• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Thunder, Spurs tangle in the Alamo City

Feb 4, 2012 - 3:51 PM (Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs have one more game left in the Alamo City before embarking on their annual Rodeo Road Trip, as they close out a three-game homestand tonight versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs have won three straight and five of their last seven games, and improved to 2-0 on the residency following Thursday's 93-81 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at the AT&T Center. Tony Parker finished with 18 points and seven assists, while Tim Duncan logged 19 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio, which is a sizzling 12-1 as the host this season.

Tiago Splitter had 16 points and seven boards in a winning cause.

"I thought Tony was really good in the second half in forcing the issue and I thought Tiago had a great run in there defensively and offensively," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. "The two of them really got us going and that was it."

Parker is now seven assists away from eclipsing Avery Johnson's franchise record of 4,474 career assists. Duncan is 20 rebounds shy of passing Charles Oakley (12,205) and becoming one of the NBA's top-20 rebounders of all time.

The Spurs are only 3-8 as the guest this season and will kick off the lengthy road swing Monday against the Grizzlies. They will also visit the Sixers, Nets, Pistons, Raptors, Clippers, Jazz, Blazers and Nuggets on a trek that will cover almost 8,000 miles before touching down at home Feb. 29 versus Chicago in the opener of a seven-game residency.

Oklahoma City will begin a five-game road trip tonight in San Antonio and owns a 9-3 mark away from the OKC this season. It will also take on the Blazers, Warriors, Kings and Jazz, and is coming off last night's 101-94 victory versus Memphis behind Kevin Durant's 36 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute.

Durant also had 10 rebounds -- all in the second half -- while James Harden netted 24 points and Russell Westbrook contributed 21 in the Thunder's second straight win and their sixth in their last seven contests.

"He's a great player. I mean that's all you can say -- he's a great player. He made great plays and great shots down the stretch," Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said about Durant. "He took over the game. He's going to be one of the all-time greats if he stays healthy."

Oklahoma City owns an NBA-best record of 18-4 and recorded 29 points off of Memphis' 19 giveaways.

The Thunder defeated San Antonio, 108-96, on Jan. 8 this season in the OKC thanks to Durant's 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Gary Neal scored 18 points to lead the Spurs, who had won six straight against the Thunder. San Antonio has still won nine of the past 13 meetings between the teams.

Oklahoma City has dropped three in a row and 10 of 12 trips to the Alamo City.