Ginobili's Treys Spur Win For San Antonio

The defending champion Spurs missed 16 consecutive shots during one stretch, but Manu Ginobili bailed them out with four three-pointers in the fourth quarter to eek out an 89-82 win over Philadelphia. Tim Duncan scored 18 points and grabbed 16 boards while the Sixers' Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 20 rebounds, reports the Inquirer. It was Philly's seventh straight loss.

The Sixers' defensive strategy hurt them late in the game. "We doubled down on Duncan and took a chance, and (Ginobili) made the threes," said coach Maurice Cheeks, whose team has lost 20 of its last 21 games in San Antonio. Prior to Ginobili's hot streak, the teams combined to miss 29 of 36 shots during the third quarter. (More NBA stories.)