CHICAGO • The San Antonio Spurs had no answer for why they started 13-0 on the road, and also had no answer for the Chicago Bulls on Thursday at the United Centre.
The Bulls (12-10) led from start to finish in a 95-91 victory to end a three-game losing streak, handing the Spurs (18-5) their first road loss.
San Antonio needed one more road win to tie the National Basketball Association record of 14 straight road victories to start a season, set by the Golden State Warriors last season. Yet, they failed to fire against a struggling team and coach Gregg Popovich was livid.
"I don't remember playing tonight. The guys get a lot of money to get ready to play," said Popovich of the Spurs. "It is your job. If you are a plumber and you don't do your job, then you don't get any work. If you are a doctor and you botch operations, you are not a doctor any more.
"If you are a basketball player, you come ready."
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40.2%
San Antonio shot a poor 39 of 97 against Chicago.
32
The Spurs' first-half points total was their worst for any half this season.
San Antonio scored just 32 points in the first half - the lowest output in any half this season. They hit only 39 of 97 for the game (40.2 per cent) and went to the free-throw line a mere five times.
Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 24 points, Patty Mills added 16 points and Pau Gasol had a double- double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in his return to Chicago after leaving via free agency in the off-season.
But a night that began with Gasol - a Bulls player last season - walking past the visitors' locker room and heading towards the hosts' locker room by mistake ended with the Spurs paying the price for their poor start.
"Most of our games, we haven't been coming out with the same edge as we have in the second half," he said. "Because of our talent and quality of play, we are able to make up ground. We've been able to end up winning most of them.
"Tonight we were down (18 in the third quarter) and were able to make up some ground, but in the end it wasn't enough."
The Spurs trailed 63-72 starting the fourth and were poised to pull off another comeback win. but the Bulls - who hit 21-of-27 from the free-throw line - refused to let it happen.
Gasol hit a three-pointer with 3min 24sec left in the fourth to cut Chicago's lead to 88-84, but that was as close as the Spurs would get until Danny Green hit a meaningless three-pointer with 1.8sec left.
"We needed a win," said Bulls guard Dwyane Wade, who led Chicago in scoring with 19 points.
"When you're playing, you're not thinking about how this team's on a roll on the road. You're just thinking about getting the win."
Along with Wade, Rajon Rondo showed the way for the Bulls by finishing an assist short of a triple-double (12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists). Jimmy Butler added 13 - all in the second half.
"We played 24 minutes again, just like we have the last 10 games," said Popovich. "We go through the motions and that's it."
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
