Spurs too much for 76ers
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Manu Ginobili drove to the basket for a one-handed dunk, and the rout was on.
The San Antonio Spurs may be one of the league's oldest teams, but they had no problem dispatching with the younger Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.
Ginobili scored 19 points and Tim Duncan moved up a spot on the NBA's career scoring list, helping San Antonio to an easy 109-86 victory.
Tony Parker had 20 points and Duncan added 16 for San Antonio, which has won 10 straight at home. Danny Green scored 13, and Tiago Splitter finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Spencer Hawes had a game-high 22 points for Philadelphia, which has lost three straight and five of six.
"You can't breathe for a second," Philadelphia guard Jrue Holiday said. "Even though I would count them as one of the older groups, there's just a lot of leadership, a lot of minutes played, and a lot of basketball players. They're a good team."
Duncan now has 23,179 points over 15 seasons, passing Adrian Dantley for 24th on the scoring list.
Duncan, Ginobili and Parker set a decisive tone against Philadelphia, scoring 22 of San Antonio's 31 points in the first quarter. The Spurs' trio did not have any turnovers in the opening quarter while combining for six assists and four rebounds in building a 10-point lead.
Philadelphia coach Doug Collins could only nod his head in admiration at what the three Spurs stars did Saturday and what they have done throughout their career under coach Gregg Popovich's guidance.
"(Popovich's) got three core guys that have been with him through thick and thin," Collins said. "If you've noticed what they've done, they always change the pieces around them. Those three and Pop are all there together. That's the stability."
Still, it was Ginobili's outing that excited the Spurs. He seems to be fully healthy after a series of leg injuries in recent seasons.
"I've been back for more than a month," Ginobili said. "Of course, when you play four games in five nights, it's hard to feel fresh. Then you have a day off and a good night sleep and you start to get it back. Sooner or later it gets better, it has to."
After making a pair of 3s, Ginobili crossed up Evan Turner, driving to the basket for a one-handed dunk that gave San Antonio a 29-16 lead with 3 minutes left in the first.
"That was great to see," Popovich said. "He's had to slowly get back all his athleticism. His confidence is always there because he's such an experienced guy, but his body's caught up and he looks as good as he's looked in a while. He's definitely back."
San Antonio improved to 14-2 at home while rebounding from a blowout loss Thursday against the New York Knicks.
Philadelphia's only lead came via Thaddeus Young's hook shot on the game's opening possession. Splitter tied the game with a layup on the ensuing possession and Duncan's 15-foot jumper gave the Spurs a 4-2 lead they would never relinquish.
Turner added 12 points and Young, Holiday and Jason Richardson each added 11 for the 76ers (15-20).
Philadelphia shot 42 percent from the field, including a 3-for-17 night from long range. The Spurs had 24 assists while shooting 48 percent.
Parker was 8 for 16 from the field in 29 minutes, the most of any San Antonio player in the rout.
NOTES: San Antonio's Stephen Jackson (sprained right ankle) missed his 16th game of the season. He injured his ankle against New York, tripping over a waitress working the courtside seats. ... Nando De Colo was recalled from San Antonio's Austin affiliate in the NBA Development League prior to the Saturday's game. ... Former Spurs F Malik Rose is now serving as an analyst for the 76ers' television broadcasts. Rose subbed as an analyst for former teammate Sean Elliott on several San Antonio broadcasts last season prior to joining Philadelphia's crew. Rose is a native of Philadelphia. ... Gary Neal had 12 points for San Antonio.