Field Level Media
Feb 8, 2018
San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Patty Mills added 18 points off the bench as the visiting Spurs blew out the Phoenix Suns 129-81 on Wednesday at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Danny Green had 17 points, and he and Mills hit five 3-pointers apiece for the Spurs, who broke a two-game losing streak. Mills played 17 minutes.
Green made three of his 3-pointers as the Spurs opened a 25-5 lead less than 10 minutes into the game, the first of their six-game "rodeo trip" taken annually when the San Antonio stock show and rodeo occupies the AT&T Center.
Alex Len had 14 points, Josh Jackson had 13 and Dragan Bender had 12 for the Suns, who tied the worst margin of defeat in franchise history. Phoenix played without leading scorer Devin Booker (hip) for the second consecutive game.
Dejounte Murray had 14 points and three assists for the Spurs before leaving with a sprained ankle midway through second quarter, and Tony Parker had 13 points as the Spurs completed a sweep of the four-game season series.
Aldridge made 10 of 14 field-goal attempts and Green and Mills were each 6 of 9 against a Suns lineup that also was missing 7-footer Tyson Chandler, who sat out because of a neck injury.
The Spurs had a 62-44 rebounding edge and limited Phoenix to 34 percent shooting from the field. The Suns made 3 of 32 3-point attempts, two of their first 25.
San Antonio had its first full practice in almost two months Monday after the Utah Jazz shot 56.7 percent in a 120-111 victory over the Spurs on Saturday. The Spurs shot 49.5 percent from the floor against Phoenix, including 50 percent (16 of 32) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Aldridge had seven points when the Spurs finished the first half on a 13-0 run for a 69-31 halftime lead.
Mills' 3-pointer in the final minute of the third quarter gave the Spurs a 97-50 lead, and his trey in the first minute of the fourth quarter made it 100-50.
The Suns lost by franchise-record 48 points in their season opener to the Portland Trail Blazers 124-76 on Oct. 18. Coach Earl Watson was fired four days later, after a 130-88 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Suns started their 20th different lineup, with Marquese Chriss opening at center, Bender at power forward and Tyler Ulis at point guard. Ulis left with back spasms in the second quarter and did not return.
San Antonio's Davis Bertans made his second straight start in place of Pau Gasol, who had 11 rebounds off the bench. Bertans finished with nine points and six boards.
--Field Level Media