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Sports

Spurs put 14-game winning streak on the line versus Denver

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

(SportsNetwork.com) - And the beat goes on.

The beat of the San Antonio Spurs is at a roar with 14 straight wins and it could continue Wednesday night in the opener of a back-to-back set with the Denver Nuggets at AT&T Center.

San Antonio is rolling toward another Southwest Division title and already clinched a playoff berth. At 2 1/2 games clear of the Oklahoma City Thunder for Western Conference supremacy, the Spurs kept the success going with Monday's 113-91 victory over the inferior Philadelphia 76ers.

Austin Daye scored 22 points off the bench and made 6-of-10 3-pointers, while Tim Duncan added 19 points and both Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills added 15 for the Spurs, who shot 56 percent from the field, had a 47-37 advantage in rebounds and rested Tony Parker and Danny Green.

"He is a skilled guy. Obviously he can shoot it, but he is also a good passer. He knows how to play the game and it was good to be able to get him some time tonight," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said of Daye.

Cory Joseph ran the point for San Antonio and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Spurs went on a 14-0 run to start the second quarter and led 45-24 to cruise on and send the 76ers to their 25th straight loss. Sixers head coach Brett Brown is a former assistant of Popovich.

The Spurs are riding their longest winning streak since a 15-game run from March 14 - April 9, 1995, the second-longest in team lore. The longest is a 17-game winning streak back in the 1995-96 season.

San Antonio is averaging 111.6 points and 46.1 rebounds during the current winning streak and has a 16-1 record since the All-Star break. It has an impressive 27-8 record in the Alamo City this season and is unbeaten in the previous 10 home games. The Spurs are 15-5 at home against the West.

The Nuggets will have a tough time trying to stop a three-game road losing streak against the Spurs and dropped a 117-96 decision to Kevin Durant and the Thunder on Monday in the OKC.

Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, had 27 points and Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson countered with 25 points thanks to 13-of-16 foul shots. Kenneth Faried finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds for Denver, which trailed 41-24 after the first quarter and had won three of its previous four games.

Oklahoma City made 51 percent from the field and 11-of-22 3-pointers.

"We never made them uncomfortable so they shot a high percentage from two and from three," Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw said. "Our defense was reacting to them instead of forcing the issue."

The Nuggets fell to 13-23 away from home and are 6-15 as the guest against Western Conference opponents.

J.J. Hickson will miss the rest of the season after tearing his right ACL in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. He had surgery on Tuesday.

Denver will welcome San Antonio to the Mile High City on Friday and dropped a 102-94 decision to the Spurs at home on Nov. 5. Parker had 24 points and six assists in that one to lead the Spurs, who are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.

San Antonio has won two straight and five of six versus Denver at home.