SAN ANTONIO (AP) San Antonio extended its perfect home record and notched the second-best season start in franchise history when it beat Indiana 106-92 on Monday.
The Spurs are 16-0 at home and 21 of their 24 wins this season have been by double figures.
They moved eight games clear atop the Southwest Division while Northwest leader Oklahoma City retained its six-game break by edging the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to a couple of big plays by Kevin Durant in the closing seconds.
Also Monday, Houston squandered a big lead in the fourth quarter before recovering to defeat Charlotte, and Nikola Vucevic led Orlando to a road win at New York.
San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard had 24 points and Tony Parker scored 15 points for the Spurs, who have won six straight.
George Hill and Jordan Hill each had 15 points for Indiana.
Oklahoma City’s Durant hit a go-ahead jump shot with 5.8 seconds left before blocking a potential game-winning 18-footer by Chris Paul as time expired, giving the Thunder a 100-99 win against the Clippers.
Russell Westbrook scored 33 points and Serge Ibaka added 17 for Oklahoma City.
Paul had 32 points and 10 assists in another classic duel with Westbrook.
A third straight loss equaled the Clippers’ longest skid of the season.
Houston’s James Harden scored 36 points as the Rockets escaped a late fade-out and beat Charlotte 102-95.
The game was tied before Harden drove into the lane and was fouled as he made a layup. He hit the free throws to put Houston up 94-91 with 31.6 seconds left.
Harden made 16 of 19 free throws and secured Houston’s third straight win by making two with 13.9 seconds remaining.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 14 points.
Orlando’s Vucevic tied his season high with 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, powering the Magic to a 107-99 win at New York.
Vucevic had a pair of baskets and Evan Fournier added a 3-pointer and another basket in an 11-2 spurt after the Knicks had cut it to 93-92 with 3:25 left.
Lance Thomas was 9 for 9 and tied his career with 24 points for the Knicks, who had won their previous four.
Atlanta notched a fourth straight win by defeating Portland 106-97.
Dennis Schroder, Atlanta’s backup point guard, lost a cap bonded to a tooth in a collision early in the fourth period, but was 7 for 10 from the floor in a little more than 17 minutes on the court. He had 18 points, among six Hawks in double figures.
The Trail Blazers played without starting guards Damon Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Lillard has plantar fasciitis in his left foot and missed a game for the first time in his career, ending his streak of playing in 275 consecutive games. McCollum has two sprained ankles.
Allen Crabbe had 19 points for Portland in a fill-in start. The Trail Blazers have lost four straight.
Boston beat Minnesota 113-99, but Celtics fans were deprived the chance to see one of their former favorites Kevin Garnett in action, as the 39-year-old stayed on the bench throughout what could have been his last visit to the city.
Utah opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run to set up a 110-89 win against Phoenix.
Brooklyn snapped a five-game skid by beating Chicago 105-102, with Brook Lopez contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Washington’s John Wall had a career-high 19 assists and also scored 12 points, leading the Wizards to a 113-99 victory against Sacramento.
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