{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
San Antonio 112, Phoenix 79
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Officials: #76 Steven Anderson, #56 Mark Ayotte, #49 Tom Washington
Attendance: 18418

SAN ANTONIO -- Being shorthanded and without their top scorer against San Antonio was tough enough for Phoenix to start with Wednesday. But committing four turnovers in their first eight possessions added salt to the Suns' wounds and helped the surging Spurs get off to a torrid start on the way to an easy win.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points and pulled down 12 rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter as the Spurs rolled past Phoenix 112-79 to remain unbeaten at home.

The victory, which was never in doubt after a runaway first quarter, was the 19th straight at home this season for San Antonio, allowing the Spurs to expand their best home start ever. They extended their winning streak in the AT&T Center to 28 games dating back to the final nine home contests of 2014-15.

San Antonio is just the third Western Conference team in history to open a season 19-0 at home, joining Portland (which won its first 26 games in 1977-78) and Houston (20, 1985-86). The Golden State Warriors are 15-0 at home this season.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the Suns were obviously hampered by their depleted lineup. It was Phoenix's second straight loss since starting point guard Eric Bledsoe went down with a season-ending left knee injury on Dec. 26.

"We caught a break because all Phoenix's guys aren't there," Popovich said. "They've got some injuries to some people that they really need. It doesn't matter whether you're ahead or behind, every game is a teaching situation. You take positives and negatives from every time out."

The double-double was Aldridge's 10th of the season and marked the 28th time in the 32 games he has played this season that he scored in double figures.

"The flow of the game was just different tonight," said Aldridge, who led the Spurs in scoring for the ninth time in 2015-16. "I ended up getting some open shots and finding a rhythm early. It's a process and there are going to be nights like tonight and then there are going to be nights when it's rough. Everyone came out focused tonight and played more competitive and with more energy."

Forward Kawhi Leonard added 19 points for San Antonio (28-6), which has the second-best record in the NBA and is off to its best start since the 2010-11 season. The Spurs also got 13 points from reserve forward Boris Diaw and 12 from guard Tony Parker.

Twelve of the 13 Spurs who saw action scored. San Antonio forward Tim Duncan did not play Monday because of soreness in his right knee. It was the third consecutive game Duncan missed, once for rest and twice with the injury.

Phoenix (12-22) lost for the sixth consecutive game. The Suns were led by guard Brandon Knight, center Tyson Chandler and reserve forward T.J. Warren with 11 points apiece. The Suns' 79 points were a season low, supplanting the 84 Phoenix scored against San Antonio the first time the teams played on Nov. 23.

San Antonio turned the Suns' quick-shooting strategy against the visitors in the first quarter, roaring out to a 32-12 lead after the opening 12 minutes. The Spurs shot 57 percent in the quarter, forced nine Phoenix turnovers while committing none themselves and got scoring from eight players -- nearly running the Suns out of the building before some of the sold-out crowd found its seats.

"(San Antonio) was just more physical than we were," said Chandler, who also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. "They started the game that way and ended it that way -- they're a great basketball team. It's something we have to learn from."

The Spurs kept their collective foot on the accelerator through a dominating second quarter, pushing their advantage to 31 points before settling for a 61-33 lead at halftime. Phoenix's 33 points were its fewest in a half this season and its 13 turnovers through the first two quarters resulted in 18 points for San Antonio, which really didn't need any help.

"The turnovers at the beginning can't happen -- and they were unforced turnovers -- and that put us in a hole and took any pressure off of San Antonio," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We needed some guys to step in up offensively with Eric (Bledsoe) gone, but we also have to be better defensively."

The Suns didn't go the free throw line in the first half as San Antonio was whistled for just four fouls.

"San Antonio was just tougher," Hornacek said. "We were not able to get in the paint often and we settled for some quick jump shots. We didn't make them defend in the paint like we needed to."

Phoenix played better for the first half of the third quarter, cutting the Spurs' lead to 72-50 on a driving layup by forward Markieff Morris. However, San Antonio had the last run of the period, finishing with a 12-6 surge that re-established a 28-point advantage, 84-56, by the end of the period and sent the Spurs' starters to the bench for the rest of the game.

NOTES: San Antonio had 18 steals in its first meeting of the year against the Suns, a 98-84 Spurs win. The Spurs finished with 13 steals Wednesday. ...The Spurs' non-starters began the day ranked first in the NBA in total assists (375), assists per game (an average of 11.4) and field-goal percentage (.486) and tied for first in total steals (119). ...San Antonio F Kawhi Leonard was ranked third in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.480) and fifth in steals. ... Through Tuesday, the Suns ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring (103.5 points per game) second in 3-point shooting (38.1 percent) and third with a pace of 101.3 possessions per game. ... Jeff Hornacek has 99 wins as an NBA head coach, all with Phoenix. He is on the verge of becoming the eighth coach in Suns history to reach the century mark.
Top Game Performances
 
Phoenix   San Antonio
Tyson Chandler 11 Scoring LaMarcus Aldridge 21
Markieff Morris 5 Assists Tony Parker 7
Tyson Chandler 10 Rebounds LaMarcus Aldridge 12
Archie Goodwin 4 Free Throws Made LaMarcus Aldridge 5
Bryce Cotton 3 Steals Tony Parker 4
Tyson Chandler 2 Blocks LaMarcus Aldridge 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Phoenix 79 39.5 5-18 10-18 18 36 3 6 15
San Antonio 112 56.6 6-14 20-33 26 46 5 13 13
Upcoming Games
  • San Antonio will play their next game at home against Houston. The Spurs have a W/L % of .786 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma City. The Suns have a W/L % of .308 after a win and .381 after a loss.