Raptors at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs will try to establish a franchise record for wins in a season and keep alive their remarkable unbeaten run at home when they host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The Spurs recorded the best home start in NBA history when they improved to 38-0 with an eight-point triumph over New Orleans on Wednesday.
Their 63 victories overall matches the previous franchise mark set in 2005-06, giving the squad plenty of milestones to reach for, if it cares to. "It doesn't mean anything," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after the win over the Pelicans when asked of the home winning streak, which is at 47 dating to last season. "Absolutely nothing. Maybe a cup of coffee, maybe." The final three home opponents - Toronto, Golden State and Oklahoma City - will make it difficult for the Spurs to complete the perfect run. The Raptors, who are facing a Western Conference opponent for the last time, began a two-game road trip with a 99-95 win at Memphis to stay 2 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the East.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (51-24): Norman Powell struggled to gain much playing time early in the season, but the rookie forward is now making the most of a more prominent role and he hit all four of his shots - including two 3-pointers - en route to 14 points against Memphis. That marked his fifth straight double-digit scoring effort, all after he produced a total of three over the season's first four-plus months. DeMar DeRozan had 27 points Friday night and will be looking to repeat his performance against San Antonio earlier this season, when he had 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Toronto's 97-94 win at home.
ABOUT THE SPURS (63-12): Kawhi Leonard played 22 minutes Wednesday night in his return from a quad injury that robbed him of three games, and Popovich indicated his All-Star forward would not have a minutes restriction for this one. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili both returned from two-game layoffs and the latter was a force versus the Pelicans with 20 points in 24 minutes, burying 5-of-6 3-pointers. Ginobili was San Antonio's leading scorer with 17 points in the loss at Toronto on Dec. 9.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Leonard has 48 points in 46 minutes over his last two games.
2. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas has recorded at least 20 double-doubles in three straight seasons.
3. San Antonio has won six straight meetings at home.