NBA | Spurs stop Nuggets, clinch series

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Michael Finley set a San Antonio playoff record with eight three-pointers last night, and the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 93-78 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Finley finished with 26 points, Tim Duncan had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Tony Parker added 16 points and 10 assists for the third-seeded Spurs, who dropped Game 1 to the Nuggets at home before winning the next four in the first-round series.

It was a virtual repeat of 2005, when the Spurs lost Game 1 at home before winning the next four to eliminate Denver.

The Spurs will meet either the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns in the second round. Phoenix, which led, 3-1, hosted Game 5 last night.

Roy top rookie. The Portland Trail Blazers' Brandon Roy was voted the league's rookie of the year.

Roy led all rookies with averages of 16.8 points, 4.0 assists and 35.4 minutes in 57 games.

The 6-foot-6 guard received 127 out of 128 first-place votes (638 points) from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Toronto's Andrea Bargnani finished second with 264 points, and Memphis' Rudy Gay was third with 93.

Roy is the third Trail Blazer to win the award, joining Geoff Petrie (1970-71) and Sidney Wicks (1971-72).

The Blazers finished 32-50, with 11 more wins than in the previous season, but they failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Jackson spared suspension. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league would not suspend Golden State's Stephen Jackson from tonight's Game 6 of the Warriors' playoff series against Dallas.

Jackson, who had been ejected from Game 2 and fined $50,000 by the league, was ejected with 8.9 seconds left in Game 5, a 118-112 loss.

Warriors coach Don Nelson announced immediately after the game that Jackson would be fined "a substantial amount" for the incident.

Mavs stay alive - barely. The Mavericks blew a 21-point lead and were on the verge of becoming the winningest No. 1 seed to lose in the first round in Dallas on Tuesday.

But Dirk Nowitzki led a remarkable comeback, rallying his teammates from a nine-point deficit in the last 3 minutes, 2 seconds. The Mavs scored the last 15 points - Nowitzki had 12 of them - to win.

The Warriors still lead the series, 3-2.

Bobcats interview Van Gundy. Add Stan Van Gundy to the growing list of candidates for the Charlotte coaching job.

Van Gundy interviewed this week, his first coaching interview since resigning from the Miami Heat in December 2005.

He remains under contract with Miami through the end of next season, but Heat president Pat Riley allowed Van Gundy to interview when Bobcats general manager Bernie Bickerstaff asked.