Preview: Spurs at Pacers

[February 13, 2017]  The San Antonio Spurs will try for a second day in a row to secure their NBA-record 20th straight winning season when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday. The Spurs had a two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 2-2 on their current eight-game road stretch when they were knocked off 94-90 at New York on Sunday.

"The object is to put the ball in that orange ring," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after his team shot a season-low 36.3 percent. "That's what we are all trying to do. Play a little D at the other end. But that orange ring, that ball's got to go in there." The Spurs should have a chance to put the ball in the orange ring many times against the Pacers, who have given up an average of 120 points during a three-game losing streak. Two of those losses came at home, including Saturday's 116-100 setback against the Milwaukee Bucks. "I thought we just didn't have a motor for whatever reason," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters after his team's sixth game in nine days. "They pretty much did whatever they wanted. We made a couple shots to get back in the game and then they made some plays to get that momentum back."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), FSN Indiana

ABOUT THE SPURS (41-13): Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points and has topped the 30-point mark in three straight games, but his fellow starters shot a collective 8-for-34 from the field in Sunday's loss. Danny Green was the primary culprit while making two of his 13 attempts and veteran guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to go 2-for-12 as San Antonio had its third-lowest scoring output this season. Reserve guard Jonathon Simmons stayed behind at the team hotel due to an illness.

ABOUT THE PACERS (29-25): Regardless of the defensive issues, Indiana will have a hard time winning games if its top two scorers - Paul George and Jeff Teague - combine to take just 13 shots in 70 total minutes as they did in the loss to Milwaukee. Reserve guard Monta Ellis tried to pick up the slack with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and he is averaging 13 points while making 61.5 percent of his shots over a three-game hot stretch. "My mindset is to be aggressive," Ellis told the Indianapolis Star. "Attack. … I just had to sit back and look at myself and see what I can do. Do what I'm known for doing and that's attacking the basket and making plays."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Ellis scored 26 points and George added 23 as Indiana won the previous meeting last March to snap a seven-game home losing streak in the series.

2. San Antonio's streak of 19 consecutive winning campaigns is tied with the Utah Jazz (1985-86 through 2003-04) for the longest in league history.

3. Pacers F Thaddeus Young (wrist) has missed five consecutive games.

PREDICTION: Spurs 101, Pacers 99

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