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The San Antonio Spurs stayed a perfect 7-0 at home, avenging their 20 point loss to the Rockets last month.
It took overtime, but after Richard Jefferson knocked down a three-pointer to give the Spurs the lead with just over one minute remaining in the extra period, the Rockets did not do enough to answer back.
With the win, the Spurs are now 7-4. For a full recap of last night’s game, click PS Recap above for Paul Garcia’s detailed recap.
Quoteable
“Really? Wow. It’s great. That’s unbelievable. I didn’t realize I was anywhere close to him. I’m still a big part of this team and I want to be a leader on and off the floor.”
– Tim Duncan on passing Larry Bird on the career scoring list.
By the Numbers
7 – Shots blocked by Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard.
14.3 – Rockets shooting percentage from beyond the arch (compared to Spurs 31 percent)
3:47 – Minutes James Anderson played. Anderson’s role and minutes have diminished since his start against Golden State.
0-5 – Kevin Marin’s three point shooting percentage.
Rookie Watch
After finishing in double figures in his last two games, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard got the start over Gary Neal at shooting guard. Leonard finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in 38 minutes, and he even drew comparisons to former Spurs defensive specialist Bruce Bowen.
Cory Joseph was recalled from the Austin Toros prior to the game, but did not see any time on the court. While the Spurs will primarily rely on Gary Neal to play backup point guard minutes with T.J. Ford out, Joseph should see some playing time over the next few weeks.
Fantasy Focus
If Tim Duncan was waived in your league early into the season due to lower scoring and rebounding averages, he’s turned back the clock the last two games, averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, six assists, 2.5 blocks and two steals through both games. If you need some help in several categories and could us a consistent 45 percent shooting from the field, Duncan may be the way to go.
If Leonard continues to start and sees big minutes, he’ll be a nice 12th man addition to boost rebounding and blocked shot numbers, while getting some scoring as well.
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