The San Antonio Spurs (35-6) held on to win in a potential NBA Finals preview matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers (27-10) Thursday night at AT&T Center, 99-95.
After a tight third quarter, Cleveland led 73-72, but The Spurs raced out to a 15-4 run to open the final period and took an 87-77 lead that would prove too much for the Cavaliers to overcome. The Spurs dominated inside, pulling down 11 offensive rebounds and shooting a sharp 50 percent on two-point shots.
Tony Parker led all scorers with 24 points as he looks as fresh as he has all season. After scoring 31 in Wednesday's contest against Detroit, Parker now has two consecutive games of 20 points or more for the first time all season. Parker was supported by yet another sharp game from Kawhi Leonard, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists plus strong defense against Cavaliers star LeBron James.
James topped the Cavaliers with 22 points and five assists, but it wasn't enough overcome San Antonio's efficient attack. The Cavaliers got two double-doubles from their big men, Tristan Thompson (18 points and 14 rebounds) and Kevin Love (10 points and 12 rebounds), but Cleveland's bench added just 12 points, pale in comparison to the 35 San Antonio got from its reserves.
Cleveland had an eight-game winning streak snap and continue their Texas road trip Friday in Houston. The Spurs will try to stay unbeaten at home Sunday against Dallas.
