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Duncan scores 26 points in Spurs' win over Bucks

Dec 27, 2009 - 4:57 AM MILWAUKEE(AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs' reserves carried them to an easy win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tim Duncan scored 26 points and San Antonio's bench scored 51 points in a 112-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

"We moved the ball real well and gave guys an opportunity to make shots," Duncan said. "Hopefully, that will be contagious and continue to happen."

While Duncan led the team in scoring, Antonio McDyess scored 14 points and Manu Ginobili scored 13 points to pace the reserves, who made 22-of-29 shots.

"That's ridiculous," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of the bench's shooting percentage. "That's not going to happen very often. It happened tonight and obviously it helped us keep the lead."

The Spurs went up-tempo to open a 20-point lead in the second quarter and Milwaukee never got within single digits in the second half.

"We just had a different mindset," said Ginobili, who made five of six shots. "We played very aggressively, moved the ball very well. When you do it's easier to make shots. That was a big difference. We played faster, better. It was more fun."

The Bucks shot 43 percent for the game while allowing the Spurs to shoot 59.7 percent.

"They caught us on a good night," Popovich said. "This is one of our better nights of the season. No exaggeration. We played for 48 minutes."

Tony Parker had 16 points and eight assists for San Antonio, which has won four of five.

"Everybody was making shots and everybody was sharing the ball," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "So, when you play like that, it's pretty easy basketball."

Hakim Warrick scored a season-high 23 points for Milwaukee, which has dropped 13 of 17.

"We definitely can't let teams shoot 59 percent against us," Warrick said. "Most of that was because of our defense and you've got to give them credit, too."

Rookie Brandon Jennings, the Bucks' leading scorer at 19.7 per game, was held to 10 points. Jennings struggled to get Milwaukee's fast break going, running into countless picks set by Duncan in the first half.

"We got some pretty good looks but we just weren't making them," Jennings said. "And a team like that, they're going to come right back at you."

Milwaukee's Michael Redd only scored six points, missing seven of nine shots. He has missed 16 games due to injuries this season, but the Bucks are 3-9 when he plays and 9-7 when he doesn't.

"Hopefully, we won't have games like this the rest of the season," Redd said.

San Antonio rookie DeJuan Blair, making his third consecutive start, had eight points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes.

"He's understanding the floor a lot more," Duncan said of Blair, a second-round draft pick. "It just comes with time."

Andrew Bogut took a pass from Jennings and scored on a layup to bring Milwaukee within 62-51 with 7:47 left in the third quarter. San Antonio, though, got six points from Duncan in a 12-2 run to take a 74-53 lead on his 16-foot jumper with 4:24 left in the period.

The Spurs led 89-64 heading to the fourth and Milwaukee got no closer than 15 points.

Milwaukee missed 15 of its first 17 shots as San Antonio jumped to a 14-4 lead on Blair's layup with 5:09 left in the first quarter.

Parker hit a 4-foot jumper to give San Antonio a 37-26 lead with 6:11 left in the second quarter, never allowing the Bucks within single digits again.

Duncan scored 16 points in the first half as the Spurs led 56-41 at halftime.

NOTES: Michael Finley missed his eighth straight game with a sprained ankle. ... The Spurs have won two consecutive road games and are 4-6 on the road and 12-5 at home.