SPURS 90, MAVS 78: Steve Kerr helps San Antonio outscore Dallas 34-9 in the 4th to win the West.
By Associated Press
Published May 30, 2003
DALLAS - An unused player with four championship rings engineered an unreal turnaround that sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals for a chance at the franchise's second title.
Anybody remember Steve Kerr?
They certainly won't forget him in Texas after the Spurs defeated Dallas 90-78 Thursday night to win the West 4-2.
It seemed like a desperate move when the Spurs inserted the 37-year-old guard into the game late in the third quarter while trailing by 15, but instead it ended up being a brilliant one.
Kerr, who had played only 13 minutes in this postseason, made four 3-pointers and calmed a jittery team during a stunning 23-0 fourth-quarter run that ended Dallas' season.
"I mentioned to Steve that he needed to be ready tonight, and he was real ready," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's a fitting finish to what I thought would be the end of his career, but he told me we're going to have to think about an extension or he won't be available for the finals. And he said that with a straight face."
Stephen Jackson added 24 points, making five of San Antonio's 10 3-pointers, on a night when Tim Duncan was double- and triple-teamed constantly by Dallas' collapsing zone defense.
The Spurs held Dallas without a point for more than eight minutes during the fourth quarter to turn a lopsided game in the Mavs' favor into the exact opposite - a lopsided game that was all Spurs down the stretch.
San Antonio outscored Dallas 34-9 in the fourth and advanced to play the Nets in the NBA Finals beginning Wednesday night.
Kerr had three of his 3-pointers in the backbreaking 23-0 run that turned a 71-58 deficit into an 81-71 lead.
With the Mavericks collapsing on defense around Duncan, the Spurs were forced to try to win it from long range. Kerr, the career leader in 3-point accuracy, was the perfect player to lead the barrage.
"I figured just let it fly and see what happens," Kerr said. "I haven't been a difference maker in a long time."
Kerr only got the chance to play because Tony Parker had a stomach virus and backup Speedy Claxton was ineffective.
Kerr, who won three NBA titles with Chicago and one with the Spurs in 1999, finished with 12 points, three assists and two rebounds.
"This is one of best nights of my career, ranks right up there with anything that happened in Chicago. There's always a chance to have one moment, and tonight was one of those nights," Kerr said.
Duncan had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Nick Van Exel had 19 points to lead the Mavericks, who were without 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki for the third straight game because of a knee injury.
