Associated Press SAN ANTONIO — Tony Parker wasn’t playing for an All-Star invitation. He made a strong case just the same. ADVERTISING Putting together his most dazzling game in three years — and doing it against the NBA’s hottest team,
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO — Tony Parker wasn’t playing for an All-Star invitation. He made a strong case just the same.
Putting together his most dazzling game in three years — and doing it against the NBA’s hottest team, no less — Parker scored 42 points and became the all-time franchise assists leader for the San Antonio Spurs in a 107-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
His nine assists moved him past Avery Johnson in Spurs history, but this night wasn’t about his passing. Parker joined Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Anthony Morrow and LeBron James as the only NBA players to eclipse 40 points in a game this season.
Bryant, Howard and James were chosen All-Star starters this week. Reserves are announced Thursday.
If Parker’s name wasn’t in the mix before, it almost certainly is now.
“I would like to go again eventually,” said Parker, a three-time All-Star who hasn’t been since 2009. “We’ll see what happens.”
All-Star Kevin Durant had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City (18-5), which was headed for its first blowout loss of the season before closing a 24-point deficit in the fourth. The convincing win over the NBA’s winningest team was just the springboard San Antonio needed before spending next three weeks on the road — where the Spurs have hardly been as dominant.
The Thunder has jumped ahead of the rest of the NBA, in part, by being the best road team. But this time they ran straight into the NBA’s best home team, which was never clearer than in the third quarter when the Spurs tripled an 8-point lead in a span of 8 1/2 minutes.
Parker’s most electrifying game since scoring 43 in a playoff win over Dallas in 2009 saw to that.
“Coming off pick and rolls, (Parker) was getting to the rim,” Durant said. “He is so quick and he was beating our bigs to the lane sometimes. It’s tough for our bigs to guard someone as fast as Tony.”
Parker, who’s spent all his 11 years in the NBA in San Antonio, now has 4,477 career assists. He scored 16 points in the third, going 6 for 9 from the floor and sinking all four of his foul shots. In a game worthy of a standing ovation, his came before it was even over — with 2:28 left in the third, when he surpassed the franchise assists record that Johnson had held since 2001.
The record dish fittingly came on a pick-and-roll with Tim Duncan, his longtime co-pilot in San Antonio’s last three championships. And up against the NBA’s top team, the duo looked as though they didn’t even miss Manu Ginobili, who’s missed the last month with a broken hand.
Parker was 16 of 29 from the floor, made 10 of 12 free throws and upped his scoring average to 18 points.
“(Parker) knew he had to have a big game tonight, and we knew we had to score points against these guys,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Duncan had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Rookie Kawhi Leonard, getting his starting job back so he could guard Durant, added 15 points and hit all three of his 3-pointers. San Antonio’s four-game winning streak is its longest all season.
James Harden had 19 points off the bench for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had 18 points and six assists.
“Tony Parker had his way with us,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “That’s as aggressive as I’ve seen him in a long time.”
At times, it was an intense start to the Thunder’s five-game road trip. A scramble for a loose ball between Parker and Westbrook in the second quarter escalated into a quick scrape of swats and kicks, with Parker getting whistled for a personal foul and Westbrook shoving aside the Frenchman’s leg so he could get up.
Parker, visibly annoyed, was pulled off the pile by Blair, and the players on the Thunder’s bench sprung to their feet. Parker responded by darting full steam on a fast break and drawing a foul at the rim. One possession later, Parker hit a tough 17-footer falling away, adding to an entire game’s worth of highlights.
The Spurs improved to 13-1 at home, best in the NBA. But they’ll now play their next nine away from the AT&T Center as part of their annual Rodeo Road Trip. San Antonio is 3-8 on the road.
KINGS 114,
WARRIORS 106, OT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Thornton scored 28 points and Tyreke Evans had 26 points and nine assists to lift the Kings, who scored the first nine points in overtime to win consecutive games for the second time this season.
BLAZERS 117,
NUGGETS 97
PORTLAND, Ore. — Nicolas Batum set a Trail Blazers record with nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 29 points and the Trail Blazers sent the Nuggets to their fourth loss in five games.
BULLS 113, BUCKS 90
MILWAUKEE — Derrick Rose scored 26 points and had 13 assists and Luol Deng added 21 points in his return after missing seven games due to injury.
KNICKS 99, NETS 22
NEW YORK — Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 25 points and New York salvaged the finale of a back-to-back-to-back set.
CLIPPERS 107,
WIZARDS 81
WASHINGTON — Blake Griffin had 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Clippers, who won for the fifth time in six games.
76ERS 98, HAWKS 87
ATLANTA — Rookie Nikola Vucevic set a career high with 15 points to lead six Philadelphia scorers in double figures.
CAVALIERS 91, MAVS 88
CLEVELAND — Rookie Kyrie Irving made a driving layup in traffic with 15.8 seconds left to give the Cavaliers a win over the defending NBA champions.
TIMBERWOLVES 100, ROCKETS 91
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Love had 25 and 18 rebounds and Luke Ridnour added 22 points to help Minnesota win for the fifth time in seven games to reach .500 (12-12).
MAGIC 85, PACERS 81
INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Howard had 27 points and eight rebounds to lead Orlando over Indiana after the Magic were forced to stay in Cincinnati by the Super Bowl.
PISTONS 89, HORNETS 87
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Greg Monroe had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Detroit won a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams.
SUNS 95, BOBCATS 89
PHOENIX — Rarely used Robin Lopez scored nine consecutive points to spark a 12-2 run starting the fourth quarter and Phoenix handed the Bobcats their 11th straight loss.
JAZZ 96, LAKERS 87
SALT LAKE CITY — Al Jefferson scored 18 points, Paul Millsap had 16, and Earl Watson keyed a game-clinching 14-0 fourth quarter run for Utah.
