San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili went on another one of his whirling drives to the basket in the first quarter of the Wizards’ 112-97 loss at AT&T Center, but Chris Singleton greeted him at the rim, spiking Ginobili and the ball back to the ground. Singleton had two blocks in the first seven minutes, including a rejection of a Tim Duncan layup.

I put the ‘No!’ in Ginobili.
(Bahram Mark Sobhani – AP)
But the main reason why the Wizards lost their fifth consecutive road game and got ran off the court was because those type of stops were non-existent for most of the game. The Wizards didn’t play much defense, as Tony Parker used Tim Duncan screens to get to the rim at will and the Spurs’ perimeter shooters camped out for several open looks from three-point range.

“We took advantage of their defense and we had wide open shots everywhere,” Parker said after returning from a quadriceps injury to score a game-high 31 points on 13 of 18 shooting.

The Wizards are playing a more uptempo pace, but that means that their opponents are scoring more, too. They have given up at least 110 points in six of their past nine games – including four of their past five road games – and have lost all six games. They are 0-8 this season when they allow 110 or more points.

“Until we get committed defensively, for 48 [minutes], that’s what it boils down to,” Coach Randy Wittman said.

It may not have seemed like it, but the Wizards have seen pick-and-rolls before, but their defense against the Spurs on that offensive staple was beyond abysmal. The Wizards were a half step late closing out, and their rotations were bad, leaving too many layup opportunities.

The Spurs had a season-high 30 assists, with 23 coming in the first half when the team had 28 field goals and shot 62.2 percent from the field. Their first 51 points came as the result of five three-pointers and 18 layups or dunks. They hadn’t attempted any free throws while building an early 18-point lead.

“It’s not just the guards, it’s not just the big guys, it’s everyone,” John Wall said after the game. “We have no help on the weak side, not closing out on the shooters. They basically scored anytime they wanted to until we started playing defense in the second half. But we can’t wait until the second half to start playing defense against a team like the Spurs.”

JaVale McGee scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but Wittman didn’t want to acknowledge his scoring output. “Again, that’s what we’re all worried about – ‘I got my 21,’ ” Wittman said, pausing to explain that he wasn’t criticizing McGee, but a mentality among some players that they had a good game if they scored a lot of points. “I don’t care about the 21, 15 I like. But what’s he doing in the pick and roll? What are we doing defensively. That’s what we’ve got to get our focus to. We’ve got to get away from that. I’m not worried about that part of it.”

Wittman would rather discuss the number of contested shots, the defensive stops, and the incredible blocks. The Wizards are at their best when they score 100 or more, going 6-7 this season. But they have surrendered triple digits 25 times and are just 4-21. With this new high scoring offense, the Wizards have to find a way to make sure their opponents have fewer points.

“We just have to get better on defense individually and as a team,” McGee said. “We just need to help each other out on defense and when we get that down, we’ll be fine.”

If the Washington Wizards were going to end an 11-game losing streak in San Antonio, they were going to need a few balls to bounce their way, even if they had to bounce off their faces first. But unfortunately for the Wizards, that error-filled, second-quarter sequence was one of the few times the Spurs’ ball movement wasn’t at its most crisp during San Antonio’s 112-97 victory at AT&T Center.

For most of the night, the Spurs had their way offensively against the Wizards. San Antonio shot 54 percent from the floor and handed out a season-high 30 assists — 23 in the first half.

“Until we really make that commitment defensively, good teams are going to give us problems,” said veteran reserve Roger Mason Jr., who spent two years playing with the Spurs. “This team here, if you’re undisciplined defensively or offensively, you’re not going to come here and win. San Antonio takes advantage of your mistakes.”

The Wizards (9-31) opened their longest trip of the season in the place where they have had the longest drought without a win. They have now lost 12 in a row overall to the Spurs and 12 straight on the road against the Spurs — with 11 of the 12 road losses all coming by double digits. Their last win in San Antonio came on Dec. 11, 1999, when the Spurs played at Alamodome.

McGee led the Wizards with 21 points, 15 rebounds and even had an impressive block on Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter. But the Wizards were ineffective defensively, as Parker carved up the defense and led all scorers with 31 points, on 13-for-18 shooting, and had Wall dizzy trying to chase him around screens.

Parker helped the Spurs build an 18-point lead in the first half, and whenever the Wizards made a run to get within single digits, Parker had the response. He effectively used Duncan as the shield, using his pick and getting around Wall for a layup, pulling up for a jumper or setting up his teammates. Parker and Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with seven assists apiece.

“We tried everything. He really torched us,” Coach Randy Wittman said after the Wizards lost their four consecutive game on the road. “Obviously, he is a tough cover, but in that first half, we just allowed him to get to the rim time after time after time.”

The Spurs were an efficient offensive machine in the first half, as they had 23 assists on 28 field goals. San Antonio made several passes on each possession, relying on its intricate sets and sharing to produce offense rather than improvisation. On one of the rare times the Spurs didn’t swing the ball, they got easy baskets in transition. Duncan had 14 points and surpassed Clyde Drexler for 25th on the all-time scoring list and showed that he still has plenty left even though he’s a few weeks shy of 36.

Since wrapping up one of the best road trips in NBA history, the San Antonio
Spurs have struggled at the AT&T Center.

A game against the Washington Wizards should help, especially with Tony
Parker back on the court.

Coming off a disappointing loss without Parker, the Southwest
Division-leading Spurs look to continue their dominance over the Wizards on
Monday night.

San Antonio (26-13) went 8-1 on a trip leading into the All-Star break
establishing an NBA record for wins on a nine-game trip, but it has dropped
three of five upon its return. Its two wins have come over Charlotte, owner of
the league’s worst record, and slumping New York.

Parker had 32 points in Wednesday’s 118-105 win over the Knicks, but played
through a strained right quadriceps and a bothersome right calf. Gregg Popovich
decided to give Parker the night off Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers,
and Chris Paul and company took advantage.

Paul had 36 points and the Clippers shot 51.2 percent and made 14 of 27
3-pointers in handing the Spurs a 120-108 loss.

“We always say we’re a defensive team, but there was just no way (Friday),”
said Manu Ginobili, who had a team-best 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting in his
third game back from a strained stomach muscle. “They beat us in every aspect.”

Popovich conceded that Parker could’ve played if needed, but he chose to
give him some extra time off. The four-time All-Star, who averages team highs of
19.5 points and 7.9 assists, will return Monday for the Spurs, who conclude a
seven-game homestand Wednesday against Orlando before hitting the road for a
difficult two-game trip versus Oklahoma City and Dallas.

“We want to take care of home court and we’ve given some games away,” said
Parker, who combined for 38 points and 22 assists in last season’s two wins over
the Wizards. “It would be nice to finish strong.”

San Antonio should be able to bounce back against Washington (9-30), which
has lost four straight road games and is 3-14 away from the nation’s capital.

The Spurs have won 11 straight over the Wizards by an average of 17.7 points
since a 110-95 loss in Washington on Nov. 12, 2005. They’ve also won the last 11
meetings in San Antonio since a 99-89 loss Dec. 11, 1999.

Washington arrives in San Antonio to open a season-high six-game road trip
after losing to Portland 110-99 on Saturday. The Wizards were coming off an
encouraging 106-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and were
trying to win back-to-back games for just the second time this season. Their
defense, however, failed to slow the Trail Blazers, who shot 51.3 percent.

“We couldn’t get stops together when we needed to,” Wizards coach Randy
Wittman said. “We’ve got to become more committed defensively as a group. You’ve
got to be able in that fourth quarter to put two, three, four stops in a row
together to get over that hump.”

Washington has lost eight of 10, allowing an average of 110.8 points in
those defeats.

John Wall, who averages a team-best 17.4 points, scored 25 Saturday after
finishing with four points on 1-of-8 shooting against the Lakers. As a rookie
last season, Wall combined for 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting in the games versus
San Antonio.