SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs look to remain unbeaten on the road when they begin a three-game trip against the improving Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
The Spurs boast an 11-0 record away from home and have won 11 of the last 12 overall, but needed a late basket from leading scorer Kawhi Leonard to hold off Washington 107-105 on Friday and are not overly pleased with their performance of late.
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“It’s taking us a while to get into the rhythm, into the aggressiveness that we need to get leads,” San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili told reporters. “Yeah, we’re not playing well, but the good thing is that meanwhile we’re getting wins and we’re maintaining a good record.”
The Bucks will test that road streak and try to keep their own run of strong play going after winning four in a row – a surge that included a 17-point victory over Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland. Milwaukee finished off a sweep of a home-and-home set with struggling Brooklyn on Saturday with a 112-103 triumph and is averaging 111.3 points during the streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker lead the Bucks, averaging 41 points between them.
TV: 7 p.m. CT, FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE SPURS (16-4): Leonard is again putting up solid numbers while averaging 24.3 points, six rebounds and three assists, but is shooting just 45.3 percent from the field – well below his career average (49.5). LaMarcus Aldridge is also contributing 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and newcomer Pau Gasol posted 19 points and 10 rebounds against Washington for his second double-double since joining the Spurs this season. Point guard Tony Parker (9.7 points, 4.3 assists) missed the last game with a bruised left quad and is questionable.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (10-8): Antetokounmpo filled the scoresheet with 16 points, 10 boards, six assists and five blocks in Saturday victory – continuing to round out his all-around game.
“It just shows that he doesn’t need to score 20 points to have an impact on the game,” Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd told reporters of Antetokounmpo, who is scoring 22.4 per game.
Parker averages 18.6 points as the only other player in double figures, but center John Henson is raising his level of play in the last four games, scoring 20 twice during that span.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs have won the last eight meetings and beat the Bucks by 25 both games in 2015-16.
2. Milwaukee G Matthew Dellavedova scored a season-high 18 points while dishing out six assists in Saturday’s victory.
3. San Antonio leads the league in free-throw percentage (82.0) and the Bucks are limiting opponents to an NBA-best 42.7 percent from the field entering Sunday.