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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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The San Antonio Spurs scored the first 18 points Friday night and never gave the Golden State Warriors a way back into the game.
Their 123-85 victory extended San Antonio’s winning streak to 11 games, improving the Spurs to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in NBA Cup group play. Stephon Castle delivered a season-high 32 points as the Spurs turned a matchup against an eight-win opponent into a night of early rest for their starters.
San Antonio needed less than five minutes to establish control.
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The Spurs opened with 18 unanswered points over the first 4:29, then finished the opening quarter ahead 38-14. Golden State made just five of its first 25 shots, struggling to generate offense against a defense that gave Castle and his teammates repeated opportunities to extend the lead.
“I think the defense probably ignites the offense more than vice versa,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said afterward, according to Sports Illustrated’s Tom Petrini.
Castle supplied plenty of offense himself. He shot 12-for-18 from the field and made five of eight attempts from beyond the arc, surpassing his previous season high of 24 points against Oklahoma City on opening night.
Victor Wembanyama did not need a huge scoring performance to influence the outcome. He finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. San Antonio also received 56 points from its bench, including 18 from Keldon Johnson and 11 from Harrison Barnes.
The Warriors were playing without Stephen Curry, who suffered a right oblique tear during Wednesday’s loss at Houston. LJ Cryer led Golden State with 20 points, while Charles Bassey added 11. They were the Warriors’ only players to reach double figures.
Even with Curry unavailable, the size of San Antonio’s advantage stood out.
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The Spurs outscored Golden State 56-28 in the paint and 21-3 on fast breaks. They never trailed, and their lead eventually reached 43 points. The Warriors could neither consistently finish inside nor keep San Antonio from turning defensive stops into quick baskets.
By halftime, San Antonio led 63-33. Its starters sat out the entire fourth quarter, leaving the reserves to complete a win that had been effectively settled long before the final buzzer.
San Antonio visits Utah on Sunday seeking its 12th consecutive victory. Friday provided another measure of the streak’s strength.
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