Toronto Raptors vs San Antonio Spurs Box Score on Oct 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 23, 2017

SAN ANTONIO -- LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points and Dejounte Murray added 16 points and 15 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Toronto Raptors 101-97 on Monday at the AT&T Center to remain unbeaten.

The game was tied at 85 with 5:55 to play before the Spurs used a Danny Green 3-pointer, two Kyle Anderson baskets and a Green turnaround hook shot to forge a 9-0 run that staked them to a 94-85 lead with 3:08 to go.

During that decisive run, Aldridge and Toronto's Serge Ibaka went chest to chest after pushing each other under the basket, with both players receiving technical fouls. Ibaka fouled out defending Aldridge's driving basket with 1:48 to play, and the ensuing free throw expanded the Spurs' lead to 97-87.

Green had 17 points, eight rebound and five blocks for San Antonio (3-0), which again played without injured forward Kawhi Leonard and point guard Tony Parker. Rudy Gay hit for 11, and Anderson finished with 10 as the Spurs outrebounded Toronto 56-33 and won despite committing 20 turnovers.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors (2-1) with 28 points, while Ibaka and C.J. Miles added 13 points each. Jakob Poeltl tallied 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Toronto, which was playing the opener of a six-game road trip.

The first half, which ended knotted at 50, featured 10 ties and eight lead changes, with neither team holding more than a six-point advantage over the first 24 minutes.

DeRozan led all scorers with 12 first-half points, and Ibaka had 11 for the Raptors. Green and Gay paced the Spurs with nine points each in the first half.

The game remained tight through the third quarter, with a Patty Mills layup with eight seconds left granting the Spurs a 75-74 lead heading to the final quarter and setting the table for a furious finish.

NOTES: The Spurs have not played a game without hitting at least one 3-pointer since 2005. Their 978-game streak is the fifth longest in NBA history. ... The Spurs and the Raptors are two of only four teams in the NBA with 48-plus wins in each of the last four seasons (Warriors, Clippers). ... Toronto C Jonas Valanciunas is listed as day-to-day with a sprained left ankle. He travelled with the Raptors to San Antonio but sat out. He expects to play sometime on Toronto's road trip that began Monday. ... Fewest days with a losing record in the NBA in the last 20 years: Spurs 48, Mavericks, 759; Rockets, 856; Lakers, 865; Jazz, 919. ... Next up for San Antonio is a contest Wednesday in Miami, the first contest of three-game road trip. Toronto heads for Oakland and a matchup with Golden State, also on Wednesday.