Spurs flounder against Suns, cruise past Clippers and outpace Bucks.

Pau Gasol had a strong showing against Milwaukee.

Like last season, the Suns just seemed to frustrate San Antonio and be a problem, giving the Spurs a first loss at home. However, the defending champions recovered strongly against the next visitors, the LA Clippers, finding themselves on the good side of that predicament instead.

The closest meeting came from the Bucks, and the young Milwaukee squad took a see-saw lead early. The Spurs built momentum as Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol started heating up, and Patty Mills made some nice passes, despite a shooting slump as of late.

The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a woeful night, being smothered by Kawhi Leonard, getting past him a few times, but always meeting Gasol shortly thereafter or even worse, Bismack Biyombo. Eric Bledsoe charged in for some athletic dunks to make up for it, but Giannis went just 4-17 (despite having six impressive blocks) and just 13 points.

Eric Bledsoe roared in 15 points and 7 assists; John Henson had 11 points with 12 rebounds. Khris Middleton had 19 points and former ROY Malcolm Brogdon had 23 points. Tony Snell had 12.

Despite a comeback, the Spurs fell short to Phoenix.

For the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard had 26 points with 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Pau Gasol was closed behind with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Patty Mills was cold from long range, but had 18 points and 6 assists. Jeremy Lamb had 11 points and some impressive dunks early. Winning 107-110 after a final run by Milwaukee, the Spurs owed a lot to themselves for nice teamwork, hustle and chemistry. They only missed two free throws, whereas the Bucks went 17-29 (58%). The Bucks shot better overall, and from long range, so it's telling that the Spurs simply outplayed the younger squad.

In the Phoenix debacle, the Spurs shot just 31% from 3PT range and 42% overall, horrible compared to the Suns 62% and 50% from deep. The Spurs would cut it to 2 points in the final minute, but too many mistakes did them in here, despite two more strong outputs by Leonard & Gasol. They combined for 62 points, but Kawhi's shot was off compared to the Spaniard. Patty Mills had 8 assists, but shot just 2-9. Rudy Gay went 3-10. Bismack Biyombo had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in the loss.

For Phoenix, Josh Jackson had 26 points; TJ Warren had 23 and Devin Booker had a modest 17.

Rudy Gay poured in 30 points in the blowout.

Against Los Angeles, the Spurs crushed the Clippers 17-32 in the first quarter, despite only winning by 10 by the end of it and only shooting 17% from 3PT territory. This was Rudy Gay's moment: he had 30 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 50% overall and from 3PT range. He also had 2 steals. Pau Gasol had 15 points and 6 rebounds; Kawhi with just 14 points but six steals. Biyombo had 12 boards.

In the loss, Danilo Gallinari had 20 points with 8 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan had 16 points with 15 rebounds, a strong double-double. Avery Bradley dunked past Biyombo in the lone highlight play for LA, finishing with 14 points. Patrick Beverley went just 2-11.

Spurs pull off gritty win, defeat Hornets 90-114.

Bryn Forbes lit up the Hornets, scoring 32 points on six 3PTers.

Fresh off a strong showing against the Warriors, the Spurs were initially surprised by the young Hornets coming to town. Dwight Howard showed he can still be a force down low and Kemba Walker made some stunning layups, drawing fouls. Frank Kaminsky also hit some 3PTers, showing off his range.

The Spurs were in a dogfight once they gathered their composure, with Kawhi Leonard battling hard toward the rim but struggling to shoot well, so it took a powerful 18-2 run in the second half to finally burst past Charlotte. A big part of this run was sharpshooter prospect Bryn Forbes, who made 6 three-pointers and got going early via layups in transition. He finished with 32 points on a fabulous 71% shooting, and was on fire at one point in the 4th quarter, a huge spark to the usual Lamb/Shumpert combo (both weake shooters than Forbes) and pulling off two steals to boot.

Patty Mills also made some long-shots on the fast break, as the Spurs stellar passing paid off. Pau Gasol battled with Howard down low, notching a solid double-double of 14 points with 12 rebounds. It was the defensive duo of Biyombo & O'Quinn that made Charlotte's attempt to stay in the game folly: Biyombo had 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, whereas O'Quinn had 5 boards with 3 steals and 1 block. Rudy Gay didn't shoot his best, but finished with 13 points and 2 steals. Kawhi Leonard had 18 points (6-15 FG%), 0-4 3PA) with 4 steals. Tony Parker did not have as strong of a game as the Warriors showdown, but he did make some nice passes for 3 assists and 2 steals. Mario Hezonja had 7 points, Lamb managed 8 points and Patty Mills went 3/3 from deep.

"Bryn is a terrific shooter when he gets going. We were happy to have him back with us for this season. The dog in him likes to fight, and that's what we like here," Popovich spoke highly of Forbes after the game. "He really opened up the floor for us once he made his first few shots from 3PT range," Leonard spoke. "My outside shot wasn't there, and Charlotte was taking it to us because of our poor shooting. He made a big difference for us tonight, no doubt."

In the loss, Nicolas Batum had 27 points and 5 steals (50% shooting, 42% from 3PT); Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 16 points. Kemba Walker cooled significantly, going 4-15 (26%). Dwight Howard had 10 points with 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Spurs erupted in the 4th quarter, winning 38-23. San Antonio shot 42% from 3PT territory, and 50% overall. Charlotte also missed 7 free throws, whereas the Spurs had 24 assists to Charlotte's 24 turnovers.

Spurs outlast Warriors, win 97-101 at home.

Despite a 20-point hole, the Warriors just wouldn't surrender.

Driving to the rim, Kevin Durant fell on his face after being ruthlessly blocked by Kyle O'Quinn. In the final seconds, after Steph Curry & Klay Thompson brought the Warriors within 2 points, Durant was knocked to the floor after attempting a corner 3PTer, courtesy of Bismack Biyombo.

The Spurs defense and solid offense was enough to fend off the Warriors in this first meeting of the season, despite Golden State erasing a 20-point deficit, once trailing 36-56 on the road.

The first quarter was won by the Spurs 22-27, but they broke off into a twenty-point advantage in the second 16-29, with the Warriors edging back continuously from there including 23-14 in the third. San Antonio's offense would stall, allowing the opposition to sneak within single digits, making for a fierce final quarter. Golden State would outscore the Spurs 36-31, but it wasn't enough.

Kawhi Leonard outplayed Kevin Durant with 28 points, icing the game at the free throw line to give San Antonio a four-point cushion. Previously, Pau Gasol had missed at the rim but gotten his own rebound and made a put-back layup, otherwise Golden State's next shot would've tied the game. Durant and Curry were also fouled throughout the game, with the Spurs using fouls to slow momentum at times. It cost them some bonus free throw attempts, but Golden State didn't make the most out of them, missing nine crucial free throws, compared to just one miss by the Spurs; when you lose by 4 that has to sting a bit.

Both teams were not the best from long range, despite their typically-stellar numbers, with San Antonio shooting 38% to Golden State's 34%.  Both teams were tremendous on defense, combining for 23 blocks and 13 steals. Every statistical category was close, with Golden State slightly winning rebounds and the Spurs winning in assists.

Steph Curry didn't have his best game, chased all game long, but it was a delight to see Tony Parker have his moment, playing well in this game and making shots. Parker finished with just 11 points, but the shots he made were huge, going 4-5 from the floor and making all three of his 3PT attempts. His effort was needed too as Patty Mills was pestered by Klay Thompson's length all night, finishing with 14 points on 6/12 shooting.

Rounding out the production, Rudy Gay had 13 points but shot just 30%, Pau Gasol had 11, Jeremy Lamb scored 10. Kyle O'Quinn got some burn here, scoring 6 points with 4 rebounds and 3 blocks. Bismack Biyombo had a monstrous 8 blocks with 8 rebounds, a total rim protector in his game.

In the narrow defeat, Durant had 22 points (8/18 shooting) with 3 blocks. Curry had 21 on 9/19, making just one long range shot. Draymond Green had a double-double of 10 & 10 with 2 blocks; Zaza Pachulia had 10 points with 12 rebounds. Klay Thompson shot 3-11, not quite right here. Andre Iguodala was 1-8 tonight, as the Warriors benched failed to contribute much to the comeback led by Durant and Curry (whose drives inside sparked it).

All too familiar was this showdown late, promising further rivalry from these two western conference juggernauts.

Celtics handle Spurs, withstand run late: 87-113.

Kyrie Irving had a great game, hearing "M-V-P!" chants.

After a contentious first quarter, the Celtics took their first substantial run in the second, dominating the quarter 18-34 after trailing by 5 after one. The Spurs were lost in the shuffle of momentum.

San Antonio would eventually fight back in the 4th quarter, trimming an off-and-on 20 point deficit down to just 9 points after a rally, but Boston would pull away on an 8-0 run to win big at home, snapping the streak.

Shots just didn't fall for the Spurs, who got demolished on the glass as a result, losing big 30-55 in rebounds, shooting a putrid 35% to speak volumes of Boston's also formidable defensive stranglehold. The Spurs also shot 20% from 3PT territory, compared to 44% by the Celtics. Frustration set in, and the Spurs committed too many fouls. Boston didn't quite make them pay, missing 10 shots from the charity stripe, but the constant stop in action seized any potential runs early. The Celtics also won the 3rd quarter, 17-29 as the Spurs nearly trailed by 30 at one point.

It was a notable burst of life by San Antonio to kickstart the final period, just after Kyrie Irving (25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 50% shooting) received "M-V-P!" chants from the Boston crowd. The Spurs were able to win the first quarter due to Rudy Gay's quick spark, who would go on to have a solid game with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals on 57% shooting. Kawhi Leonard had 18 points in the loss, struggling inside uncharacteristically. Gordon Hayward had just 13 points, hounded by Leonard on the other end of the court, shooting 3-11, but the former Jazz star had 8 rebounds and 9 assists to make up for it.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown had 20 points and Al Horford nearly had a double-double, blocking Pau Gasol at the rim to quell the rally by San Antonio. The Spaniard had an awful game, sporting 3-11 on the field like Hayward. Marcus Morris had a strong showing with 19 points and 14 boards for the C's. The bench did not help the Spurs in this contest, either.  Lamb, Shumpert and Hezonja all struggled. Patty Mills was also a non-factor with just 6 points, being chased all night long by Brown.

In the loss, Bismack Biyombo was a force early and a big part of the late push, finishing with 5 blocks to go with 6 points, 2 steals and 7 rebounds. Prospect got activated for this game, but shot just 1-7 from long range. Tony Parker's struggles continued, given 12 minutes of action but going 0-8 from the floor. In retrospect, Gasol probably played too many minutes as his inferior defense to Biyombo gave the Celtics a chance to break down the Spurs. But these two teams will meet again, a new rivalry.

Tony Parker struggling, yet striving to still be effective.

In five games so far, Tony Parker has only scored 9 points.

Despite the Spurs 6-0 win streak to begin the season, Tony Parker--the former star of the Spurs, head of the old guard--went scoreless in the season opener versus Minnesota in 13 minutes. He played just 6 minutes against the Bulls, scoring 3 points, didn't play the Raptors, went scoreless again in Miami, shot 2-10 in Orlando for only 4 points and went 1-8 in Indiana.

No drastic measures need to be taken, and the Spurs organization is arguably the most patient one in the league, but Parker knows he can contribute more, even as he enters his 19th season in the NBA--all with San Antonio.

"I'd probably take any third-string point guard over me right now," Parker subjected himself to criticism, admitting that his poor play has not been motivating. Once a quick, wily guard Tony has definitely declined--but he'll have to do just a little bit more, even if inconsistently--to help the Spurs this year. Backup prospect Dejounte Murray has not wowed the Spurs just yet on a reliable basis, and even Patty Mills hasn't gotten off to the best start.

Early season rust only accounts for so much.

"He'll find his way," Coach Popovich spoke of Parker. "He's almost as old as me, you know! Cut Tony some slack. He's a champion, a leader, one of our best players ever. He's got my support."

Spurs overcome 20pt deficit to win by 14 on the road, 97-83.

The Spurs came into Indiana with a 5-0 win streak to begin the season, and things look grim early on. They found themselves in an eight-point hole after just the first quarter, and watched it cave to twenty before ebbing away to make it only 16 at halftime.

There was a chance the Spurs would make the 3rd QTR comeback they've been known for during their championship dynasty, but time would tell and it didn't look good. They were just 2-15 from long range after one half, with no one player able to catch a rhythm early. The ball movement was mostly there, but the shots just weren't falling. The defense needed improvement, also, as Indiana made 3PTers in transition. Victor Oladipo and Darren Collison were also going hard to the basket, making the Spurs foul Oladipo during some splendid reverse layups.

Then it happened, in a very-Spurs way, with a 10-0 run that brought them to 46-53, forcing the Pacers into a "badly needed timeout" as Mike Breen described from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Patty Mills was catching fire. He would finish with 19 points, matching that of Kawhi Leonard (who also had 2 steals). Rudy Gay was solid all game for the Spurs, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals, playing sharp down low, using his speed advantage and veteran experience. For Indiana, their shooting dwindled with Bojan Bogdanovic going 1-8 from 3PT.

That's not to say the Pacers gave up without a fight, as the game stayed close, except for another pair of crippling runs by San Antonio to end the contest. Before that point, Cory Joseph had 18 points, just behind 20 points from Collison (and 6 assists). Oladipo cooled off for just 10 points on 38% shooting. Prospect Myles Turner had 11 rebounds, but only 6 points, contending with Bismack Biyombo's 8 rebounds and tremendous 5 blocks, including one that knocked Bogdanovic to the floor in a heap at the rim. Pau Gasol had 11 points with 7 rebounds, including a nice 3PTer in transition that gave the Spurs a small lead to begin one of their huge breakouts. San Antonio amped-up their defense, for sure, causing 14 turnovers by Indiana.

Jeremy Lamb was the early defiant spark, finishing with 13 points off some terrific slams and a nice 3PTer late in the 4th quarter that all but sealed the come-from-behind, resilient victory. Iman Shumpert also had 2 steals. The Pacers tried to rally, but their shooting just wasn't there any longer as Leonard hit a dagger 3PTer in the final minute.

Spurs cruise past Raptors, 85-109.

Pau Gasol had 12 points with 5 rebounds in this easy, team-strong effort by the Spurs at home. The Raptors committed 16 turnovers, giving themselves no chance at making a comeback. Both its stars DeMarr DeRozan and Kyle Lowry had miserable outings here, combining for just 22 points, including five cough-ups by Lowry. Big man Serge Ibaka also lost the ball 5 times, with San Antonio leading 31-17 after one.

It didn't help that San Antonio shot 48% from 3PT territory in this game, especially Patty Mills who made five long-shots to go with 9 assists for 15 points. Kawhi Leonard had 18 points on 75% shooting with 2 steals. Kyle O'Quinn had a promising night in 13 points, 2 steals and 1 block. Jeremy Lamb had 12 points on 5/6 shooting, Rudy Gay had 11 points and Mario Hezonja had 7 points, as did Dejounte Murray.

In the loss, the Raptors were led by Jonas Valanciunas's 16 points & 10 rebounds. Close behind was Norman Powell's 15 points and CJ Miles for 11 points.