Spurs Hit 50-Win Mark, Pick Up Sixth Straight Victory With 99-84 Win Over Minnesota
By ELIZABETH WHITE | Associated Press | Mar 28, 08 10:23 PM CDT in
Sports
Manu Ginobili scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and the San Antonio Spurs picked up their sixth straight win with a 99-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
The Spurs, who were in fifth place in the West, moved into second place and sit just percentage points behind New Orleans. San Antonio was the first team in the conference to hit the 50-win mark.
After the Spurs squandered most of a 20-point lead in the third quarter, Ginobili took over. He scored 11 points in a span of 1:51 _ including three 3-pointers _ to put them up 88-72 with just over 6 minutes to play.
After that, the momentum never shifted back Minnesota's way.
Tony Parker added 18 points for the Spurs and Tim Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Ryan Gomes led the Timberwolves with 17 points and Al Jefferson added 14. Reserve Rashad McCants scored 13.
Michael Finley, who is averaging better than 18 points in his last three games, joined the Spurs' Big Three, scoring 16.
After one quarter the Spurs were shooting just 30 percent from the field and Minnesota grabbed a 17-14 lead.
Led by Parker, who had 16 points in the half, San Antonio broke open the game in the second quarter with a 21-8 run.
Finley capped the surge with a 3-pointer _ the Spurs sank five from beyond the arc in the period _ to put San Antonio up 35-25 with just over five minutes left in the half.
The Spurs extended the lead to 15 _ 49-34 _ at halftime off Finley's second 3 of the night.
But the comfortable lead almost turned into a deficit in the third quarter. After Finley put the Spurs up 61-42 with 6:43 to go, San Antonio didn't make another field goal for 6:05.
The Timberwolves made the most of the Spurs' drought, going on an 18-2 run led by Gomes that brought them within three points, 63-60.
Ime Udoka's 3 put the Spurs back up by six, and the Spurs carried a 68-62 advantage into the final quarter.
Notes:@ Minnesota G Sebastian Telfair missed his 10th straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... The crowd went wild when G Brent Barry, who recently returned to the Spurs after a one-month absence following a Seattle-San Antonio trade, was shown on the big screen. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said pregame it will probably be another couple of weeks before Barry returns to the court. ... Duncan got a technical foul with 4:04 left in the third quarter.
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