Leonard's late surge lifts Spurs past 76ers
PHILADELPHIA -- Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, eight in a pivotal stretch late in the game, as the San Antonio Spurs held off the Philadelphia 76ers 111-103 on Wednesday night.
Tony Parker added 18 points for the Spurs, who improved to 1-1 on their eight-game rodeo road trip with their fourth victory in five games.
LaMarcus Aldridge collected 15 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, and Dewayne Dedmon had 10 points and 11 boards.
Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric had 20 points apiece to lead Philadelphia, which lost its fifth straight and seventh in the last eight. Robert Covington finished with 18 and Nik Stauskas contributed 16.
The Sixers were without rookie center Joel Embiid, their leading scorer and rebounder, for the seventh straight game, and the 10th time in the last 11. He has a bone bruise of the left knee, and will also be held out of Thursday's game in Orlando.
San Antonio, which never trailed, was up 87-85 after Okafor dropped in two free throws with 7:35 left, but Parker's three-point play extended the lead to five.
Leonard, back after missing Monday's loss in Memphis with a bruised quadriceps, scored the next eight Spurs points, six of those at the foul line, leaving San Antonio with a 98-91 lead with 3:21 to play.
Nerlens Noel made a free throw, but Parker coaxed in a short jumper and Danny Green sank a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Spurs a 103-92 advantage.
The Spurs shot 70.7 percent in the first quarter but led only 29-23 because the Sixers packed three 3-pointers into the final 2:21 of the quarter, two by Covington.
San Antonio was up only 40-37 midway through the second quarter, but Leonard provided 12 points in a 15-5 Spurs rush, giving them a 55-42 cushion.
Philadelphia cut the gap to 58-51 at halftime, again on some 3-point sniping at the end of the period. They made three more triples, this time in the last 2:36. Stauskas nailed two of those, the last with 4.5 seconds remaining.
Leonard finished the half with 14 points, while Okafor had 14 to pace Philadelphia.
The Spurs surged once more in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 78-67 on Aldridge's two free throws with 3:17 left. An 8-0 Philadelphia run cut the gap to three, but Davis Bertans made a free throw, then a 3-pointer with one second remaining to put San Antonio ahead 82-75 after three quarters.
The latter came after 39-year-old Manu Ginobili, who stands 6-6, won a jumpball against the 6-11 Noel.
NOTES: Philadelphia C Joel Embiid (bone bruise, left knee) worked out Tuesday and early Wednesday. He is scheduled to work out again Thursday, while the team travels to face the Orlando Magic. "I believe we're going to see him, not too far away," coach Brett Brown said. ... Embiid wore goggles during his workout Wednesday, and Brown didn't know the reason. "I assume he's trying something Kareem-ish," the coach joked. Embiid was not available to the media. ... Brown said rookie F Ben Simmons, who has yet to play this year following foot surgery, is "moving along fine" in his workouts, but did not offer a timetable for his return. ... The Spurs held their shootaround at the historic Palestra on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. "I wasn't going to miss a chance to go to the Palestra," coach Gregg Popovich said. "Growing up, those are the kind of gyms you loved." ... 76ers F Richaun Holmes (upper respiratory infection) did not play.