Leonard leads Spurs past Timberwolves in OT
SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, including six in overtime, as the San Antonio Spurs shrugged off three and a half lackadaisical quarters of play with a furious comeback that netted a 97-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night at the A&T Center.
Leonard's two baskets and a pair of free throws gave the Spurs a 94-90 lead with 2:21 left in the extra period and a Danny Green putback of his own missed shot with 18.6 seconds remaining cemented the win for San Antonio, its seventh straight.
The game was tied at 83 but San Antonio had the final possession and 18.9 seconds to find a game-winning shot in regulation. Leonard dribbled out all but the final three seconds from above the top of the key, drove to his left against Andrew Wiggins but did not get a shot off before the quarter expired.
The Spurs (48-13) got 18 points and 10 rebounds from LaMarcus Aldridge and 17 points off the bench from Pau Gasol, 10 of those in the first half. Leonard also recorded 10 rebounds, six steals and five assists for San Antonio.
Karl Anthony-Towns led Minnesota with 24 points and 14 rebounds, with 20 points and eight boards coming in the first half.
Wiggins added 17 points for the Timberwolves (25-37) while Gorgui Dieng hit for 13 points and took 11 rebounds, Nemanja Bjelica scored 12 points and Ricky Rubio tallied 11 points, had 13 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.
After having played an overtime game in New Orleans on Friday night, the Spurs slept through the first quarter and Minnesota took advantage of San Antonio's fatigue to jump to a 26-14 lead after 12 minutes. San Antonio's starters scored seven points and the Spurs misses five of their six free throws in the period.
Minnesota led by as many as 16 points on two occasions in the second quarter and went to halftime up 55-43 behind 20 points and eight rebounds from Towns. The Timberwolves outshot San Antonio 46.9 percent to 40 percent and outrebounded the Spurs 28-18.
Aldridge led the Spurs with 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half and Gasol added 10 points off the bench for San Antonio.
The Spurs got to within five points twice in the third quarter but a 30-foot 3-point shot by Bjelica with 0.3 seconds to play in the period handed Minnesota a 70-62 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Dejounte Murray's high-arching one hander cut the Timberwolves' lead to 71-68 with 9:07 to play and two Leonard free throws on San Antonio's next possession brought them as close as they had been to Minnesota since the opening tip.
The Spurs had four straight possessions after that to tie or take the lead before finally tying the game at 78 on a turnaround jumper in the lane by Aldridge with 3:47 to play.
NOTES: The Spurs held out reserve G Manu Ginobili for rest. ... Minnesota's 14-player roster averages 3.4 years of NBA experience and has an average age of 25.9 years; last season's opening night group for the Timberwolves averaged 5.1 and 27.6 years, respectively. ... Minnesota's 107-80 win at Utah on Wednesday was its sixth triumph by 20-plus points this season. The Timberwolves registered only two such victories a year ago and one in 2014-15. ... San Antonio has the best defensive rating in the league (100.7) and second best net rating (9.1) behind Golden State. ... The Timberwolves head home for three straight games beginning with Monday's contest versus Portland. ... San Antonio hosts Houston on Monday in the third of 12 home games in March.