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Spurs 113, 76ers 91
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers extended a couple of long streaks Monday night — one of success, the other futility.
Forward Austin Daye scored a season-best 22 points as the Spurs won their 14th consecutive game, 113-91, while handing the Sixers their 25th straight defeat.
Philadelphia (15-56) can match the NBA record for longest losing streak on Thursday at Houston.
Daye, playing only his fourth game since the Spurs acquired him in a trade with Toronto on Feb. 20, hit 6 of 10 3-point shots, grabbed six rebounds and made two blocks.
Forward Tim Duncan scored 19 for the Spurs, and forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Patty Mills added 15.
Rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams and forward forward Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with 17 points apiece. Center Byron Mullens added 15.
Spurs guard Tony Parker missed the game with a sore Achilles. Coach Gregg Popovich rested two other starters, center Tiago Splitter and guard Danny Green. Reserve big man Aron Baynes also had the night off.
Nevertheless, San Antonio, which has the best record in the NBA — 54-16 — took command of the game with a 19-0 push bridging the first and second quarters.
Philadelphia missed 12 straight shots during that span and failed to score in the second period until 6:19 remained in the half.
The Spurs eventually led by 21 during the quarter.
Philadelphia made a run at the Spurs in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 10. Daye then scored 11 points during the final five minutes of the period, and the lead went back to 21.
Nine of Daye’s 11 points during that span came on 3-point baskets.
The Sixers have been dismantling their team through trades as part of a rebuilding project. Their first-year coach, Brett Brown, was a Spurs assistant from 2006-07 through last season.
Popovich said before the game that he did not look forward to going against Brown, a long-time friend.
NOTES: Spurs reserve F Matt Bonner missed his second straight game with a calf injury. … Sixers G Tony Wroten also missed his second straight game, with a sprained right ankle. …The Spurs are often lauded for a system so efficient that they win games even when the team’s stars are missing. One example came Saturday, when they won at Golden State – no slouch at 44-27 – without F Tim Duncan and G Manu Ginobili. Coach Gregg Popovich kept both out of the second game when the Spurs played on consecutive nights. Earlier this season, they won at Golden State without Duncan, Ginobili and G Tony Parker on the second night of a back-to-back situation. The Warriors had all their starters the first time, but F Andre Iguodala was out on Saturday. … The Sixers extended their losing streak to 24 games last week despite being competitive in all four of their games. They trailed Indiana, Chicago twice and New York by seven points or fewer in the final few minutes.
