SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFP) – Tony Parker scored 24 points and Manu Ginobili added 13 points and a Halloween holiday treat for Spurs fans Saturday as San Antonio notched a 113-94 NBA victory over Sacramento.
The Spurs, coming off a disappointing loss to Chicago, got a big night from Parker, who also contributed seven assists.
"We wanted to bounce back," Parker said. "The Bulls outplayed us last game. So we wanted to make sure we came out tonight with a lot of energy. And that's what we did."
San Antonio led by 16 at the half, and stretched that lead to 21 with one quarter remaining thanks in large part to Parker's eight points in the third period.
But Ginobili was the talk of the night. He scored 13 points off the bench, but his most impressive feat was catching a bat that swooped toward the court and disrupted the game.
"That was amazing," Parker said. "The legend continues with Manu. Unbelievable. ... He's always doing crazy stuff."
The bat appeared late in the first quarter. As players dodged out of the way, officials halted play before the bat circled away.
When it returned, Ginobili swatted it down with his hand, then carried it off the court.
The crowd cheered, and even a few Kings players clapped.
"When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news," said Argentina's Ginobili, who was limited last season by an ankle injury. "So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn't think it was a big deal."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called it a classic Ginobili moment.
"He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again," Popovich said. "The legend grows. It's incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story."
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