Game 70: Spurs vs Warriors

Tony Parker had no issues getting into the lane against the Warriors.

San Antonio, Texas: The San Antonio Spurs rallied to hold off on losing their third straight game as they downed the Warriors 107-106. Tony Paker had a strong night and he also had a good supporting class behind him as Tim Duncan and Roger Mason (say it with me) JR. each scored 20 or more points. The Warriors gave the Spurs yet again another good game. Though I thought watching the game the Spurs gave it up as Duncan was posting down low and had the ball knocked away from him. That led to Azabuike scoring the lead bucket for the Warriors.

Gnawed by last-second losses in their previous two outings, the Spurs got redemption when Roger Mason made an 18-footer with 23.9 seconds left and watched Monta Ellis clank a running 3-pointer at the buzzer to escape with a 107-106 win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker scored 30 points and Tim Duncan scored 13 of his 21 in the fourth quarter, when the Spurs blew a late six-point lead but survived at the end.

It was thanks to Mason, who scored the last of his 24 points when he took a handoff from Duncan, rolled to the top of key and swished the game-winner.

“Definitely a relief,” Mason said. “Those last few games stung.”

Mason was key for Spurs win. He finished with 24.

This one could’ve been another stinger. Ellis missed one chance to win the game on a jumper with 5.9 seconds left but missed, then the shot as time expired. He led the Warriors 27 points.

“It was good,” Ellis said of final try. “Brought it up and let it go.”

In all, five of San Antonio’s last six games have been decided by three points or fewer. They won only two, and have fallen to 11-6 in games decided by three or fewer points after once being 9-2 in that category.

The Spurs, who have lost three of five, broke a two-game skid and avoided dropping three straight for what would’ve been only the second time this season.

“We’re obviously going through a rough patch,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We can’t seem to sustain what we’re tying to do offensively, and Golden State’s a high-scoring team.”

With the last attempt by Monta Ellis with time expiring, Warriors Coach Don Nelson felt he could of got a better look:

“I thought Monte could have gotten to the rim, certainly in five seconds get to the rim,” Nelson said. “But anyways, that was what he chose to do. They made a big shot and we didn’t. That’s really the bottom line.”

With the win and the snapping of their two game skid the Spurs head to Atlanta on Wednesday and may face the Hawks without Duncan. Popovich is trying to preserve his 32-year-old forward for the playoffs, and already sat out Duncan in a back-to-back games earlier this month.

He gave no indication Tuesday whether Duncan would play against Atlanta.

Highlights: