Another Spurs’ victory, and no regrets for Aldridge

PHOENIX – LaMarcus Aldridge was the last player to leave the visitors locker room at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Thursday night, nearly an hour after the Spurs had completed a 117-89 demolition of the Phoenix Suns.

He was talking – reluctantly at first -- about the brief moment in July when he envisioned himself occupying the other locker room down the hall.

“It came down to Phoenix and San Antonio,” Aldridge said of the summer’s hottest free agent bonanza. “That wasn’t overplayed. That was accurate.”

The Suns wowed Aldridge during their sitdown with him in Los Angeles, surprising him with newly acquired center Tyson Chandler. Phoenix assistant Earl Watson, who played one season with Aldridge in Portland and remained close to the All-Star big man, was there.

Walking out of that L.A hotel, Suns officials felt so good about their chances to steal Aldridge they traded Marcus Morris and others to clear salary cap room.

The team and city of Phoenix produced a banner with Aldridge photoshopped into a No. 12 Suns jersey, with plans to unveil it on a building across from the arena on the Fourth of July.

That morning, Aldridge committed to the Spurs.

“They made a strong case,” Aldridge said of the Suns. “I couldn’t not take them seriously.”

In the end, Aldridge’s final two came down to a choice about who he wanted to be.

In Phoenix, he could have been the go-to scorer, same as he was for nine seasons with the Trail Blazers. In San Antonio, he would be one cog in a machine already built to play for championships.

The difference was on display Thursday.

“I’ve always enjoyed being the guy,” Aldridge said. “I worked hard in Portland to earn the right for it to be my team. That was hard-earned, so I take pride in that.”

But, Aldridge also noted, “things change.”

“I don’t see myself being that guy here,” Aldridge said. “This is more Kawhi’s team, and we all fit in around him and try to make his life a little easier. If I was trying to be that guy still, I should have not come. I’m OK trying to help Kawhi be great every night.”

Indeed, Leonard was named an All-Star starter before Thursday’s game, then beat his average with another 21 points.

Aldridge will need help from Western Conference coaches to make his fifth consecutive All-Star team. Thursday, he scored seven points in 21 minutes as the Spurs cruised to their record 12th victory of at least 25 points.

The Spurs are 37-6, a mark Aldridge has never before reached. Should the Spurs win Friday night against the Lakers in Los Angeles, they will be 38-6 – a record not even Tim Duncan has seen before.

That eye-popping mark could be enough to get Aldridge to the All-Star game, despite a dip in scoring numbers. Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek suggested before Thursday’s game he could envision the Spurs getting two or three players on the West squad.

“You can put stats up there on teams that aren’t winning,” Hornacek said. “But how are you helping a team win? If your team wins big, your stats might not be up there. But coaches always look for that, I think.”

Aldridge also said he has never been a part of a roster as well stocked as the Spurs, and Thursday showed why.

Tony Parker sat out with right hip soreness. Gregg Popovich opted to give Duncan the night off.

And the Spurs rolled behind a bench that got the season’s first double-double from rookie center Boban Marjanovic (17 points, a season-best 13 rebounds) and 13 points from an energetic Jonathon Simmons.

Ray McCallum, earning his second start in place of Parker, scored 11 points and ran the team ably.

“The bench guys got it done for us,” Popovich said. “The starters weren’t all that enthused.”

The Suns played without five injured rotation players, and lost a sixth in the first half when P.J. Tucker took a knee to the chest from Leonard.

The Spurs overcame 20 rebounds from Chandler, 24 points from Suns rookie Devin Booker, 20 from Archie Goodwin and 18 from T.J. Warren to record their 12th consecutive victory.

It was the Spurs’ 10th winning streak all-time of at least 12 games, second all-time only to Boston (13).

Popovich was impressed with the undermanned Suns’ moxie, sticking within five points in the third quarter before the Spurs’ blew the doors off.

“In the NBA, you have to have some talent to win,” Popovich said. “They just didn’t have enough on the floor.”

Aldridge, in the opposite uniform, probably would have made a difference Thursday.

Likewise, Phoenix probably wouldn’t be 13-31 had Aldridge picked the desert over the Riverwalk.

But the Suns wouldn’t be 37-6 either.

“I’ve never been in this position, having a team that’s so stacked and playing at such a high level,” Aldridge said. “It’s definitely new.”

Put it all together, and Aldridge could leave Phoenix content he had spent Thursday night in the right locker room.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN