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Spurs’ win streak hits 19 with win over Warriors
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 lineup changed but not the result.
The San Antonio Spurs, with all of their key players available for a change against Golden State, defeated the Warriors 111-90 on Wednesday night to complete a sweep of the four-game season series.
The victory also extended San Antonio’s franchise record regular-season winning streak to 19 games.
The Spurs (59-16) won twice at Golden State this season playing without some, or all, of their so-called Big Three players. The first victory came without forward Tim Duncan, guard Tony Parker and guard Manu Ginobili. Duncan and Ginobili missed the second win.
On Wednesday, Parker led the way with 18 points and eight assists. Duncan produced 15 points and eight rebounds. Ginobli had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.
So good were the Spurs that they pummeled Golden State without a barrage of 3-point baskets. San Antonio, the most accurate team in the NBA, hit just 4 of 19 from beyond the arc against the Warriors.
“They’re the best team in basketball right now for a reason,” Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. “Another job well done, individually and collectively.”
Golden State (46-29) was missing three injured starters this time — forward Andre Iguodala, forward David Lee and center Andrew Bogut. Lee and Bogut have missed multiple games; Iguodala was given the night off because of right knee tendinitis after playing more than 40 minutes in an overtime win at Dallas on Tuesday.
“It wasn’t a fair fight,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Late in the season, a back to back, they had three important guys out.”
Golden State guard Stephen Curry said the Warriors had sufficient energy and effort.
“But they are playing amazing right now,” Curry said. “Just the way they move the ball, it seems like they’re always on the attack.”
Curry, who leads Golden State in scoring at nearly 24 points per game, was limited to 11 by a combination of Parker, forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Danny Green. Reserve forward-center Marreese Speights led the Warriors with 22 points — 16 more than his average. Guards Jordan Crawford and Klay Thompson scored 16 and 15, respectively.
San Antonio led 57-42 at halftime, making its work look incredibly easy during the first quarter in particular.
The Spurs made one push of 14-0 and another with 11 straight points — both streaks in the first quarter, when they took a 17-point lead.
Duncan made 6 of 7 shots from the field for 12 points in the first quarter. Parker had four assists and Leonard stole three Golden State passes in a span of 1 minute, 19 seconds.
“We did a good job of stepping on the gas and keeping it there,” Duncan said.
Golden State made a bit of a run at the Spurs in the second quarter, cutting the deficit briefly to nine points. The Warriors’ rally was not led by their renowned guards, Curry and Thompson. Instead, Crawford, a backup, scored 11 points in the quarter, matching his average per game.
The Warriors made another push in the third quarter, pulling to within seven. But San Antonio finished the quarter with another long scoring streak — 13-0 — during the final four minutes. The Spurs added five points in a row to start the fourth quarter.
“We knew they are gonna fight and claw back,” said Spurs forward Jeff Ayres, who contributed nine points and five rebounds in less than 14 minutes. “They’re a playoff team. This is the type of thing we have to get ready for come playoff time. Teams are not gonna just let you run them over.”
NOTES: Golden State C Andrew Bogut missed his third consecutive game with a pelvis-groin injury. Warriors F David Lee was out for the fourth straight game because of a strained hamstring. … Three Spurs reserves missed the game because of injuries — F/C Aron Baynes (rib), F Matt Bonner (calf) and F Austin Daye (back). Bonner missed his seventh games, Baynes sat out his second game and Daye was out for the first time. … The Spurs play at Oklahoma City on Thursday in the teams’ final meeting of the regular season. The Thunder, who have the second-best record in the NBA behind San Antonio, defeated the Spurs in all three previous games. … Golden State signed 35-year-old Jermaine O’Neal this season to play limited minutes as a reserve center. Bogut has missed 11 games, landing O’Neal in the starting lineup on occasion. “I’m grateful to have him,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “He’s a true professional.”
