The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 97-96 Monday at BMO Harris Bradley Center.
It was a remarkable comeback effort for the Spurs (17-4), who, after scoring just 35 points in the first half and just nine in the second quarter, used a terrific second-half effort to earn the victory and improve to a perfect 12-0 on the road this season.
Overall, San Antonio outscored Milwaukee (10-9) by 14 points in the second half and their run was topped off by a game-winning layup from LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists, with just over 20 seconds remaining. Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Spurs, scoring a team-high 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds of his own, while Pau Gasol posted 15 points and nine boards. It was a matchup won in the frontcourt for the Spurs, as the only other San Antonio player to reach double figures was Dwyane Dedmon, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.
For the Bucks, they were led once again by their young stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. Antetokounmpo 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Parker managed 23 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
The rest of the Bucks starters, meanwhile, combined to score just 20 points, and it was the contributions from Milwaukee’s reserves that kept them ahead, with Greg Monroe posting a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds and Mirza Teletovic scoring 11 points off the bench. The Bucks could potentially get themselves into trouble as the season goes on if they don’t have a legitimate scoring option after Parker and Antetokounmpo, as teams will focus more and more on the young stars with both putting together stellar seasons.
Up next, the Spurs will look to win their 13th straight on the road when they take on the Timberwolves on Tuesday, while the Bucks will stay home Wednesday and play the Trail Blazers.
