Buzzer-beating tip does it for Spurs

LOS ANGELES (AP): Manu Ginobili had an open three-pointer. Tony Parker made his teardrop drive through the lane. Tim Duncan finally shot a fade-away jumper.

The Spurs' three stars all got their signature shots on San Antonio's final possession, and all three missed.

Thanks to Antonio McDyess, the Spurs still left this meeting of the conference's top two teams with another reason to believe they're the best in the West.

McDyess tipped in Duncan's missed jumper right before the buzzer and the Spurs survived the Los Angeles Lakers' late rally for an 89-88 victory on Thursday night.

"We all missed and Dice saved us," said Parker, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half.

Right place, right time

The game featured a full third of the West All-Star team that will take the Staples Center court on February 20, but a veteran journey-man forward's heads-up play decided the Spurs' second win over the Lakers this season.

"I was in the right place at the right time and it bounced right to me," McDyess said. "I haven't had too many (buzzer-beaters). I can probably count them on one hand, but this is a big one."

Richard Jefferson added 18 points for San Antonio in a defence-dominated meeting of two veteran teams hoping for another championship run.

San Antonio nursed a small lead through most of the second half until Lamar Odom's three-pointer with one minute to play and Pau Gasol's free throws with 22.7 seconds left put the Lakers ahead.

After Ginobili and Parker missed shots they normally make, San Antonio twice got the ball back. Duncan's shot after an inbounds play then bounced high off the back rim, but McDyess eluded Odom and Kobe Bryant to tip it home an instant before the buzzer sounded on San Antonio's 12th win in 14 games.

"It bounced off, kind of like slow motion, and I was able to get my hand up," said McDyess, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds - including six offensive boards.

improbable tip

Los Angeles held the Spurs scoreless in the final 1:53 - until McDyess' improbable tip set off a joyous on-court celebration. Duncan and McDyess both were stunned when Duncan's fadeaway jumper missed.

"It felt really good on the release and it was on line," said Duncan, who scored eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. "That's a bunch of emotions in like a second and a half."

Gasol scored 19 points after being selected to the All-Star team earlier in the day, and Bryant added 16 points on 5-for-18 shooting along with 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who again came up small in a big game.

The two-time defending NBA champions dropped to 1-5 against the four teams above them in the overall standings, including two losses to San Antonio.

"It was an ugly game," Bryant said. "When you've got two good defensive teams, for the most part it's going to be that way. I think both teams didn't shoot the ball particularly well. They shot it better in stretches than we did. We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but they just got a great bounce. It bounced right to him."

James scores 51

Meanwhile, in the days leading up to Miami's third matchup of the season with Southeast Division-rival Orlando, LeBron James stressed that even at barely the midpoint of the season there was high importance for Thursday night's game in Orlando. And James played like it, pouring in 51 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists - including a 23-point first quarter - to lead Miami to a 104-100 victory.

It was a season high for James, whose scoring effort tied for the fifth most points of his career. Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Chris Bosh 13.

In the night's other match, Monta Ellis, the league's sixth-leading scorer, and Stephen Curry combined for 15 points in the final 4:38 and the Golden State Warriors rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94.