Field Level Media
Mar 6, 2019
LaMarcus Aldridge racked up 32 points, including a pair of big baskets in the final two minutes, as the visiting San Antonio Spurs defeated the Atlanta Hawks 111-104 on Wednesday to capture their fourth straight win.
The Spurs led 98-96 before Aldridge canned a jumper and Davis Bertans hit a 3-pointer from the corner to push the lead to seven points with 2:56 remaining.
Trae Young pulled Atlanta within 103-100 with two free throws and a layup before Aldridge converted a three-point play with 1:51 left. DeMar DeRozan then went to the hole for a driving layup to give the Spurs enough cushion to secure the victory.
Derrick White added 18 points, six rebounds, nine assists and a career-high six blocked shots for San Antonio. DeRozan scored 14 points while Patty Mills, Rudy Gay and Bertans hit for 12 points each for the Spurs. Gay also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds in the victory.
Young led the Hawks with 22 points, 20 of them in the second half. John Collins scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Hawks. Kent Bazemore hit for 12 points, Alex Len tallied 11 and Vince Carter contributed 10 points for Atlanta, which lost its second consecutive contest and third in the past four.
The Spurs led for most of the first half and by as many as 11 points in the first quarter. Atlanta slowly got itself back in the game, pulling within 50-48 on a free throw by Taurean Prince with 2:57 remaining in the half.
San Antonio answered with an Aldridge three-point play to move ahead by five points before the Hawks finished the half with eight straight points, capped by Prince's layup after he blocked DeRozan's shot.
Atlanta led 56-53 at intermission.
Aldridge led all scorers in the first half with 11 points while Collins and Bazemore paced Atlanta with 10 first-half points apiece.
The game was tied twice and the lead changed hands nine times in the third quarter before the Spurs scored the final three points of the period to take an 80-77 advantage into the final 12 minutes. Young racked up 11 points in the third quarter to help the Hawks stay close.
--Field Level Media