NBA: Parker powers Spurs to game one win versus Heat

(Updated 11:39am) The San Antonio Spurs, behind a last-second floater attempt that connected by Tony Parker, shocked the Miami Heat on their home court, the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, 92-88 on Thursday (Friday, PHL time) to take game one of the 2013 NBA Finals.

The Heat led for much of the game, but the Spurs came surging back in the fourth quarter, 23-16, with 10 points from Parker, whose floater with 5.2 seconds to go, had to be reviewed before the referees confirmed that he had gotten it off over James before the 24-second shot clock sounded. The shot made it a two-possession game and the Heat could not recover.

Dwyane Wade drew first blood for the defending champions with a running dunk off a LeBron James assist, but the Spurs punched back for nine unanswered, barely three minutes gone by, 9-2. That set the tone for the game, as both sides went back and forth at each other.

Back-to-back three-pointers by James and Ray Allen first tied the game at 18-all, and then after a split at the line by Manu Ginobili, put the Heat ahead, 21-19, 2:48 left. James added a free throw, and Mike Miller drove hard to the rim with the shot clock winding down, to put the home team up by five, 24-19, 1:03 left.

The Spurs however made sure to finish the period strong, getting back-to-back hits from their reserve guards Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili, to trail by just a point, 24-23.

Allen and Miller both canned three pointers early in the second, to put Miami up by five, 31-26, but Ginobili connected on a long-distance make of his own, 31-29, 9:33 still to play in the first half.

Miami unreeled seven straight, to go up by nine, 38-29, but once again, the Spurs were there to negate that blitz, getting seven points back, 38-36.

A personal 6-0 run by Dwyane Wade, followed by a Norris Cole lay-in, made it an eight-point affair, 46-38, 4:29 remaining in the second, but the Tim Duncan-Tony Parker combination got the visitors within three, 50-47, with 30.9 ticks left in the half.

Another Wade jumper threatened to put the Heat into the break up by two scores, but off an inbounds play, the veteran Duncan canned a fadeaway jumper to arrive at the 52-49 tally at the intermission.

At the break, Miami shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent (6-of-15) from downtown, and held the visiting side to a 42.9 percent clip. They also out-rebounded the Spurs 22-to-19, 3-2 on the offensive glass.

An early third-quarter run saw the Heat go up by seven, 58-51, after back-to-back Bosh hits. Six unanswered however pulled the Spurs within a point, the closest they've been in a long time, but the Heat kept their heads above water throughout the period.

Three-pointers from Chalmers and Allen maintained their lead, erecting five-point buffers in both cases, but Manu Ginobili finished the third quarter with two free throws, keeping the difference between the two teams pat, 72-69.

Tony Parker made it a one-point game anew at the dawn of the fourth, 72-71, and his strong play gave the Spurs their first lead since the initial period, 77-76, at the 7:47 mark.

Chris Bosh got it back on the next possession with a jumper, off James' 10th assist, but the Spurs unleashed an 8-1 run to surge ahead, 85-79, 3:30 remaining in the game.

LeBron James came to his team's aid, canning a lay-up off an offensive carom to quell the Heat's silence, but in response, Danny Green canned a big triple, 88-81, 1:51 left. Another lay-up by James got it down to five, then after Ginobili was unable to make it two treys in a row, Green was whistled for a foul on an Allen triple try, resulting in three charities and a two-point game, 88-86, 1:28 on the clock.

Duncan drove hard on the next play and drew a foul from Bosh, the veteran big man calmly canning both freebies, for a two-possession lead. On the other end, Bosh launched a triple that missed, but off a timeout, Parker's jump shot failed to connect, keeping the Heat alive.

A Ginobili foul sent James to the line, and the reigning MVP canned both, 31 seconds to go, 90-88. Parker however went right back at the Heat, dribbling his way through the maze of defenders, and even falling to one knee. Still, the former Finals MVP canned the banker, with five ticks left, for another two-possession Spurs lead.

Off a timeout, Wade then missed a desperation lay-up, allowing the Spurs to steal this one on the road.

Tony Parker finished with a team-high 21 points on 50 percent shooting. He also added six assists and two steals, versus no turnovers. Tim Duncan shrugged off a slow start to finish with 20 points, 14 boards, four assists and three swats, while Manu Ginobili came off the bench for 13 markers.

The Spurs drew a ton of help from their supporting cast. Danny Green scored 12 points, all from three-pointers. Kawhil Leonard added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal chipped in seven points each.

LeBron James finished with a triple-double of 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, but it wasn't enough to get the win. Dwyane Wade added 17 points, two boards and two assists, while Chris Bosh, hampered by foul trouble, finished with just 13 points, the same amount as Ray Allen, who came off the bench.

The Spurs dominated the Heat in the second-chance points category, 21-8. They also held the defending champions to a 27.8 percent clip in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most.

San Antonio also turned the ball over just four times, half the number of Miami's miscues. - AMD, GMA News