Duncan has 16 and 10, leads Spurs to 95-70 win over Bucks
SAN ANTONIO (AP) The Milwaukee Bucks knew what was coming after they cut San Antonio's double-digit lead to six early in the second half.
There would be a timeout, followed by impassioned instruction from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, and then a scoring run. But knowing what to expect didn't help Milwaukee stop it.
Tim Duncan had 16 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes, and the veteran Spurs remained undefeated at home with a 95-70 victory Wednesday night.
San Antonio took command with a 15-1 spurt after Milwaukee pulled to 50-44 just 2 minutes into the second half.
''We talked about their runs and talked about how they can go up early in the game, but we have to stay the course,'' Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. ''And they come out of the timeout understanding that they are going to make a run or try to, and we just folded.''
Milwaukee set season lows for points and field goal percentage (33.8) in falling to 2-8 on the road.
San Antonio (15-4) improved to 10-0 at home while extending its overall winning streak against the Bucks to seven games.
Milwaukee's starting unit had a combined 18 years of experience, which equaled Duncan's alone.
The 39-year-old Duncan opened the game by making a 5-foot turnaround and a 17-foot jumper against athletic, second-year player Giannis Antetokounmpo.
''He's very intense, which is something that surprised me,'' new teammate David West said of Duncan. ''He may not show it out there, but he's intense in terms of his communication and his desire to win is still very, very high after all the success he's had.''
Duncan had eight points in the opening quarter, including a reverse layup off a feed from West that gave San Antonio an 8-7 lead it never relinquished.
Duncan finished 7 for 11 from the field.
''It was what was given to us,'' Duncan said. ''We knew there would be gaps in there. I was trying to get to the hole and some shots went down for me.''
Duncan was not the only aging veteran who excelled against the younger Bucks. The Spurs got emphatic dunks from West and Manu Ginobili during the second quarter in building a double-digit lead.
West's dunk came off a pick-and-roll with Tony Parker. Ginobili drove down the middle of the lane for a one-handed dunk off a feed from Boris Diaw and later added a 3-pointer in the face of a hard-charging Jabari Parker.
San Antonio overcame Milwaukee's length with quick passing, collecting 11 assists on its first 13 baskets. The Spurs finished with 25 assists while shooting 37 for 90.
Patty Mills had 13 points and Kawhi Leonard also scored 13 on 3-of-12 shooting for the Spurs.
But it was their defense that closed the door on the Bucks.
''You've got Kawhi, Timmy and now LaMarcus (Aldridge). That's quite a bit of length, and you can't forget Danny (Green),'' Milwaukee guard O.J. Mayo said. ''They force you to take contested 2s and try to run you off the 3. It's a solid ballclub.''
San Antonio has held 12 opponents below 90 points this season.
''It's coming around. We continue to improve (defensively),'' Duncan said. ''It's what we want to do. A great effort all around. Pop is still on us about the mistakes we made, but you look up at the scoreboard and they score 70 in a night. That's the kind of `D' we want to put out there each and every night.''
Khris Middleton had 16 points and Greg Monroe added 14 for the Bucks.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Reserve guard Greivis Vasquez missed his third straight game with right ankle soreness. ... Milwaukee's previous season low was 82 points against Charlotte on Nov. 29.
Spurs: The defense is limiting opponents to 88.8 points per game, the lowest mark in the NBA. ... Aldridge was pulled briefly early in the first quarter after committing a foul on Antetokounmpo. As Aldridge sat down, Popovich walked over, pointed to his own head and then directed the 6-foot-11 forward to check back into the game. Aldridge finished with six points and nine rebounds. ... San Antonio will play Memphis on Thursday night in its fourth back-to-back set of the season. The Spurs, who are 5-1 in those games, have 17 total back-to-back games this season.
HONEST
Milwaukee point guard Jerryd Bayless did not play, missing his first game of the season.
''Coach's decision. That was it,'' Kidd said.
Tyler Ennis started in place of Bayless, who watched from the sideline in uniform. Bayless was participating in pregame workouts when he left the court to go back to the locker room. He re-emerged, but never returned to the court.
Kidd was asked if Bayless' absence was due to a disciplinary reason.
''No, I just didn't want to play him tonight,'' Kidd said. ''I wanted to look at Tyler tonight.''
WEST RISING
After spending much of his career starting, West said he is enjoying coming off the bench for the Spurs.
''It was a conscious choice to put myself in this role,'' West said. ''Something I wanted to do. I feel I can really help, particularly as the year wears on. Being fresh down the stretch and having the opportunities when they're there. This is a great group to be a part of. These guys are high-level guys. Character guys. You want to play well for them.''
West had four points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
UP NEXT
Bucks: At Detroit on Friday.
Spurs: At Memphis on Thursday.
