Irving's 57 points help Cavs rally past stunned Spurs
LeBron James' first trip back to San Antonio since last year's Finals looked like it was going to end in similarly disappointing fashion.
Kyrie Irving wouldn't let that happen.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' All-Star point guard outscored the Spurs 6-0 over the final 31 seconds of regulation, sending the game to overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer after Kawhi Leonard missed two potentially game-clinching free throws.
Irving finished with a franchise-record and NBA season-high 57 points in Cleveland's thrilling 128-125 victory. That bests James' previous Cavs' record of 56 points set in 2005 and his own 55-point performance from a January victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Kyrie Irving: 1st player with multiple 55-point games in a regular season since Kobe Bryant (2006-07, 3)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2015
Irving's 57 points were also the most ever scored by an opponent in San Antonio.
Related: LeBron on Irving: 'The kid is special'
The Game of the Year candidate featured 13 lead changes and 11 ties, with an Irving basket with 2:34 remaining in overtime giving the Cavs their first lead (115-113) since the second quarter.
The win - Cleveland's third straight - snapped a six-game Spurs win streak, and gave the Cavs a 1.5-game lead over the depleted Chicago Bulls in the Central Division.
James finished with 31 points, seven assists and five rebounds, as he and Irving combined to produce over 68 percent of the team's offensive production - on 58 percent shooting.
Tony Parker led the way for San Antonio with 31 points, while Leonard (24 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists) and Tim Duncan (18-11-8) each flirted with triple-doubles in defeat.
Leonard, particularly, dominated at times on both ends of the court, but his play was overshadowed by two missed free throws with the Spurs up 110-107 and only four seconds remaining in regulation, paving the way for Irving's buzzer-beater.
Danny Green chipped in 24 points for the Spurs.
The one downside for the Cavs was the play of Kevin Love, who finished with eight points and five rebounds on 2-of-10 shooting, spending the entire fourth quarter on the bench.