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Recap: Spurs defeat Timberwolves on opening night without Leonard and Parker


In the 20 past seasons, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has led the Spurs to an 18-2 record in season-opening games.

On the 21st time around, Popovich faced yet another challenge. Playing without two starters, with one being 2017 Most Valuable Player candidate Kawhi Leonard, against a reloaded Minnesota Timberwolves team.

Kyle Anderson slid into the starting small forward spot, Dejounte Murray into the starting point guard position, Manu Ginobili returned to the bench and the season was off.

And as another season started, Popovich added another win to his season opener record as the Spurs defeated the Timberwolves 107-99 at home Wednesday night.

"We’re happy with the win," Pau Gasol said. "But 81 more [games] to go."

The length of the Spurs affected numerous Timberwolves shots on the night as the Spurs finished with a 16.2 block percentage and 11 total blocks.

Gasol led the team with three rejections, but his fellow starters in Danny Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, Anderson and Murray also combined to block six shots.

Murray’s length specifically stood out as he brought down five rebounds and had two steals using his daunting wingspan. On top of his defensive efforts, Murray finished with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

"I thought he had a really good game," Popovich said. "Overall, he played well on both ends, he was composed on the offensive end, didn’t make too many mistakes [and he] worked hard on [defense]. He showed a lot of composure throughout the game."

New face Rudy Gay showed his explosiveness on a few occasions and scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting. While Danny Green picked up right where he left off on the defensive side of the ball, being active and forcing two steals, as well as going 3-of-7 from three and totaling 17 points.

Ginobili also returned to the court to the elation of the fans. On the night, he put up nine points and four assists with only one turnover.

Just as was the case in last year’s playoffs, without Parker and Leonard, Aldridge was tasked with being the focal point of the San Antonio offense once again.

Early in the game, Aldridge forced several double teams leading to cuts and open threes, allowing the Spurs a double-digit lead in the opening quarter.

Aldridge finished the game with a team-high 25 points on 9-of-21 shooting along with 10 rebounds. He also led the team in plus-minus with a plus-15 rating.

"I tried to make some good reads on double teams," Aldridge said. "We weren’t as good as we can be, but it’s a good first step in the right direction."

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