National Basketball Association
San Antonio 112, Washington 100
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 26, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Officials:
#7 Lauren Holtkamp, #41 Ken Mauer, #28 Kevin Scott
Attendance:
17066
By The Sports Xchange
WASHINGTON -- Teams playing for extended stretches on the road typically are enthusiastic about returning home. It's more than understandable if the San Antonio Spurs don't share that sentiment.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points as the Spurs won their ninth straight game overall and improved to 10-0 on the road this season with a 112-100 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Tony Parker had 20 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 19 for the Spurs (14-3), who shot 53.3 percent from the field, outscored Washington 23-10 from the free throw line and led by 19 points in the second half.
Both teams played elsewhere Friday and San Antonio wrapped up a stretch of six games -- five on the road -- in 10 days. Not surprisingly, the deeper Spurs were better equipped to handle the back-to-back scenario.
Jonathon Simmons scored 15 points and Patty Mills 13 as San Antonio's reserves outscored Washington's 35-18.
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."
As for whether he wanted to go home, Popovich said, "I do. I don't want to play at home."
Bradley Beal led the Wizards (5-10) with 25 points and John Wall added 21.
Washington had won a season-high two straight, including 94-91 at the Orlando Magic on Friday for its first road victory of the season. Otto Porter finished with 14 points.
Parker scored 11 points and the Spurs shot 50 percent from the field for a 54-44 halftime lead.
After Washington closed to 69-62 midway through the third quarter, San Antonio ended any hint of a comeback with a 16-7 run during which Aldridge and Mills each sank a 3-pointer and scored five points.
"It's tough, but we knew that coming in," Beal said of tangling with the legendary 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 Spurs made 11 of 16 shots from the field in the quarter before the crowd of 17,066.
"We're pretty confident," Aldridge said about the road success. "Guys are bringing it every night. We understand. ... You have to compete harder. Guys are locked in."
Adding to their depth woes, the Wizards lost 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.
"I did not hear what was said, but I have a lot of respect for (official) Kenny (Mauer)," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "We have to keep our emotions (in check). That's something that we've talked about. We need him, we need him on the floor. He had a nice rhythm going at that time and we can't afford to have him not on the floor."
Washington's bench did receive some help as Ian Mahinmi made his season and Wizards debut in the first quarter after missing the opening 14 games following left knee surgery. Signing the veteran center to a four-year, $64 million contract was Washington's splashiest move in free agency. He finished with one point and one rebound in 15 minutes.
The Wizards shot 48.3 percent from the field but just 6 of 22 on 3-pointers. Mills made three from deep as the Spurs finished 9 of 24.
NOTES: Spurs G Manu Ginobili (rest) and C Dewayne Dedmon (left knee sprain) did not play. ... Wizards coach Scott Brooks on the return of C Ian Mahinmi: "He brings some good experience. Some rim protection. Just some defensive toughness. He gives you a comfort zone on both ends of the floor." ... Washington visits San Antonio on Dec. 2 to wrap up the season series. ... The Spurs are off until Tuesday when they face the Orlando Magic in San Antonio. ... The Wizards host the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Top Game Performances
| San Antonio |
|
Washington |
|
LaMarcus Aldridge 24 |
Scoring |
Bradley Beal 25 |
|
Kawhi Leonard 5 |
Assists |
Bradley Beal 5 |
|
Pau Gasol 10 |
Rebounds |
Marcin Gortat 10 |
|
Kawhi Leonard 8 |
Free Throws Made |
John Wall 5 |
|
Kawhi Leonard 3 |
Steals |
Otto Porter Jr. 3 |
|
David Lee 2 |
Blocks |
Ian Mahinmi 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| San Antonio
|
112 |
53.3 |
9-24 |
23-29 |
22 |
38 |
6 |
7 |
14 |
| Washington
|
100 |
47.7 |
6-22 |
10-14 |
21 |
40 |
1 |
11 |
14 |
Upcoming Games
-
Washington will play their next game at home against Sacramento. The Wizards have a W/L % of .167 after a win and .444 after a loss.
-
San Antonio will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Spurs have a W/L % of .857 after a win and .667 after a loss.
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