The Heat led for much of the game, but the Spurs came surging back in the fourth quarter, 23-16, 10 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.
Dwyane Wade drew first blood for the Heat 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 then 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 out 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 them 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, by 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 daw 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 first 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 canned 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 things tight.
A Ginobili foul sent James to the line, and the reigning MVP canned both, 31 seconds to go. 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 six ticks left, for another two-possession Spurs lead.
Off a timeout, Wade then missed a desperation lay-up, allowing the Spurs to steal this on the road. - AMD, GMA News
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