Forward Kawhi Leonard, with 19 points, topped the list of seven San Antonio Spurs players who had double-digit numbers and easily beat the Philadelphia Sixers 102-86.
The Spurs’ victory (38-11), second in a row, allowed legendary coach Gregg Popovich to tie Jerry Sloan’s best all-time record (1,127) for the same team.
Again, the great defense deployed by the Spurs, patent of the style imposed by Popovich, set new season records by getting 15 steals and forcing 23 turnovers on the Sixers, made possible the victory of the San Antonio team, which has won 12 consecutive games of those played at the AT&T Center, and he has another 11 wins in a row in clashes with the Philadelphia team.
The center Dewayne Dedmon, who started, contributed double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, the second he achieved with Spurs, who continue with the loss of the starter, the Spanish Pau Gasol, who is recovering from the operation of the fracture of the fourth metacarpal bone of the right hand that he suffered on January 19.
Popovich said before the game that Gasol, who has missed eight games, could be fully recovered by after All-Star Weekend, with a chance to play a game or two before the traditional regular season break comes.
The Spurs have had to play 53 games with some kind of loss due to injury or rest.
Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge also did not play due to discomfort in his right knee and missed the third game so far this season, including two that he did not play due to a decision by Popovich, which gave him rest.
Latvian forward Davis Bertans, who started in Aldridge’s position, had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and recovered two balls.
While French guard Tony Parker, who played 26 minutes, placed 61 on the all-time list by reaching 35,541, which he has played with the Spurs, and surpassing Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. (35,516).
Turkish power forward Ersan Ilyasova led the decimated Sixers’ attack by scoring a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie forward, Croatian Dario Saric, who started, scored 14 points.
The Sixers had the casualties of rookie center, Cameroonian Joel Embiid, their leading scorer, power forward Nerlens Noel and forward Robert Covington.
Spanish guard Sergio Rodríguez, who played 17 minutes as a backup for the Sixers, contributed eight points by scoring 3 of 7 shots from the field, including the only triple he made, and hitting 1 of 2 from the personnel line.
The former Real Madrid player also captured two rebounds, distributed four assists, recovered two balls and lost another four, which did not prevent the Sixers’ second consecutive defeat (18-31).
Leonard leads Spurs’ winning attack, Popovich ties Sloan
