Mavs top Spurs in Game 3 with Vince Carter buzzer-beater, take 2-1 series lead
The Dallas Mavericks took a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs behind Vince Carter's buzzer-beating three Saturday night to win Game 3, 109-108, at American Airlines Center.
The Spurs cracked the 100-point mark for the first time in the series after producing a sixth-best 105.4 points per game during the regular season. Manu Ginobili's driving layup with 1.9 seconds didn't give the No. 1 seed enough of a cushion.
Monta Ellis, who led all scorers with 29 points, tied the game with a three-point play at 102 with 1:10 to go in the game, and tied the game again at 106 with 24.9 seconds remaining.
Star Performer
Though Carter's final second on the court stole the show, the push to put the Mavericks into a position to win the game was all Ellis.
Ellis went 12 for 22 from the field and 3 for 7 from three, scoring 12 of his 29 points in the fourth and making the Spurs' 63.2 percent shooting from the field irrelevant.
Turning Point
There was hardly a mark Saturday night to indicate which team would hold a 2-1 series lead. The lead changed 18 times in Game 3, and the contest was tied 18 times.
The Spurs were 44 of 81 from the field with 36 boards and 26 assists, while the Mavericks were 42 of 82 from the field with 35 boards and 25 assists.
Ginobili's driving layup almost looked like a sure win for the Spurs, but Carter's only shot in the fourth was the deciding factor.
And is anyone as happy as Mark Cuban about the last-minute turning point?
[Courtesy SB Nation]
Highlight reel
There was sweet, sweet redemption for the Mavs veteran Carter at home to give Dallas its second straight win over San Antonio. The Mavericks are 0-8 in over the last two regular seasons against the Spurs.
[Courtesy NBA]
Quote of the night
Carter told reporters he didn't mind the pressure of a game-winning shot, and Saturday's three was a do-over of sorts.
"Sometimes you'll miss a big shot, 2001, and you hold on to it for a while until you get the opportunity again," Carter said.
Vince Carter: "[Carlisle] said, 'Hey, you're going to get the ball and you're going to knock it down.' I said, 'OK, no problem.'"
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) April 27, 2014
Series at a glance
Game 1: SAS 90, DAL 85 (Spurs lead 1-0)
Game 2: DAL 113, SAS 92 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: DAL 109, SAS 106 (Mavericks lead 2-1)
Game 4: Monday, April 28 - 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Wednesday, April 30 - TBA
Game 6*: Friday, May 2 - TBA
Game 7*: Sunday, May 4 - TBA