the shot. It was basic, fundamental basketball. Old school.

Just the way Tim Duncan likes it.

Duncan made a wide-open 19-foot jump shot just before the final buzzer, giving the visiting San Antonio Spurs a 94-92 victory Monday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who dropped their third in a row.

Duncan’s big shot ended a night that started miserably for him. He missed his first seven shots and didn’t score in the first 19 minutes. But with the game on the line, Duncan took a pass from Tony Parker and calmly made his game-winner without a hand in his face.

“We run that play a billion times,” Duncan said. “So we’re very comfortable with it. The shot felt good. Halfway there, I knew it was.”

After going 0 for 7 early, Duncan was nine for 10 from the floor, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Parker had 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, none bigger than his short pass to Duncan after drawing Cavalier center Zydrunas Ilgauskas on a pick and roll.

Ilgauskas had 26 points and LeBron James finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Cavaliers.

Dallas 90, New Orleans 86 -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, including a key jump shot and two free throws in the final minute, to help the Mavericks hold on at Dallas for their seventh win in eight games.

New Orleans had a chance to tie the score, but Lee Nailon missed a short jump shot with 1:07 to play, and Nowitzki made a 22-footer with 46 seconds left to push Dallas’ lead to 86-82. The Hornets got to within three twice more before Nowitzki’s two free throws clinched it.

Nailon had 14 points for the Hornets, who committed 23 turnovers.