SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs are finally back home after the annual Rodeo Road Trip, during which they went 6-2 and finished out with four straight wins - including a 110-106 triumph at Indiana.
The Indiana Pacers recovered from a 17-point deficit to knock off Houston 117-108 on Monday and will try to avoid a similar hole when they take on another with a visit to San Antonio on Wednesday.
“It was a good trip,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “We had one bad night out of 11 or 12 days. I thought they maintained their focus really well, especially coming back off the break and playing the last couple of games. I thought we did a good job."
San Antonio got some time to adjust to being back in Texas with two full days off after topping the Los Angeles Lakers 119-98 on Sunday and will play its first game at home since Feb. 4.
"It’s always good for us to be on the road. You wouldn’t ask for this," power forward LaMarcus Aldridge told ESPN.com. “But being on the road so long, being able to have to do it every night, you kind of become closer because you’re grinding together. That always makes you better."
The Spurs benefitted over the last two games from the return of Pau Gasol, who averaged 16 points in the two contests after sitting out 15 games with a fractured finger.
Gasol came off the bench for both games while Dewayne Dedmon started.
Gasol said he was keeping an open mind about coming off the bench and wanted to do what's best for the team.
Gasol has only come off the bench 15 times in his 15-year career. He was asked if whether that would be his role moving forward this season.
"I want to be real mature about this and really wise, and understand what’s best for the team is not really what’s best for me," said Gasol. "Obviously if you combine both, great. But it is a little bit of an adjustment so far."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Indiana small forward Paul George is averaging 11.3 points - down from a season mark of 21.7 - on 11-of-36 shooting in three games since the All-Star break.
2. Spurs C Dewayne Dedmon is 11-of-13 from the field over his last three games.
3. San Antonio took five of the last six meetings.
