Christmas Day Free Play | Spurs @ Rockets

By Don Phillips

San Antonio at Houston

Friday, December 25, 2015

8:00PM ET

Currently sitting at 25-5 on the year, the Spurs have produced their best start in franchise history after 30 games. The Silver and Black own the second best overall record in the NBA, have opened a franchise-best 16-0 at home and have registered victories in 21 of their last 24 games.

San Antonio is currently ranked first in the NBA in opponent points per game (89.0), first in opponent rebounds per game (39.9), second in opposing field goal percentage (.420) and second in opposing three-point field goal percentage (.310).

The Spurs carry a 13-0 record when they have held their opponents between 80-89 points this season and the team’s opposition has been kept under 85 points in 13 of the 29 contests.

The Spurs bench tallied a season-high 62 points in the team’s win at Philadelphia on 12/7. The Silver and Black second unit is currently ranked first in the NBA in total assists, assists per game and field goal percentage. San Antonio ranks second in total steals, third in steals per game, fourth in total minutes and fifth in minutes per game.

With the Spurs’ 95-87 victory against the Boston Celtics on 11/1 at TD Garden, the “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker became the all-time winningest trio in NBA history when they recorded their 541st victory together. San Antonio’s threesome hit 500 wins as a group in last year’s regular season when they defeated the LA Clippers on 11/10/14, and are only the second trio in league history to record 500 wins together.

Kawhi Leonard is having a career year thus far in 2015-16. Now in his fifth professional season, Leonard is currently ranked second in the NBA in three-point percentage, eighth in steals and top 20 in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year became the 14th Spurs player to be named Western Conference Player of the Week when he received the award on 12/21 and has scored in double figures in 26 games this season.

The Rockets have won six straight at home, which is their longest streak since an 11-game span from 1/28-3/27/14… Houston is 9-7 at Toyota Center this season after going 30-11 in 2014-15 and 33-8 in 2013-14… The last time the Rockets recorded consecutive seasons with 30+ wins at home was 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Houston has scored 100+ points in 15 of the 18 games under interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and are averaging 106.3 ppg (1913 total) over that span after scoring 100+ points four times the first 11 games of the season, averaging 97.3 ppg… the Rockets are 15-4 when scoring 100+ this season (44-12 in 2014-15) and 0-10 when failing to do so (12-14 in 2014-15)… Houston is averaging 104.2 ppg this season (103.9 ppg in 2014-15). SA are 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games overall.

The experts at America’s Bookie currently have the Spurs a 7-point favorite with the total set at 201.

Selection: San Antonio