Nets at Spurs
Major free-agent signing LaMarcus Aldridge makes his regular-season home debut when the San Antonio Spurs host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Aldridge inked a four-year, $84 million contract in the offseason after leaving Portland and managed 11 points and five rebounds as the Spurs dropped their season opener 112-106 at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 32 points and San Antonio took a lead into the fourth quarter before allowing 33 points in the final 12 minutes. “We wanted to start with a win, but for the first one it wasn’t bad,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re on the right track.” Brooklyn comes in off a 115-100 loss to Chicago in its season opener, getting 43 points out of centers Brook Lopez and Andrea Bargnani. The Nets let guard Deron Williams go in the offseason and will depend more on Jarrett Jack, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury but could return Friday. Brooklyn begins a stretch of 11 games on the road in the next 15.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE NETS (0-1): Shane Larkin started in place of Jack at point guard against Chicago while recording six points, eight assists and three steals. Fellow backcourt newcomers Wayne Ellington and Donald Sloan didn’t add much, going 0-for-7 from the field, but rookie forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored eight off the bench. Veteran Joe Johnson led the team in rebounds with 10 on Wednesday, although he must recover from a 4-for-15 shooting performance and missed two from behind the 3-point arc where the Nets were 0-for-9.
ABOUT THE SPURS (0-1): San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters this is the first time Leonard has begun a season fully healthy and “he’s arrived.” Leonard will likely get more scoring support as the season goes on after veteran forward Tim Duncan had eight points and Aldridge made 4-of-12 from the field while guards Ginobili and Tony Parker combined to score 21 in the opener. The Spurs were outrebounded 45-36 by Oklahoma City and forward David West scored eight to go along with two rebounds in his team debut.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Parker, Duncan and Ginobili boast 539 victories together, one shy of tying Boston’s Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale for the most wins by a trio in NBA history.
2. Brooklyn SG Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged 14.4 points and shot 52.6 percent from the field last April, scored nine in the opener.
3. The Spurs have won seven of the last nine meetings, but the clubs split a pair last season with each winning on their home court.