SAN ANTONIO —
Game Story
First Quarter
Tre Jones opened the game with a floater, then drove and flipped a pass to Josh Primo in the corner for three. Keita Bates-Diop hit a shot, then Josh Richardson drilled a three to make it 10-4 Spurs.
Golden State put on a quick run, and Pop called time, but the Warriors got out into the lead. Lonnie Walker IV went in for a huge dunk to put the Spurs back in front and energize the crowd.
Walker missed a three, but Devontae Cacok was there to slam it home. San Antonio trailed 23-21 after the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Walker opened the quarter with free throws, then got all the way to the rack for a layup and the lead.
San Antonio was shorthanded, and their bench looked a bit lost at times as the Dubs built their lead out to 11, then 15 before Walker hit a three.
San Antonio trailed 54-44 at the break.
Third Quarter
Golden State built their lead out to 17 before a layup a three, and a pull-up jumper by Lonnie.
The Warriors again made it a 17-point game, and again Walker scored a couple of very nice baskets to get up to 24 points.
The Dubs tightened the screws on defense, but the Spurs closed on a 10-2 run as Primo beat the buzzer from three to make it 78-71 Warriors heading to the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
Tre Jones found KBD for an and-1, then hit a mid-range pull-up. Primo dribbled it off his feet, but the Warriors blew the transition layup.
Primo hit a three, then Joe Wieskamp hit a three on a feed from Walker to cut it to four. Primo drilled a tough middie, and all of a sudden San Antonio trailed by just a deuce.
The Dubs hit, but Primo answered with a Statue of Liberty layup in transition. Golden State hit free throws, but Richardson drilled a jumper and Kerr called time.
The Dubs quickly pushed it back to 6, then forced a turnover with four minutes to play. Tre Jones hesitated at the arc, then tried a three that fell to halve the deficit. Wiggins scored inside on the other end, but Jones answered with a layup and then took a charge.
Primo used a variety of post fakes to get free throws to make it 96-94 Warriors with two minutes to play.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (34-46) will host the Golden State Warriors (51-39) for their final home game of the regular season.
The Spurs are 2-1 against the Warriors this season and this will be the final meeting between the teams this season.
In their previous game, the Spurs lost to the Timberwolves, 127-121.
Keldon Johnson had 20 points to lead the team while Devin Vassell added 18 points in the win. San Antonio was without All-Star guard Dejounte Murray who is dealing with an illness as well as Lonnie Walker IV (back).
“Our tenacity and physicality were much better in the second half than in the first half. I thought we were a little bit shy on that part of the game in the first half," Gregg Popovich said. "We've stuck in games no matter who we've played. They keep playing."
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. The Spurs lost two-straight games at home against the Warriors.
2. The Warriors are 4-6 since Stephen Curry suffered a left foot injury in the March 16 loss versus Boston.
3. Golden State ranks fifth in assists (27.1 assists per game) and ninth in field goal percentage (.468).
4. Golden State is tied with Phoenix for the highest plus-minus for the second half (+4.3).
5. The Spurs are averaging 30.3 assists per game in the month of April.
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Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5