SAN ANTONIO — Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee on Sunday night that kept the Bucks winless in the new year.
Marco Belinelli scored 14 points, Jeff Ayres and Nando De Colo had 13 points apiece, and Kawhi Leonard added 11 points in 21 minutes for San Antonio.
Brandon Knight scored 21 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 11 points and John Henson had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee, which has lost nine straight.
Playing the woeful Bucks was just what the Spurs needed coming off a disappointing home loss to Portland and battling multiple injuries.
San Antonio was without starters Tony Parker and Tiago Splitter, former starter Danny Green and 3-point specialist Matt Bonner. Parker missed the game with a bruised right shin that stiffened in the second half of the Spurs’ 109-100 loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Duncan played only 27 minutes, sitting out the fourth quarter as San Antonio built its lead to as many as 28 points in the second half.
The Spurs went on a 15-0 run bridging the first and second quarters, taking a 29-16 lead that essentially put the game out the Bucks’ reach.
Milwaukee went scoreless for five minutes, missing six shots, committing two turnovers and an offensive foul. Henson’s 20-foot jump hook with 11:18 remaining in the first half ended the drought.
Mills opened the run with the first of his four 3-pointers, sinking a 25-footer with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
Making matters worse for Milwaukee, starting off guard Luke Ridnour left the game after spraining his right wrist late in the first quarter. The wrist bent back after it was sandwiched between Mills and Ekpe Udoh as Ridnour attempted to roll off a screen. He still attempted a 19-foot jumper, but feverishly signalled for a sub as he clutched his wrist in pain.
NOTES: Parker received the La Gazzetta Dello Sports European Player of the Year award before the tipoff. Parker led France to its first European Championship in the off-season. . Former Spurs G Gary Neal was greeted by apathy when he entered the game, receiving little reaction in his first game in San Antonio since leaving in the off-season as a free agent. . Bonner missed the game with a broken nose he sustained after taking an elbow from the Trail Blazers’ Thomas Robinson in the first quarter Friday night. . Spurs analyst Sean Elliott quickly grabbed his notebook and paperwork during the first half when Duncan walked toward the scorer’s table with a mischievous grin. Earlier this month, Duncan playfully tossed Elliott’s things during a timeout. Duncan laughed as he stood over Elliott, failing to find anything to toss at his former teammate. . San Antonio’s mascot, the Coyote, made a behind-back, three-quarter-court shot during a timeout.