SAN ANTONIO -- After a series of struggles at home and its first loss on the road, the San Antonio Spurs were due a wakeup call, something coach Gregg Popovich was keen to provide when he publicly criticized his players earlier this week.

Even though none of the players would admit Popovich's move was a catalyst, something clicked with the Spurs on Saturday when Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points in 27 minutes and San Antonio posted season highs for points in a quarter and in a game and total assists while rolling past the hapless Brooklyn Nets 130-101 at the AT&T Center.

It was the 19th time this season and fifth straight game that Leonard led the Spurs (19-5) in scoring.

The Spurs, who had won just five of their nine games at home, righted their ship in a major way, thanks mostly to a torrid start, continued hot shooting from the field throughout the game (53.2 percent) and unselfish play.

San Antonio's 38 assists were eight more than its previous best in a season-opening win over Golden State. And the Spurs' 14 3-pointers (in 26 attempts) was also a high for the year.

Popovich said he didn't know if the Spurs benefitted from being called out but he's never hesitant to let them know just how he feels.

"You can probably go either way," Popovich said of the wakeup call. "We just call it like we see it. We've always been honest and straightforward, and I think the players appreciate that. They don't like to be tricked or manipulated or have smoke blown at them.

"We had 38 assists -- that's a big number. You've got to be happy with the ball movement. It's just infectious when you play with your teammates and you find open people."

The Spurs used a 12-0 run in the final 2:03 of the first quarter, highlighted by 3-pointers from Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili and Leonard, to take a 41-26 lead. The 41 points were the most in any quarter for San Antonio this season and five more than it scored in the entire first half in its loss Thursday at Chicago.

Leonard had 12 points to lead the Spurs as all nine players who took the floor for San Antonio in the first quarter scored.

The Nets never got within 13 points the rest of the game. The 29-point margin of victory tied a season best for the Spurs.

"The Spurs did what the Spurs do and our shot selection was very questionable," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They made us pay on the other end by running it down our throats. Defensively, San Antonio has some elite defensive players and they picked things up, but we rushed shots for the first time all season."

Mills added 16 points for the Spurs, Pau Gasol scored 15, Jonathan Simmons pumped in 14 and Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge hit for 12 points apiece for San Antonio.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets (6-16) with 20 points. Luis Scola had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Brook Lopez added 14 and Joe Harris had 10 as Brooklyn lost to the Spurs for the 14th consecutive time in San Antonio.

The second quarter was evenly played, with the Spurs leading by as many as 20 points before settling for a 67-52 advantage at halftime.

Leonard led the Spurs with 20 points in the first half. Bogdanovic paced the Nets with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor.

"It was important for us to have a better start and just play better overall in the first half," Gasol said. "The game just became easier for us. This is the path we need to stay on. I think it's important for a coach to say what he feels and if that helps the team then it fulfills two purposes. I really don't read much of the media, but I think the same message was said in the locker room."

Leonard's 3-pointer with 5:06 to play in the third quarter gave him 30 points for the game and granted the Spurs an 88-65 lead. It was the seventh time this season that Leonard has scored 30 points or more. He had just six 30-plus games in the 2015-16 season, including the playoffs.

Eight straight points by Mills in a 59-second span at the end of the third quarter pushed San Antonio's lead to 99-70 and turned the game into rout.

"Making the extra pass is something the Spurs are known for and it's a good look for our guys to see and learn from," Nets center Brook Lopez said. "That's the way we could be and should be playing. They make it tough -- they use the full amount of the shot clock and have complete faith in one another."

NOTES: The Spurs have won the past 14 games between the teams in San Antonio, dating to a 92-86 loss on Jan. 22, 2002. San Antonio was 2-0 against Brooklyn last season, winning 102-75 in its home opener on Oct. 30, 2015, and adding a 106-79 victory at Barclays Center on Jan. 11, 2016. ... Nets general manager Sean Marks spent the past five years with the Spurs, most recently serving as the assistant general manager. ... San Antonio has played just 11 games with their projected starting lineup of F Kawhi Leonard, F LaMarcus Aldridge, C Pau Gasol, G Danny Green and G Tony Parker. ... Four of Brooklyn's six wins this season are against Western Conference teams. ... The Nets had scored 110-plus points in consecutive games (113 vs. Washington on Dec. 5 and 116 vs. Denver on Dec. 7). Brooklyn has scored 110-plus points in three straight games just once since the 2000-01 season.