Bragging rights for South Texas are on the line Wednesday when the San Antonio Spurs play host to the Houston Rockets.
The Spurs earned a rare road victory this season by snapping a two-game skid on Monday in Memphis. Matt Bonner made five three-pointers and contributed 15 points off the bench in that one, as San Antonio took down the Grizzlies, 83-73, at FedExForum.
Rookie Kawhi Leonard posted his second double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson added 14 and 13 points, respectively, in just the Spurs' third road win of the season.
Conversely San Antonio has been excellent on its home floor, compiling a 10-1 mark coming into tonight's contest.
The Rockets, meanwhile, were cooled off a little on Monday, losing for just the second time in 11 games, a 120-108 setback at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kevin Martin, who missed the previous two games with a case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, tried to keep the Rockets in that one, pouring in 29 points just seven days after he scored 31 in a 107-92 win at Minnesota. Chase Budinger added 13 points off the bench while Kyle Lowry finished with 11 points.
Houston was particularly poor defensively against the Wolves, allowing a franchise-worst 42 points in the third quarter.
"It was just like we were sitting there and we could never find any kind of rhythm defensively," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We never got many consecutive stops. We never really dug in and got things."
Houston has already taken two of three from the Spurs this season but both of those triumphs came in Space City. San Antonio traditionally dominates the Rockets in the Alamo City, winning 24 of the last 28 contests in the series played there.
The Rockets also haven't taken the season series from San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.
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