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Tim Duncan (rest) and Tony Parker (sore right hip) sat out tonight, but that didn't prevent the Spurs from cruising past this beat up Suns team.
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It was not the most exciting of first quarters but the Spurs managed to get out to a quick double digit lead with LaMarcus Aldridge starting off hot, but for the most part it was a balanced effort from San Antonio that gave them a 25-18 advantage. While not a single Spur had more than five points in the quarter, the Spurs had nine players make at least one bucket.
The Suns then cut the lead to the three as the Spurs got off to a sloppy start in the second quarter. Alex Len and Devin Booker were the only Suns who had anything going offensively, but they were a force, combining to shoot 8-for-12 only a couple of minutes into the quarter.
The Spurs quickly tightened up, Kawhi Leonard got a few dunks, and all of the sudden the Spurs owned a 16 point lead. The Spurs did a good job defensively, keeping the Suns off the line, and on the other side the Spurs did a good job of getting to the line themselves. San Antonio went from 11-for-12 from the stripe, while Phoenix went 3-for-5.
The Spurs enjoyed a 51-39 lead at halftime, with Kawhi leading all scorers with 11. Despite going just 3-for-10 from the field, he had a +20 +/- in the half. The Spurs took control right from the start of the game, and it seemed as if it would stay that way.
Phoenix didn't quit and slowly chipped away at their deficit in the second half and cut the Spurs' lead to seven, but the Suns simply had no answer for Leonard. Kawhi kept the Spurs margin comfortable and had eight points in the first five minutes of the quarter. The Suns kept fighting back though and cut the lead to single digits again.
Things got ugly towards the end of the third quarter, when Boban Marjanovic outran the entire Suns team for a fast break dunk, and the Suns started booing their own crowd. Things are getting dark for the Suns.
Someone's been learning from Timmy...Boban, with no business winning a race, beats the Suns down the floor. pic.twitter.com/MazzsIQT8H
— Chris Itz (@Chris_Itz1) January 22, 2016
The Spurs' 'Juice' unit really put this game away in the fourth. One thing the Phoenix fans can be thankful for is being treated to over 20 minutes of Boban, which is exciting no matter how badly your team is losing. Marjanovic had a double-double with 17 points (a career high in points) and 13 rebounds. The Spurs end up winning this one fairly easily without Timmy and Tony.
And here's a Jonathon Simmons 4th quarter slam just because:
Simmons' athleticism still seems absurd for a Spur to me. It's fun pic.twitter.com/XLCdt5dFb6
— Chris Itz (@Chris_Itz1) January 22, 2016
The Spurs win their 11th straight, and improve to 37-6.