The seven-time All-Star did not play at Minnesota on Tuesday night after knocking knees with a Milwaukee Bucks defender the previous night. He started against the Bucks after missing two games with a thigh contusion.

Parker came into Thursday averaging 9.4 points and 4.4 assists.

Chicago’s Doug McDermott returned to the rotation after missing nearly a month because of a concussion.

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Parker had 22 points in his return from an eight-game absence, Tim Duncan added 19 points and 16 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 104-97 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Amid cries of “MVP,” Parker capped the scoring with a pair of free throws with 17.2 seconds left in overtime. He went 8 for 13 from the field and had five assists after missing eight games with a sprained left ankle. The Spurs were 6-2 in his absence, but struggled offensively.

“Tony was a little bit shy in the first half; he was just trying to feel his way a little bit,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “The game got tight at the end in regulation and then in overtime, and he was Tony Parker. Like I said, up until the time he got hurt, there wasn’t a point guard in the league playing better than Tony Parker.”

Parker had six points and two assists in overtime, including a cross-court pass to Kawhi Leonard for a 3-pointer to open overtime.

Leonard finished with 21 points, including five in overtime, and Danny Green had 15 points for San Antonio (53-16), which remains 2 1/2 games ahead of Oklahoma City in the West.

Mo Williams scored 23 points, Al Jefferson had 18 and Alec Burks 14 for Utah (34-35), which has lost three straight and dropped two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the West’s final playoff berth.

“I can live with this,” Jefferson said. “It is the end of the season and we cannot afford to lose one game. We played a tough team on their home floor and had a chance to win for the first time in a long time. The energy and the effort was there for all 48 minutes plus. If we continue to play the way we did tonight for the rest of these 12 games, we have a great chance.”

Utah almost ruined what became a historic night for Duncan and Popovich.

Duncan’s 29th double-double of the season gives him 13,113 career rebounds, moving him past Shaquille O’Neal (13,099) for 13th on the all-time list.

Popovich recorded his 900th career victory, becoming the 12th coach in NBA history to accomplish the feat and joining former Utah coach Jerry Sloan as the only coaches to do so with one team.

“(The ankle) feels good; it’s more my cardio, my wind,” Parker said. “I’m definitely (tired). It was a hard game; playoff intensity. Utah is definitely fighting hard to get that eight spot.

“It was big win for a lot of reasons. For Pop, No. 900; for Timmy passing Shaq; and me, I’m just happy to be back and hopefully we can keep it going now.”

While Parker’s return helped settle San Antonio late on offense, it was the team’s defense that sealed the win.

The Spurs held the Jazz to 2-for-8 shooting in overtime after Marvin Williams’ 3 at the buzzer tied the game at 90, drawing a heated tirade from Popovich for the defensive lapse. In the end, however, Popovich was happy with the outcome.

“I thought it was a great game,” he said. “The guys fought hard. Utah’s a team trying to stay in the playoffs and really highly motivated. We ground it out. We just ground it out and found some combinations that work well. A lot of people contributed to that. It was a hell of a win. It’s one of our better wins this year for a lot of reasons.”

Parker made his first attempt, drawing huge applause after hitting a 15-foot jumper 2 minutes into the game. He had only six points in the first half, going 3 for 6 from the field in 17 minutes.

“It’s always tough, because you don’t want to mess with the chemistry,” Parker said. “They’ve been playing very good basketball at home. I was just trying to fit in. In the second half, Pop was calling plays for me. And being aggressive in the fourth quarter, so it came naturally.”

The Spurs had a 12-0 run to take a 16-4 lead with 6:26 left in the first quarter. Tiago Splitter capped the run by tossing in a hook shot after missing an open layup off a bullet pass from Parker.

Parker sat shortly after that pass, sparking a 17-2 run by Utah to close the quarter. San Antonio went scoreless for almost 5 minutes bridging the first and second quarters.

Leonard also had six points in the first half before going 6 for 8 from the field in the second half and overtime, including 3 for 3 on 3s.

“Kawhi’s a stud, he’s not afraid to shoot the ball,” Popovich said. “He knows that he’s got license to play; we went to him a couple of times down the stretch in regulation and he came through.”

Game notes

San Antonio’s victory was its first in overtime against Utah after losing the previous three in series history. . Parker is the only player averaging at least 20 points and seven assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 80 percent on free throws. … Popovich trails Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Sloan (1,221), Pat Riley (1,210), Phil Jackson (1,155), George Karl (1,122), Larry Brown (1,098), Rich Adelman (994), Bill Fitch (944), Red Auerbach (938) and Dick Motta (935) in career victories. “It’s funny, I played for Don Nelson when he broke the record and now I’m back with Pop,” Stephen Jackson said. “I’m happy for Pop, he deserves it. I’m sure he’s got plenty more to come. He pushed the (postgame celebration) cake in my face and it should have been his face. But I’m happy for him; I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m happy to say that I was able to be coached and play for coach Popovich.” . Parker is the only active player averaging at least 15 points, five assists while shooting over 49 percent from the field for his career. The only other players to do that are Walt Frazier, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Kevin Johnson. … With its victory Friday, San Antonio joins Miami (31) and Oklahoma City (30) as the only teams with 30 wins at home this season.

The post Tony Parker scores 22 in return as Spurs top Jazz in OT appeared first on IdealCapper.

Tim Duncan had 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, and San Antonio beat Golden State 104-93 on Wednesday night for its 29th straight home win against the Warriors.

Golden State has not won in San Antonio since Feb. 14, 1997, the season before Duncan was selected No. 1 overall by the Spurs.

“He’s a Hall of Fame player, an all-time great,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “He certainly had a big game tonight.”

Tiago Splitter added 17 points and Manu Ginobili had 16 points and seven assists for San Antonio (52-16), which has won three straight and seven of nine overall. Nando De Colo had 10 points.

The Spurs are right behind Miami (53-14) for the league’s best record.

Stephen Curry had 24 points for Golden State (39-31), which remains sixth in the West. Jarrett Jack had 14 points, and David Lee added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Golden State closed to 92-88 when Curry went 1 for 2 at the line, but Duncan threw in a running hook and a 16-foot jumper to give San Antonio an eight-point lead with 2:37 remaining.

“My jump shot’s coming back,” Duncan said. “It doesn’t feel great, but it’s going in a little bit, so I’ll take it. Everything else feels really good. I feel healthy, moving well. (My) body feels good and shots are going in.”

Duncan was 11 for 17 from the field and 3 for 3 at the line. It was his 13th game of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season.

“Timmy has his rhythm back,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s in great shape and down the stretch we went through him. Manu and Timmy really decided to do that on their won and they did a great job of it.”

The Spurs needed Duncan to step up with All-Star point guard Tony Parker (sprained left ankle) still about a week away from rejoining the team, and the 16-year veteran is averaging 27.7 points, 14.7 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds in his last three games — all home victories.

“Unbelievable; he’s just unbelievable,” Splitter said. “He’s just figuring out how to play great at his age. It’s not easy, he’s not same guy like 10 years ago. He doesn’t have the same quickness, but he still knows how to play this game.”

Duncan also set the tone defensively.

Golden State (first) and San Antonio (fourth) are among the top five in 3-point percentage, but neither team connected from long range until Ginobili knocked down his second attempt with 10:30 left in the first half.

It was part of a greater emphasis on defense by the Spurs, who struggled in a 119-116 victory against Cleveland on Saturday.

“Focus more than anything,” Duncan said. “We’ve been playing hard. We just kind of get out of whack every once in a while kind of as the season goes along. It’s a long season. People lose focus for a little while. It’s good to go through a stretch like that to get a team refocused; to get guys individually refocused. I think we’ve done that.”

San Antonio still had some defensive lapses. Golden State went on a 10-1 run after De Colo’s 17-foot jumper gave the Spurs a 91-78 lead with 8 minutes remaining. But that’s when Duncan had his late run.

“Tim made plays and that is what he does,” Curry said. “We got back into it and had a chance to win at the end. If I would have made that second to last 3 I took, that would have changed the game.”

Curry missed a 3 pointer with 3 minutes left and Duncan followed with his 16-foot jumper that gave San Antonio a 96-88 lead.

San Antonio outscored Golden State 38-25 in the second quarter, going 6 for 11 on 3s after missing all four attempts in the opening period. Matt Bonner and Danny Green hit back-to-back 3s late in the second quarter as San Antonio led 60-47 at halftime.

De Colo had one of the highlights in the first half when he stripped Jack at midcourt and sprinted to the basket for a dunk, prompting Duncan to leap from his seat and shout “atta boy.”

“I thought he was a really physical player tonight,” Popovich said. “He showed a penchant to stick his nose in and played physically. He was very good in that regard and that’s what we’ve been wanting to see from him.

“He’s a smart player, we already know that, but he’s got to be able to bang and hit and keep up with a physical game like it was tonight -the way it’s going to be in the playoffs.”

Game notes

Parker participated fully in San Antonio’s practice Tuesday, but Popovich said he was still about a week away from rejoining the team. … All but three of San Antonio’s 14 remaining games are against teams with a winning record. … Warriors F Richard Jefferson, who played two seasons with the Spurs, was booed when he entered the game late in the first quarter. … Duncan was assessed a technical foul with 6:59 left for arguing a foul called against De Colo. It was Duncan’s first technical foul since April 15, 2007, against the Dallas Mavericks.

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Duncan had 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and the Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-113 on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and 13 boards, and Manu Ginobili added 14 points and 10 assists for San Antonio (51-16), which is 1 1/2 games ahead of Oklahoma City for the top seed in the Western Conference.

“Tim saved our (butt),” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was ejected midway through the second quarter. “He obviously carried the whole night for us. He was great. It shouldn’t have to be that way.”

Nando De Colo had 11 points and Tiago Splitter 10 for the Spurs.

Playing without its top two players in point guard Kyrie Irving and center Anderson Varejao, Cleveland (22-44) led 103-102 with 5 minutes left in the game.

Opponents were averaging 96.2 points against the Spurs entering Saturday’s game, but the Cavaliers had 90 after three quarters. For a franchise and a coach that has won four NBA titles on the shoulders of its defense, the lack of focus is troubling to say the least.

“We’ve got to step up and play better,” Ginobili said. “The playoffs are around the corner; 15 games to go and we are doing worse than at the beginning of the season. We’ve got to go by this slump and get our things together.”

Wayne Ellington had 21 points and fellow reserve Marreese Speights added 19 for Cleveland. Shaun Livingston had 16 points, and Alonzo Gee and Dion Waiters added 15 apiece.

Neither offense was slowed by the loss of its starting All-Star point guards. Parker is expected to miss another two weeks with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and Cleveland will be without Irving (shoulder) for another three weeks.

It was defense that both teams were lacking.

“We’ve been emphasizing for two and half weeks and it hasn’t done any good,” Popovich said. “I need to learn another language or I don’t know what. But, very disappointed in our defensive execution in the last two to three weeks after we raised our stock from being a middle of the road defensive team last year to one of the top two or three this year.

“Then in the last three weeks, we decide to toss it; that it’s not important. I’m really concerned and disappointed in that.”

Frustration with that defense may have led to Popovich’s ejection. He was ejected with 6:33 left in the first half after arguing a charge Ed Malloy called on Boris Diaw against Luke Walton. After the initial technical, Popovich was quickly assessed a second and ejected after storming onto the court, yelling and pointing at Malloy.

San Antonio outscored Cleveland 19-12 down the stretch, but the Cavs shot 51 percent from the field.

Duncan blocked Tristan Thompson’s layup attempt with the Spurs leading 113-109 and 54.9 seconds remaining. Duncan also blocked Waiters’ shot with 17.9 seconds left and San Antonio leading 116-111.

It was two of the few defensive highlights for the Spurs.

“It’s not been great and I don’t know why,” Duncan said. “I think the effort is there. We’re playing hard. We’re giving up too many straight drives right to the rim. We’ve got find a way to kind of counter that; find a way to clean that up.”

Duncan had 13 points in the first quarter, going 6 for 9 and collecting six rebounds.

He tossed in a 2-foot jumper that gave the Spurs a 30-21 lead with 3 minutes left in the first quarter. Leonard picked up an assist on the basket, hustling in from out of bounds to tip his own missed shot to Duncan.

“We’re moving the ball and it’s gone to the post a little more,” Duncan said. “That’s where I’m a little more effective. I still haven’t gotten my shot back the way I want it. I’m just trying to be aggressive.”

Waiters’ 3 with 7 minutes left in the first half capped a 13-5 run that gave the Cavaliers a 48-44 lead.

After CJ Miles made both free throws on Popovich’s technicals, the Spurs closed the first half on a 22-11 run to take a 66-61 lead. Ginobili had eight points in the run and Duncan added seven.

Cleveland shot 61 percent from the field in the first half.

“I think they’re the best team in the league,” Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. “I don’t know if they’re going to win it. They have the best talent and the best coach, so they have a great shot of winning another championship. I think for us, we played this game really well.”

The Spurs never trailed in the third quarter, but Livingston’s layup with 1:20 left tied the game at 90 to set up the fourth quarter.

Game notes

Varejao, who missed his 41st game, will not return after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. . Splitter is the only player to appear in every game for San Antonio this season, having started 45 of 67 games. . The Spurs continue to use their D-League affiliate to develop their young reserves, sending De Colo and Aron Baynes to the Austin Toros on Friday. De Colo was recalled prior to Saturday’s game, playing 24 minutes while going 4 for 6 from the field. . San Antonio is 34-6 overall at home against Cleveland. . Ellington (ankle) played 22 minutes after being listed as a game-time decision.

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Maybe too relaxed.

Jermaine O’Neal had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Wesley Johnson hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime and the Phoenix Suns rallied to upend San Antonio 105-101, stunning a raucous crowd that had begun celebrating midway through the third quarter only to exit in silence.

Tony Parker had 22 points to lead San Antonio, which had not lost at home since Nov. 19 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tim Duncan had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and DeJuan Blair and Kawhi Leonard added 15 points apiece.

Luis Scola added 15 points and Goran Dragic had 13 points and 13 assists for Phoenix, which snapped a six-game losing streak against the Spurs.

“We are all very upset, especially after the performance we had on the road,” San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili said. “Coming back home and losing the first one is hard, but it happens. We got relaxed after such a long road trip, but this is what happens in the NBA when you do not play your best.”

After going 7-2 on the road trip due to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the league-leading Spurs (45-14) appeared to have the game well in hand following a strong third quarter by Parker.

Amid cries of “MVP,” Parker had 10 points in the period as San Antonio extended its lead to double digits. His assist to Duncan with 10 minutes left in the third gave the Spurs a 56-45 lead and his 10-foot jumper put them up 69-58.

Leonard’s 3 with 1.1 seconds gave San Antonio a 77-67 lead entering the fourth.

Trailing by 11 points with 11:29 left in the game, the Suns rallied behind O’Neal. The veteran center had 13 points and five rebounds as Phoenix (20-39) outscored San Antonio 33-23 in the fourth.

“For us, we’re obviously not in the playoff run, but it’s about trying to be a better team,” O’Neal said. “Games like these are what build character and put us in the right direction. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Suns pulled within 97-95 with less than a minute remaining on Marcus Morris’ 3. Parker attempted to keep the Spurs ahead, tossing in a floater, a jump shot and feeding Duncan for a jumper that gave San Antonio a 99-97 lead with 11 seconds left.

Ginobili made one of two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to make it 100-97. O’Neal rebounded Ginobili’s second free throw attempt, firing a pass down court to Johnson, whose 3 at the buzzer tied the game at 100 and sent it to overtime.

“Overall we made a lot of mental errors,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Especially on that last play on the free throw line when Johnson went all the way down the court and he wasn’t picked up. That cost us the game.”

Johnson’s 3 seemed to stun the Spurs even more so than the fans.

“I think we were kind of surprised that Manu missed that last free throw, but they made a great play,” Parker said. “Wesley made a big 3.”

San Antonio went 0-for-10 in overtime, its only points in the extra period coming when Parker made 1 of 2 free throws.

“I think they missed some shots they normally make, so defensively we did some things great that worked great for us,” Phoenix coach Lindsey Hunter said.

The teams combined to go 0-for-14 to open overtime. Marcin Gortat’s tip follow was the first basket of overtime, giving Phoenix a 102-101 lead with 1:07 left.

Game notes

After three weeks on the road, the Spurs were finally able to honor Parker as the NBA Player of the Month for January, doing so prior to the game. … San Antonio observed a moment of silence in honor of Dr. Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner who died Feb. 18. … The Spurs have won 64 games overall on its rodeo road trips, which began in 2003. … A video highlighting the Spurs’ recent road trip played prior to the game to Phillip Phillips’ “Home.” … Dragic and reigning MVP LeBron James of Miami are the only players leading their team in points, assists, steals and free throw attempts. … Scola, Gortat and Markieff Morris have played all 58 games for Phoenix, with Gortat starting each.

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New Orleans At San Antonio
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports New Orleans, KENS (San Antonio)
Prediction: Spurs 101, Hornets 91

Oddsmakers currently have the Spurs listed as 10-point favorites versus the Hornets, while the game’s total is sitting at 192.

New Orleans’ resurgence has been buoyed by the return to form of guard Eric Gordon. A right knee injury kept him out for the first 29 games, and he struggled with his shot as a reserve early in his comeback. But the 24-year-old has been much better of late, averaging 19.2 points over his last five games. “I’m starting to hit jump shots more,” Gordon told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I just need to get it all flowing together. There are points in the game when I do and some that I don’t. It’s going to come together.” Monday’s triumph marked the first time this season the Hornets have allowed more than 100 points and won

The Hornets were a 114-105 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Kings. They covered the 5.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (219) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 14-27 SU, 22-19 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games
When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
Before playing Houston are 7-3
After playing Sacramento are 3-7
After a win are 4-6

When San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich opted to send stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker home rather than have them play in a nationally televised game earlier in the season, he likely had this stretch of the schedule in mind. San Antonio will have played more games than any team in the league by the end of the week. “It’s been a tough beginning, travel-wise,” Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re getting to be a pretty tired team. It’s been a lot of games quickly. We’ve never had this many games in this period of time before.” San Antonio will enjoy three days off following Saturday’s game against Phoenix

The Spurs were a 90-85 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the 76ers. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as favorites, while the total score (175) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 33-11 SU, 25-18-1 ATS
Current streak: won 5 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games at home

When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing Dallas are 8-2
After playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

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Tony Parker scored 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs handed the slumping Lakers their fifth straight loss with a 108-105 victory Wednesday night.

Manu Ginobili added 19 points and Tiago Splitter and Stephen Jackson had 14 each for San Antonio (28-10), which has won 11 straight at home. Splitter also had a career-high 14 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, Metta World Peace added 23 and Earl Clark 22 for Los Angeles (15-20). Bryant was 10 for 24 from the field, missing a 3-pointer on his final attempt that would have tied the game. Clark missed a follow-up 3 off a long rebound.

What can the Lakers take from such a battle?

“We lost five in a row,” Bryant said. “It’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Coming off a 125-112 loss at Houston on Tuesday, the Lakers fought until the final buzzer.

Bryant’s 3-pointer pulled Los Angeles to 105-99 with 3:32 remaining. The 3 led to dueling cries of support between a large contingent of Lakers fans seated near the Los Angeles bench and Spurs fans.

Did the effort give Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni reason to smile?

“No, not really,” he said. “I’m proud of their effort. They fought. They fought last night against Houston. You can see the team getting some traction, but we’re a long ways away from a smile.”

Antawn Jamison’s layup pulled the Lakers to 105-102 following a timeout, but Artest missed a layup and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions.

Ginobili hit a 3-pointer that gave the Spurs a six-point lead, but Clark responded with his own 3 to close to 108-105, setting up Bryant’s final attempt.

The Spurs missed five shots and had four turnovers in the final 5 minutes, turning a 10-point lead into a nail-biting finish for the sell-out crowd.

“We kind of stopped,” Ginobili said. “We need rhythm this year. We are getting used to playing faster and we just didn’t do it. We were playing one-on-one instead of doing what we do best and that’s to penetrate, kick and pass the ball.”

Even with Lakers big men Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill out with injuries, the Spurs managed only a 48-40 rebounding advantage. Los Angeles forced 19 turnovers to keep the game close throughout.

Parker’s 17-foot jumper gave the Spurs their largest lead at 83-66, but the Lakers quickly pared the 17-point deficit. Artest hit a 3, Bryant made a pair of jumpers and Clark had a 21-foot jumper to pull the Lakers to 83-75 with 49.3 seconds left in the third.

“The closer it gets, the easier it is to focus and be ready,” Ginobili said. “Of course, you worry because we were up by 16 and we just messed up the whole game. Like I said before, it was disappointing to see the team play like that, but at least we got the win.”

Bryant had a sluggish start offensively and the Lakers fell behind 54-45 at the half.

His first basket came with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter and he closed the half 2 for 6 from the field. Bryant credited his poor shooting to Spurs second-year player Kawhi Leonard.

“It was Kawhi’s defense,” Bryant said. “He did a good job.”

Leonard finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 33 minutes while primarily guarding Bryant and World Peace.

“Kawhi Leonard was the start of the show as far as I’m concerned,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He had a great night and is getting better and better defensively and starting to find his way offensively. I thought that was great.”

Game notes

Lakers G Steve Blake (abdominal surgery) missed his 28th game of the season. Howard (shoulder), Gasol (concussion) and Hill (hip) also sat out the game. The Spurs had every player on their current roster active. … The Lakers haven’t lost five in a row since April 3-10, 2011. … The Lakers are 1-12 when trailing after the first quarter this season. … The Spurs evened their overall record against the Lakers at 74-all. San Antonio has a 46-29 advantage at home. … Bryant holds the Spurs opponent record for most field goal attempts — 41 on Feb. 14, 2004.

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Brooklyn At San Antonio
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, December 31, 2012
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Prediction: Spurs 105, Nets 96.

Oddsmakers currently have the Spurs listed as 9½-point favorites versus the Nets, while the game’s total is sitting at 197.

Brooklyn general manager Billy King said in an ESPN radio interview on Sunday that he had not contacted any high-profile coaching candidates. “We’ve put our support behind (Carlesimo), and then we’ll look at things and evaluate it later,” King said. Carlesimo guided the Nets to a 97-81 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday and a 103-100 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday by leaning on Lopez. The center has posted three straight double-doubles and went for a season-high 35 points in the win over Cleveland. Williams has recorded a total of nine assists and only one turnover in the two games under Carlesimo.

Last time out for Brooklyn, they were a 103-100 winner as they battled the Cavaliers at home. The Nets failed to cover in the match as an 8.5-point favorite, while 203 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 16-14 SU, 13-16-1 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 15 of last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 8 games

When playing on Monday are 3-7
Before playing Oklahoma City are 3-7
After playing Cleveland are 3-7
After a win are 6-4

San Antonio crushed the Dallas Mavericks 111-86 on Sunday night and has won its last five by an average of 18.8 points. The Spurs got 84 points from Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan in a win over the Houston Rockets on Friday, and the three went for 59 in the victory on Sunday. With Monday being the second night of a back-to-back set, and with another back-to-back scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, coach Gregg Popovich could get creative with his substitution patterns in regard to those three players in particular. Parker was the only one to go over 30 minutes on Sunday and led the team with 21 points and nine assists.

In their last action, San Antonio was a 111-86 winner on the road against the Mavericks. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (197) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Team record: 24-8 SU, 19-12-1 ATS
Current streak: won 5 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games when playing Brooklyn

When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Milwaukee are 8-2
After playing Dallas are 9-1
After a win are 8-2

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