San Antonio, TX – The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs reversed roles.
With home-court advantage possibly on the line throughout the NBA playoffs, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra sat his two superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade due to nagging injuries.
But the sometimes forgotten of the "Big Three," Chris Bosh, showed that he's still a superstar too.
Bosh nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to life the Heat to an 88-86 win over the Spurs.
Bosh, who finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, was 9-of-15 from the floor for Miami, which has won back-to-back games since having its 27-game winning streak snapped against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
"We are the defending champions no matter who we put out there," Bosh said. "We are still the Miami Heat. As soon as I saw (the Spurs) put two (defenders on Allen) on the ball, I knew my opportunity was there."
Tony Parker's bank shot at the buzzer was off the mark which put the Heat three games ahead of San Antonio with nine to play for the NBA's best record.
James played through a right hamstring strain suffered during the first half of Friday's game against the New Orleans Hornets, but sat out the final frame with the Heat comfortably in front.
Wade hurt his right ankle during Wednesday's loss against the Chicago Bulls, but played Friday.
In a game against Miami early in November, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sent guards Parker and Manu Ginobili, along with forwards Tim Duncan and Danny Green home prior to the contest. The NBA fined the organization $250,000 for the move. The Heat won that tilt, 105-100.
Duncan, Parker and Green all suited up Sunday, but Ginobili was unable to go due to a right hamstring strain.
Duncan registered 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and 11 boards for the Spurs, who had won six of their last seven tilts coming in.
Ray Allen's 3-pointer gave the Heat a 74-64 cushion with 9:36 remaining, but the Spurs used a 13-3 run to take the lead later in the frame. Back-to-back Duncan jumpers gave San Antonio an 86-83 edge with 1:21 to go.
Norris Cole drew a foul with 32.1 ticks left and hit two free throws before Duncan's jumper in the paint with 11.9 seconds to play was off the mark. Allen corralled the rebound and was double teamed along the left wing as San Antonio defended for a possible triple.
But Bosh was left free at the top of the arc and nailed the go-ahead triple over Duncan, who couldn't close out in time.
"(Bosh) is a heck of a player, No. 1," Popovich said. "He's also a hell of a shooter."
Earlier, the Spurs led 24-22 after a quarter of play and took a 45-40 spread into the break.
The Heat, though, used a 14-3 swing to put themselves in front, 64-56, in the latter stages of the third before taking a 71-64 spread into the fourth.
Game Notes
The Spurs, who had their seven-game home winning streak snapped, fell to 32-5 at AT&T Center this season ... Allen recorded 14 points and five assists ... Miami scored 20 points off 17 San Antonio turnovers.
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