San Antonio Spurs (43-17) beat Brooklyn Nets (15-43) 126-110 on the road on Thursday, February 26, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Spurs had the better start, winning the first 36-22 to lead by 14 after one. The Spurs kept the pressure on with a 35-34 second quarter, carrying a 15-point lead into halftime.
The Spurs won the third 33-28 to create some separation, taking a 20-point lead into the fourth. The Nets took the fourth 26-22; the Spurs held on for a 126-110 regulation win.
What decided it
The Spurs took better care of the ball, turning it over on 8.3% of possessions compared with 15.5% for the Nets. The Spurs made 26.4 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 16.9 for the Nets. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Nets did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 34.1% against 22.2%. The Spurs made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Spurs produced 130.3 points per 100 possessions to 113.8 for the Nets.
The Spurs' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 56-43.
Who made the difference
Julian Champagnie was the game's biggest individual force for SAS: 26 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl on 10-14 shooting. His Game Score of 26.6 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Day'Ron Sharpe led the Nets with 14 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast on 6-10 shooting, good for a 15.4 Game Score.
Michael Porter Jr. (25 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast) and Day'Ron Sharpe (14 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Spurs about a 83% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, San Antonio Spurs lead 3-0.
The Spurs are now 43-17, and the Nets are 15-43. The Spurs last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.