SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Rudy Gay had 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan each added 20 as San Antonio Spurs defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-96 on Monday night.
San Antonio bounced back after squandering a 21-point lead in a loss to Chicago on Saturday night. The Spurs held an opponent under 100 points for the fifth straight game.
J.J. Redick and Ben Simmons each had 16 points to lead the 76ers. Joel Embiid was limited to 13 points on 6-for-17 shooting and finished with 11 rebounds.
Aldridge added 10 rebounds and DeRozan had seven assists for the Spurs, who closed a six-game home stand at 5-1.
Philadelphia raced to a nine-point lead in the opening quarter behind Redick's outside shooting and Embiid's inside dominance. The duo combined to shoot 8 for 13 and scored nine points apiece in the first quarter, including a 3-pointer by Redick and a dunk by Embiid.
The Spurs rallied by limiting the 76ers to eight field goals and 17 points in the second quarter, and by forcing five turnovers.
The surge continued in the second half as the Spurs opened the third quarter with a 19-4 run.
Gay had 11 points in the third as he continued his solid play in his comeback from a ruptured left Achilles tendon two years ago. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 14 points this season, but has averaged 18.8 points in his last seven games.
Gay has scored 20-plus points five times through 27 games. He accomplished that feat in 57 games last season.
Both teams pulled their starters midway through the fourth quarter
TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia coach Brett Brown and assistant Monty Williams worked for the Spurs prior to joining Philadelphia. Brown spent 11 seasons as an assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2002-2013. Williams played for the Spurs from 1996-98 and returned to serve as vice president of basketball operations from 2016-18. . Embiid led the team in scoring in four straight games prior to Monday, averaging 30.3 points over that stretch.
Spurs: The Spurs held the 76ers to 17 points in the second quarter, which was two points shy of their season low of 15 for the period at Phoenix on Oct. 31. . Davis Bertans had 16 points, the most in four games since a two-game absence following the birth of his first child. . San Antonio's bench outscored Philadephia's 56-35.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host New York on Wednesday night.
Spurs: At Orlando on Wednesday night.
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