The Spurs may be wounded, but it still has plenty of bite.
San Antonio has suffered a myriad of injuries this season — most notably to Kawhi Leonard — but the team exploded late Sunday in a 110-94 road win over the Cavaliers. The Spurs outscored the Cavs 34-20 in the fourth quarter, thwarting any chance of a late Cleveland comeback.
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LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 27 points and six rebounds. Danny Green came off the bench to add 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. New starting point guard Dejounte Murray also turned in a fine performance, scoring 13 points with nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks.
The Cavs had been playing inspired basketball ever since its roster overhaul on the trade deadline, but looked sluggish against Gregg Popovich's Spurs squad. LeBron James scored 33 points with 13 rebounds and nine assists, but the rest of the team struggled.
Despite the loss, the Cavaliers (35-24) is still third in the Eastern Conference standings. The Spurs (36-25) is third in the West.
Stud of the Night:
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday posted a season-high 36 points with nine rebounds and six assists to lead New Orleans past the Bucks, 123-121, good for its fifth straight victory. Anthony Davis added 27 points and 13 rebounds.
Dud of the Night:
The Pistons: After showing some form immediately after the Blake Griffin trade, Detroit has plummeted into a losing tailspin, dropping five of its last six games. The Pistons (28-31) lost 114-98 to the Hornets on Sunday, and is falling further out of playoff contention.
What's Next:
Rockets (46-13) at Jazz (31-29) 9 p.m. ET — Houston, winner of 12 straight, now have a half-game lead over the Warriors in the Western Conference. After a few rough starts, the Jazz has won 12 of 13 games, using a combination of balanced scoring and strong defense. Despite the current hot streak, Utah sits last in the Northwest Division and could use a big home win Monday.
