Gasol Puts Up A Triple-Double, San Antonio Spurs Knock Down Sacramento Kings 108-99
Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger watches San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge make move to the basket at Golden 1 Center. Publicity Agents photo art by T. Ray Harvey. Dec. 23, 2017.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. – All that chatter about Zach Randolph being old in terms of NBA years probably should cease now. The 36-year-old, 17-year
Pau Gasol, age 37, had 14 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs 108-99 over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Saturday night.
LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists and Manu Ginobili added 15 points, three rebounds, and two steals off the bench for the Spurs (23-11). San Antonio has won four of their last five games.
The Kings have not beaten the Spurs in the state of California’s capital since 2014. With that fact and the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for San Antonio, Kings head coach Dave Joerger put the Spurs’ win in context.
“They just took us to school,” Joerger said. “They were not feeling us at all. We were kind of chasing a team that has been doing it for a long time.”
The Spurs made 44 of 88 shots at 50 percent, including 11-made 3-point shots. In addition, San Antonio only turned the ball over eight time. Gasol was the first player to record a triple-double for the Spurs since Tim Duncan 1996.
Born on July 6, 1980, Gasol last triple-double was Feb. 27, 2016, when had 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Karl Malone is the oldest player to record double digits in three categories. Malone was 40 years and 127 days on Nov. 28, 2003, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Spurs.
“He’s been playing well,” San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich said of Gasol, who signed a three-year contract before the season started. “He’s happy he got that triple-double. He has played a fine game on both ends of the floor.”
Publicity Agents OpticalVision. Footage by T. Ray Harvey
With rookie De’Aaron Fox out of the lineup with a partial tear in his right quadricep, Buddy Hield started in his place. Hield led the Kings with 24 points, eight rebounds, one assists, and one steal. Willie Cauley-Stein contributed 22 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists for the Kings (11-21).
Both teams deadlocked at 33-33 to end the first quarter. But the Spurs finished the first half with a 62-49 lead. San Antonio managed to hold the Kings to 66 points in the last three quarters, including 16 points in the second quarter.
“I felt like they could just pass the ball around at will,” Cauley Stein said of the Spurs. “We didn’t take away their first options. It’s just hard playing against that San Antonio Team.”
PUBLIC INFORMATION:
Sacramento Kings:
Zach Randolph entered Saturday’s game as one of six players to average at least 22.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in the month of December. In nine games, Randolph averaged 22.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The 36-year-old also held the best shooting percentage from the field at .60 percent. Randolph had 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists against the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio Spurs:
Kawhi Leonard has scored in double figures in 110 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Spur player since David Robinson in 1996. Leonard’s current mark is the third-longest streak in Spurs history. Leonard did not play against the Kings.
On The Marquee
Sacramento Kings: On the road at Los Angeles Clippers Dec. 26.
San Antonio Spurs: Host Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 26.
By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist
Twitter: Tony Ray Harvey @PublicityAgents
T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.
