Spurs still scorching in December

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Early in the second quarter of the Spurs’ 124-98 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, Karl-Anthony Towns found himself in perfect position to score an inside bucket after quickly establishing position against LaMarcus Aldridge.

But Towns never got a chance to complete the play. Just when Aldridge looked most vulnerable, Rudy Gay sprinted over to block Towns’ path and force him to give up the ball.

It was a perfect example of how the trust factor has played a huge role in the Spurs’ defensive turnaround.

“You’ve got to believe somebody has got your back,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “If there are foxholes some place, you hope the guy or the woman on your right or your left are going to do their job. It’s a synergy. Everybody’s got to do their job, or it doesn’t work. It can’t be just one or two people playing ‘D.’ Everybody’s got to do that.”

And everybody has been doing it well lately for the Spurs, who are 18-15 after winning seven of their past eight, including three in a row. Friday’s win avenged a 39-point road loss to the Timberwolves on Nov. 28 and marked the Spurs’ seventh straight game holding an opponent under 100 points.

And get this: The Spurs are now just the second team in NBA history to collect five straight wins by 25-plus points, joining the 1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks.

Bryn Forbes slips by Wolves defenders Andrew Wiggins, left, and Derrick Rose to get to the hoop as the Spurs host the Timberwolves at the AT&T Center on December 21, 2018. Bryn Forbes slips by Wolves defenders Andrew Wiggins, left, and Derrick Rose to get to the hoop as the Spurs host the Timberwolves at the AT&T Center on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Spurs still scorching in December 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

It all reflects a team that is finally jelling after starting the season with eight new players.

“We have gotten to know each other, trust each other and understand each other better,” Davis Bertans said. “The communication is better and we all know what we have to do on defense, and we know what the other guy is going to do.”

Said Patty Mills: “It’s a credit to everyone buying into the system defensively and understanding how we can help each other.”

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau sees a big difference between the Spurs team Minnesota clobbered last month and the one that pounded his bunch Friday.

The difference? They trust each other now.

“It takes time,” Thibodeau said of building a defense with so many new parts. “But you don’t really have time, so it’s how quickly you can adapt, and it’s the same with offense. In this league, you aren’t guarding guys really individually. Everyone has to talk together. It doesn’t matter whether it’s defensive transition, pick and roll, low post, isolation. If one guy is not doing his job, it will be exposed.”

The Spurs landed seven players in double figures, with Bryn Forbes’ 22 leading the way, and posted season highs for assists (36) and made 3-pointers (19) as they beat the Timberwolves for the 27th time in the teams’ past 28 meetings in San Antonio, including 11 straight.

The 19 3s were one shy of matching the franchise single-game record set Dec. 23, 2012, against the Dallas Mavericks.

“You get more assists when you make shots, and we shot the ball very well,” Popovich said. “But everybody was willing. We did a very good job sharing the ball, and then we made shots on top of it. That makes for a really good night.”

Five players hit two or more 3-pointers for the Spurs, who attempted 33 to finish at 57.6 percent from beyond the arc. Marco Belinelli hit 5 of 9 from long range en route to 17 points and Davis Bertans connected on 5 of 7 from distance in scoring 15, efforts that offset subpar offensive games from DeMar DeRozan (12 points) and LaMarcus Aldridge (10 points).

Rudy Gay contributed 14 points, but the offensive heavy lifting was done by Forbes, Bertans and Belinelli, who has hit double figures in seven of the past eight games.

“I work more,” Belinelli said in explaining his increased production. “I want to be the first one in the gym to work on my shot.”

Popovich said Belinelli is much more involved offensively than he was early in the season.

“He’s doing a very good job,” Popovich said. “He moves great without the basketball. He might move without the ball better than anybody we have, he and Patty.”

DeRozan led the Spurs with eight assists. Forbes tied his season high with seven against just one turnover.

“As I’ve said many times, he’s carved out an NBA career,” Popovich said of Forbes. “He’s worked so hard and he’s gotten to this level, and now he’s confident and knows he belongs, and he’s playing like it. He’s a special young man.”

The Timberwolves (14-18) had four players in double figures, with Andrew Wiggins topping the list with 15 points. The Spurs held Minnesota to 40.2 percent shooting from the field, including 28.6 percent from long range (6 of 21).

“Our defense was pretty solid again,” Popovich said. “We are just trying to get better and better at that end of the court.”

Minnesota played without assists leader Jeff Teague (ankle), and the Timberwolves’ ranks got even thinner when they lost Derrick Rose (ankle) in the third quarter.

Despite the loss of Rose, the Timberwolves, who trailed by as many as 26 points in the first half, pulled within 12 in the third. But the Spurs answered with a 24-10 run that included Aldridge sinking a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

“It’s called the NBA,” Popovich said of the Timberwolves’ second-half surge. “It’s very hard to keep leads in the NBA. You are playing against other guys just as good as you and that can shoot. You can get calls, turnovers. It happens all the time.”

The Spurs led 62-44 at halftime. Forbes pumped in 15 points before the break, while Belinelli contributed 14 on 4-of-5 shooting from distance.

Minnesota shot just 34.1 percent from the field (14 of 41) in the first half against the Spurs’ smothering defense.

On the offensive end, the Spurs amassed 19 assists on 23 makes before halftime while shooting 52.3 percent from the field (23 of 44) and 58.8 percent from long range (10 of 17).

At shootaround Friday morning, the Spurs didn’t dismiss the notion that there would be a revenge factor at play come game time.

“It’s just pride for players,” Bertans said. “We got embarrassed up there, and we have to just come out and show what type of team we are.”

Simply put, they’re one playing with a lot of trust in each other.

torsborn@express-news.net

Twitter: @tom_orsborn

The Spurs don’t usually shoot a lot of 3-pointers.

But when they do, they hit them. The Spurs hit 19 3s on Friday as they blew out the Timberwolves 124-98 at the AT&T Center.

The Spurs are first in the NBA in 3-point percentage (.396) but are last in 3-pointers attempted per game (23.8). They showed Minnesota (14-18) what happens if they get the green light to shoot Friday, finishing 19 of 33 from beyond the arc.

The Spurs (18-15) hit six 3s at the start of the second quarter to pull away from the Timberwolves, getting four from Marco Belinelli.

Belinelli’s hot streak stretched the Spurs’ lead to 47-26. He finished 5 of 9 from 3-point range. But it was Bryn Forbes’ night as well. Forbes led the Spurs with 22 points and was 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Davis Bertans added 15 points, hitting 5 of 7 from long range.

Even LaMarcus Aldridge got in on the action, hitting his second 3-pointer of the season.

The Spurs have won seven of their past eight games heading into tonight’s game in Houston. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

ntalbot@express-news.net