The San Antonio Spurs (1-1) used a big third-quarter run to turn Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets (0-2) into a laugher, claiming a 105-78 victory over the visitors.
San Antonio trailed by five after an uninspired first half, but the team came out of the break with some fire. Tony Parker was instrumental in turning the game into a runaway, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to spark a 28-11 run that flipped a five-point deficit into a 12-point lead heading into the fourth. The Spurs would continue their dominance over the final 12 minutes to easily dispatch the Nets, relying on a rather balanced scoring attack to accomplish that feat. All five starters had between eight and 16 points, while coach Gregg Popovich used eight bench players, who combined for an impressive 43 points.
What began as an encouraging start for the Nets resulted in a second consecutive 15-point loss, putting the team in an early hole to begin the season. Brook Lopez led the team with 17 points on a respectable 6-for-11 from the field, but his inability to make an impact on the glass (three rebounds) was true for the rest of his teammates. The Spurs outrebounded the Nets by a 56-32 count.
On a more fortunate note for Brooklyn, starting point guard Jarrett Jack was able to return to the court after missing the season opener with a hamstring injury. He turned in a solid showing, scoring 12 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds over 27 minutes.
The Nets will continue their road trip with a visit to Memphis on Saturday, while the Spurs will get a day off before squaring off with the Celtics in Boston on Sunday.
