01-10-2020, 02:07 AM
SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admitted he is getting antsy for a loss. Cristian Pache Jersey . Hell have to wait. Marco Belinelli scored 18 points and San Antonio never trailed after its opening possession, extending its winning streak to 17 games with a 96-80 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. The Spurs once again used fluid passing and tireless player movement to overwhelm an opponent. San Antonio finished with 24 assists while going 37 for 78 from the field in snapping New Orleans five-game winning streak. "They move around a lot, and run their sets hard," Pelicans guard Brian Roberts said. "Whatever theyre running, they are moving constantly. It puts pressure on a defence to play 24 seconds worth." Roberts scored 18 points, Austin Rivers added 16 points, Tyreke Evans had 11 points and Al-Farouq Aminu had eight points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans (32-41). Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili scored 15 points each, Patty Mills added 13 and Tim Duncan had 12 points and eight rebounds. San Antonio (57-16) extended its lead to 3 1/2 games over Oklahoma City (53-19) for the leagues best record. In addition to winning its last 17, the Spurs have won 20 of 21 and have not lost since falling 106-85 to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 21. "It is sweet to be a part of that," Ginobili said. "It is not something that happens very often because it is a long spread of game, a month or two. Here or there you have a bad game or the opponent has a bad one, but a lot of things have combined for us to have this type of streak. We played really well and we are healthy." New Orleans was without Anthony Davis, its leading scorer and rebounder. Davis injured his left ankle 4 minutes into the Pelicans victory over Utah on Friday night. "Its a joint/soft tissue injury right now," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "He did it in his normal routine. Hes listed as day to day. Well see how he feels tomorrow." Williams said the Pelicans would have had a tough task even with Davis and the Spurs showed why early. "They jumped on us," Evans said. "They just moved the ball hit shots and we couldnt make a shot." San Antonio opened the game on a 23-6 run, with Belinelli picked up where he left off Friday night. He was 4 for 5 on 3-pointers against New Orleans after going 6 for 9 on 3-pointers Friday while scoring a game-high 27 points in a 133-102 victory in Denver. "Hes been really steady for us and he plays a great all-around game," Popovich said. Belinelli made his first two 3-pointers against the Pelicans after opening with a 15-foot jumper off an assist from Duncan. Belinellis first 3-pointer with 6 minutes remaining in the first quarter gave San Antonio a 16-4 lead. The Spurs would never lead by less than 10 points the rest of the way. After Alexis Ajinca hit a 17-foot jumper on the games opening possession, New Orleans did not score again until Greg Stiemsmas dunk with 8:21 remaining in the first quarter. The three-minute drought was followed by another three-minute drought. "We couldnt finish in the paint tonight," Williams said. "We were 18 for 48 in the paint. Thats a bad number for us. Were a team that usually is high when it comes to points in the paint." Rivers layup with 30.9 seconds pulled New Orleans within 69-59 with 30.9 seconds left in the third quarter, but Belinelli hit back-to-back 3s to fuel a 12-3 run and San Antonio reasserted its control. San Antonio travels to Indiana to play the Eastern Conference-leading Pacers on Monday. NOTES: Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson sat courtside during the game cheering the Spurs. Mickelson withdrew Saturday from the third round of the Valero Texas Open after injuring an oblique muscle. "I pulled a muscle on my downswing trying to hit the ball hard on the second hole (his 11th)," Mickelson said in a statement. "It just killed and it wouldnt subside for 10 or 12 seconds." ... Spurs W Danny Green (right foot inflammation) and Matt Bonner (right calf strain) both sat out the game. ... Roberts played 29 minutes after being listed as day to day with a left knee bone bruise. Bob Hendley Jersey . Jannero Pargo scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help the Charlotte Bobcats erase a 21-point deficit and rally for an 83-76 preseason victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Tucker Davidson Jersey . The 34-year-old averaged 10.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 82 games played in 2013-14 with the Utah Jazz. Jefferson has averaged 14.5 points, 4. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/ . Its the second straight year he has decided not to play as he cuts back his schedule. Stricker was replaced in the field by Ryo Ishikawa of Japan.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Brooklyn Nets will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they take on Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics, at the Barclays Center. The Nets slide came on the throws of a three-game winning streak as theyve fallen two games under .500. Brooklyn lost in South Beach to the Miami Heat, then returned home and couldnt change the momentum. The Nets fell to the Dallas Mavericks in Brooklyn on Monday, 96-88. Brook Lopez had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead Brooklyn, but scored just four after the first quarter. Jarrett Jack added 20 points and 10 assists and Joe Johnson scored 18 for the Nets, who made just one of their four shots in overtime. Johnson buried two 3-pointers to key Brooklyns 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter. Jack capped the flurry with a jumper on the right side to give them an 82-80 lead with 26.6 seconds remaining. The Mavericks missed seven shots in a row and Rajon Rondo, who had 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the game, missed two free throws. But Monta Ellis foul shots with 10.5 seconds left tied the score and Johnson missed a step-back jumper from the top of the key as time expired, sending the game to overtime. We battled, Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. We had a chance to win it. I think (Johnsons) 40-something minutes two nights in a row maybe kept him from making the shot. The Celtics have lost three straight and seven of their last eight. Boston begins a three-game road ttrip with stops in Indiana and Toronto on the schedule. Dallas Keuchel Jersey. The Celtics are 0-4 in their last four as the visitor, but fell at home last time out. The Charlotte Hornets marched into Boston and left with a 104-95 win on Monday. Jared Sullinger paced Boston with 22 points and eight rebounds as the Celtics fell to 2-7 since trading Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics got 55 points from their bench, led by Jae Crowder and James Young each depositing 13. After not having led since the game was 2-0 through 24 seconds, the Celtics made a late comeback bid. Down by 16 with 7:47 remaining, Bostons 10-0 run that included 3-pointers from Crowder and Young got them within two possessions. I was kind of nervous when I first got in, my first time playing really in the regular season, said Young. I was just trying to go out there in the second half and just be aggressive, everyone told me just to be aggressive. The Hornets called timeout, and Marvin Williams 3-point play on the next possession restored order. That started a 12-3 Charlotte run that ran its lead back to 15 points with 2 1/2 minutes to go. Boston scored the next eight points and did not allow Charlotte to hit another shot from the floor, but the Hornets hit four free throws in the final minute to hang on. The teams have split two games this season, both in Boston. The Nets have won three of four versus the Celtics since moving to Brooklyn. ' ' '