nba roundup \ Saturday’s games

Mavericks 99, Spurs 90

DALLAS — Tony Parker was exhausted, having done everything the San Antonio Spurs wanted him to by aggressively taking the ball to the basket. When Parker wasn’t scoring, Tim Duncan was while bouncing back from the worst playoff game in his long career. That still wasn’t enough to save the Spurs from the brink of an unusual early playoff elimination against the Dallas Mavericks. Josh Howard scored 28 points, seven in an early second-half spurt that put Dallas ahead to stay. The Mavs gained a 3-1 lead in their first-round Western Conference series, putting them on the verge of ousting a Spurs team that has little beyond Parker and Duncan. “It’s obvious that that’s what we need to do. Those guys have to have the ball as much as possible,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Sure, we hope that other people step up and make shots and make plays. It didn’t happen enough.” For the Mavericks, it did — even without big nights from Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. “They have a lot more weapons than us,” Parker said. Without an incredible comeback, beginning Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Spurs will be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000. They have been in every postseason since and won three NBA titles. “A 3-1 lead is great to have, but it’s no guarantee,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “They’re not going anywhere,” Jason Kidd said. “We have to understand that. ... It’s not easy to put a team away, especially a team that has won championships.” Parker had 31 of his 43 points by halftime, matching George Gervin’s franchise playoff record for points in a half. That came after he was held to 12 points in Game 3, when the Spurs lost 88-67 in their lowest-scoring playoff game ever.

Hornets 95, Nuggets 93

NEW ORLEANS — In a relieved New Orleans locker room, Chris Paul and James Posey chatted about all the hard fouls, all the flying bodies that more than anything defined the Hornets’ first win of this postseason. “This is the fun part of the playoffs, all the contact, all the flagrant fouls,” Paul said. “You never want anyone to get hurt, but after it’s all said and done, you smile about it because that’s the nature of the sport.” Playing a grueling 46 minutes and shaking off a hard foul committed against him, Paul had 32 points and 12 assists, helping New Orleans hold on in Game 3 of their first-round series. The Hornets cut Denver’s lead in the series to 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday night. Posey, who sprained his right knee in the first quarter but returned before halftime, had 13 points and nine rebounds, none more important than his last, which came after Carmelo Anthony’s jumper for the lead bounced out with under 5 seconds left. Posey also played the last 4:39 with five fouls. “I wanted to finish out the game, just be smart about it,” Posey said. “The fouls I did commit, I felt were needed at the time — nothing easy, make them earn it at the free throw line.”

Heat 107, Hawks 78

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade finished with 29 points and eight assists, Jermaine O’Neal added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Miami extended Atlanta’s decade-plus road playoff drought. The Heat lead the series 2-1 and host Game 4 Monday night. It was over early: Atlanta missed 17 of its first 19 shots, and a 25-6 Heat run to end the first half pushed their lead to 50-29. Josh Smith, Al Horford and Mike Bibby scored 13 apiece for Atlanta, which is 0-12 in road playoff games since May 8, 1997, losing all but one by at least 10 points.

Associated Press