Duncan, Spurs top Bucks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Duncan posted a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds to help the San Antonio Spurs take a 117-110 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday at Bradley Center.
Tony Parker recorded a double-double as well, pouring in 23 points and handing out 11 assists in San Antonio's seventh consecutive victory.
Brandon Jennings netted a game-high 31 points, while rookie John Henson added 20 points and nine boards off the bench for the Bucks, who have lost two straight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee kept it close early and trailed by just two, 16-14, with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter, but the visitors scored the next seven points to build a nine-point edge with 3 1/2 minutes left in the stanza.
Gary Neal's 3-pointer with under five seconds remaining in the quarter sent the Spurs into the second holding a 33-22 advantage.
San Antonio held the Bucks at arm's length in the second, never allowing the home team to get closer than 11 throughout the frame. The lead peaked at 21 late in the stanza and the Spurs carried a 69-52 advantage into the break.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You dig that kind of hole against a team like that you're probably in trouble," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said of the Spurs. "We did a better job in the second half than we did in the first half but not the kind of team you want to spot that many points."
The margin reached 22 with under three minutes left in the third following a pair of Manu Ginobili free throws, but the Bucks closed the quarter on a 13-3 spurt to pull within 93-81 heading into the final frame.
Milwaukee continued to cut into the lead in the fourth, as Jennings netted four straight points to make it a nine-point game just under two minutes into the final quarter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Antonio, though, scored the next 10 points, including five straight from Parker, to push the lead to 104-85 with eight minutes remaining.
The Bucks got as close as 10 following a Henson hook shot, but Ginobili buried a triple to make it 111-98 with just under 3 1/2 minutes left.
San Antonio emptied its bench holding a 13-point edge with 1:28 remaining before the Bucks used an 8-0 run capped by a pair of free throws from Marquis Daniels to make it 115-110 with 13.1 ticks left.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Spurs would hold on, though, as Patty Mills knocked down a pair of free throws at the other end to account for the final margin.
"You have to give them credit," Parker said of the Bucks. "They made it hard on us in the second half and we were able to keep the lead and make some key shots for us to win the game."
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee has lost six of the last seven encounters between the clubs ... San Antonio improved to 13-6 on the road ... Ginobili finished with 16 points and six assists ... Monta Ellis added 18 points and eight assists for the Bucks.