The San Antonio Spurs have been winning for multiple decades and don't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Danny Green scored 21 points, including going a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point range, to lead the Spurs past the Denver Nuggets 123-93 on Friday night.
With the win, the Spurs recorded their NBA-record 16th consecutive 50-win season. They also pull into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for fifth place in the Western Conference. All of this on a night that they lost Tiago Splitter to a calf injury in the first quarter.
The Spurs came out swinging to jump out to a 20-point lead after the first, leading to Nuggets' coach Melvin Hunt comparing them to Mike Tyson. They scored 45 first-quarter points, which marks their highest point total for any quarter this season. They finished shooting 79 percent from the field in the opening quarter, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Spurs are unsure on how long they will be without Splitter, but may not be too worried after going 14-7 when Splitter missed a month earlier this season. San Antonio did win 16 of 19 after the Brazilian forward returned to the lineup.
Splitter left the game with 5:33 to play in the first quarter, and was seen walking with a limp after the game. He scored 7 points on 3-for-4 shooting and grabbed 2 rebounds before his early exit.
Kawhi Leonard led the first-quarter charge by scoring 15 in the frame on 7-for-9 shooting and finished with 20 on the night. Aron Baynes contributed 18 points in 19 minutes to help lead the Spurs to their 6th straight win.
Danilo Galinari scored 20 points and Jameer Nelson added 14 for the Nuggets, who trailed by as many as 37 points in the game. They finished shooting a respectable 47 percent from the floor.
San Antonio has already clinched their 18th consecutive playoff berth, a streak that began in the 1998 season. They will take their 50-26 record back home tomorrow night to host the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets fell to 28-48 on the year and will host the Clippers tonight.
With the win, the Spurs recorded their NBA-record 16th consecutive 50-win season. They also pull into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for fifth place in the Western Conference. All of this on a night that they lost Tiago Splitter to a calf injury in the first quarter.
The Spurs came out swinging to jump out to a 20-point lead after the first, leading to Nuggets' coach Melvin Hunt comparing them to Mike Tyson. They scored 45 first-quarter points, which marks their highest point total for any quarter this season. They finished shooting 79 percent from the field in the opening quarter, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Spurs are unsure on how long they will be without Splitter, but may not be too worried after going 14-7 when Splitter missed a month earlier this season. San Antonio did win 16 of 19 after the Brazilian forward returned to the lineup.
Splitter left the game with 5:33 to play in the first quarter, and was seen walking with a limp after the game. He scored 7 points on 3-for-4 shooting and grabbed 2 rebounds before his early exit.
Kawhi Leonard led the first-quarter charge by scoring 15 in the frame on 7-for-9 shooting and finished with 20 on the night. Aron Baynes contributed 18 points in 19 minutes to help lead the Spurs to their 6th straight win.
Danilo Galinari scored 20 points and Jameer Nelson added 14 for the Nuggets, who trailed by as many as 37 points in the game. They finished shooting a respectable 47 percent from the floor.
San Antonio has already clinched their 18th consecutive playoff berth, a streak that began in the 1998 season. They will take their 50-26 record back home tomorrow night to host the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets fell to 28-48 on the year and will host the Clippers tonight.
