Spurs lose as Aldridge flashes All-Star form

LaMarcus Aldridge bounced back from a rusty outing in his Spurs debut with the type of form that made him the most coveted free agent of the offseason, scoring 17 points and meshing well with frontcourt partner Tim Duncan in Miami’s 95-92 preseason victory Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich basically sacrificed the game, going with free agents and deep reserves after the main rotation, led by Aldridge, staked the Spurs to a 13-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Miami dominated the final period, outscoring San Antonio 26-10 overall with a 21-3 run. Ray McCallum’s off-balance attempt at the game-tying 3-pointer was off.

Those first three quarters were encouraging…