Spurs 97, Kings 86
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- San Antonio power forward Tim Duncan scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Spurs to a 97-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings before an announced crowd of 13,505 at Sleep Train Arena on Friday night.
Duncan, 36, was a force around the basket in the second half but received a particularly strong contribution off the bench from Patty Mills. He scored 18 points in 21 minutes while subbing for Tony Parker, who was suffering from flu symptoms.
The Spurs improved to 5-1 while the Kings had their two-game winning streak halted. Sacramento (2-4) was outscored 28-18 in the pivotal fourth quarter. Starting power forward Jason Thompson and sixth man Marcus Thornton each scored 17 points.
The Kings made just 32 of 91 field-goal attempts (35.2 percent).
The Spurs held a 47-39 at halftime. Duncan was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field. He led all scorers with 12 points and also grabbed seven rebounds in 13:39 minutes on the court.
Both teams missed numerous close field-goal attempts, but the Kings experienced a second quarter that made it seem as if they were allergic to the basket.
Sacramento shot 6 of 24 (25 percent) during the second quarter. The errant shooting allowed the Spurs to run off 15 of the period's 17 points during a six-minute span.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich received scoring from everyone he played except starting shooting guard Danny Green. The Spurs bench combined to score 21 first-half points.
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins began strongly with five quick points and five rebounds. However, he picked up his third foul with 4:14 left and went to the bench.
Thompson took over scoring around the basket and had a team-leading 10 points in the first half. Thompson made 5 of 6 from the field, but the Kings made just 16 of 48 from the field.
NOTES: Spurs reserve guard Stephen Jackson missed the contest with the flu, while Duncan, Tony Parker and Matt Bonner suffered from flu-like symptoms. ... Kings swingman John Salmons was active for his first game of the season. He missed much of training camp while tending to his wife, who gave birth to their third child. ... Kings rookie forward Thomas Robinson missed the first of a two-game suspension for elbowing Detroit forward Jonas Jerebko in Wednesday night's 105-103 Sacramento victory.
