SAN ANTONIO — Charlotte Hornets (19-23) vs. Spurs (25-19)
When, where: Monday, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center
Last season: Spurs won series 2-0
All-time series record: Spurs lead 41-15
Season series: First meeting
Last meeting: Spurs 106, Hornets 86, Nov. 25, 2017, Charlotte
Hornets' last game: Lost to Kings 104-97, Saturday, Sacramento
Spurs' last game: Lost to Thunder 122-112, Saturday, Oklahoma City
Hornets' last 10 games/streak: 3-7, lost three
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 7-3, lost one
Hornets' injury/inactive report: Guard Devonte' Graham (ankle), day-to-day; center Cody Zeller (right hand surgery), out.
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Guard Marco Belinelli (left knee contusion), out; forward Rudy Gay (sprained left wrist), out; Chimezie Metu (G League assignment), out; forward Ben Moore (G League assignment); Dejounte Murray (torn right anterior cruciate ligament), out; Lonnie Walker IV (G League assignment), out.
Notable: Charlotte has gone 1-4 in a six-game road trip that ends Monday night at the AT&T Center, where the Hornets have lost 11 in a row. Charlotte coach James Borrego rested former Spurs guard Tony Parker in Saturday's loss to Sacramento . . . Borrego was a Spurs assistant coach for three seasons before getting hired as the Hornets' head coach last May . . . The Spurs are the only NBA team with an all-time winning record against every team in the league . . . After squaring off against Charlotte, the Silver and Black play at Dallas on Wednesday and at Minnesota on Friday. The next home game for the Spurs after Monday night is against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday . . . Parker already had played two years of pro basketball in Europe when he reported to his first training camp with the Spurs as a 19-year-old. He became San Antonio's starting point guard five games into his rookie season and the rest, as they say, is history . . . Starting forward Rudy Gay has missed the Spurs' last four games and five of their last seven with a sprained left wrist. Gay is the team's third-leading scorer (13.6) and is second in rebounding (6.6).
GAME PREVIEW
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is right.
It will be “weird” to see former Spurs point guard Tony Parker in a different uniform Monday night, when he plays in his first game at the AT&T Center since signing with the Charlotte Hornets last July.
Parker was a 19-year-old kid when he reported to his first training camp with the Silver and Black in 2001. It didn’t take him long to make an impact, earning a starting spot as the team’s point guard five games into his rookie season. The rest, as they say, is history.
Teaming with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, Parker won four NBA championships in 17 seasons with San Antonio. A six-time All-Star, Parker was MVP of the 2007 Finals. He remained the Spurs’ starting point guard until being replaced by Dejounte Murray last January.
“It will really look weird seeing him in another uniform, won’t it?” Popovich said. “But I’m anxious to see him. We talk frequently. He’s always going to be part of my thoughts. He’s a special young man and I’ve always felt like a second daddy to him over the years, and he’s been like a son in all kinds of ways. He’s just a friend for life and somebody I will always care about. It will be great to see him.”
Parker has come off the bench in all 37 games he’s played in this season, but Charlotte coach James Borrego almost certainly will start him Monday night to give Spurs fans the opportunity to welcome back Parker with a thunderous ovation when the Hornets’ starters are introduced.
The Spurs will show a video tribute to Parker before the game, setting the stage for what surely will be an emotional night at the AT&T Center.
While Parker basks in the warmth of the fans’ reception, the Spurs (25-19) will focus on bouncing back after a 122-112 loss at Oklahoma City on Saturday night. The game was played two nights after the Silver and Black beat the Thunder 154-147 in an epic double-overtime thriller at the AT&T Center.
The Spurs led OKC by as many as 13 points in the first half Saturday and were up 60-51 at the half, but the Thunder outscored them 35-20 in the third quarter to swing the momentum their way.
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half and reserve forward Dennis Schroder contributed all 19 of his points after the break. Capitalizing on turnovers to get easy baskets in transition, OKC outscored the Spurs 71-52 in the last two quarters.
''Third quarter was a tough quarter,'' Popovich said. ''Put ourselves behind the 8-ball there. Played a great first half on the road after an emotional game. I was really happy with their effort and mental approach to the game.''
The Thunder cashed in 14 turnovers for 21 points and scored 27 points in transition. San Antonio had only seven fast-break points. The Silver and Black coughed up six turnovers that led to 11 OKC points in the pivotal third period.
Marco Belinelli led the Spurs’ scoring with a season-high 24 points, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 18. Mired in a shooting slump, DeRozan made only 7 of 19 shots against the Thunder. He has hit just 32.1 percent (18-56) of his field-attempts in the last three games.
Belinelli will miss the game with a left knee contusion, and starting forward Rudy Gay remains sidelined with a sprained left wrist.
Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points after going off for 56 in the win over OKC on Thursday.
'They didn't let me play,'' Aldridge said. ''They doubled me in every way. They came from the baseline, from the top. They made sure that the ball wasn't in my hands.”
The Spurs are in a virtual tie with the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets for fifth place in the Western Conference standings, trailing them by percentage points.
Charlotte (19-23) is 1-4 in a six-game road trip that ends Monday night at the AT&T Center, where the Hornets have lost 11 in a row. Charlotte has lost its last three games.
Parker has averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 assists and 19 minutes in his 37 games with the Hornets this season. An unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season, Parker signed a two-year $10 million contract with Charlotte.
