The San Antonio Spurs’ 2017 closed on a sour note, with a loss to the Detroit Pistons, 93-79. It was a lost opportunity that creeping toward the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, but that can change on Tuesday. The Spurs will play the New York Knicks, wrapping up the two-game mini-series that started near the end of December.
The first matchup brought a balanced effort from the Silver and Black. Six players scored in double-digits, with LaMarcus Aldridge‘s 25 points leading the way. Pau Gasol‘s 17-11-7 line saw him flirt with a triple-double, and represented how well he and Aldridge worked against the Knicks’ front line of Enes Kanter, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O’Quinn and Michael Beasley, who spent time as a stretch four.