Mavericks avenge loss, get OT win in San Antonio: 127-122.

The Mavericks would not be denied, despite going down by double digits a few times, rallying to tie the game late as Kawhi Leonard missed at the buzzer. Overtime would see them seize control and hold off the Spurs comeback, courtesy of a strong 3rd quarter swing, 32-17, spoiling Tony Parker's big night. Dallas finished on 54% shooting to San Antonio's 44%, a gutsy road victory, becoming just the second team to win at the AT&T Center.

How did they do it: Harrison Barnes had 29 points and 7 rebounds on 60% shooting; Dennis Smith Jr had 21 points with 8 assists; Nerlens Noel had a strong double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds; Wes Matthews had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists and LaMarcus Aldridge had 11 points with 14 rebounds. JJ Barea (pictured above) had 11 points and so did Seth Curry with 11 points, burning the Spurs whose defense let him shoot, watching him make a trio of 3PT bombs. All this production, yet Dirk Nowitzki had just 7 points in 18 minutes.

In the loss, Kawhi Leonard had 23 points and 7 steals after a quiet first half. Pau Gasol had 20 points with 9 rebounds, Jeremy Lamb had 19 points. The highlight, despite the loss, was 19 points and 9 assists by Tony Parker, a pleasant sight that gave the Spurs a chance due to Patty Mills' 1/13 shooting night. Bismack Biyombo had 12 rebounds with 7 points, 4 steals and 3 blocks.

In the end, it was a rare loss at home to end the season series in this bitter rivalry.

Spurs fall hard to Rockets, ice cold in 4th quarter: 86-108.

The win streak ended in Houston today, but not after two competitive quarters that saw the Spurs take the lead, if only for a moment. It was a sight watching the Rockets offense score so strongly, shooting 52% for the game against a paltry 33% by San Antonio in what turned into a blowout.

Houston went on a 16-0 run in the final quarter, 24-11 overall and also winning the 3rd quarter. The Spurs made just one more 3PTer than they had at halftime by the end of the game, a sad outcome. Kawhi Leonard had a severe drop-off point from his first half fight with James Harden (who also cooled off), with "The Beard" dropping a cool 20+ on him.

The Spurs burst out of the second quarter on a 10-0 run to make it a game, showing off its substantial firepower as well to trim the lead to 38-41, after going down 28-39 to end the first quarter. The game was 60-62 at halftime, but the stats revealed the future: Houston shot 57% to SA's 41%, even though San Antonio was drawing more free throws, both teams knotted at six three-pointers at the midway point.

Harden finished with 31 points on 54% shooting, making four 3PTers to boot. Chris Paul had a strong game with 23 points and 10 assists. Trevor Ariza had 17 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Clint Capela had a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds. Off the bench, Joe Johnson had 8 points and P.J. Tucker had 7 points.

In the loss, Kawhi Leonard went a chilling 0-9 from long range, shooting 31% on 7-22 shooting, barely scoring more than his first half with 20 points. Mario Hezonja had 12 points, Patty Mills had 11, but was ice cold from long range. Pau Gasol had 10&8 and Jeremy Lamb scored 11 points.

Spurs dominate Mavericks on road, 97-84.

Davis Bertans erupted for 26 points in Dallas.

The Spurs did not expect prospect Davis Bertans to light up the Mavericks like he did, hustling for 26 points and knocking home two longballs. Behind him, Pau Gasol had 22 points and 9 rebounds on 72% shooting.

Jeremy Lamb also had a nice night with 21 points, making four threes. Patty Mills had 8 assists, as well. Kawhi Leonard mostly sat this one out, heading to the bench after a 31-17 first quarter beat-down by San Antonio.

In the loss, Dennis Smith Jr had 18 points; Wes Matthews had 14 points, Harrison Barnes had 10 but no Maverick shot the ball particularly well, with Matthews struggling the most.

The Spurs also benefited from 20 offensive rebounds.

Spurs overcome and survive against Suns in Phoenix, 107-97.

Devin Booker was hounded in the final minutes, finishing with 21 points.

The Suns were a step ahead of San Antonio's defense all night long, until the final quarter. Previously, Phoenix had nearly run away with the lead, growing it into double-digits twice with the Spurs clearly on the ropes. TJ Warren hounded San Antonio's shooters and scorers, Jeremy Lamb and Iman Shumpert, leaving the trio of Kawhi/Pau/Patty to fend for the win streak, realized through a dominant 38-20 fourth quarter eruption.

Stepping up, Kyle O'Quinn had some nice defensive plays with 4 blocks, 6 rebounds and 1 steal. Davis Bertans had four points in this game, catching passes from Mills (23 points, 7 assists). Patty had a rough shooting night, but he somehow willed the ball through the net time and time again, stunning the crowd with his long range skill, ebbing away at the lead. Pau Gasol was the constant for San Antonio all game long, finishing with 29 points, making three long shots from deep to seize momentum with 6 rebounds as well. Kawhi Leonard turned on the heat late also, nabbing the ball an incredible eight times and scoring 22 points.

Kawhi shot 8/16 and made just one three-pointer but it carried weight when it dropped. He also was the lone Spur drawing fouls at the rim, seeing Rudy Gay (4 points, 2/10, 5 steals) stifled by Tyson Chandler (8 points, 12 rebounds) time and time again, despite making one floater midway through the final quarter. Chandler would miss two clutch free throws for the Suns, making the home defense tough and ultimately contributing to them losing the nearly game-long advantage. Josh Jackson had 14 points in the narrow loss, as the Spurs went on a trademark run and then constricted the Suns with defensive pressure once they were able to reclaim the seemingly insurmountable lead.

Patty finished with 6 three-pointers for the Spurs, also slipping in two steals, one in the final minute. Speaking of defensive pressure, Bismack Biyombo got some nice dunks for 8 points and 6 blocks. Jeremy Lamb was able to make some shots early, including a nice step-back jumper for 11 points. The Suns must be devastated, having shot better, rebounded better and gotten more to the free throw line, but they committed 20 turnovers by the end of things and the Spurs won the column of assists. Phoenix now falls to 14-14 so far out west.

With this sweet victory, the win streak rises to 12, putting the Spurs at 24-3 on the season. It is not likely to last, however, with a tough road trip ahead that includes San Antonio's rivals: Houston, Dallas and Portland, not to forget the Clippers and having to host the Jazz back home once it's over.

Spurs prevail against Celtics, 106-109, win streak rises to 11.

Kawhi Leonard made a go-ahead layup after a fabulous steal.

With ten seconds left in the game, Kawhi Leonard ripped the ball away and sped up the court. Boston's defense recovered, but Leonard made a tough layup at the basket, giving the Spurs a 107-106 lead with 7 seconds left. Boston would miss their next shot, as Biyombo passed the ball back to Leonard, who made clutch free throws, forcing Gordon Hayward (30 points) into a 3PTer, which missed at the buzzer.

The Spurs were lucky to prevail here, having given Boston control late in this game due to the stellar play of Kyrie Irving (26 points) dashing to the basket over two defenders like clockwork. Iman Shumpert and Pau Gasol were strong aid to Kawhi tonight, though, and so San Antonio was able to remain nearly flawless at home and win the season series over the Celtics. Their win streak now climbs to 11 straight, with a three-game road trip to follow.

Mario Hezonja banged home four 3PTers in this game off the bench. Jeremy Lamb showcased his athleticism with some nice fast-break dunks for 6 points, despite struggling from long range. Kawhi had a quiet game until the second half, finishing with 20 points after having only 9 at halftime. He shot 7/11 from the field, but just 1/4 from long range. That lone longshot was vital to the comeback, however, as the Spurs were nearly out of contention when his three points made it a 1-PT game again.

Shumpert finished with 18 points, showing off his long range ability with 4 bombs, nabbing one steal as well and trying to slow down Kyrie Irving as Leonard was tasked with Hayward. Rudy Gay had 9 points and 3 steals which helped keep the victor up for grabs. Patty Mills got free late in the final period, also, making Boston pay with two 3PTers in a quiet night. He also got a payback layup after Hayward jammed a dunk past Shumpert on the previous play. Dejounte Murray made two nice layups inside, whereas Tony Parker struggled in this one. Bismack Biyombo had 9 rebounds with 2 blocks.

Meanwhile, Pau Gasol went for 26 points (12-18 from the floor) with 6 rebounds, dominating the paint for the Spurs and excelling in the pick-and-roll. For Boston: Hayward shot 4-7 from long range for 30 points; Kyrie went 11-18, making just one 3PTer with 6 assists. Marcus Morris had a strong game with 23 points and--count 'em--five threes with 7 rebounds. Al Horford had a quiet showing with 8 points against Gasol, but Greg Monroe gave 10 points with 6 rebounds.

Spurs edge Thunder, 109-103.

In thrilling entertainment, the Spurs won a close road game over the OKC Thunder. Exchanging dominance in the third (OKC, 33-22) and fourth (SA, 39-30) quarters led to a dramatic finish.

The Spurs shot 47% and the Thunder shot 53%. Both teams were nearly perfect from the free throw line, with OKC missing just one. The rebound war was closely won by the Thunder, 40-35, but the Spurs had the most second chances.

Kawhi Leonard, once again, led the way for the  villainous visitors, with 34 points, 10-22 from the field. Not far behind was Patty Mills, who finally had a breakout game: 25 points on 52% shooting that included a handful of 3PTers. Pau Gasol finished out the trio with 19 points, 8-14. Bismack Biyombo owned the paint with 13 rebounds and 4 blocks to go with 8 points. Jeremy Lamb chipped in 9 points as San Antonio's lone bench success story.

Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 6 rebounds with 11 assists on 61% shooting. Four turnovers marred an otherwise strong showing. Paul George had 15 points, but struggled with his shot at 7-17 and an 0-4 goose egg from long range. Steven Adams had 14 points with 7 rebounds and 1 block. Patrick Patterson chipped in 13 points with 6 rebounds and Carmelo Anthony had 11 points with 13 rebounds. Carmelo did not shoot well, though at just 5-14 and 1-5 from deep as the Thunder drop to just 12-10 on the season.

The Spurs are at the top of the west and the entire league with a 21-3 record, 12-1 at home and 9-2 on the road. Not far behind, as always, are the Cavaliers (19-4), Warriors (16-7) and Celtics (15-9, 8G win streak). The season is shaping up to be full of excitement as western titans go at it time and time again.

Spurs storm past Pistons, overcome 15-point deficit.

Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs to a huge comeback.

It looked to be over by the end of the third quarter. The Spurs offense had struggled with scoring all game long, even its star players, and the Pistons had shown up with a gutsy road effort to obtain a dominant 15-point advantage, 75-60.

Then the rally happened, 10-2, led by Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills--both showing a pure stroke from long range and sensational court vision--as the home team's defense finally woke up, stifling the Pistons as they tried to hold on to the lead, now 82-78. A huge 3PTer by Mills gave the Spurs the lead and Kawhi Leonard kept firing through the net. Blake Griffin's windmill jam and impressive perimeter ball later brought the lead back up to eight points, before Leonard stole the ball and knocked home a transition 3PTer.

A slick pass by Mills gave Kawhi another good look after a missed shot down low by Detroit, cutting the lead to just two; Leonard would steal the ball again and make the game-tying layup, capping another 8-0 run by San Antonio.

Andre Drummond would pull up from mid range, an air-ball caught by Gasol leading to a quick dribble-away by Mills on the left wing into a step-back 3PTer, holding his follow-through to make it an 11-0 run, 92-89: San Antonio with two minutes left to play in regulation. Mills would bang home another 3PTer and the Spurs would hold onto the lead, winning 93-100 in a mountainous turnaround.

The Pistons played three strong quarters of basketball, but missed some tough shots when it mattered. They shot 50% compared to 40% by San Antonio and also shot better from long range, winning 24-16 in the second quarter and 32-26 in the third quarter. Yet the Spurs crushed them in the final period, 17-35.

Most notably, Jeremy Lamb whiffed on defense and couldn't make a shot early. Patty Mills also had a rough start, 2-10 from the floor, missing shots within the 3PT line as well. Kawhi's strong finish was not a sure thing, given also his struggle early to be effective. Rudy Gay also got denied time and time again down low, going up against Blake Griffin. Luckily, Pau Gasol was able to compensate with his skill set and 7'0" stature. Bismack Biyombo swatted some shots for good measure, also nabbing some impressive put-back dunks and lay-ins.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 27 points, 7 assists and a career-high 9 steals (previously 7) with 2 blocks. Patty Mills had 25 points, followed by 13 points and 12 rebounds by Pau Gasol. Biyombo had 10 & 10. For Detroit, Drummond had 18 points with 12 rebounds. Luke Kennard, the former Blue Devil, had 15 points. Blake Griffin had just 12 points and 9 rebounds. Reggie Jackson also had a poor game with just 9 points, managing 7 assists in the loss. Ish Smith had 13 points.