LaMarcus Aldridge Leads Spurs to 103-99 Win over Russell Westbrook, Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder's grip on home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs is slipping away.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points, and eight other Spurs players scored six or more points as San Antonio squeaked out a 103-99 win over the Thunder on Thursday.
Entering losers of two straight, the Spurs desperately needed a win. A loss would have put them into a tie in the loss column with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz while giving them only one fewer loss than the ninth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.
Instead, San Antonio is now in a position to take the No. 4 seed.
The Spurs outscored Oklahoma City 26-18 in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder still had multiple opportunities squandered down the stretch. Russell Westbrook turned the ball over with 38.9 seconds remaining down 99-96 and then shot a wild airball with 14 seconds left that would have tied the game.
Westbrook finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists but made just seven of his 19 shots and turned the ball over seven times.
Aldridge scored 21 of his 25 points in the first half, adding 11 rebounds and two assists.
Patty Mills had 14 points, and Kyle Anderson made all four of his shots on his way to a 10-point outing. Danny Green (11 points) and Manu Ginobili (10 points) were also in double figures.
Mills and Davis Bertans hit a pair of key threes, the latter's coming with 4:13 remaining on a pass from the former. The Spurs hit 13 threes as a team.
Paul George led the way for Oklahoma City with 26 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. He had only 28 points total in his previous two games combined.
Corey Brewer (14 points) and Steven Adams (10 points, 13 rebounds) and Ray Felton (10 points) were also in double figures. Carmelo Anthony struggled his way through a nine-point performance in what's clearly been the worst year of his career.
The real implications here are for the postseason, with San Antonio temporarily sliding into the fourth spot in the West. The Spurs now hold the tiebreaker with the Thunder, who are the No. 5 seed.
Both teams are tied in the loss column with the New Orleans Pelicans, who are a half-game back in the No. 6 spot.
