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Parker, Spurs look to continue sizzling play in Game Three

Jun 12, 2007 - 12:46 PM San Antonio (58-24) at Cleveland (50-32) 9:00 pm EDT NBA Finals Spurs lead, 2-0

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs are halfway to their ultimate goal.

Parker and the Spurs aim to increase their series lead when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of the NBA Finals on Tuesday.

San Antonio built a 27-point lead through three quarters then held off a spirited comeback by Cleveland to win, 103-92, to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the series.

With just two more victories, the Spurs, who won titles in 1999, 2003 and 2005, would become just the fourth team in NBA history to win four championships, joining the Boston Celtics (16), the Los Angeles Lakers (14), and the Chicago Bulls (six).

Much like his outstanding effort in the first game, Parker was the engine for San Antonio in Game Two. On Sunday, the sixth-year Frenchman scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting, including 26 through three quarters when the Spurs built a huge 89-62 advantage entering the fourth.

Parker, who also had a game-high 27 points in Game One, is shooting 58 percent (25-of-43) in both games.

Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan was his usual superlative self, tallying 23 points and eight rebounds while sixth-man star Manu Ginobili scored 25, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range.

The big three combined for 78 points, the ninth time in these playoffs the trio has united to score at least 60 points. It was also the fourth game they have tallied 70 or more.

The mountain that Cleveland has to climb would be even steeper, if it had not shown signs of life in the fourth quarter of Game Two. The Cavaliers outscored the Spurs, 30-14, in the period, reducing their deficit down to eight twice in the last five minutes before ultimately falling by 11.

Rookie Daniel Gibson scored nine points in the quarter and James scored eight for Cleveland, which also trailed, 58-33, at the half, the third-largest halftime deficit in finals history.

The 22-year-old James finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but also had a playoff-high six turnovers for the second consecutive game.

The Cavaliers are shooting just 42 percent (63-of-151) for the series and must know that only the 2006 Miami Heat, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and 1969 Boston Celtics are the only clubs in finals history to trail 2-0 before coming back to win a series.