Spurs extend streak to 9 straight, beat Warriors 111-105
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan had 26 points and nine rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and 13 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 111-105 on Monday night for their ninth straight win.
San Antonio won its 11th straight at home and moved into fifth in the Western Conference at 42-29 following Oklahoma City’s loss to Miami.
Stephen Curry had 25 points after a slow start and Kevin Durant added 24 for Golden State, which entered the game having won two straight. The Warriors have dropped into a tie with Denver for first place in the West with matching 47-22 records.
There were nine ties in the intense matchup between the West’s best and the league’s hottest team.
The Warriors had to rally in the second half after a sluggish start.
Curry and Klay Thompson opened the game a combined 0 for 11, but the Warriors’ defense allowed them to tie the game at 25 when Curry threw in a 61-footer to close the first quarter.
Thompson finished with 14 points.
After tailing by 11 in the third quarter, the Warriors’ offense awoke to silence the sold-out crowd with a 16-5 run to forge a 75-all tie. The run included a shakedown, step-back 3-pointer by Curry and a pair of quick passes from Curry to Draymond Green to Shaun Livingston for an emphatic dunk. Curry had eight points in the run.
DeRozan scored 10 points in the final quarter, including a pair of pull-up jumpers over Thompson, to seal the victory.
Rudy Gay added 17 points for San Antonio and Derrick White had 12.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Andrew Bogut started the game. Bogut spent four seasons with Golden State before rejoining the team March 6 as a free agent. … The Warriors have won at least 23 road games in six straight seasons. They lost for the fifth time in 24 games away from home. … Golden State defeated San Antonio by 39 points in their previous meeting, Feb. 6 at Oracle Arena. It was the largest winning margin over the Spurs in franchise history.
Spurs: DeRozan has 1,400 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists with the Spurs this season. LeBron James, who accomplished the feat this season, Steve Francis (’05 with Orlando) and Tracy McGrady (’05 with Houston) are the last three players to accomplish that feat in the first year with a new team. … Aldridge has 18,854 career points, moving past Glen Rice for 69th all-time in league history. Rice had 18,338 career points over 15 seasons beginning in 1989. … DeRozan is the first Spurs guard to make 300 free throws in a season since Manu Ginobili in 2011.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.
Spurs: Host Miami on Wednesday night.