NBA Wrap: Aron Baynes scores 15 points in San Antonio Spurs’ win over Denver, Thunder down Heat

AUSSIE Aron Baynes had a very strong game for his limited time on court with the Spurs today. Catch up on all the NBA action.

San Antonio Spurs forward Aron Baynes, front, of Australia, lands on the floor after crashing into Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler while pursuing a loose ball during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, in Denver. The Spurs won 109-99. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

CHECK out the day’s action in the NBA.

SPURS 109 — NUGGETS 99

Aussie Aron Baynes had a very strong game for his limited time on court with the Spurs today. In 15 minutes on court, Baynes was one fire with 15 points. He nailed three from three field goals and nine from nine in free throws, proving himself to be quite a handful for the opposition. He also had four rebounds and one block, with three turnovers the only downside.

Patty Mills #8, Aron Baynes #16 and Cory Joseph #5 of the San Antonio Spurs.

Compatriot Patty Mills had 15 minutes to strut his stuff, but only managed six points, with one rebound and one assist.

Kawhi Leonard had 17 points and 15 rebounds in another strong outing since returning from a hand injury, and the San Antonio Spurs won their fourth in a row by beating the Denver Nuggets 109-99 on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker scored 18 points and Tim Duncan added 16, all in the second half, to help the Spurs beat the Nuggets for the fifth straight time.

Leonard has been a big part of San Antonio’s recent surge, playing for the third time since returning from a bruised hand that had sidelined him for the previous 15 games.

Kenneth Faried had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight, including their second in two nights. Golden State routed the Nuggets by 43 points Monday, Denver’s biggest loss of the season and the seventh biggest defeat in franchise history.

Arron Afflalo added 21 points for the Nuggets.

BIG. BANGER. @aronbaynes with the dunk! Spurs lead Nuggets 75-70 with 2:27 to play in the 3rdQ.

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 21, 2015

Leading 66-65 in the third quarter, the Spurs used a 7-0 burst to extend their advantage to eight points before settling for an 80-76 lead heading to the fourth.

Leonard then hit two 3-pointers as part of an 11-2 run by the Spurs starting the final period, stretching their advantage to 91-78 with 9:18 left for their biggest lead to that point.

Denver pulled to 100-92 on successive lay-ups by Wilson Chandler and Faried but Parker cut off the Nuggets’ momentum by connecting on a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining. The Nuggets could not threaten the rest of the way.

San Antonio took its first lead of the game 29-27 on Cory Joseph’s jumper with 9:03 remaining in the second quarter. The Spurs led 51-48 at half-time, getting five points from Manu Ginobili in the last 1:25 of the period.

Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs controls the ball against Kenneth Faried #35 of the Denver Nuggets.

THUNDER 94 — HEAT 86

Russell Westbrook scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Kevin Durant added 19 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 94-86 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

Durant also had eight rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who’ve won 18 of their last 26 games. Reggie Jackson scored 16 points and Anthony Morrow added 12 for Oklahoma City.

Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Chris Bosh added 16 for Miami, which fell to 7-13 at home.

Durant was 0 for 8 from 3-point range — matching the second-worst showing of his career — and the Thunder got to the foul line only 10 times, less than half their team average coming into the night.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook dunks against the Miami Heat.

It didn’t matter, especially after Miami shot only 42 per cent in the final three quarters. The Thunder took 92 shots, Miami just 68.

Miami had three shots to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter, all of them missing and the Thunder would eventually pull away.

Jackson’s 3-pointer with 2:54 left put the Thunder up 87-82, then Westbrook got the next two baskets — the second of them an easy one after Miami’s 20th turnover of the night — to extend the lead to nine and send most in the crowd heading for the exits.

The game was the exact midpoint of the regular season for both teams. Oklahoma City went 21-20 in its first 41 games, Miami went 18-23.

Morrow’s jumper to open the fourth quarter put Oklahoma City up 74-67, what was then the Thunder’s biggest lead of the night. The Thunder were down by nine early and trailed 50-49 at the half, then did what plenty of teams have done to Miami this season — clamp down in the third quarter.

The margin in the third wasn’t overwhelming, with the Thunder winning the quarter just 23-17. But it was the 18th time already this season that Miami failed to reach the 20-point mark in a third quarter, and it meant the Heat would have to play from behind once again.

Miami lost starting centre Hassan Whiteside in the second quarter to a sprained right ankle. Whiteside finished with 10 points on 5 for 5 shooting — three of them dunks — in 11 minutes.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) drives around Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka (9).

Originally published as NBA Wrap: Aron Baynes scores 15 points in San Antonio Spurs’ win over Denver, Thunder down Heat