Spurs 103, Hawks 78
ATLANTA - The San Antonio Spurs' winning streak against the Atlanta Hawks is now 11 games and Mike Budenholzer is 0-6 against coaching mentor Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs - the NBA's top defensive team - held Atlanta to 25 points in the first half and romped to a 103-78 victory over the Hawks on Saturday night.
Forward Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points to lead San Antonio in scoring for the 15th time. Guard Manu Ginobili added 17 points off the bench as the Spurs led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter.
The victory was the 17th in the past 20 games for the Spurs, who have the league's second-best record at 20-5.
Leonard added eight rebounds, four assists and five steals to his point total and the
Spurs won easily despite 23 turnovers.
The Hawks' final output was their lowest of the season, falling below what they had done in a 108-88 loss at San Antonio on Nov. 28.
Forward Paul Millsap was the only member of the Hawks to excel offensively, scoring 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the floor.
The Spurs led 47-25 at halftime despite 12 turnovers as the Hawks shot just 24.3 percent and had 12 less points than in their previous worst offensive half.
The Hawks' 12 points in the second quarter matched their low set in the same period during the loss at San Antonio and they missed 11 shots from point-blank range in the first half.
Atlanta made just 3 of its first 17 shots and had to score the final four points of the first quarter to get within 22-13.
Leonard had 11 points and Ginobili added 10 in the first half. The Spurs were 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point arc while the Hawks were 1 of 9.
The Hawks finally got going offensively in the third quarter, more than matching their first-half point total as Millsap scored 17 points. The Spurs, though, still outscored Atlanta 32-30 for a 79-55 lead going into the final period.
NOTES: Hawks F Mike Scott (left knee contusion) missed his third straight game. "We keep hoping and thinking that he will be ready, but he's just not really there," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "I think it's kind of a day-to-day thing." Scott had an MRI exam, which Budenholzer said was "clean." ... It was the second of back-to-back games for the Spurs, who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-87 on Friday in San Antonio. ... PG Tony Parker was rested for that game and G Manu Ginobili played just five minutes. ... G Ray McCallum, who started in place of Parker against the Lakers, was inactive versus the Hawks.
... The Spurs, 12-0 at home, host Utah on Monday to begin a stretch of four straight games in San Antonio. ... The game with the Spurs was the opener of a three-game homestand for the Hawks, who play Miami on Monday. ... The Spurs defeated the Hawks 108-88 on Nov. 28 in San Antonio.