Spurs kick Grizzlies, earn 4th straight win

Derrick White scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points as the San Antonio Spurs beat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 108-88 on Saturday to earn their fourth straight victory, their longest win streak of the season.

San Antonio led by 20 points at the half and by 88-66 after three quarters and survived a 14-0 run by Memphis early in the final period before cruising to its 13th win in the past 15 games.

Patty Mills added 15 for San Antonio, with DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 21 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks added 15 each for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds while JaMychal Green pulled down 10 boards.

The loss, in the second game of a home-road back-to-back, was the fifth straight for Memphis and the 10th of its last 12. The swoon has dropped the Grizzlies to a season-worst 18-21.

Justin Holiday, who was acquired in a trade with Chicago on Thursday, played 21 minutes and scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting in his first game with the Grizzlies.

The Spurs survived a rough first quarter in which they committed seven turnovers and turned up the heat in the second period, outscoring Memphis to lead 64-44 at halftime.

Mills led the Spurs with 12 points off the bench in the first half while Aldridge and White added 11 points each for San Antonio, who outshot the Grizzlies 55 percent to 31.1 percent and had 15 assists on 22 made baskets over the first 24 minutes.

The Spurs hit the road for their next two games, Monday at the Detroit Pistons and Wednesday for a rematch with Memphis. The Grizzlies travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Monday.

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NBA: DeRozan, Spurs rally past Lakers

DeMar DeRozan recorded 36 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 133-120 comeback victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl each had 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Spurs, who avenged a Wednesday loss to the Lakers. Patty Mills also scored 14 points for San Antonio, and Davis Bertans added 13.

Bryn Forbes and Marco Belinelli contributed 11 points apiece and Rudy Gay added 10 for San Antonio, which outscored Los Angeles 44-21 in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James had 35 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds, and Kyle Kuzma added 27 points and 8 rebounds for the Lakers, who had a 4-game winning streak halted. 

Lonzo Ball registered 13 points and 11 assists, JaVale McGee posted 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 points.

Los Angeles played without small forward Brandon Ingram, who sprained his left ankle in the Wednesday game.

Bertans knocked down four 3-pointers as the Spurs made 13 of 31 from 3-point range and shot 50.5 percent overall.

The Lakers shot 46 percent from the floor and made 11 of 36 from long range.

San Antonio trailed for the entire second and third quarters, falling behind by as much as 15 points, before making a late dash.

The Spurs used a 9-0 run -- capped by Bertans' 3-pointer with 4:48 left -- to take a 118-112 lead.

A short time later, DeRozan hit three consecutive shots as San Antonio took a 127-116 advantage with 2:10 remaining.

Another 3-pointer by Bertans pushed the lead to 131-118 with 1:34 left, and the Spurs closed it out.

Los Angeles led by 4 at halftime and expanded the edge to 87-80 on Kuzma's bank shot with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

The Spurs whittled their deficit to 91-87 on De Rozan's layup with 1:42 left before the Lakers concluded the period with an 8-2 run to take a 10-point lead into the final quarter.

Los Angeles increased its advantage to 101-89 on Michael Beasley's basket to open the fourth quarter. However, San Antonio answered with an 18-7 run and pulled within 108-107 on a layup by Patty Mills with 7:43 remaining.

Poeltl's 3-point play allowed the Spurs to tie the score at 112 with 6:45 remaining as the beginning of the 9-0 run.

James had 24 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds as Los Angeles held a 72-68 halftime advantage.

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Spurs hand depleted Bulls another loss

DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 -- including five in a key late-game stretch -- as the visiting San Antonio Spurs came back to beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls 108-107 on Monday.

Chicago led 101-98 with 5:58 to play before the Spurs leapfrogged to the front via a 10-0 run, with Aldridge accounting for half the points. Chicago pulled within 108-107 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Ryan Arcidiacono but Zach LaVine missed a 3-pointer with four seconds to play.

After a foul and a steal in a last-gasp scramble, Arcidiacono had a chance to win the game with a shot at the buzzer, but it was off the rim short.

The win was just the Spurs' third in their last nine games, but second in the first three games of a four-game road trip that concludes Wednesday in Minnesota.

Patty Mills added 17 points off the bench for San Antonio while Bryn Forbes and Jakob Poeltl scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Spurs.

LaVine led all scorers with 28 points, with Arcidiacono adding 22. Jabari Parker had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Justin Holiday tallied 17 points. Depleted by injuries to three starters, Chicago has dropped three straight and seven of its last eight.

The first half went back and forth with nine ties and nine lead changes over the first 24 minutes.

All 10 of the players who saw court time in the first half for the Spurs scored at least two points, led by Forbes' nine and eight each from DeRozan and Rudy Gay. 

San Antonio's bench players outscored the Bulls' reserves 18-4 in the half, and the Spurs ruled the paint with a 26-10 edge.

Still, the Spurs led only 52-50 at intermission as Chicago got 14 points from Holiday and 11 from LaVine in the first half.

Holiday's 3-pointer with 9:12 to play in the third quarter gave the Bulls a 59-56 advantage and started a 9-2 run to give them the upper hand, at least for a while.

The Bulls stretched the margin to a game-high eight points, at 79-71, on a hook shot by Robin Lopez with 2:40 to play in the quarter, but the Spurs closed the quarter with a 9-4 flurry that brought them within 83-80 heading to the final period.

Chicago returns to the court on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

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NBA: Aldridge powers Spurs past Pacers

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 33 points and added 14 rebounds Friday night for the San Antonio Spurs, who never trailed in beating the host Indiana Pacers, 111-100 in Indianapolis.

The Spurs snapped a two-game losing streak with just their third win in the last 10 games. 

The Pacers have lost two straight, both of which they have played without star Victor Oladipo, who has missed three consecutive contests with a sore right knee.

The double-double was the 11th of the season for Aldridge. Rudy Gay also had a double-double for the Spurs with 11 points and 12 rebounds. 

DeMar DeRozan (16 points), Patty Mills (15 points) and Bryn Forbes (13 points) also scored at least 10 points apiece for San Antonio.

Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for the Pacers, who were led in scoring by Bojan Bogdanovic (21 points). 

Cory Joseph added 18 points while Thaddeus Young finished with 12 points and Aaron Holiday and T.J. Leaf each chipped in with 11 points.

The Spurs scored the first six points of the game, the final four of which were collected by Aldridge. 

San Antonio led by as many as 13 (25-12) in the first quarter before the Pacers went on an 11-1 run in which Joseph scored five points.

A Bogdanovic jumper closed the gap to four points at 45-41 with 2:04 left in the second quarter, but Indiana got no closer as the Spurs ended the half on a 9-4 run to take a 54-45 lead into the locker room.

The Spurs embarked upon a 9-0 run early in the third quarter, a stretch that included a layup by Aldridge which gave them a double-digit lead for good at 58-47. 

San Antonio extended its lead to 20 for the first time on a layup by Mills with 5:44 left.

The Pacers stirred in the fourth quarter, when a dunk by Leaf closed the Spurs lead to 91-80. 

But Gay (five points) and Forbes (a 3-pointer) combined for an 8-0 run and San Antonio was never threatened again.

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Aldridge leads Spurs past short-handed Warriors

LaMarcus Aldridge poured in 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan added 20 points, including five in the final three minutes, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Golden State Warriors 104-92 on Sunday.

San Antonio led just 91-90 after a 3-pointer by Klay Thompson with 3:38 to play before the Spurs forged a 6-0 run off a basket by DeRozan, a baseline jumper from Aldridge -- who followed with a huge blocked shot on the other end -- and two free throws from DeRozan that all but finished off the defending NBA champs.

Rudy Gay added 19 points, 15 of them in the first half, for the Spurs, who snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven outings.

Marco Belinelli and Bryn Forbes scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for San Antonio.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 26 points while Thompson added 25 and Quinn Cook tallied 16 for Golden State.

Durant also grabbed 10 rebounds, as did teammate Jonas Jerebko. The loss was the third straight, all in Texas, for Golden State, who were without Stephen Curry (groin) and Draymond Green (toe).

San Antonio jumped in front in the early going and led 33-27 after the end of the first 12 minutes as Gay reeled off 12 points in the quarter.

The Warriors surged back in the midst of the second quarter and led briefly, 38-37, after layup by Thompson at the 7:30 mark and again at 46-45 on a pair of free throws by Andre Iguodala about four minutes later.

San Antonio then reeled off 11 of the period's final 13 points to garner a 56-48 advantage at intermission.

San Antonio built its lead to 74-56 on Aldridge's jumper with 4:46 to play in the third quarter before Durant and Cook scored seven points each during a 14-5 run that brought the Warriors to within 79-70 heading into the final period.

The Spurs have a quick turnaround, playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back Monday at New Orleans.

Golden State heads back to the Bay Area for the opener of a four-game homestand Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City.

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NBA: DeRozan, Spurs down Mavericks in OT

DeMar DeRozan, who led all players with 34 points, scored six points in the final 1:43 of overtime as the host San Antonio Spurs held off the Dallas Mavericks 113-108 on Monday night.

DeRozan outdueled Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic, who scored a career-high 31 points. Doncic scored eight consecutive points during a late fourth-quarter run that helped the Mavericks force overtime.

LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 20 points for San Antonio, which received 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and six steals from Rudy Gay. DeRozan led the Spurs with nine assists.

Dallas got 22 points from Dennis Smith Jr. Harrison Barnes added 18 points, and DeAndre Jordan had eight points and 18 rebounds.

Showcasing balanced scoring, San Antonio led 53-45 at halftime. Aldridge paced the Spurs with 14 points, DeRozan added 13 points and Gay nine. 

DeRozan added six first-half assists as the Spurs, who led 20-18 after one quarter.

Dallas, seeking its first road win of the year, closed the half with a 5-0 run behind Doncic's 3-pointer.

The Mavericks continued their hot shooting to open the second half. Barnes hit two driving baskets and Doncic buried a 3-pointer for a 66-59 lead.

After San Antonio sliced the deficit to 66-65 on 3-pointers by Patty Mills and Davis Bertans, Dallas pushed back out to a 71-65 lead on Doncic's two free throws and floating jumper. 

San Antonio, however, regained the lead at 76-71 on Marco Belinelli's eight points on two 3-pointers and a jumper and Bryn Forbes' 3-pointer.

A back-and-forth fourth quarter featured Dallas pulling within 85-83, but San Antonio replied to lead 89-83 on DeRozan's turnaround fadeaway with 7:05 remaining, prompting a Mavericks timeout. 

Dallas countered with a 9-2 run and clawed back into the lead at 92-91 when Doncic buried a pull-up jumper with 4:55 to go.

San Antonio retook the lead at 94-92 on Mills' 3-pointer, but Doncic's tip-in made it 94-94. After Doncic and DeRozan traded baskets to make it 96-all, Doncic answered with two free throws for a 98-96 lead with 2:44 remaining.

Mills' layup tied the score again, but Smith drilled a 3-pointer to make it 101-98 with 1:30 left. DeRozan's finger roll with 1:13 to go and then two free throws with 39.1 seconds to play put the Spurs in front at 102-101.

Smith had a chance to win the game in regulation but made only 1 of 2 free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining. DeRozen's jumper missed at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.

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Report: Spurs' Aldridge, Celtics' Horford last picks in All-Star draft

San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Boston Celtics power forward Al Horford were the last two picks in the inaugural 2018 NBA All-Star Draft, according to a report from ESPN, citing sources.

Aldridge joined LeBron James' team for Sunday's event as the draft's last overall pick, while Horford was Stephen Curry's final selection.

"I'm not a flashy player," Aldridge told ESPN in reference to being the last pick. "That's OK."

"We're all All-Stars, so, at the end of the day, we should be thankful to be here," Aldridge added. "Picked first, picked last, it doesn't matter. We're all competitive, too. It won't be the easiest thing to be picked last, but at the end of the day, you're just happy to be here."

The All-Star Draft was not televised, so the exact order of James and Curry's picks is unknown. Both captains have said the draft should be televised in the future despite the problems that might arise from players seeing where they are picked.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spurs spank Suns in epic blowout

San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Patty Mills added 18 points off the bench as the visiting Spurs blew out the Phoenix Suns 129-81 on Wednesday at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Danny Green had 17 points, and he and Mills hit five 3-pointers apiece for the Spurs, who broke a two-game losing streak. Mills played 17 minutes.

Green made three of his 3-pointers as the Spurs opened a 25-5 lead less than 10 minutes into the game, the first of their six-game "rodeo trip" taken annually when the San Antonio stock show and rodeo occupies the AT&T Center.

Alex Len had 14 points, Josh Jackson had 13 and Dragan Bender had 12 for the Suns, who tied the worst margin of defeat in franchise history. Phoenix played without leading scorer Devin Booker (hip) for the second consecutive game.

Dejounte Murray had 14 points and three assists for the Spurs before leaving with a sprained ankle midway through second quarter, and Tony Parker had 13 points as the Spurs completed a sweep of the four-game season series.

Aldridge made 10 of 14 field-goal attempts and Green and Mills were each 6 of 9 against a Suns lineup that also was missing 7-footer Tyson Chandler, who sat out because of a neck injury.

The Spurs had a 62-44 rebounding edge and limited Phoenix to 34 percent shooting from the field. The Suns made 3 of 32 3-point attempts, two of their first 25.

San Antonio had its first full practice in almost two months Monday after the Utah Jazz shot 56.7 percent in a 120-111 victory over the Spurs on Saturday. The Spurs shot 49.5 percent from the floor against Phoenix, including 50 percent (16 of 32) from beyond the 3-point arc.

Aldridge had seven points when the Spurs finished the first half on a 13-0 run for a 69-31 halftime lead.

Mills' 3-pointer in the final minute of the third quarter gave the Spurs a 97-50 lead, and his trey in the first minute of the fourth quarter made it 100-50.

The Suns lost by franchise-record 48 points in their season opener to the Portland Trail Blazers 124-76 on Oct. 18. Coach Earl Watson was fired four days later, after a 130-88 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Suns started their 20th different lineup, with Marquese Chriss opening at center, Bender at power forward and Tyler Ulis at point guard. Ulis left with back spasms in the second quarter and did not return.

San Antonio's Davis Bertans made his second straight start in place of Pau Gasol, who had 11 rebounds off the bench. Bertans finished with nine points and six boards.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spurs use stingy defense to down Hornets

LOS ANGELES -- Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 34 points as the San Antonio Spurs completed a two-game season sweep of the Charlotte Hornets with a 106-86 win on Saturday.

San Antonio, who improved to 12-7 on the season, led by 11 points at halftime and stretched the lead to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter at the Spectrum Center arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Spurs defence held the cold-shooting Hornets to just 29 first-half points and 22.2 percent shooting from the floor.

The Spurs also got 15 points from Rudy Gay, 14 from Kyle Anderson, 11 from Manu Ginobili and 10 from Patty Mills.

The Hornets dropped to 8-11 on the season and have now lost eight of their last 11 games.

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 18 points despite missing about five minutes in the third quarter with a bruised left shoulder.

The Hornets also got 12 points each from Frank Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb, and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Dwight Howard.

Elsewhere, J.J. Redick hit eight three-pointers and scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the struggling Orlando Magic 130-111 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Redick drained six three-pointers in the first half and the Sixers never trailed after the first quarter en route to their fifth win in six contests.

Philadelphia won despite the absence of starting point guard Ben Simmons, who is out with an elbow injury.

Sixers centre Joel Embiid produced his ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

T.J. McConnell also delivered a double-double with 15 points on seven-of-12 shooting and 13 of the Sixers' 34 assists. Dario Saric added 21 points. McConnell was in the starting lineup in place of Simmons.

Elfrid Payton scored 22 points for Orlando, which dropped its eighth game in a row.

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Thunder's Westbrook eyes history, but Spurs get win

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook edged closer to NBA history with his 39th triple-double of the season, but it wasn't enough to hold off the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, rallied for a 100-95 victory in Oklahoma City.

Kawhi Leonard scored 20 of his team-high 28 points in the second half and pulled down 10 rebounds to fuel the Spurs comeback.

"It's what I have been seeing from him for 74 games," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "The kid can play. He is strong and he's hard-nosed and he's going to keep going. In the second half, he really stepped up and made some huge plays."

Westbrook, conversely, struggled down the stretch. He connected on just eight of 22 from the field and turned the ball over eight times.

He nevertheless produced 32 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.

He is two triple-doubles shy of matching Oscar Robertson's NBA record 41 in a season, with seven games to play.

Robertson himself says he's rooting for Westbrook to get the record.

"I always thought he was a great basketball player," Robertson told ESPN.com. "I think he's been tremendous for the team, his fans and also for television."

Westbrook was more concerned with the lesson the Tunder can take from the tough defeat as they hurtle toward the playoffs.

"I think this is huge, especially so they will know what games will be like," Westbrook said. "Every night is going to be like this and they have to be ready."

Russell's triple-double binge has put him at the forefront of the Most Valuable Player discussion.

But Leonard staked his claim to featuring in that conversation -- and had plenty of help with 17 points from Pau Gasol and 14 from LaMarcus Aldridge.

It was Aldridge who put the Spurs ahead by one point with 56.1sec remaining. Oklahoma City's Steven Adams and Aldridge then exchanged layups and the Spurs led 96-95 with 18.7sec to play.

After a timeout, Westbrook drove into the lane, where his layup was blocked. Leonard produced a three-point play to seal the game.

"They were just playing with a more sense of urgency than we did," Westbrook said. "Guys have to be ready to step up and they played with a little bit more sense of urgency than we did."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Aldridge leads short-handed Spurs over Suns

LOS ANGELES -- With San Antonio's leading scorer Kawhi Leonard sidelined by illness, LaMarcus Aldridge stepped up with 27 points on Wednesday to lead the Spurs to a 119-98 NBA victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Leonard missed his first game of the season with a stomach bug.

"He just couldn't keep anything down today, so he stayed home," coach Gregg Popovich said.

In his absence, Aldridge hit 10 of his 12 shots from the floor, following up a 33-point performance in a win over Chicago on Sunday with another outstanding effort.

"When LaMarcus plays aggressive like that we are a better team -- he's in attack mode, and he's looking for his teammates and tonight Phoenix couldn't guard him," said veteran Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who matched his season high with 20 points.

Pau Gasol added 16 points and 10 rebounds and and David Lee came off the bench to score 12 points apiece for the Spurs, who beat the Suns by 15 points earlier this month but found themselves trailing, 64-58, at halftime.

The Suns got off to an explosive start, connecting on 68.8 percent from the floor in the first quarter but they still trailed, 30-27, after the period as nine turnovers led to 13 points for San Antonio.

A 9-2 scoring run in the second quarter saw the Suns take the lead, but the Spurs got the young Phoenix squad's measure in after the interval.

"We did a lot better in the second half," Parker said. "Our energy was better and we tried to create turnovers and play more physical on the defensive end."

The Suns, led by reserve guard TJ Warren's 23 points, coughed up 22 turnovers -- the most for a San Antonio opponent this year.

"We played a great first half -- we played aggressive on the ball and got some deflections on defense," Suns coach Earl Watson said. "Things reversed in the second half. We are a young group trying to establish a culture and that can't be done overnight.

"We have to be a defensive team all four quarters and keep our focus. Turnovers hurt us, but with a young team, turnovers are going to happen."

The Spurs out-scored Phoenix, 61-34, in the second half, their focus sharpening as the Suns' waned.

"The whole game for us was picking up the intensity in defensive pressure in the third and fourth quarters," Popovich said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Aldridge leads Spurs past Pelicans

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points in 26 minutes of play and Manu Ginobili added a season-high 17 points off the bench as the San Antonio Spurs manhandled the New Orleans Pelicans 113-100 on Sunday at the AT&T Center, winning their fourth straight game.

Kawhi Leonard added 13 points for San Antonio (22-5) while Tony Parker and Jonathan Simmons had 12 points and Patty Mills scored 11 points for the Spurs, who have won 8 of 19. Pau Gasol pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.

After the game, the Spurs retired the No. 21 jersey of former power forward Tim Duncan in a typically understated ceremony.

Duncan's 19-year career, all with San Antonio, featured five championships and a 1,072-438 regular-season record. The Spurs' .710 winning percentage during Duncan's tenure was the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over that time.

Alexis Ajinca led the Pelicans (9-20) with 16 points while Buddy Hield added 14. Anthony Davis and Langston Galloway scored 12 points each and Tim Frazier had 11 for New Orleans.

The Spurs outrebounded New Orleans 49-37 and went to the free throw line 22 times (making 18) while the Pelicans were just 8 of 14 from the charity stripe.

Five points from Ginobili and a 3-pointer from Patty Mills in a 90-second span of the first quarter allowed the Spurs to turn a 19-18 deficit into a 26-19 lead at the 2:58 mark. New Orleans responded with a spurt of its own, tying the game at 26 before a Gasol jumper and a Leonard layup handed San Antonio a 30-26 advantage after 12 minutes.

The Pelicans owned a 44-42 lead at the 6:25 mark of the second quarter after a driving layup by Hield, until San Antonio forged a 9-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Danny Green, to sweep past New Orleans and assume a 51-42 advantage. The Spurs led 61-49 at the half.

Aldridge led all scorers with 16 points in the first half while Ginobili hit for 12 and Leonard added 11. Gasol had 12 rebounds in 18 minutes of play before halftime as the Spurs owned a 29-18 edge on the boards.

Davis and Ajinca led the Pelicans with 10 points each at intermission, but Davis picked up his third foul with 1:07 to play in the second quarter.

New Orleans got back to within 72-62 on a Hield jumper at the 6:39 mark of the third quarter, but then the Spurs kicked things into another gear again, reeling off an 11-2 run that was highlighted by another Ginobili 3-pointer.

Three free throws by Mills with 14.4 seconds to play in the quarter pushed the San Antonio lead to 21 points, 92-71, and allowed the Spurs to play mostly their reserves for the final quarter.

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Spurs remain unbeaten on the road

WASHINGTON -- LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points as the San Antonio Spurs kept their undefeated record on the road intact by beating the Washington Wizards 112-100 on Saturday.

San Antonio also played Friday night but the back-to-back NBA games didn't faze them as they improved to 10-0 on the road and won their eighth straight overall.

Asked for what has impressed him most during the winning streak, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said, "The fact that a lot of the new guys have caught on so quickly.

"Kyle Anderson and Jon Simmons haven't played much before. David Lee, Davis Bertans, and Dewayne Dedmon and Pau (Gasol) just all got here, so they've blended in very well pretty quickly. It was surprising."

Tony Parker had 20 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 19 for the Spurs (14-3), who shot 53.3 percent from the field before a crowd of 17,066 at Verizon Center arena.

Simmons scored 15 points and Patty Mills 13 as San Antonio's reserves outscored Washington's 35-18.

The Spurs also outscored Washington 23-10 from the free throw line and led by 19 points in the second half.

Bradley Beal finished with 25 points and John Wall added 21 for the Wizards who have won a season-high two straight. Otto Porter tallied 14 points as Washington dropped to 5-10 on the season.

"It's tough, but we knew that coming in," Beal said of facing the Spurs. "That's not an excuse for us not to compete and us not to go out and try to win a game, but you have to give credit where it's due."

The Wizards beat the Orlando Magic 94-91 on Friday for its first road victory of the season.

Parker scored 11 points and the Spurs shot 50 percent from the field for a 54-44 lead at the intermission.

After Washington closed to 69-62 midway through the third quarter, San Antonio seized command with a 16-7 surge during which Aldridge and Mills each sank a three-pointer and scored five points.

The Wizards looked undisciplined at times, losing Markieff Morris in the third quarter when the starting forward was ejected after arguing with the officials over a foul call. Morris had 12 points in 19 minutes.

Ian Mahinmi, who was acquired in the offseason, made his season debut for the Wizards after missing the first 14 games due to knee surgery. His impact was limited though as he finished with one point in 15 minutes of playing time.

- Westbrook posts triple-double -

In Oklahoma, Russell Westbrook posted his seventh triple-double of the season as he powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-88 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Westbrook posted 17 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds to earn back-to-back triple-doubles on consecutive nights.

It was also his 44th career triple-double, which ties him with Cleveland's LeBron James.

The Thunder had five players score in double figures. Anthony Morrow came off the Thunder bench and poured in a season-high 21 points. Steven Adams added 16 points and nine rebounds. Victor Oladipo scored 18 as Oklahoma City improved to 10-8.

Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 21 points on eight of 18 shooting. Ish Smith, who once played for the Thunder, posted 14 points and three assists.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Kemba Walker scored 28 points, and Jeremy Lamb had 18 points and 17 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 107-102 win over the New York Knicks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spurs spank Grizzlies to keep pace with Warriors

LOS ANGELES, United States - The shorthanded San Antonio Spurs fended off the pesky Memphis Grizzlies with a 110-94 win to tie the Chicago Bulls for best home start in NBA history on Friday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 32 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs played just well enough to remain undefeated at home this season, stretching their win streak to 37-0 at the AT&T Center arena.

They are now tied with the 1995-96 Bulls for the longest home winning streak to start a season.

"I had good offensive rhythm tonight," Aldridge said. "The guys were looking for me out there."

San Antonio had a 98-92 lead and were struggling to put away the Grizzlies until Manu Ginobili hit a three-pointer with 3:22 left to give them a cushion.

They got two more baskets from beyond the arc by Kevin Martin and Ginobili on the next possession to ice the victory. Martin was starting his first game with the Spurs.

San Antonio "hit three threes in a row and that was it -- it was very, very frustrating," said Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger.

The Spurs improved to 61-11 overall. They have also won a franchise-best 46 straight regular-season games at home since a loss to Cleveland in March of last season.

San Antonio's streak is the second longest in history, trailing only the continuing 52-game streak by Golden State, who beat the visiting Dallas Mavericks 128-120 on Friday.

The depleted Spurs played without an injured Kawhi Leonard and Boris Diaw, Danny Green and Patty Mills, who were all held out for rest. With so many regulars out it enabled Martin and Kyle Anderson to start.

Memphis' injuries woes were even worse than the Spurs. Marc Gasol (right foot fracture), Mike Conley (left Achilles tendinitis), Zach Randolph (right ankle sprain) and Brandan Wright (right MCL sprain) all missed the contest.

Tony Parker scored 14 points for San Antonio, Martin and Ginobili added 13 points apiece and Tim Duncan had 12.

JaMychal Green's 20 points led six Memphis players in double figures. Lance Stephenson added 17 points and Matt Barnes scored 14.

The Spurs led 37-23 after the first quarter and 64-51 at halftime.

Warriors bottle up Mavs

The Warriors took advantage of a shorthanded Mavericks squad to ride another record-setting three-point-shooting performance to a win.

On a night when former Warrior and current Mavericks power forward David Lee was presented with his championship ring, Golden State set an NBA record for most three-pointers in a season by connecting on 21 of 45 attempts.

The 17th of the 21 came with 9:51 to go in the game and was Golden State's 934th of the season, allowing them to pass the previous record set by the Houston Rockets last season.

Klay Thompson dropped in nine three-pointers on a 40-point night and Stephen Curry drained five three-pointers which added up to almost half his 33 points.

The Warriors improved to 65-7 to remain four games ahead of the Spurs for top seeding in the Western Conference playoffs.

Timberwolves edge Wizards in OT

Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Gorgui Dieng sank the game-winning jumper with 30 seconds left in the second overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves setback the Washington Wizards' playoff hopes with a 132-129 victory.

Zach LaVine had 25 points for the Timberwolves, who trailed late in regulation and both overtimes.

Trailing 129-124 with 1:55 left, Minnesota scored the final eight points.

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Spurs beat Warriors, stay unbeaten at home

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and the San Antonio defense held Golden State to a season-low offensive output as the Spurs made a statement with an 87-79 victory over the Warriors on Saturday to remain unbeaten at home.

The game featured the best combined record among opponents this late in the season in league history.

San Antonio held Golden State scoreless over the final 2:33 while expanding a three-point lead to eight at the final horn. The Warriors missed their last seven shots.

The Spurs (59-10) have opened the season a perfect 35-0 at the AT&T Center and have also won a franchise-best 44 straight regular-season games at home since a loss to Cleveland in March of last season.

San Antonio's streak is tied for the second-longest in NBA history, tying Chicago's 44-game regular-season home run of 1995-96 and trailing only the continuing streak by Golden State (50 games). It's second all-time in NBA history for the longest home winning streaks to start a season (37, set by the Bulls in 1995-96).

Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs while Boris Diaw scored 14 points and Danny Green hit for 10. The Spurs, who have won six straight games, are 21-3 since losing to the Warriors in Oakland on Jan. 25.

Golden State (62-7), which had its seven-game win streak snapped, was led by Klay Thompson's 15 points while Stephen Curry had 14 points on 4-of-18 shooting (1 of 12 on 3-pointers). Draymond Green added 11 points for the Warriors and Brandon Rush had 10.

It was Golden State's 33 consecutive regular-season loss in San Antonio, a skid that started Feb. 14, 1997 when Spurs' 39-year-old Tim Duncan was a rookie.

The Warriors' previous low for points this season was 89 against Cleveland on Christmas night.

The Spurs started with a smaller than normal lineup, inserting Diaw in place of Tim Duncan at center and the strategy worked, with Diaw scoring six of San Antonio's first eight points.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was into the game early on and was whistled for a technical foul in the first quarter for arguing when Golden State's Marresse Speights was called for an offensive foul. Kerr had to be physically restrained by his assistant coaches.

Both teams were obviously a little tight because of the implication of the game and it showed in their shooting performance, with San Antonio shooting 35 percent to the Warriors' 33 percent in the first quarter. Golden State was 1 of 9 from 3-point range while the Spurs missed all three of their 3-point attempts. Reserve Shaun Livingston poured in a jumper from the wing with 0.1 seconds remaining to grant the Warriors an 18-17 lead after 12 minutes of play.

The second quarter belonged to the Spurs, who took the lead on a Patty Mills 3-pointer two minutes into the period and expanded it to 10 points, at 38-28, on a breakaway dunk by Leonard at the 3:46 mark after a missed layup by Curry.

San Antonio led by as much as 11 points until the Warriors reeled off the final five points of the half -- three of them on free throws by Curry -- and cut the Spurs' advantage to 43-37 at halftime.

The 37-point first half was a season-low for Golden State (previously 42 against Dallas in a 114-91 loss on Dec. 30).

Leonard and Aldridge had 12 points each for the Spurs at the half, while Curry and Brandon Rush scored seven apiece to lead Golden State.

Curry hit his first 3-pointer of the game on his eighth attempt with a 35-foot rainbow over Aldridge midway through the third quarter that brought the Warriors back to even at 55-55. But the Spurs were undaunted, scoring the next five points on a 3-pointer by Tony Parker and a pair of free throws by Aldridge.

Curry's two free throws with 59.6 second left in the quarter tied the game again at 65, setting the table for a furious final period.

The Spurs grabbed their first lead of the fourth quarter on an Aldridge hook at the 6:25 mark and added to the advantage on their next possession via a putback by Diaw. Green hit an off-balance 3-pointer to move the score to 78-74 and, after Rush answered with a 3 of his own, went straight to the hole for a finger-roll layup to push the San Antonio lead back to four points.

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Green lets it fly, Spurs soar past Thunder

The NBA is a "shot-making" league but part of that equation is not being afraid to keep shooting the ball even when they aren't going in.

That's the position San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green found himself in on Saturday against Oklahoma City with the game tied midway through the fourth quarter.

Green had missed all eight of his shots up to that point but hit on the one that counted the most, pouring in the go-ahead 3-pointer that opened the floodgates for the Spurs and pushed San Antonio to a come-from-behind 93-85 victory over the Thunder in a matchup between the teams with the second- and third-best records in the Western Conference.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 for San Antonio, which trailed by two points after three quarters but dominated the final period as Oklahoma City went the final 3:53 without a field goal and missed nine of its last 10 shots.

The Spurs have posted a perfect 32-0 record at the AT&T Center this season and have won a franchise-best 41 straight regular-season games at home dating back to last season.

The streak ranks fourth on the all-time longest home winning streaks in NBA history, and third all-time in NBA history for the longest home winning streaks to start a season and first all-time in Western Conference history.

Tim Duncan added 11 points for the Spurs (56-10), who didn't get a field goal from their starting guards until Green's 3-pointer with 7:19 to play.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich credited Green, who had just five points and none until the fourth quarter, with never losing his confidence.

"(Green's) a pro and we made it clear to him there's only two outcomes -- it goes in or it doesn't," Popovich said. "He still gets his paycheck. His family still loves him, so screw it, let 'em fly -- and he did."

Oklahoma City (44-22) got a game-high 28 points and eight assists from Kevin Durant while Russell Westbrook scored 19 points but went five of 16 from the floor. The Thunder shot just 38 percent from the floor.

"San Antonio is the best defensive team in the league, and we generated a lot of good looks tonight," Durant said. "Our defense was there and we rebounded well. San Antonio hit some big shots in the fourth quarter - especially Green's shot from the corner - but we made them work for everything they got."

Reserve Enes Kanter had 11 points and 17 rebounds for the Thunder, who has lost two games in a row and four of its past six on the road. Steven Adams added 10 points for Oklahoma City.

The two teams jockeyed back and forth for an edge in the opening quarter with the Spurs building an 18-14 lead before six straight points from Westbrook pushed Oklahoma City ahead by two at the 3:40 mark.

San Antonio responded with a mini-run of its own on two layups and three free throws by Aldridge garnered the Spurs a 25-22 advantage at the end of the quarter.

Aldridge had 15 points in the period as all of San Antonio's points were scored by three of its starters - Aldridge, Duncan (six points) and Leonard (four points).

Westbrook paced the Thunder with eight points, including a five of six showing from the free-throw line.

The Spurs have dominated teams at home in the third quarter but Oklahoma City weathered that storm and more than held its own, as the Thunder expanded their lead to 64-57 with 3:36 to play in the quarter on Westbrook's driving finger roll.

San Antonio went more than seven minutes without a field goal but its defense kept it within reach.

Patty Mills hit a 3-pointer for the Spurs at the 1:54 mark that seemed to jump-start San Antonio. The Spurs scored seven of the final 11 points of the period and trailed just 68-66 going into the final quarter.

"We just stayed with it -- our guys stayed confident taking shots," Aldridge said. "We got good looks the whole game but they weren't going in. In the fourth quarter, things turned for us."

Three straight baskets by David West to start the fourth quarter balanced a dunk and a step-back jumper by Durant and tied the game at 74, setting the table for a furious finish.

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Spurs wallop Mavs to stay perfect at home

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points, 13 of them in a pivotal third quarter, to help San Antonio whip the Dallas Mavericks 112-83 on Sunday and stay undefeated at home this season.

The Spurs (36-6) , who have now won 11 straight, improved to 24-0 at home this season, the best start by a Western Conference team since Portland won their initial 26 home games in 1977-78. The Golden State Warriors are 19-0 at home this season.

"In the first half, we took more jump shots than usual, so I was just trying to be on the block and be more aggressive," Aldridge said. "I am feeling more comfortable in my role in this offense and we are getting better and better."

The Spurs extended their regular-season home victory streak to 33 games, dating back to an overtime loss to Cleveland last March. They also tied their best start in franchise history after 42 games.

San Antonio got 16 points from reserve forward Boris Diaw and 15 from Kawhi Leonard, who did not play in the fourth quarter. Jonathon Simmons added 14 points for the Spurs.

Spurs' starters Tim Duncan and Tony Parker scored just two points each, with Parker going 0-for-4 from the floor. He left the game midway through the third quarter with soreness in his right hip and did not return.

The Mavericks (23-19) were led by Dwight Powell's 15 points and got 12 from Wesley Matthews. Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had just four points, his lowest output in a game since Feb. 29, 2012, when he scored one at Memphis.

"Both LA (Aldridge) and Boris (Diaw) were great in the pick-and-roll defense getting back to Dirk," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Obviously, he's a tough cover, so both of them deserve a lot of credit."

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said Nowitzki's poor shooting night was his fault. "I have to get Dirk better looks -- we have to run some things to put him into better positions," Carlisle said. "I take the blame for that."

Both teams struggled from the floor in the first quarter, which went to the Mavericks 16-14 thanks to a jumper from Raymond Felton with 36.9 seconds to play.

It was the Spurs' lowest-scoring quarter of the season, as they shot just 22.7 percent (5-for-22). Dallas were not much better, hitting just seven of 23, and the two teams combined to go 0-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc.

Diaw's three-pointer early in the second quarter tied the game at 21-21. Then back-to-back three-pointers by Simmons, the second one was just ahead of the shot clock, gave the Spurs a 27-26 lead.

From there, San Antonio found their stride as Leonard worked the baseline for a pair of turnaround jumpers and a three-pointer, Aldridge took the ball to the hole for a layup and Spurs guard Many Ginobili swooped in for a breakaway finger roll after a steal as part of a 13-0 run.

The Spurs led 46-36 at halftime behind Aldridge's 10 points and a 23-16 advantage over Dallas in bench scoring.

"We were right there with the lead in the second quarter and just weren't able to finish that quarter the way we wanted to," Nowitzki said. "Things just kind of steamrolled from there."

Aldridge put the Spurs on his back in the third quarter, scoring 11 of San Antonio's first 12 points, helping to push the lead to 58-44 with 6:45 to play. San Antonio outscored the Mavericks 8-3 in the final 1:54 of the quarter and had a 78-56 heading into the final period.

"We just didn't finish quarters as well as we wanted to, and when they made the run there in the third quarter we just weren't able to respond," Matthews said. "As players we didn't do the things we needed to against a championship team."

Carlisle was ejected from the game with 11:17 to play in the fourth quarter after coming far onto the court and gesturing at one of the officials.

By that time, the Spurs were up by 23 points and cruising to their 11th straight win over the Mavericks in the AT&T Center.

"There was a level of frustration tonight but everyone was trying to do the right thing," Carlisle said. "San Antonio goes hard and they can make you look bad. We got beat and that's the name of that tune."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Warriors, Spurs take their revenge

The Golden State Warriors avenged their only defeat of the NBA season on Friday, rallying for a 121-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Six nights after the Bucks ended the Warriors' season-opening winning streak at 24 games, Milwaukee threatened to hand Golden State a first defeat on their home floor in Oakland, California, since last January.

But shooting guard Klay Thompson had a game-high 27 points and Stephen Curry added 26 along with 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors notched their 30th straight regular-season home win and their 12th this season.

The score was knotted at 108-108 when Curry drove for a basket with 2:16 to play and then added two free throws.

Andre Iguodala drained a three-pointer to give Golden State their biggest lead of the game at 115-108 with 1:21 remaining.
Point guard Michael Carter-Williams had 24 points for the Bucks, who led by as many as 15 in the third quarter but endured their fifth defeat in their last six starts.

Milwaukee led 100-89 five minutes into the final period.

But Warriors forward Draymond Green scored eight consecutive points to ignite a surge that saw Golden State pull level at 100-100 with 6:08 to play.

The hosts seized the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Festus Ezeli's dunk with 5:11 to go made it 103-102.

Bucks tied it three times after that, but never led again.

The San Antonio Spurs, who have labored quietly in the shadow of the Warriors building the second-best record in the league, improved to 15-0 at home this season with a 115-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

In their first meeting since the Clippers eliminated the Spurs in a sensational first-round playoff duel last season, San Antonio produced an 11-0 scoring run to open the fourth quarter and held on for the victory.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead San Antonio, who improved to 23-5.

Veteran French point guard Tony Parker scored 21 points for the Spurs. Ten of those came in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer that closed the 11-point run and gave San Antonio a 96-88 lead with 9:17 to play.

Forward Kawhi Leonard added 19 points, center Tim Duncan 14 and forward Danny Green 10.


- Quadruple-overtime epic -
In Chicago, the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Bulls 147-144 in a rare quadruple overtime marathon.
It was just the eighth quadruple overtime contest since the NBA-ABA merger in the 1970s, and Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy called the experience "excruciating."

"It was an epic game," Van Gundy said. "You don't play too many four-overtime ones. I've never been in one. It was incredible, but it's only fun if you're on our end of it at the end. It's excruciating if you're on their end of it, and it's excruciating while you're going through it."

Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 33 points and 21 rebounds before fouling. Reggie Jackson added 31 points and 13 assists for Detroit.

Jimmy Butler's career high of 43 points led Chicago, with Derrick Rose adding a season-high 34 points while taking a career-high 34 shots from the floor.

Chicago's Spanish center Pau Gasol added 30 points and 15 rebounds, but the Bulls were unable to complete their first 5-0 homestand since 2005.

- Knicks beat 76ers -

The New York Knicks handed the Philadelphia 76ers their 27th defeat of the season, a solid 20-point performance from rookie Jahlil Okafor proving too little for the one-win Sixers.

Arron Afflalo had 22 points and seven assists as the Knicks won their third straight.

Rising star Kristaps Porzingis didn't win the duel of top rookies with Okafor, but he finished with eight points, four rebounds and three blocked shots, a contribution that had Knicks coach Derek Fisher saying the Knicks are "a better team when he's on the floor."

The 76ers took Okafor at number three overall in this year's draft, with the Knicks selecting Latvia's Porzingis fourth.

"It's exciting to go up against the guys who I went through the draft process with," Porzingis said. "It's a chance to check yourself."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Aldridge to play, delay surgery on injured thumb

PORTLAND -- Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge has postponed planned surgery on an injured left thumb and will stay in the lineup, the NBA club said Saturday.

The update came two days after the Trail Blazers announced Aldridge could miss between six weeks and two months of the season for an operation on a torn ligament.

Aldridge was injured in Monday's victory over Sacramento when he collided with center DeMarcus Cousins and then missed Wednesday's loss to Phoenix, but was set to rejoin the roster Saturday against Washington.

Aldridge has averaged 23.2 points and 10.2 rebounds over 38 games for the Trail Blazers, leading the club in both categories. While not voted in as a starter, he might yet receive a berth in his fourth NBA All-Star Game in a row.

The Trail Blazers are 31-13, third overall in the Western Conference and leading the Northwest division by 8.5 games over Oklahoma City.

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Aldridge injured in Blazers' loss to Spurs

Spurs 103, Trail Blazers 90

Spurs guards Patty Mills had 15 points and Danny Green 14 as they helped San Antonio extend its win streak to eight with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

San Antonio (48-16) split the season series with Portland 2-2.

Trail Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge took a hard fall early in the third quarter while driving to the basket and landed on his back. He suffered a back contusion and did not return.

The Blazers fell to 42-23.

- - -

Kings 115, Sixers 98

Rudy Gay scored 27 points as the Sacramento Kings handed the Philadelphia 76ers an 18th straight defeat.

Isaiah Thomas added 20 points for the Kings (23-42), who snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Sixers (15-49) losing streak is the second-longest in franchise history, exceeded only by a 20-game skid by the 1972-73 squad, which went 9-73.

- - -

Mavericks 108, Jazz 101

Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points and moved into 12th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list while lifting the Dallas Mavericks to a win over the Utah Jazz.

Nowitzki made a blistering 12 of 14 shots on the night, including a fade-away 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining that all but clinched the win for Dallas (39-27).

Monta Ellis finished with 16 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to help Dallas (39-27) maintain its position in the Western Conference's final playoff spot.

- - -

Cavaliers 110, Suns 101

One of six Cleveland players in double figures, guard Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and added nine rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers snapped a four-game losing streak.

Guard Goran Dragic scored 20 points and forward Marcus Morris added 18 points off the bench for the Suns (36-28) in their third straight loss.

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