LOS ANGELES — Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 34 points as the San Antonio Spurs completed a two-game season sweep of the Charlotte Hornets with a 106-86 win on Saturday.
San Antonio, who improved to 12-7 on the season, led by 11 points at halftime and stretched the lead to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter at the Spectrum Center arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Spurs defense held the cold-shooting Hornets to just 29 first-half points and 22.2% shooting from the floor.
The Spurs also got 15 points from Rudy Gay, 14 from Kyle Anderson, 11 from Manu Ginobili and 10 from Patty Mills.
The Hornets dropped to 8-11 on the season and have now lost eight of their last 11 games.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 18 points despite missing about five minutes in the third quarter with a bruised left shoulder.
The Hornets also got 12 points each from Frank Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb, and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Dwight Howard.
Elsewhere, J.J. Redick hit eight three-pointers and scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the struggling Orlando Magic, 130-111, at the Wells Fargo Center.
Redick drained six three-pointers in the first half and the Sixers never trailed after the first quarter en route to their fifth win in six contests.
Philadelphia won despite the absence of starting point guard Ben Simmons, who is out with an elbow injury.
Sixers center Joel Embiid produced his ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
T.J. McConnell also delivered a double-double with 15 points on seven-of-12 shooting and 13 of the Sixers’ 34 assists. Dario Saric added 21 points. McConnell was in the starting lineup in place of Simmons.
Elfrid Payton scored 22 points for Orlando, which dropped its eighth game in a row.
ROSE LEAVES CAVALIERS
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose is on leave and in the process of assessing his future with the NBA team, US media reported Friday.
Rose has missed the past seven games due to a sprained left ankle, the latest in a long list of ailments he has suffered during his all-star career.
American sports broadcaster ESPN quoted a team source as saying that Rose is “tired of being hurt and it’s taking a toll on him mentally.”
Rose was the 2011 league MVP as a member of the Chicago Bulls before multiple knee injuries interrupted his career.
The 29-year-old Rose is in his first season with Cleveland. The Cavaliers said Rose’s current absence is excused.
“Take as long as he wants to take, and we wish him well and we want him back,” coach Tyronn Lue said.
Rose originally suffered the ankle injury on Oct. 20. He returned to play in five games but suffered a setback on Nov. 7 and hasn’t played since.
Rose, a three-time all-star, is averaging 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.7 turnovers in seven games this season. — AFP
