GAMEDAY AT A GLANCE
Philadelphia 76ers (20-11) vs. Spurs (15-15)
When, where: Monday, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center
Last season: 76ers won series 2-0
All-time series record: Spurs lead 57-36
Season series: First meeting
Last meeting: 76ers 97, Spurs 78, Jan. 26, 2018, AT&T Center
76ers last game: Beat Cavaliers 128-105, Sunday, Cleveland
Spurs' last game: Lost to Bulls 98-93, Saturday, AT&T Center
76ers' last 10 games/streak: 7-3, won one
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 5-5, lost one
76ers' injury/inactive report: Guard, Markelle Fultz (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome), out; guard Demetrius Jackson (G League assignment), out; center Justin Patton (right foot surgery), out; guard Zhaire Smith (left foot surgery), out.
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Center Pau Gasol (left foot soreness), out; forward Chimezie Metu (G League assignment), out; forward Ben Moore (G League assignment), out; guard Dejounte Murray (torn right anterior cruciate ligament), out; guard Lonnie Walker IV (G League assignment), out.
Notable: Monday night's clash with the Philadelphia 76ers caps a six-game home stand for the Spurs, who play at Orlando on Wednesday before ending the week against Dallas on Saturday at the AT&T Center . . . The Silver and Black will go against a team coached by a former Spurs assistant for the second game in a row Monday night. Sixers coach Brett Brown won four NBA championship rings during two different stints with the franchise. He was director of basketball operations during the 1998-99 season, when San Antonio won its first NBA title. Brown was director of player development for five seasons (2002-07) before becoming an assistant coach in September 2007. He remained in that position through the 2012-13 season. Brown also won titles with the team after the 2002-2003, 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons . . . The Chicago team that beat the Spurs on Saturday night is coached by Jim Boylen, an assistant coach with the Silver and Black for two seasons (2003-15) . . . The Spurs are the only NBA team with an all-time winning record against every team in the league . . . DeMar DeRozan is one of only three players in the NBA with 14,000 points on less than 1,000 threes since he was drafted in 2009 (LaMarcus Aldridge and Russell Westbrook).
GAME PREVIEW
SAN ANTONIO – In sports, as in life, squandered opportunities can fray the nerves.
Leading by 21 points two minutes into the second half of their game Saturday against the staggered Chicago Bulls, the Spurs appeared well on their way to a fifth consecutive victory. But instead of taking another step in their turnaround after dropping to three games under .500 on Dec. 5, the Silver and Black fell apart in a second-half collapse that cost them the game.
The Bulls picked themselves up off the floor, rallying for a 98-93 victory after outscoring the stunned Spurs 55-31 in the second half at the AT&T Center.
Trailing 62-43 at the half, Chicago got back in the game by tightening up its defense and hitting big shots. The Bulls won despite playing without leading scorer Zach LaVine, who sidelined with an ankle injury.
San Antonio contributed to its demise, committing six of its 15 turnovers in the third quarter when the Bulls started their comeback. Chicago shot 50 percent (11-22) in the period and outscored the Spurs 31-16, cutting the deficit to 78-74 heading into the fourth quarter.
While the Bulls found their shooting touch in the third period, the Spurs made only 7 of 18 field-goal attempts and were 0 for 4 from the three-point line.
Chicago, now 7-23, entered the game with the second-worst record in the NBA, while the Spurs (15-15) were trying to climb to two games above .500 for the first time since Nov. 7.
“They’re going out there and just playing,” Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said, when he was asked if there was a change in the Bulls’ confidence after halftime. “When you play teams like that, they just go out there and play. They’re not worried about losing. They just go out there and play hard.”
The Silver and Black will try to get back on track Monday night when they cap a six-game home stand against the Philadelphia 76ers (20-11). San Antonio had won four straight before Saturday night’s fiasco.
DeRozan was blunt when he spoke with reporters after the game.
“It sucks to lose, especially since we’ve been playing pretty decent and especially having a 20-point lead and giving that away at home and lose. It definitely sucks. But all we can do now is wait until Monday.”
Bouncing back against the Sixers, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, will be difficult for a Spurs team that has been up and down since the season opener. On the other hand, San Antonio is catching Philadelphia on the second night of a road back-to-back.
Led by guard/forward Ben Simmons and forward/center Joel Embid, the Sixers rolled to a 128-105 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. Simmons recorded his third triple-double of the season, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
"Game plan's key for us tonight and being able to slow him (Simmons) down," Spurs guard Patty Mills said Monday after the team's shootaround. "He's obviously great in transition. With these types of players, it takes a team effort to slow to be able to stop a talent like that.
"It's not only him. They've got a three-headed snake on this team, have a lot of players that can back them up as well. Just team defense and everyone being active, all the stuff that we've been doing, for the most part, the last few games."
Embid scored 24 points and guard/forward Jimmy Butler had 19 after missing the previous two games, both home losses, with a strained groin. Acquired from Minnesota in a trade last month, Butler hit 6 of 10 shots from the field and nailed three three-pointers.
The Sixers are coached by former Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, who had two different stints with the franchise. Brown won four championship rings (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) with San Antonio.
Spurs All-NBA forward LaMarcus Aldridge had a double-double in the loss to Chicago, finishing with 29 points and 12 rebounds. He was 7 of 9 from the field in the first half, but scored only eight points in the second.
“They doubled more and clogged up the lane more, and just kept the ball out of our hands more,” Aldridge said. “That’s what they did. I don’t know why they didn’t do it in the first half.”
While the Spurs were tepid in the second half, the Bulls came out and methodically took over the game.
“They picked up their intensity,” Aldridge said, referring to Chicago’s defense in the second half. “They denied in certain areas, so we should have upped our intensity. We came out sluggish (in the third quarter), thinking we were ready to go, and they took the game from us.”
DeRozan scored 21 points, but he made only 8 of 23 shots. Guard Marco Belinelli gave the team a spark off the bench, hitting a season-high 5 of 7 three-pointers and finishing with a season-high 17 points.
Rudy Gay (12) was the only other Spur in double figures. Starting guard Bryn Forbes, who entered the game averaging 12.2 points, was scoreless.