Spurs Hold Off Nuggets, Even Series
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The San Antonio Spurs nearly headed to Denver down 0-2.
After squandering a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, the Spurs held on for a 97-88 victory over the Denver Nuggets last night to even the first-round playoff series.
Manu Ginobili had eight points in the fourth quarter and Tim Duncan added seven points in the final 12 minutes to save the Spurs from losing two home games against sixth-seeded Denver.
Duncan led San Antonio with 22 points and five blocked shots. Tony Parker had 20 points, Ginobili had 17, all but two in the second half, and Michael Finley added 14.
The Nuggets got within 91–88 on a 3-pointer by Allen Iverson with 45 seconds to play, but Duncan’s layup and free throws by Finley and Parker put the Spurs on even footing with Denver, which won Game 1 95-89 on Sunday.
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 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Denver.
