Spurs, Raptors take lead in playoff series

Tony Parker had 23 points hours after the birth of his first child and the San Antonio Spurs never trailed in a 109-103 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Manu Ginobili had 19 points and Tiago Splitter added 17 points and 12 rebounds as San Antonio regained home-court advantage in the tense series against their intrastate rival. Tim Duncan added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard had 15 points for the Spurs.

Vince Carter scored 28 points, making numerous heavily contested shots in going 10 for 16 from the field for Dallas.

After averaging 16 points in the series’ first four games, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki found the stroke in scoring 26 points. Nowitzki was 10-for-20 shooting, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Parker and the Spurs returning to form.

at Toronto 115, Brooklyn 113: Kyle Lowry scored a career playoff-high 36 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer after Toronto had blown a 26-point lead, and 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.

Game 7, if necessary, would be Sunday in Toronto. Joe Johnson scored 30 points and Mirza Teletovic had 17 for the Nets, who scored 44 points in the fourth quarter in charging back from an 83-57 deficit.

at Houston 108, Portland 98: Dwight Howard had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin came off the bench to score 21 and help the Rockets beat the Trail Blazers to avoid elimination. The Trail Blazers lead the first-round series, 3-2, entering Game 6 on Friday in Portland.

A basket by Damian Lillard got the Trail Blazers to within two points before James Harden stepped back and swished a 3-pointer to make it 103-98 with about three minutes left. Harden’s shot was the start of a 12-0 Houston run to close it out. He finished with 17 points and seven assists.

Houston finally slowed down LaMarcus Aldridge, limiting him to eight points, after he averaged 35.3 points in the first four games. Wesley Matthews led the Blazers with 27 points and Lillard added 26.