SAN ANTONIO (AP) -After squandering most of a 17-point fourth-quarter lead, San Antonio held on for a 97-88 victory over Denver in Game 2 on Wednesday night to even the first-round playoff series.
Manu Ginobili had eight points in the fourth quarter and Tim Duncan added seven points over the final 12 minutes for the Spurs, who lost Game 1 at home to the sixth-seeded Nuggets.
Duncan led San Antonio with 22 points and had five blocked shots. Tony Parker had 20 points, Ginobili added 17, all but two in the second half, and Michael Finley had 14.
The Nuggets got within 91-88 on a 3-pointer by Allen Iverson with 45 seconds to play, but Duncan’s layup and two free throws each by Finley and Parker gave the Spurs the victory.
Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Iverson added 20 points, Nene had 17 points and Marcus Camby had 10 points and 18 rebounds.
Game 3 is Saturday in Denver.
Cavaliers 109, Wizards 102
CLEVELAND (AP) – With LeBron James playing cautiously on a sprained left ankle, Drew Gooden scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half for Cleveland, which took a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
The Wizards made it interesting in the final minute. They closed within 105-102 on a 3-pointer by Jarvis Hayes with 18 seconds left. Larry Hughes, who had 19 points, then made four free throws for Cleveland.
Game 3 is Saturday in Washington.
James, who twisted his ankle in Game 1, had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists – roughly his average this season. When the Wizards trimmed a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to six, James took control. He scored 13 points in the final period, including nine in the final 5:14.
Antawn Jamison had 31 points for the Wizards, who are without injured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Antonio Daniels, who had 11 points, was the only other Washington starter in double figures.
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