Spurs at Cavaliers
The San Antonio Spurs continue their pursuit of the top spot in the Western Conference when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. With Tony Parker back in the mix after a six-game absence, the Spurs were able to knock off Dallas 112-106 on Sunday, staying within 1 1/2 games of first-place Oklahoma City in the West. It was the sixth win in seven games for San Antonio, which plays five of its next six contests at home after leaving Cleveland.
Including a 126-96 win over the Cavaliers at home in November, the Spurs have won eight straight encounters. That's a run that could continue if Cleveland is unable to get any of its injured contributors back, as guards Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles and center Anderson Varejao remained sidelined with various ailments. Overall the Cavaliers have not suffered greatly, winning eight of 11 prior to a 110-96 loss at Memphis on Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE SPURS (43-16): Parker's absence was for a variety of ailments, or more generally a period of rest for the veteran point guard, and it seemed to pay dividends Sunday night. He had a basket and an assist in the first 75 seconds and finished 10-for-15 from the floor in a 22-point, seven-assist effort. Parker, who has 45 assists against only 12 turnovers over his last seven games, had a total of 24 points in sporadic minutes over a three-game span prior to the six games off.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (24-37): With many of his running mates on the sidelines, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving has stepped up his game of late. He had 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting at Memphis and is averaging 26.3 points, 8.3 assists and five rebounds - all well over his season norms - over the past four games, during which he has played 42 minutes per game. However, Irving has averaged 13.3 points on 33.8 percent shooting and 1.5 rebounds in four career games against the Spurs, each of which represent his lowest numbers in those categories against any opponent.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. C Spencer Hawes has made 12-of-24 3-pointers in six games since being traded to the Cavaliers.
2. Spurs F Kawhi Leonard is averaging 14.3 points and seven rebounds in three games since returning from a broken finger.
3. Cleveland is 10-14 against teams from the West, compared to 14-23 against the East.