Winning Spurs keep rolling with the changes
Players come and go in the NBA, even in San Antonio.
But the winning never stops under coach Gregg Popovich.
The Milwaukee Bucks make their annual stop in the Alamo City on Tuesday and will be aiming for a rare victory. They have not won at the AT&T Center since 2008 when they beat the Spurs, 100-98.
The Bucks' starting lineup that December day in 2008 included Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Luke Ridnour, Richard Jefferson and Luc Mbah a Moute.
So, yes, it has been a long time.
The Bucks have lost nine in a row to the Spurs but nearly beat them last month in Milwaukee, leading for much of the game before losing, 97-96. The winning basket by Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge came on a goal-tending call against the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.
San Antonio already has reached 30 victories despite the departure of future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, who retired after last season.
The Spurs have a 13-3 record against Eastern Conference teams, including an 8-1 home record.
Pau Gasol has plugged into the starting center spot after leaving the Chicago Bulls and signing as a free agent in the off-season. Last year’s big free-agent signing, Aldridge, is averaging nearly 18 points a game.
And the Spurs have a 24-year-old rookie from Latvia, Davis Bertans, who is making a splash.
San Antonio acquired him in a 2011 draft-night deal, the same trade that brought them Kawhi Leonard from Indiana in exchange for George Hill. But Bertans stayed in Europe to develop his game before coming to San Antonio — he played with Laboral Kutxa in the first division in Spain last season.
Now the trade is paying more dividends with Bertans, who scored a career-high 21 points against Charlotte in the Spurs’ 102-85 victory on Saturday night. Bertans’ took just six shots, including 4-of-5 three-point shooting and a highlight-reel dunk.
“I try to keep it low key, so I can surprise people,” Bertans said.
Forward Dewayne Dedmon is another newcomer who is contributing off the bench, after playing the last two seasons with Orlando. Dedmon signed as a free agent in the summer.
Leonard is the reigning NBA defensive player of the year and a past NBA Finals MVP (2014). Veterans Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are in their 15th season together in San Antonio and rank fourth in league history for most wins as a pair (633). At age 39, Ginobili still is averaging 19.3 minutes and 7.9 points while shooting 41% from three-point range.
Injury update: The Bucks have listed Antetokounmpo (illness), Michael Beasley (bruised left shin) and Rashad Vaughn (sprained left ankle) as probable to play against the Spurs.
Antetokounmpo sat out the Bucks’ 107-101 loss to Washington on Sunday after falling ill. It was only the fourth game he has missed over the past three seasons.
Beasley was injured in the third quarter against the Wizards but said after the game he thought he was OK. He said his leg “went numb” for a brief time and he did not return to the game.
Vaughn, the second-year guard from Nevada-Las Vegas, has been out for the last nine games after spraining his ankle in practice.
Teaching point: Bucks forward Jabari Parker said he got the message from coach Jason Kidd in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat.
A frustrated Kidd blamed himself for the loss when Milwaukee had a bad third quarter for the second straight game – in home losses to New York and Washington.
“It’s just teaching us how we all need to be accountable,” the 21-year-old Parker said. “I could take accountability in trying to win the game. I didn’t come through for my team.”
Parker had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, marking the 10th time in the last 14 games he has scored 20 or more points. Antetokounmpo has scored 20 or more points in 14 consecutive games.