San Antonio Spurs’ Dante Cunningham (33) and DeMar DeRozan (10) scramble for the ball against New Orleans Pelicans’ Nikola Mirotic, right, and Jrue Holiday during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
SAN ANTONIO — DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and 12 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs defeated New Orleans 109-95 Saturday, extending the Pelicans’ losing streak to five games.
Dante Cunningham had a season-high 15 points, Patty Mills finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and San Antonio won its fourth straight.
Jrue Holiday had 29 points and eight assists to lead the Pelicans. Anthony Davis had 17 points and eight rebounds after missing Thursday’s game with a sprained right elbow.
San Antonio held New Orleans to 17 points in the opening period and 39 points in the first half, season lows for each team. While the defensive effort was a boon for the Spurs, the Pelicans continue to struggle after opening the season 4-0.
After trailing 15-8, the Spurs moved out to a two-point lead with an 11-2 run sparked by Cunningham diving on the floor defensively for a loose ball.
San Antonio’s bench played a key role, outscoring New Orleans’ 33-13, including 14 points by Marco Belinelli.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: New Orleans has been outscored by an average of 14.6 points in its five-game skid. . Davis grabbed his left knee in pain after colliding with Cunningham as the two went for a loose ball with 6 minutes remaining, but quickly smiled and rose after the initial burst of pain. . The Pelicans scored 17 points in the first quarter and 39 points in the first half, both season lows. Their previous season low for a quarter was 18 points in the second against Utah on Oct. 27, and 24 in the opening period against Denver on Oct. 29. New Orleans’ previous low for the first half was 45 points against Denver on Oct. 29.
Spurs: DeRozan has scored at least 25 points in seven of the team’s eight games this season. The only other San Antonio player to do so was George Gervin in 1978-79. . The Spurs are 44-17 against the Hornets/Pelicans since they relocated to New Orleans in 2003. It’s the most victories against the city’s second NBA franchise by any team. . Cunningham had scored 20 points total in the team’s first seven games. His previous high was four points, which he scored in the team’s previous three games.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Oklahoma City on Monday night.
Spurs: Host Orlando on Sunday night.