San Antonio takes care of business early and late, downs the reeling Chicago Bulls

The San Antonio Spurs defended their road court at home on Sunday. If this doesn’t make any sense to you, well, understand that it means quite a bit to them.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball contest now | Free NBA Yahoo Cup entry]

The Spurs avenged their first and up until Thursday lone road loss of the 2016-17 season against Chicago, taking down the Bulls 119-100 on a Christmas Day showdown. This particular takedown made up for one of the uglier losses of San Antonio’s season thus far, a 95-91 defeat in Chicago earlier in December.

LaMarcus Aldridge was the star of this holiday pairing, nailing his first 10 shots of the game on his way toward 25 first half points and 33 points in total, a season-high, on 15-20 shooting.

He added nine rebounds. Dwyane Wade led the Bulls with 24 points on 9-16 shooting.

Behind Aldridge’s white hot touch from the field the Spurs raced out to a 30-10 lead in the first quarter on Sunday, looking altogether different from the San Antonio team that missed 21 of 28 three-pointers in its first meeting in Chicago. The Spurs hit for 56 percent form the floor behind LMA’s potent work, with the former All-Star hitting from all over the court alongside the occasional quick hit in the low post. Kawhi Leonard also went for 16 points in the first two quarters as Chicago’s starters seemed sluggish from the outset. The Spurs hit 14 of their first 17 shots, registering an assist on every make.

[ | Mock Draft | The Vertical | Latest news]

[Follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]

The tone changed for the visitors when Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg went to his bench unit, one that usually stands as a death knell for Chicago’s in-game chances. Rather than helping the Spurs shovel dirt on Chicago’s early evening, though, the reserves helped initiate a 25-9 run that brought Chicago within four points. The reserves hit for 23 of those 25, with forward Nikola Mirotic finding the touch for three three-pointers in five attempts and 11 points over in the opening 24 minutes. The Bulls drew within 54-50 at the half, with the Spurs’ typically-trusted bench men looking flat-footed by comparison.

[Follow Ball Don’t Lie on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]

Behind 11 second-half points (Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez combined for seven offensive rebounds) the Bulls climbed back to a 63-63 score after four and a half second half minutes. Chicago, behind a three-pointer from Butler, even took a 71-67 lead with just under five minutes left in the third period before San Antonio settled into its typical Spurs-like brand of steely focus.

A 12-0 featuring a startling reminder of San Antonio’s workmanship helped the team pull away late in the third quarter, with Danny Green hitting both of his three-pointers while Leonard (10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block) chipped away as Chicago watched:

An 18-5 run to end the third gave San Antonio an 11-point lead it would not relinquish. Dodgy shot selection from Bulls star Jimmy Butler – who, hounded by Kawhi Leonard, needed 19 shots to score his 19 points – and an inability to even stay in front of aging San Antonio guards Manu Ginobili (who hit a crucial three-pointer in the third) and Tony Parker (eight needed assists, mostly solving broken plays, and 13 points) did Chicago in. San Antonio reserve center Dwayne Dedmon also impressed the national TV crowd with his work off of the ball offensively, finishing with nine points and six rebounds in just 15 minutes off of the bench in his first Christmas Day showcase as a Spur.

Aldridge remained the star, though, despite that relatively quiet second half.

It was clear that his purpose in the win was to make life hellish for Bulls big men Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez – two formidable defensive talents who too often are drawn away from their men in order to make up for the defensive miscues of Bulls veterans like Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade. As a result, of Chicago’s forced front court activity, especially once San Antonio’s typically-nifty passing was given center stage, Aldridge and fellow Spurs big man Pau Gasol (12 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes against his former team) were allowed a series of sound looks at the rim.

The two veteran teams, featuring nine different former NBA champions among them, more or less played according to script.

The Spurs, quietly, once again are on pace for 67 after moving its record to 25-6 on the year, good for second in the West behind the 27-5 Golden State Warriors. The Bulls, meanwhile, have lost 9 of 12 and will fall two games below .500 (at 14-16) for the first time all season.

– – – – – – –

Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @KDonhoops