Neal’s heroics keeps Spurs hope alive

DPA/Los Angeles

TRYING TO BREAKFREE: Arron Afflalo of the Denver Nuggets looks to get past Thabo Sefolosha of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the NBA Playoffs at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The San Antonio Spurs were on the brink of elimination until Gary Neal saved their season - for now. Neal fired in the tying three-pointer as time expired to force overtime, and the Spurs took control in the extra session to stay alive with a dramatic 110-103 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in their Western Conference first-round playoff series. “This is the biggest shot I’ve ever hit in my career by far,” Neal said. “This one kept our season alive. It gave us five minutes more and the guys took advantage in overtime.” San Antonio trails 3-2 and remains on the verge of becoming just the second top-seed to be fall to an eighth-seed in a best-of-seven series, which shifts back to Memphis for game six on Friday night. “It’s going to be so hard,” said Argentine ace Manu Ginobili, who finished with a game-high 33 points. “Usually they play with an edge and fire. They have an opportunity to eliminate the number one seed in the West, so it’s going to be wild.” Frenchman Tony Parker had six of his 24 points in overtime and nine assists for the Spurs, who received 13 points and 12 rebounds from Tim Duncan. “Gary’s shot gave us new life, it gave us energy,” Parker said. “We just finished the job after that.” Zach Randolph had 26 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis, which erased an early 16-point deficit. Mike Conley scored 20 and Spaniard Marc Gasol contributed 11 and 17 boards. The Grizzlies will again try to wrap up the franchise’s first series win with history on their side. Only eight teams have rallied after falling into a 3-1 hole. “We embrace the challenge of going back to Memphis and closing them out,” Conley said. “I don’t think there’s any pressure on us, because people didn’t expect us to be in the position we’re in.  Hopefully, we can get it done.” Neal’s basket was the second of two huge shots for the Spurs in the final 2.2 seconds of regulation. Ginobili hit a tough jumper from the right corner while falling out of bounds. Originally it was called a three, which would have knotted the game at 95-95. However, officials reviewing the play on a court-side monitor ruled his toe was on the line. Randolph’s two free throws put the Grizzlies ahead, 97-94. With time running out on their season, Neal took an inbound pass with 1.7 seconds left and delivered from the top of the key over OJ Mayo. “We made those two shots that kept us alive and Gary put us in overtime,” Ginobili said. “Up until then, we were already packing. We were very close of being on vacation.” In other games: Miami Heat 97, Philadelphia 76ers 91 Dwyane Wade had 26 points with 11 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 22 with 11 boards, and the Heat closed out the pesky Sixers in their opening round Eastern Conference series, 4-1. “I appreciate the Sixers, they played a fantastic series,” Bosh said. “They never laid down. They played until the end and made it hard on us.” Miami will host the Boston Celtics on Sunday in the opener of their semifinal conference series. “These are two teams that want it,” Heat guard Mario Chalmers said. “These are two teams that don’t like each other. It’s going to be a blood bath.” Chalmers scored 20 off the bench, LeBron James finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Miami, which won its first playoff series since the 2006 championship season. Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand tossed in 22 points apiece for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who showed poise and toughness in their first playoff appearance since 2008.“We fought to the finish,” Sixers coach Doug Collins said, “as we said we were going to do.” Trailing by 10 early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers pulled to within 92-91 on Iguodala’s jumper with 37 seconds left. Joel Anthony was fouled and calmly sank both free throws with 16.8 seconds remaining, putting Miami ahead by three.