San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, right, shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Brandan Wright (34) during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Dallas, Saturday, April 26, 2014. AP
SAN ANTONIO—Tony Parker scored 23 points hours after the birth of his first child as San Antonio never trailed in a 109-103 victory over Dallas on Wednesday, taking a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.
Manu Ginobili had 19 points and Tiago Splitter added 17 points and 12 rebounds as San Antonio regained home-court advantage. Tim Duncan added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard had 15 points for the Spurs.
Vince Carter scored 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field for Dallas. After averaging 16 points in the series’ first four games, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting.
Carter’s 3-pointer with 3 minutes left pulled Dallas within 98-94 but Parker followed a minute later with his only 3-pointer of the game.
Parker played on little sleep following the early morning birth of his son, Josh, with fiancee Axelle Francine.
Game 6 is Friday night in Dallas.
RAPTORS 115, NETS 113
TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored a career playoff-high 36 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer after Toronto had blown a 26-point lead, as the Raptors took a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.
DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 and Greivis Vasquez added 15 for the Raptors, who would advance to face Miami in the second round with a victory in Game 6 on Friday in Brooklyn.
Joe Johnson scored 30 points and Mirza Teletovic had 17 for the Nets, who scored 44 points in the fourth quarter but lost their final chance when Andray Blatche fired a pass well over Deron Williams’ head into the backcourt for a turnover.
Toronto led 94-72 on a 3-pointer by Vasquez with 11:23 remaining, but Brooklyn scored 15 of the next 18 points, including a four-point play by Alan Anderson, to make it 97-87 with 7:15 remaining.
Johnson later converted a three-point play, then made a 3 to tie it at 101 with 3:16 left.
Two free throws by Blatche and a 3 by Teletovic tied it at 106 with 1:23 left, but Lowry made a 3, then followed a layup by Blatche with a driving hook shot, putting the Raptors up 111-108 with 27 seconds remaining.