Spurs opponents could have a two-headed monster to contend with at the point-guard position if new starter Dejounte Murray and veteran Tony Parker keep playing with the same efficiency they demonstrated Tuesday night.
Making his second consecutive start since coach Gregg Popovich gave him the keys to the offense Sunday, Murray finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high seven steals in a 114-102 victory against the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavs star LeBron James led the Cavs with 28 points and reached a career milestone, but it was 21-year-old Murray who stood in the spotlight after the game.
The Spurs (31-18) broke out of a two-game skid by outplaying the Cavs (27-19) on both ends of the court. Cleveland, which has lost 10 of its last 13 games and six of its last seven, looked like a shell of the team that reached the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year last season.
San Antonio won without starters Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol and key reserves Manu Ginobili and Rudy Gay. All four were out with injuries. Kyle Anderson started for Leonard at forward and Davis Bertans stepped in for Gasol at center.
LaMarcus Aldridge carried the Spurs' scoring load again, hitting 12 of 18 shots and finishing with 30 points on the day he was named an All-Star for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Aldridge, who also had eight rebounds and three rebounds, has been the Silver and Black's top scorer in 37 of their 49 games.
Murray is young, and raw, but he has tremendous upside. In a few years, sooner than later, his face will be on Spurs billboards across the city. At 6-foot-5, he gives the Spurs the size and length at point guard they've never had. He also has blazing speed, always an asset on the basketball court.
"He's been great, man, stepping into that role bringing energy to the pace that we need" guard Danny Green said. "He's still learning but potentially you could see him playing well for us."
Murray got his season-high 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting and added three assists. He coughed up a team-high four turnovers on a night the Silver and Black finished with only nine, but Popovich only focused on the positive after the game.
"Same thing that we get every night from Dejounte," Popovich said, when asked about Murray's performance. "He's fearless. He's not impressed. He really sets the pace for us. He's a fine defender. He's learning how to play the game and doing a fine job."
Murray is in his second season with San Antonio after playing only one year at the University of Washington. He showed the same poise in his interview with the media that he demonstrated on the court.
"It's just one game," Murray said. "It's over with now, but I thought I did a lot of good things. A lot of things I can learn from and just move on and be prepared for tomorrow night's game."
Asked how it felt to start again, Murray said: "I know how hard I worked. Of course, I was happy, but at the same time I have long way to go. Tony Parker is a future Hall of Famer. He paid his dues. He did everything in the this league, and I have a lot of work to do."
There was one Cavs possession in the fourth quarter when Murray locked down on James, who dribbled for a few seconds near the free-throw line before making his move. Murray, who trains with James in the offseason and considers him an older brother, fouled James in the paint.
The sequence ended with James patting Murray on the back. Asked what James told him after the play was over, Murray smiled and said: "Just great D. Don't reach at the end."
One of the highlights of Murray's big game was a monster dunk he threw down with 7:05 left, putting the Spurs up 97-89. Taking a perfect pass from Bertans, Murray elevated quickly and thrilled the crowd with the rim-rattling basket.
"Man, I love dunking because it gets me even more warm, so I was just talking to myself," Murray said, smiling. "It was great."
Parker was told by Popovich before Sunday night's game against Indiana that "it was time" to start coming off the benchl. Parker, who had been San Antonio's starting point guard since early in his rookie season in 2001-02, took the changing of the guard in stride.
Popovich praised Parker before Tuesday night's game for the way he's handled his new role.
"Tony understands what's best for a basketball team," Popovich said. "He's a character guy. He knows that at this stage of his career being a mentor is really important, and he's still going to be an important part of what we do. But Dejounte is a young talent, and we need to find out exactly what we have there, so it's time.
"Those are the decisions you make. I made the same decision a few years back when Tony was 19, and we gave him the ball. Tony's handled it fantastically well, and has been just a really mature, high-character individual.”
Parker responded with another strong game Tuesday night, finishing with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and passing for six assists in only 18 minutes. He had only one turnover. Parker scored 12 points in Sunday night's game.
"Tony has been super the last two games coming off the bench," Popovich said. "Those two guys (Parker and Murray) have played well together, and are giving us something that we really haven't had most of the year. Hopefully that will continue."
Other Spurs scoring in double figures were Bertans (13) and Anderson (10). Anderson also had a career-high 12 rebounds.
Anderson started the game guarding James, who also had nine rebounds and seven assists. He also finished with a game-high five turnovers.
"It was awesome," Anderson said of his defensive assignment. "That's what you come to the league for, to play the best. If you don't enjoy that, then this isn't a place for you. You have to have fun with it."
James became the seventh player, and the youngest, in NBA history to score 30,000 points in his career, eclipsing the mark with the last basket of the first quarter. The game was stopped briefly and the crowd acknowledged his milestone with a warm ovation.
James, in turn, showed his appreciation by waving to the crowd.
"I thank the Spurs fans, obviously, and the Spurs nation for being part of this moment for me," he said. "I just started thinking about everything, my journey. From being a kid who first picked up a basketball when I was 5 years old, to when I first started playing organized basketball when I was 9, all the way up this point.
"I give a lot of thanks to a lot of people. This is a special moment, something I never set up to do. I'm not even like a score-first guy when it comes to playing basketball. I love to get my teammates involved, seeing my teammates being excited about scoring and me getting assists, and things of that nature."
The Spurs and Cavs meet again Feb. 25 in Cleveland.
San Antonio plays at Memphis on Wednesday and starts a five-game homestand Friday against Philadelphia.
The Spurs had lost consecutive games against Toronto and Indiana before breaking out of their skid. San Antonio shot 50 percent overall (47/94), but hit only 28.6 percent (8/28) from the three-point line.
Isaiah Thomas (14), Jae Crowder (13), Dwyane Wade (12) and Kevin Love (10) also finished in double figures for the Cavs, who shot 48.6 percent (35/72) from the field. They were only 6 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Cleveland led 29-25 after one quarter, but the Silver and Black outscored the Cavs 38-26 to lead 63-55 at the half. San Antonio was up 89-81 heading into the fourth quarter.
Aldridge scored 16 points and Parker added 12 in the first two quarters, leading the Spurs to a 63-55 halftime lead. Aldridge, who had four rebounds in the first half, hit 6 of 9 shots. Parker was 6 of 8 from the field and dished out four assists.
The Silver and Black, shot 52 percent overall (26/50) and 25 percent (4/16) from the three-point line. They outrebouned the Cavs 24-21 and finished the half with only four turnovers.
James paced Cleveland in the first half with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting. The Cavs shot 47.4 percent (18/38) and were 29.4 percent (5/17) from beyond the arc. Cleveland finished the half with 11 turnovers that the Spurs converted into 15 points.
Up next for the Spurs: at Memphis, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
