Leonard, Ginobili carry Spurs past Rockets
HOUSTON -- Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili delivered timely scoring bursts that enabled the San Antonio Spurs to carve out a 106-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at Toyota Center.
The Spurs (7-3) relied on balanced scoring to subdue the Rockets (5-4), who played just their second home game after opening the season with seven of eight games on the road. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) while guard Tony Parker added 16 points and center Pau Gasol 15.
Ginobili finished with 12 points, eight during one crucial stretch after the Rockets sliced a 15-point deficit to 69-63 on the stretch of four consecutive 3-pointers. Ginobili responded with two 3s and a reverse layup for an 82-70 entering the fourth.
James Harden paced the Rockets with a second consecutive triple-double (25 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists) while Eric Gordon scored a game-high 27 points after catching fire with 13 points in the fourth quarter. Gordon matched his career high with seven 3-pointers.
Trevor Ariza added 15 points while Clint Capela paired 12 points with 10 boards.
Houston trailed by as many as 16 points in the fourth before Gordon turned a hail of 3-pointers into a 100-96 deficit with 2:22 remaining. But Leonard (20 points) kept the Rockets at bay with six consecutive points, and that cushion proved safe.
Like Ginobili late in the third quarter, Leonard carried the Spurs with a burst of scoring midway through the first, keying an 18-4 run with four driving layups that left the Rockets reeling. When Ginobili followed with a conversion off the glass the Spurs led 24-15 and maintained that working margin until the Rockets rallied again.
When Capela slammed home a pair of alley-oop passes from Harden, Houston trailed 41-40 with 2:46 left in the half. The Spurs followed with a timely 8-0 run.
NOTES: Rockets G Patrick Beverley practiced with the team on Friday and declared that he will return to action sometime next week. Beverley has been sidelined since the preseason following left knee surgery. He did not commit to a specific game for the return next week, when the Rockets host the 76ers, Trail Blazers and Jazz while also paying a visit to Oklahoma City. ... With both members of the starting backcourt, Danny Green and Tony Parker, available for the first time, the Spurs trotted out the lineup they anticipated when the roster was set with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol starting in the frontcourt. ... Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni remains in search of the desired pace in the fourth quarter, a period in which Houston was shooting 39.3 percent and averaging 21.6 points. Those numbers represent lows for the Rockets.