SAN ANTONIO--After clinching their 22nd consecutive playoff appearance, the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night and celebrated with their sellout crowd of 18,354 for Fan Fiesta Night at the AT&T Center. The Spurs grabbed the win in close fashion, 117-111.
The first half was evenly matched as the teams traded the lead 18 times and tied 13 times. The highlight play came with 3:13 in the half when Spurs guard Derrick White missed on a fast break running layup. When it bounced out, Spurs forward DeMar DeRozen stretched out his right arm to tip the ball in with his right hand while his body was fully on the left side of the basket. During this play, Hawks center Alex Len fouled Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge. Thirty seconds later, DeRozen executed another acrobatic, driving reverse layup. The Spurs ended the half ahead by two, 58-56.
The Hawks started pulling away early in the fourth, gaining a 9-point lead, 96-86. But the Spurs stayed with them and fought back. After slowly chipping away at the Hawks' lead, Spurs Marco Belinelli sank a monster 3-point jump shot to put the Spurs within four, 96-100. Then with just over five minutes left in the game, Hawks Isaac Humphries failed to connect with the rim on a dunk, DeRozen rebounded on a fast break, made a cross-court pass to White, who made a 25-foot fast break jump shot to pull within one, 101-102. After pulling ahead, Belinelli sank another huge three-pointer, igniting the crowd and putting the Spurs up, 108-104. Aldridge ended the night with the only double-double, notching 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams play next on Wednesday when the Spurs head west to meet the Denver Nuggets while the Hawks head north to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
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