Spurs 113, Trail Blazers 101
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard combined for 43 points as the San Antonio Spurs seized a 113-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at the Moda Center.
Aldridge scored 23 points and Leonard added 20 as the Spurs (6-2) won their third consecutive game.
Guard Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers (4-5) with 22 points and nine assists, while guard CJ McCollum added 21 points.
The Spurs shot 56.1 percent from the floor while holding the Blazers to 44.3 percent shooting.
San Antonio's front line all hit double figures in the first half -- center Tim Duncan and Leonard with 11 points, Aldridge with 10 -- as the Spurs shot 59 percent and took a 58-46 advantage into intermission. McCollum had 14 points and Lillard 11 for the Blazers.
Portland outscored San Antonio 20-8 to start the third quarter to draw even at 66-66. Aldridge knocked down back-to-back jumpers and scored six straight points to start a 15-9 run as the Spurs took an 81-75 edge into the fourth quarter.
San Antonio increased the margin to 99-87 on forward Boris Diaw's post-up with 6:30 remaining. McCollum buried a 3-pointer to cut the difference to seven, but the Blazers could get no closer.
Portland hit eight of its first 12 shots from the field to jump to an 18-10 lead. San Antonio responded with an 11-2 run to go on top 21-20. The Spurs extended it to 28-24 going into the second quarter.
Reserves helped San Antonio build the advantage to 36-28. Guard Danny Green's 3-point shot, along with a free throw after a technical call foul on Portland coach Terry Stotts, pushed the Spurs in front 42-32. When Duncan wheeled to the basket for a layup, San Antonio's lead was 51-39 with 2:54 remaining before halftime.
NOTES: F LaMarcus Aldridge, who signed a free agent contract with San Antonio in July after playing his first nine NBA seasons with the Blazers, returned to play in Portland for the first time as a Spur. ... G Gerald Henderson, who was acquired from Charlotte in a trade that sent F Nicolas Batum to the Hornets, made his Portland debut. Henderson underwent hip surgery in July. Portland coach Terry Stotts said the team will limit Henderson's minutes, adding, "It's important that he get his sea legs and a feel for being back on the NBA court." ... The Spurs entered the game No. 1 in the NBA in field-goal percentage (48.8 percent) and also among the top 10 in most defensive statistical categories, including scoring defense, opponents' field-goal percentage and opponents' 3-point percentage. "You'd always like to be better," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said, "but for early in the year, our defense has been pretty decent."