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Leonard returns to help Spurs down Blazers

Jan 17, 2015 - 5:49 AM San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - The last time the San Antonio Spurs played the Portland Trail Blazers, both teams were engaged in a triple overtime thriller with the Blazers coming out on top.

The Spurs made sure no extra time was needed on Friday night.

Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup to lead the Spurs with 20 points in a 110-96 win over the Blazers at AT&T Center.

Leonard returned after a 15-game absence due to a torn ligament in his right hand. He had not played since Dec. 15.

Danny Green deposited 19 points and Patty Mills added 18 points off the bench for San Antonio, which has won four of its last five.

"He's going to play aggressive and create stuff for us," Spurs guard Tony Parker, who finished with 17 points and seven assists, said of Leonard.

LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 24 points with eight rebounds and Damian Lillard, who scored 43 points in the 129-119 triple overtime win on Dec. 19, went for 23 points and five assists in this one.

"We didn't do a good job keeping them off the boards," said Alrdidge. "We didn't do a good job of finding bodies. We'll learn from it."

Mills scored 10 points off the bench in the first quarter to help the Spurs grab a 35-28 lead after 12 minutes.

San Antonio led by as many as 12 in the second quarter before taking a 60-52 lead at the break.

Then it took over in the third and cruised to the victory in the fourth.

Manu Ginobili scored on back-to-back possessions to stretch the Spurs' margin to 15, then Mills knocked down successive 3-pointers later in the quarter to make it a 91-73 game.

Portland ended the third on a 6-0 run to close the gap to 12 entering the fourth, but Mills opened the final quarter with a runner that kicked off a 9-2 run.

San Antonio led by as many as 23 in the fourth.

Game Notes

Portland has lost two straight overall and had its two-game winning streak in the series halted ... Tim Duncan registered an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double ... San Antonio held a 49-32 edge on the glass ... Portland was held to 6-of-19 from beyond the arc.