Duncan’s jumper downs Cavaliers
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 jumper just before the final horn sounded, giving the San Antonio Spurs a 94-92 victory Monday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who dropped their third straight.
Duncan’s big shot concluded a night that started miserably for the All-Star forward. 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, gathered himself and calmly knocked down 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, Duncan went 9-for-10 from the floor, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Parker added 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists – none bigger than his short pass to Duncan after drawing Cavs 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, who have lost four of five and are entering a tough stretch of upcoming games.
Mavericks 90, Hornets 86: Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, including a key jumper and two free throws in the final minute, as Dallas beat visiting New Orleans.
Lee Nailon scored 14 points and P.J. Brown had 12 points and 14 rebounds to pace the Hornets.
Knicks 117, Lakers 115 (OT): Tim Thomas scored a season-high 35 points as New York recovered after blowing a 10-point lead in the final 46 seconds of regulation to beat visiting Los Angeles in overtime.
The victory was the third straight for the Knicks, matching their longest winning streak of the season. New York remained in last place in the Atlantic Division but pulled within five games of the first-place Boston Celtics.
Jazz 87, Clippers 86: Mehmet Okur converted a three-point play with 21.7 seconds remaining and Bobby Simmons missed a layup at the buzzer as Utah held on for a win over Los Angeles in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz won back-to-back games for the first time in a month and a half.
Gilbert ready to take over Cavs
LeBron James will soon have a new boss.
Detroit mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert will be introduced as the next owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers today. The club has scheduled an afternoon news conference at Gund Arena to introduce Gilbert, who purchased the club for $375 million, and announce the ownership transfer.
Monday, the NBA’s board of governors concluded its vote to approve the sale to the 42-year-old Gilbert. He needed the consent of 23 of the league’s 30 owners to take control of the team, which Gordon Gund has owned since 1983.
Gund is staying on as a minority owner in a group that includes Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Usher. Gund will retain at least a 10-percent stake in the club.