Leonard’s 31 points lead Spurs to win over Pacers
San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots and scores over Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) in the final seconds of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 1, 2017, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs returned from an eight-game road trip to beat the Indiana Pacers 100-99 on Wednesday night.
Leonard hit a turnaround, fade-away jumper from 16 feet against Paul George with 2.4 seconds left to win it. Indiana’s Monta Ellis missed a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining and George missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
George finished with 22 points, C.J. Miles added 19 and Myles Turner had 16.
San Antonio extended its winning streak to five games, including four straight to close its annual rodeo road trip in February.
Pau Gasol and David Lee had 18 points each off the bench for the Spurs.
The battle between All-Star forwards was a stalemate until the final five minutes. Leonard scored San Antonio’s final nine points during that stretch, including the game-winning shot, while George was limited to a pair of free throws.
