Comebacking Parker lifts Spurs vs Clippers

SAN ANTONIO -– San Antonio point guard Tony Parker watched helplessly as the Spurs were drained emotionally and physically by four straight defeats, including a pair of crushing losses at home in triple overtime.

He saw the frustration and despair weigh on his teammates, especially longtime running mate Manu Ginobili, who was forced to play extended minutes as the team’s lone playmaker.

Parker wanted to give San Antonio a lift, and he did so in a big way.

He scored 26 points in his return from a five-game absence, igniting the Spurs to a season-high 37 assists and a 125-118 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

“It was a great relief for everybody (to have Parker back), and he made us play better and with more confidence,” said Ginobili, who had a season-high 10 assists.

San Antonio shot a season-high 64 percent from the field.

Tim Duncan had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Boris Diaw scored 23 points and Ginobili added 19 for the Spurs (18-11), who had lost three straight home games in overtime.

Those losses took a toll on the Spurs, even Parker, who sat out with a strained left hamstring.

“It was hard to watch,” Parker said. “A tough time, so I was just trying to bring energy and be aggressive.”

In Oakland, California, Klay Thompson scored 25 points, Stephen Curry had 12 points and 11 assists, and the Golden State Warriors eased past the Sacramento Kings, 128-108.

Festus Ezeli scored a career-high 15 points to go with six rebounds in place of injured center Andrew Bogut, helping the Warriors hold a big lead most of the way.

Golden State stretched its NBA-best record to 23-3.

DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Darren Collison scored 17 points in Sacramento’s latest blowout loss to its Northern California rival. The Warriors whipped the Kings 95-77 on opening night in Sacramento and have won six consecutive games in the series, including all four last season.

In other results, Charlotte dumped Denver, 110-82; Chicago ripped Toronto, 129-120; Houston trampled Portland, 110-95; Utah stunned Memphis, 97-91;  andAtlanta outlasted Dallas, 105-102.

In San Antonio, Parker showed no lingering effects from the injury that kept him out of eight of the past nine games. He played 34 minutes, shooting 11 for 18 from the field and collecting four assists.

“He says he feels great,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “I’m scared to death about it, but I’m just going to trust him. He has been around for a long time, and he doesn’t want to reinjure himself. Hopefully, he’s OK.”

Parker collected a steal on San Antonio’s opening defensive possession and made his initial jumper and first two free throws.

Parker’s ability to penetrate reinvigorated the Spurs’ ball movement, providing the “good-to-great” mantra that Popovich preached last season. San Antonio had a season-high 72 points in the first half, shooting 75 percent while handing out 20 assists on its 30 baskets.

“They shot the lights out (of) the ball tonight,” said Clippers point guard Chris Paul said. “At the same time, you’ve got to try to impose your will on defense. (At) some point, you can’t hope they miss, you have to make them miss.” (AP)