San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) dunks against the Miami Heat during Game 3 of their NBA Finals basketball playoff in San Antonio, Texas, June 11, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

The NBA hadn't made its way along San Antonio's River Walk this late in the season since 2007, and fans couldn't wait to have the Spurs back. They sang and danced and clapped around the concourse and in their seats, as if their favorite rock band had returned for a concert.

And they were thrilled to see the Duncan they recognized from his first 24 finals appearances.

He got right on the board in this one, with a short jumper 20 seconds into the game. The Spurs, who had played from behind most of the series, had a 24-20 lead after making 11 of 18 shots in the first quarter.

Duncan hit a pair of three throws and another basket, and after a jumper by Neal, he threw a long outlet to Leonard for a dunk that made it 40-30.

Neal's 3 made it 43-32, but Miller hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 12-1 run that tied it at 44 with 37 seconds in the half, the Heat appearing set to go into the half with momentum. But Parker drilled a 3 from the corner, and after Green blocked James' shot, the Spurs rushed it up for a 3-pointer by Neal that fell at the buzzer, the reserve guard pointing back toward his defenders before the Spurs headed to the locker room with a 50-44 advantage.

The party played on all right, with a huge roar when Tracy McGrady, a former perennial All-Star now in his first finals appearance as a member of the Spurs' bench, checked in midway through the fourth quarter. He was scoreless with three assists.

Miami Heat's LeBron James (L), Chris Andersen, and Norris Cole (R) stand during a break in play against the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter during Game 3 of their NBA Finals basketball playoff in San Antonio, Texas, June 11, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

James started 2 for 13, then made his final four shots of the third as the Heat got within 13 before Ginobili fired a nifty pass to Tiago Splitter under the basket for a score with 0.1 seconds remaining, making it 78-63 and setting the stage for the big fourth-quarter finish.

"They came out in the third quarter and they kicked our butt pretty good and frustration started to set in," the Heat's Dwyane Wade said.

It was a potentially pivotal victory for the Spurs in their quest to go 5 for 5 in the finals. Since the NBA Finals went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985, the Game 3 winner when the series was tied 1-1 has gone on to win 12 of the 13 titles - though the Heat were the lone one that didn't, in 2011.

Notes: The previous NBA Finals record for a team was 14 3-pointers, held by three teams. ... Miami's first victory in San Antonio came on Dec 23, 1996, in its 11th try. David Robinson broke his left foot in the second quarter of the Heat's 90-79 victory, missed the rest of the season, and the Spurs fell into the lottery, which they ended up winning so they could take Duncan with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft.

NBA Finals:

Game 1: Spurs rallies to beat Heat in game one

Game 2: Heat beat Spurs to level series