San Antonio Spurs (44-18) beat Philadelphia 76ers (33-28) 131-91 on the road on Tuesday, March 3. The final margin was 40 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Spurs struck first, taking the opening quarter 32-25 and a 7-point lead after one. The Spurs kept the pressure on with a 46-28 second quarter, carrying a 25-point lead into halftime.
The Spurs won the third 35-11 to create some separation, taking a 49-point lead into the fourth. The 76ers took the fourth 27-18; the Spurs held on for a 131-91 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Spurs got more from their shots, finishing at 65.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 40% for the 76ers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The 76ers did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 12.1 against 14.2. The Spurs made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 107 possessions per team, the Spurs produced 122.8 points per 100 possessions to 85.3 for the 76ers.
The Spurs' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 54-40.
Who stood out
Devin Vassell was the game's biggest individual force for SAS: 22 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast on 7-10 shooting. His Game Score of 20.9 led everyone. His team was +43 with him on the floor.
Jabari Walker led the 76ers with 20 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast on 7-10 shooting, good for a 17.3 Game Score.
Stephon Castle (15 pts, 4 reb, 10 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 58% for the Spurs.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Spurs are now 44-18, and the 76ers are 33-28. The Spurs last five before this game: W-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.