Martin Is King for a Day in 94-93 Win

The lucky bounce went to the Sacramento Kings this time.

Kevin Martin tossed in an improbable, twisting fastbreak layup over Tim Duncan as time expired, and the Kings got back into their first-round playoff series against San Antonio with a 94-93 victory in Game 3 Friday night at Sacramento, cutting the Spurs’ lead to 2-1.

The Spurs won an overtime thriller in Game 2, with Brent Barry’s game-tying regulation three-point basket bouncing twice on the rim and backboard before falling through.

The Kings got the luck back home in front of a hyped-up crowd -- and Martin delivered the biggest shot of his short NBA career.

Michael Finley hit a go-ahead three-point basket with 41.1 seconds left for San Antonio, and Ron Artest turned the ball over with 27 seconds left in his return from a one-game suspension. The Spurs ran down the clock until the final seconds -- but Manu Ginobili capped a terrible game by losing the ball on a drive for his seventh turnover.

Mike Bibby, who had 25 points, rushed the ball to midcourt and fed Martin, the Kings’ second-year shooting guard.

He drove the lane and somehow lofted a shot over Duncan, who blocked six shots in a performance that featured 29 points and 12 rebounds.

The ball bounced delicately on the rim before falling through as the buzzer sounded, setting off pandemonium in Arco Arena.

Cleveland 97, Washington 96 -- LeBron James drove around Antonio Daniels, collided with Michael Ruffin and banked in a four-foot shot with 5.7 seconds left to give the Cavaliers the victory at Washington.

James finished with 41 points on 16-for-28 shooting and had five rebounds and three assists. He out-dueled Gilbert Arenas, who scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter -- making all but one of the Wizards’ field goals in the period -- but he missed an open three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game.

“I thought it was going in,” said Arenas, whose Wizards now trail the series, 2-1.

*

Guard Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award after making the transition from starter to key reserve. Miller led the NBA in scoring off the bench this season, averaging 13.7 points.... Miami Heat forward James Posey was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA for knocking down Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich on a fastbreak Thursday night in the Heat’s 109-90 playoff loss to the Bulls.