Spurs 95, Hornets 86
Tony Parker scored 17 points and Tim Duncan collected 12 points and 14 rebounds as San Antonio knocked off visiting Charlotte.
Danny Green hit four 3-pointers en route to 16 points and Manu Ginobili scored 10 off the bench as the Spurs won their ninth straight over the Hornets. Matt Bonner added a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 10 points for San Antonio.
Gerald Henderson scored 18 points and Al Jefferson returned to the starting lineup with 17 points and a season-high 16 rebounds for Charlotte, which was operating without leading scorer Kemba Walker (knee). Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 14 points and Cody Zeller grabbed 13 boards for the Hornets.
Gary Neal’s 3-pointer opening the fourth quarter pulled Charlotte within 69-67, but Bonner and Ginobili connected on back-to-back triples for the Spurs to spark a 12-0 run. Brian Roberts hit a 3-pointer to pull the Hornets within 87-76 with 3:41 remaining but Green responded with a pair from beyond the arc as San Antonio put it away.
The Spurs shot 57.1 percent from the field before the break to take a 55-38 lead into the half. Charlotte finally found its own rhythm in the third quarter as Jefferson scored on three straight possessions and Roberts knocked down a 3-pointer to cap an 11-4 burst that cut it to 61-53, and the Hornets pull within two points before settling for a 69-64 deficit heading for the fourth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Walker underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the meniscus in his left knee and is expected to miss six weeks. … Charlotte C Bismack Biyombo (knee) and F Marvin Williams (concussion) also sat out the game. … Duncan has posted back-to-back double-doubles after failing to top seven rebounds in the previous four games.