Tony Parker scored 17 points and Brent Barry
added 13 of his 15 in a second-quarter spurt, leading the San
Antonio Spurs to a 103-93 pre-season victory over the Miami Heat on
Saturday night.
Parker was 5-for-10 from the field and made all seven free throws
as the Spurs (3-2) bounced back from a loss to the Chicago Bulls on
Thursday where they scored only 67 points, the second-lowest total
for a pre-season game in franchise history.
Michael Finley also scored 15 for San Antonio, which Bruce Bowen
added 12 and Jacque Vaughn 11.
Shaquille O'Neal led the Heat with 24 points. He was 9-of-17 from
field and 6-of-10 from the line in 28 minutes. He did not play in
the fourth quarter.
Dwyane Wade added 23 points.
O'Neal and Wade both sat out the Heat's loss at Memphis on Friday
night.
The defending champion Heat (1-4) and the Spurs, the 2005 title
winners, matched each other basket for basket until Barry led a
second-quarter charge.
His 13 points in a span of six minutes helped the Spurs open a
50-29 lead. He went 4-of-5 with three three-pointers and two free
throws in that run.
Down 55-39 at halftime, the Heat busted out at the beginning of
the third quarter and went on an 18-4 run, cutting the lead to two
on Wade's two free throws with six minutes left in the quarter. Wade
and O'Neal combined for 14 points in that run, but it was as close
as Miami would get.