Spurs tie 2001 Lakers for playoff win streak

Sunday San Antonio 101-98 Oklahoma City     Spurs lead series 1-0 SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs taught Oklahoma City a lesson in championship poise with a 101-98 win on Sunday that stretched their remarkable win streak to 19 games and earned them a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs lays the ball up in the fourth quarter. Net photo.

SundaySan Antonio 101-98 Oklahoma City     Spurs lead series 1-0SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs taught Oklahoma City a lesson in championship poise with a 101-98 win on Sunday that stretched their remarkable win streak to 19 games and earned them a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.The experienced Spurs, who have won four NBA championships under coach Gregg Popovich, trailed by nine after three quarters but kept their cool and sprinted to the finish to win the opening game of the best-of-seven series.Manu Ginobili scored a team-high 26 points off the bench, and Tony Parker added 18 as San Antonio outscored the visiting Thunder 39-27 in the fourth to pass a rare post-season test."They had us on our heels and we were not aggressive,” Ginobili told reporters of the game’s first three quarters. We needed an edge. In the (fourth quarter), we had it.”The red-hot Spurs remain perfect in the post-season with nine victories and have now tied the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers for longest win streak between the regular season and playoffs.Kevin Durant netted 27 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, who defeated the past two NBA champions in their previous rounds and were in good shape to move ahead of San Antonio before getting blitzed in the fourth.