MINNEAPOLIS — Being 0-3 really bothered Tony Parker.

The San Antonio Spurs needed every last layup and feathery jumper from the fast-moving Frenchman, whose unstoppable performance was enough to fuel their first win.

Parker scored a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second overtime, in San Antonio's 129-125 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night.

The Spurs avoided an 0-4 start for the first time since 1973, when they still played in the ABA.

"I just wanted to win so bad. I was going to try to do everything I can," said Parker, whose previous best was a 38-point effort in January 2006 at Miami. "It's just one of those games. Everything you do, it works."

After Al Jefferson backed down Tim Duncan and sank a turnaround hook to put Minnesota up 116-114 with 2 1/2 seconds left in the first overtime, Parker took the inbounds pass, dribbled right, pump-faked once and let the ball fly.

Swish.

Jefferson, who had 30 points and 14 rebounds, paused to sit on the scorer's table before play resumed and just shook his head as if to say, "What more can we do?"

Parker scored six of his team's first eight points in the second overtime for a 124-120 lead the Spurs never lost.

HAWKS 87, HORNETS 79

NEW ORLEANS — Joe Johnson scored 24 points and Atlanta connected on 12 3-pointers and used a 14-2 fourth-quarter surge to take at 72-65 lead. The Hawks' lead never dipped below six thereafter as they stayed unbeaten while handing New Orleans its first loss.

HEAT 106, 76ERS 83

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade scored 29 points, Mario Chalmers set a franchise record with nine steals, and Miami, which forced 26 turnovers in the game, scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to open up a 90-69 lead with 6:11 remaining in cruising past Philadelphia.

JAZZ 103, BLAZERS 96

SALT LAKE CITY — Mehmut Okur scored 22 points and Carlos Boozer added 20 — four in the final 30 seconds, including a layup with 29.2 seconds left to reclaim a three-point advantage — as Utah held off Portland to improve to 4-0.

PISTONS 100, RAPTORS 93

TORONTO — Tayshaun Prince scored 27 points and Richard Hamilton had 22 to help Detroit improve to 4-0 without newly acquired Allen Iverson, who was unavailable because Chauncey Billups, one of three players traded to Denver, hadn't completed his physical.

KNICKS 101, BOBCATS 98

NEW YORK — Zach Randolph had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Nate Robinson scored all 24 of his points in the first half, and New York ruined former Knicks coach Larry Brown's first game back at Madison Square Garden by beating Charlotte.

SUNS 113, PACERS 103

INDIANAPOLIS — Amare Stoudemire scored 49 points, falling a point short of his career high, with 11 rebounds, and Phoenix used an early fourth-quarter run to open a 98-88 lead and never trailed again in beating Indiana.

CELTICS 96, THUNDER 83

OKLAHOMA CITY — Paul Pierce had 20 points and nine rebounds, Ray Allen scored 18 points and Boston, after giving up 29 points in the first quarter, held Oklahoma City to 25 percent shooting over the next two periods and opened up a 70-53 lead with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

CAVALIERS 107, BULLS 93

CLEVELAND — LeBron James, who briefly left the floor in the first quarter after twisting his left ankle, scored a season-high 41 points — 15 on free throws — for Cleveland. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cavs finished the game with a 17-3 run to turn back past Chicago.

BUCKS 112, WIZARDS 104

MILWAUKEE — Richard Jefferson scored 32 points and rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 17, including two consecutive baskets for a 108-102 lead with 37 seconds left in overtime, as Milwaukee rallied from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Washington.

KINGS 100, GRIZZLIES 95

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kevin Martin scored 33 points and John Salmons had 21 points and nine rebounds as Sacramento won the NBA's final home opener by turning back Memphis for its first victory of the season after starting off with three losses.

LAKERS 106, CLIPPERS 88

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, and the unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers used a 22-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a 101-80 lead en route to beating the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth straight time.

WARRIORS 111, NUGGETS 101

OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Jackson had 29 points and seven assists and hit a jumper to start a 6-0 run that gave Golden State the lead for good at 95-90. The Warriors then finished the game with a 10-3 run to beat Denver, playing its first game without Allen Iverson, who was traded to Detroit.