Vince Carter’s shot at buzzer beats Spurs

Vince Carter made a three-point shot at the buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 109-108 victory in Game 3 and a 2-1 first-round Western Conference series lead over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at Dallas.

Carter took an inbound pass in the left corner from Jose Calderon with 1.7 seconds left. After a quick pump fake in front of Manu Ginobili, Carter released the ball just before the buzzer. The winning shot was held up on review.

Ginobili had given the Spurs a 108-106 lead on a layup before Dallas called timeout to set up the play for Carter.

“I don’t mind taking the game-winning shot,” said Carter, who otherwise had a rough day before finishing with 11 points. “I don’t mind missing them, and dealing with it. So I think having that mentality helps me.”

Monta Ellis kept the eighth-seeded Mavericks close in the fourth quarter and finished with 29 points.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 22 points.

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.

“You never think it’s over, especially in here,” Ginobili said. “We’ve got experience on that. As long as you don’t see ‘zero zero’ over there, it’s not over.”

Indiana 91, at Atlanta 88: Paul George (24 points) and David West (18) made key three-pointers down the stretch, and the top-seeded Pacers held off the Hawks to even their series at two games apiece.

In a game they had to have, the 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 three-pointer with 1:33 remaining.

Pero Antic missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime. Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 29 points, but the All-Star forward struggled in the final minute, making a bad pass and missing a shot in the lane.

Miami 98, at Charlotte 85: LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Heat took a 3-0 lead in the series.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points for Miami, which can close out the series Monday night.

James, who was an efficient 10 of 18 from the field, pushed his record to 18-0 against the Bobcats since joining the Heat in 2010.

Miami has won 19 straight overall against Charlotte.

Al Jefferson had 20 points for the Bobcats, who are still searching for the first postseason win in franchise history.

Oklahoma City 92, Memphis 89 (OT): Reserve Reggie Jackson scored a playoff-best 32 points, and Oklahoma City beat Memphis,92-89, in overtime Saturday night, tying up their first-round Western Conference series at two apiece.

Jackson had only scored 15 points combined in this series, but the guard shook off his shooting woes by hitting 11 of 16. He outscored Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who struggled through their worst scoring game of the series. Durant was 5 of 21 for 15 points, while Westbrook was 6 of 24 for 15 points.

The Thunder blew a 14-point lead with Memphis, and the Grizzlies blew a third straight fourth-quarter lead themselves. Jackson tied up Memphis with five straight points in the final minute of regulation.

Game 5 is Tuesday night back in Oklahoma City.