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 Tim Duncan scored 30 points and added 11 rebounds, Manu Ginobili's driving layup with 36.5 seconds left was the go-ahead score, and the Spurs rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat the Heat 90-89 Thursday night.
"It feels like we just got hit in the gut," Wright said. "Again."
It was Miami's 15th straight loss, two shy of matching the franchise futility record. This one may have hurt most of all, considering the Heat were either leading or tied for 46:48 of the game's 48 minutes.
"I don't know if we can play any better than that," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "We're going to have to, though."
Dwyane Wade scored 27 points and added nine assists for Miami, but lost the ball while driving for what could have been the winning score with 3 seconds left. Mark Blount, playing in place of the injured Shaquille O'Neal, added 23 points and Jason Williams scored 14 for Miami.
Ginobili had 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Spurs, who got 12 points from Tony Parker and 10 from Michael Finley.
"I thought we might run out of gas," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "But we didn't."
In the other NBA games Thursday, Milwaukee beat Indiana 104-92 and Golden State topped New Jersey 121-119.
Miami led by 10 in the third quarter, then trailed for only the second time after Parker made a pair of free throws with 2:23 left. But Wade curled past Duncan for a layup 12 seconds later to put Miami back on top, then stole the ball from Duncan on San Antonio's next two possessions.
It still wasn't enough, as Miami managed only eight points over the final 8:50.
"We didn't play great," Ginobili said. "But mentally, we were there and we gave our best effort."
So did Miami.
Wade -- who left without speaking with reporters -- laid on the court after his final turnover, declining when fellow All-Star starter Duncan offered to help him up, and just stared at the scoreboard as the crowd began heading for exits.
He knew this was an opportunity missed -- and all the ingredients were right for a Miami upset.
Miami hadn't played since Monday and hasn't ventured outside of South Florida since playing in New Orleans on Jan. 11. Meanwhile, the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, then flew to Miami and didn't reach their hotel until 3:45 a.m.
Down the stretch, though, they weren't deterred.
"Once you get in that fourth quarter and your adrenaline's flowing and you know the score is what it is, you're not really tired any more," Duncan said. "You just play through it."
It was clear, the Heat wanted this one badly.
Most of the bench, including assistant coaches Bob McAdoo, Ron Rothstein and Erik Spoelstra spent time in the fourth quarter on their feet, the combination of anxiety and anticipation making it hard for them to sit still.
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"There was definitely a lot of energy in the house, from the fans to the players to the coaches to the guys on the court," Haslem said. "We've got to continue to play like that every game."
But in the end, the Spurs only added to their misery.
"Once again, we just didn't get the job done," Haslem said.
Of course, there was some bad luck for the Heat involved, too.
In what might seem like the perfect microcosm of Miami's season so far, Bruce Bowen missed a right-wing jumper with 6:40 left in the opening quarter. Wright leaped for the rebound and
-- just as he was touching the ball -- banged bodies with Haslem, who also was airborne.
The ball skipped off Wright's hands and through the rim, resulting in a basket credited to Fabricio Oberto, the nearest San Antonio player.
That basket proved to be huge.
"We don't look at it as luck," Bowen said. "Luck only happens in horseshoes."
Warriors 121, Nets 119
At Oakland, Calif., Monta Ellis scored a career-high 39 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute, and Golden State both scored 22 consecutive points and blew a 13-point lead in a nutty fourth quarter.
Baron Davis posted his eighth career triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, yet the Warriors weren't safe until Ellis hit two go-ahead free throws with a minute left and two more with 15.7 seconds to play. Al Harrington scored 19 points as Golden State finally finished off New Jersey, which lost its seventh straight despite Richard Jefferson's 34 points and an impressive fourth-quarter rally.
Vince Carter scored 29 points for the Nets, who are on their longest skid in more than three years. Josh Boone had 21 points and 17 rebounds for New Jersey.
Bucks 104, Pacers 92
At Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 37 points and Andrew Bogut had 17 points for the Bucks.
Redd scored 10 in the fourth quarter, playing every minute of the second half and 45 minutes overall as the Bucks won for only the second time in eight games.
Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points and Danny Granger added 20 for Indiana, which has lost three of four since star forward Jermaine O'Neal went out with a bruised left knee.
[Associated Press;
By TIM REYNOLDS]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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