San Antonio Spurs latest news: Kawhi Leonard drops 23 points in bounce back win over Charlotte Hornets

Kawhi LeonardReuters

The San Antonio Spurs are back on the wining track as they dominated the Charlotte Hornets at the AT&T Center last Saturday 114–94 to bounce back from a tough loss against the Washington Wizards last Wednesday. 

Before the win over Charlotte, the Spurs were edged by the Wizards who won 102–99 following a three-point basket by guard Bradley Beal with 0.3 remaining in the game. 

San Antonio rose from that defeat with a masterful performance against the Hornets and was led by 2014 Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kawhi Leonard. 

Leonard scored 23 points, also tallying four rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of action. 

Helping the 24-year-old star forward was offseason signing LaMarcus Aldridge who had 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists. 

Veteran big man Tim Duncan also had it going against the Hornets, contributing 11 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. 

The Spurs also got a lift from the bench as guard Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili added 15 and 13 points, respectively, in the victory. 

According to the Associated Press, the Spurs' reserves led by Mills and Ginobili outscored their Hornets counterparts in the game, 49–31. 

The win improved the Spurs' record to 4–2, which is enough for them to be in the third spot in the Western Conference. 

Meanwhile, the Hornets were led by point guard Kemba Walker who had 27 points, one rebound, four assists, and two steals. 

Walker was helped by center Al Jefferson who tallied 13 points, seven rebounds, and one assist in a losing effort. 

The loss placed the Hornets in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings with a 2–4 record. 

Up next for the Spurs will be a two-game Western Conference road trip facing the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Following those games, San Antonio will head back to the AT&T Center for a three-game home stand taking on the Philadelphia 76ers, Blazers, and the Denver Nuggets.