Kings win on buzzer-beater

The lucky bounce went to the Sacramento Kings this time — and what a bounce it was!

Kevin Martin tossed in an improbable, twisting fast-break layup over Tim Duncan as time expired, and the Kings got back into their first-round playoff series against San Antonio with a 94-93 victory in Game 3 Friday night at Sacramento, Calif., cutting the Spurs’ lead to 2-1.

The Spurs won an overtime thriller in Game 2, with Brent Barry’s game-tying regulation 3-pointer bouncing twice on the rim and backboard before falling through. The Kings got the luck back home in front of a crazed crowd — and Martin delivered the biggest shot of his short NBA career.

Michael Finley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 41.1 seconds left for San Antonio, and Ron Artest turned the ball over with 27 seconds left in his return from a one-game suspension. The Spurs ran down the clock until the final seconds — but Manu Ginobili capped a terrible game by losing the ball on a drive for his seventh turnover.

Mike Bibby, who had 25 points, rushed the ball to midcourt and fed Martin, the Kings’ second-year shooting guard. He drove the lane and somehow lofted a shot over Duncan, who blocked six shots in a dominant performance also featuring 29 points and 12 rebounds.

The ball bounced delicately on the rim before falling through as the buzzer sounded, setting off pandemonium in Arco Arena.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Sacramento, with Game 5 back in San Antonio on Tuesday.

Artest had 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings, while Bibby had 25 points and eight assists.

CAVALIERS 97, WIZARDS 96:

At Washington, another milestone for LeBron James — his first winning shot in the playoffs.

James drove around Antonio Daniels, collided with Michael Ruffin and banked in a short shot on his way down with 5.7 seconds to play, giving Cleveland the victory over Washington and a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

James scored 41 points on 16-for-28 shooting and had five rebounds and three assists. He outdueled Gilbert Arenas, who scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter for the Wizards. Arenas, however, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game.

Game 4 is Sunday in Washington.

Larry Hughes, who had been struggling all series, scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 4:57 to play.

Caron Butler had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Antawn Jamison scored 14 points for the Wizards, who cooled considerably after shooting 55 percent in the first half.