SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio's Tony Parker sank a 21-foot jumper as time expired and the Spurs won a thrilling reprise of last season's Western Conference finals, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 86-84 Thursday. Parker scored the last of his 14 points while Serge Ibaka – the NBA's leading shot-blocker last season – ran at him full steam. The All-Star guard calmly swished a long jumper from the left wing before breaking into a long, sustained scream while his teammates mobbed him. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant led all scorers with 23 points and began his sixth NBA season by becoming the second-youngest player behind LeBron James to reach 10,000 career points. Durant, however, stood frozen under the basket for several seconds after Parker's shot before walking off the court. Throw in the trade that sent James Harden to Houston, and it was the second Thunder stunner this week. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 20 points and eight rebounds. Parker also had 11 assists and hit a 3-pointer with 28.4 seconds left that tied the game and set up his buzzer-beater on the next possession. Durant also had 14 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 18 points but made a poor pass on the Thunder's final possession that gave the ball back to the Spurs with 5.9 seconds left, giving Parker plenty of time to set and release his shot. Thursday's other scheduled game between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks was postponed due to the after-effects of Superstorm Sandy. The NBA had originally intended to play the game Thursday at the Barclays Center until New York mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated Wednesday that it should be postponed. While the Barclays Center was not damaged by the super storm that pounded the eastern United States Monday, New York's subway system was swamped, leaving transportation in and around the city at a near standstill. The Nets are now scheduled to open their season at home Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, while the Knicks will kick off the new campaign against the defending champion Miami Heat Friday at Madison Square Garden. The NBA club owners and players, meanwhile, combined to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross and other organizations assisting in the recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Jordan committed to Bobcats Michael Jordan could no longer hide his frustration midway through the Charlotte Bobcats' dismal campaign last season. Not wanting anyone to see how angry he was, the Bobcats' owner moved from his seat at the end of the team's bench to his more secluded luxury suite high above the court. Still, he didn't give up on his club then and he isn't now. The ultra-competitive Jordan said despite watching his club “hit rock bottom" during the most miserable season in NBA history, he's “in it for the long haul" when it comes to seeing his struggling franchise transformed into a consistent winner. He knows it won't be a quick, easy process. “Are we a playoff team? C'mon, we can't expect that," Jordan said Thursday. “But we need to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I'm not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It's very, very frustrating." Charlotte finished with a 7-59 record, recording the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history. Jordan, who won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, believes he has the right man to turn things around in new coach Mike Dunlap. Dunlap has taken a no-nonsense, back-to-basics approach to coaching basketball — something Jordan said has been missing in Charlotte. “For years those steps have been skipped," Jordan said. “We don't have a star that can carry the team, so you've got to learn to play together. That is what I love about (Dunlap). He's going to get back to the basics with good passes, pivots, boxing out, running, taking care of the ball and taking good shots. All of the things that were lost." — Agencies
