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It doesn’t matter if the San Antonio Spurs are tired, shorthanded or off their game. They still find a way to win. |
The Spurs won their 13th straight game Saturday night as Danny Green scored nine of his 18 points in the decisive fourth quarter of a 99-90 victory over the host Golden State Warriors.
Tony Parker scored 20 points for the Spurs (53-16), who remained unbeaten since Feb 21 and clinched their 17th consecutive playoff berth despite relying very little on their three stars. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili of Argentina were rested and Parker was on the bench when San Antonio made its pivotal push.
“Everybody stepped up,” Parker said. “When somebody’s not playing, it’s just other guys who will do it. And we trust each other.”
“They’ve just got great character,” Popovich said. “They never give in, and I think they like the challenge when guys are out. They seem to enjoy it.”
One night after shooting just 38.5 per cent from the field in a 99-79 win at Sacramento, San Antonio shot just 39 per cent (35-of-89) and was held below 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since February 1. Nevertheless, the Spurs improved to 21-0 on the road when leading after three quarters.
“(It was) real special because everyone came off the bench and they gave the effort they needed to give and I’m just thrilled for them,” Popovich said.
The Spurs have won 13 in a row for the first time since March 2007, when they won the last of their four NBA championships. They have won 20 of their last 22 meetings with the Warriors, including all three this season.
A three-point play and three-pointer by Marco Belinelli gave San Antonio a 76-69 lead entering the final period. The Warriors pulled within 76-74 before the Spurs took control with an 11-0 burst as Green drained two of his five three-pointers.
Golden State closed to 89-82 on four free throws by Stephen Curry, who scored 20 points. But Parker made a layup and Green added another shot from the arc to extend the lead to 94-82 with 2:18 to play.
The Spurs held Curry, Golden State’s leading scorer, without a basket in the second half. He was hounded by Australia’s Patty Mills and was 0-of-5 with four turnovers after scoring 15 points in the first half.
Brazil’s Tiago Splitter had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points and Belinelli added 15 for the Spurs, who scored 27 points off 18 turnovers by the Warriors.
“We made some mistakes,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “It’s a disappointing loss. It’ll make us better.”
Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Australia’s Andrew Bogut grabbed 17 rebounds for Golden State (44-27), which was without injured swingman Andre Iguodala and had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Elsewhere: Chicago Bulls 91, Philadelphia 76ers 81: The 76ers suffered their 24th straight loss - the second-longest streak in NBA history and two shy of the record - as the host Bulls got 20 points from Joakim Noah and 17 from Jimmy Butler. The Sixers visit the Spurs on Monday.
Memphis Grizzlies 82, Indiana Pacers 71: Mike Conley scored 21 points and Zach Randolph added 18 and 13 boards for the host Gri8zzlies, who held the Eastern Conference-leading Pacers to their lowest total of the season.
New Orleans Pelicans 105, Miami Heat 95: Red-hot Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds for the host Pelicans, who have won six of nine. LeBron James had 25 points and nine assists for the Heat, who rested superstar Dwyane Wade and lost for the seventh time in 11 games.
Los Angeles Clippers 112, Detroit Pistons 103: Chris Paul had 28 points, 15 assists and six steals to power the host Clippers to their 12th win in 13 games. The Pistons have lost five in a row.
Houston Rockets 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 111: James Harden had 37 points and 11 assists in three quarters as the visiting Rockets won their third straight game without the injured Dwight Howard and handed the Cavaliers their fourth straight loss.
Charlotte Bobcats 124, Portland Trail Blazers 94: Al Jefferson scored 28 points and Kemba Walker added 26 for the Bobcats, which stopped a two-game skid. The Trail Blazers suffered their worst loss of the season in the opener of a five-game road trip.
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