Spurs routs Wizards in Western Conference

LaMarcus Aldridge led eight San Antonio players in double figures with 24 points, and the visiting Spurs routed the Washington Wizards 129-112 on Friday night. Rudy Gay had 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills scored 17 points each for the Spurs (46-34), who began the night in eighth place in the Western Conference, one-half game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bradley Beal scored 25 points in 31 minutes for the Wizards (32-48), who have lost two straight games. Thomas Bryant had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and Bobby Portis finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. San Antonio, coming off a 28-point loss at Denver, shot 56 per cent from the field for the game and outrebounded Washington 42-34.

The Spurs shot 60 per cent the first quarter and led 37-32 to start the second. Portis hit a 3-pointer that got the Wizards within 41-39 early in the second, but the Spurs pulled away midway through the quarter.

With San Antonio up 50-45, Gay hit a pull-up jumper that started a 12-0 run. Aldridge's dunk gave San Antonio its biggest lead of the half, 73-52, and the Spurs led 77-58 at halftime. The Spurs shot 17 of 24 (70.8 per cent) from the field in the second quarter and 66.7 per cent for the half.

Aldridge had 17 points for the Spurs at the break, and Bryant scored 13 for the Wizards, who shot 52.1 per cent. Beal's layup early in the third quarter pulled the Wizards within 15 points, but Gay's 3-pointer with 6:42 left in the third made it 89-68. A 3 by Beal cut the Spurs' lead to 98-84 late in the quarter. San Antonio iced it with an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter that included a four-point play by Forbes. 

(With inputs from agencies.)