Spurs at Nets
The San Antonio Spurs' annual Rodeo Road Trip will come to a merciful end Monday night when they cap the eight-game sojourn with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets. The Spurs are 1-6 on the trip after dropping a 130-118 decision Sunday at the New York Knicks, who had lost a franchise-record 18 straight home games.
"It was a pathetic performance defensively but the Knicks had something to do with that," coach Gregg Popovich told the media. "They were physical. They did a good job." The slump has San Antonio tied with the Los Angeles Clippers at the back end of the Western Conference playoff race, one game behind sixth-place Utah and a game up on ninth-place Sacramento. The Nets split their first two games out of the All-Star break, first falling at home to Portland before picking up a 117-115 victory at Charlotte on Saturday. D'Angelo Russell scored 40 points to tie his career high as sixth-place Brooklyn moved 1 1/2 games up on Detroit and two ahead of the Hornets in the East.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE SPURS (33-28): DeMar DeRozan did all he could do to keep pace with the Knicks by scoring 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, and he is averaging 24.8 points on the road trip. Popovich gave some credit to a second unit that helped to make things interesting in the second half, a group that included center Jakob Poeltl (12 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes). "Our subs came out, showed some physicality, showed some effort and cut - whatever it was, 20 points down to 10 - and we just couldn't get it below that," he told reporters. "But that group gets credit for playing and doing their job the way they should."
ABOUT THE NETS (31-30): Russell became the go-to guy earlier in the season and continues to embrace the role in the wake of his first All-Star appearance. "For sure, because I feel like when you have that All-Star badge, you have to be aggressive," Russell told reporters Saturday. "Teams expect it already, they game plan for you and they are trying to stop you - and I feel like I can't be stopped." The 23-year-old had 25 points and nine assists in a 117-114 loss at San Antonio last month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets SG Caris LeVert is shooting 34.5 percent in five games since returning from a foot injury.
2. Spurs PG Derrick White, who recently returned from a heel injury, sat out Sunday's game to rest but is expected back Monday.
3. San Antonio took each of the last seven meetings, including three in a row at Brooklyn.