Near miss

Jackson's late shots nearly save Game 2 for Spurs

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- Before Game Two of the NBA Finals, San Antonio Spurs guard Stephen Jackson hugged every member of the starting five of the New Jersey Nets, some of whom used to be his teammates.

With a chance to put a chokehold on his former team, he let go.

After shooting the Spurs back into the game Friday night, Jackson missed a potential winning 3-pointer that allowed the Nets to escape the SBC Center with an 87-85 victory that evened the championship series at one game apiece.

Jackson scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, all on 3-pointers. His final one cut the deficit to 86-85 with 9.9 seconds to go, and when Nets guard Jason Kidd split a pair of free throws, the Spurs had a chance to tie it - or win it.

Guard Tony Parker got past Kidd and quickly dribbled up the middle of the court as Jackson fanned to the left wing extended. Parker found him open, and with Kidd racing to get back into the play, he launched his shot.

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"He just made one before, so I thought it was a good pass and it was wide open and we went for the win," Parker said.

"That play helped me out because I tried to jump Tony Parker to eat up some of the clock and Tony just went right past me," Kidd said. "My job was to try to track down Stephen Jackson and hope to try to get a deflection and make him rush it."

Jackson had enough time to let Kidd streak past him and reset for the shot. Instead, he took the pass and shot in rhythm, perhaps allowing Kidd to get close enough to affect it.

"I think I could have pump-faked it, but Tony gave me a great pass," Jackson said. "Jason Kidd did a great job contesting it and he kind of got a finger or two on it. It felt good but he got back and contested the shot.

"Tony made a great pass. I should have knocked it down."

The shot bounced to the foul line, and the Spurs were unable to get off another shot in the scramble for the rebound.

"I thought Jason did a good job of getting it contested," Nets coach Byron Scott said. "I really wasn't worried when he shot that one. The one he shot in the corner was the one that worried me more than anything."

That one came after Kidd had made two free throws to give New Jersey an 86-82 lead with 11 seconds left. San Antonio called its last timeout and devised an inbounds play that saw Steve Kerr find Jackson wide open for a 3-pointer that made it a one-point game for the second time in the period.

"Blown assignment, big-time," said Scott.

"Dave (Robinson) set a good screen and I was able to knock it down," Jackson said. "That has worked for us a couple of times this year."

Jackson spent his 2000-01 rookie season with the Nets, starting nearly half the games and averaging 8.3 points. But his skittish play and demand for the ball had Scott label him as "uncoachable."

The native of Port Arthur, Texas signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2001 but spent most of last season on the injured list. This season, he earned a starting spot and helped San Antonio to the best record in the league. He came into the Finals averaging 13.6 points in the postseason.

"The things Byron said about me - not being coachable and not being able to play on his team - maybe he was right," Jackson said before the series began. "Maybe some of those things might be right. I don't have any hard feelings."

The Spurs trailed 66-56 entering the fourth quarter, which Jackson began with a 3-pointer. He made another at the 6:24 mark to cut the deficit to 76-70.

"I think they were starting to go after Tim (Duncan)," he said. "You know I love that. That way I can get my game going, especially my offensive game. I was just taking them with confidence."

Except the last one.

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