They took their first lead of the game, 27-24, on Durant’s 3-pointer 1:22 into second. They also induced Oklahoma City into committing a season-high 24 turnovers, also two shy of Minnesota’s season-high of 26, against Milwaukee on March 4.
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It is not the playoffs just yet, but the San Antonio Spurs played the Oklahoma City Thunder like it was the post season Saturday night at the AT&T Center. But it was Green’s shot which proved to be a momentum-changer.
In Portland, Damian Lillard scored 19 points and had 10 of his team’s season-high 34 assists in the Trail Blazers’ victory over short-handed Orlando. OKC is just 4-7 ATS this season with no rest and they head to San Antonio, where the Spurs haven’t lost and they are 20-11 against the spread.
Express-News Spurs reporters Jabari Young and Melissa Rohlin recap the game in this Postgame Wrap and hear from Green.
Rubio’s three-pointer with 0.2 of a second remaining lifted the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to a 99-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
NOTES: The Thunder announced Friday that assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team this season after the death of his wife Ingrid last month in a auto accident. “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”.
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). But I want to take one more trip.’ I said where do you want to go. “San Antonio is the best defensive team in the league, and we generated a lot of good looks tonight”, Durant said. TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as eight point favorites at home and by early Saturday morning that line was already adjusted to -8.5.
At least we’ve got this to make us laugh. It’s just about us and are we going to execute, are we going to go out and have energy and play defense.
Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the league, and is equivalent to an NBA pocket knife because he could literally do everything out on the basketball court.
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. All five starters for Detroit scored at least 19 points to help the Pistons to a 125-111 win which helps them jump the Chicago Bulls for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference Playoff race.
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The San Antonio Spurs have adjusted just fine after a busy offseason. The streak will end eventually, but the game against Oklahoma City shows that the Spurs won’t surrender it without a fight. “The most important thing for Monty during this time is for him to be with his family, and the most important thing for us as an organization is to support him as a person, in any way that we can”, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said.
