Pacers at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs have never started an NBA season with four consecutive victories. The Spurs look for that first 4-0 start on Monday when they host the Indiana Pacers, a team they have beaten nine straight times. Indiana has dropped 10 straight games in San Antonio, dating back to the 2001-02 season when the Spurs still called the Alamodome home. Pacers forward Danny Granger is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Indiana recorded a 106-98 double-overtime win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. David West (18 points, 18 rebounds), Paul George (16 points, career-high 17 rebounds) and Roy Hibbert (12 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks) all had double-doubles as the Pacers attempt to make up for Granger’s absence. San Antonio is the lone remaining unbeaten team in the Western Conference. The Spurs venture on a four-game West Coast road trip after playing Indiana.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE PACERS (2-1): Guard George Hill is playing through a hip pointer and had his best game of the season against Sacramento when he had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists in nearly 45 minutes. Hill figures to be pumped up to go up against former teammate Tony Parker in his second visit to San Antonio since the club shipped him to Indiana in the 2011 draft-day trade that allowed the Spurs to land Kawhi Leonard.
ABOUT THE SPURS (3-0): Veteran guard Manu Ginobili (back) played for the first time this season in Saturday’s victory over the Utah Jazz and tallied eight points in 15-plus minutes off the bench. There is no need to rush Ginobili back into the starting lineup with Danny Green playing so well. Green scored 21 points against the Jazz, hitting 8-of-9 field-goal attempts and connecting on all three 3-pointers. Green is averaging 14.3 points and shooting 58.6 percent.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. San Antonio won the lone meeting last season with Tim Duncan contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 112-103 victory.
2. Indiana has held each of its first three opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field.
3. Spurs forward Tim Duncan has two double-doubles and is averaging 21.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.