Suns hand Spurs 11th loss in row, 133-95
SAN ANTONIO — Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns overwhelmed San Antonio 133-95 on Sunday, handing the Spurs their 11th straight loss.
San Antonio fell behind by 30 points in the second quarter and is now two losses shy of the franchise’s worst skid set in 1989.
Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges each had 20 points as Phoenix won for the seventh time in eight games.
Keldon Johnson has 27 points for the Spurs, who have not won since Nov. 11.
San Antonio was without coach Gregg Popovich for the second straight game with what the team termed a minor medical procedure. Popovich is expected to return Thursday in a home game against Houston.
Popovich is not texting San Antonio assistant coach Brett Brown with coaching advice.
“It hasn’t gotten to that,” Brown said.
Not that it would have helped the beleaguered Spurs against the Suns.
San Antonio was without starters Jakob Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan and key reserves Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson.
The matchup went as expected between the Western Conference’s best record and its worst.
Phoenix shot 52% from the field and was 19 for 37 on 3-pointers.
San Antonio’s 11 points in the second quarter were a season low for any period. The Spurs committed seven turnovers and were 5 for 20 from the field in the period.
The Spurs tied a season low with 41 points in the first half. Phoenix’s 71 points were the most given up by San Antonio in the first half this season.
TIP-INS
Suns: PG Chris Paul missed his 13th straight game with a sore right heel.
F Torrey Craig missed the game with a strained right groin.