Aldridge, DeRozan help Spurs extend Warriors' skid, 104-92

SAN ANTONIO — Finally faced with "the real NBA," the Golden State Warriors are playing short-handed and having a hard time.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 18 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs fended off a late rally to beat Golden State 104-92 on Sunday night, extending the Warriors' skid to three games.

The two-time defending NBA champions are 2-5 since an eight-game winning streak.

"We've had such a charmed existence the last four seasons. So, of course, this is the toughest stretch we've been in," coach Steve Kerr said. "This is the real NBA. We haven't been in the real NBA the last few years. We've been in this dream. So, now we're faced with real adversity. We've got to get out of it ourselves."

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green went down with injuries during the recent dry spell, but the biggest setback was self-inflicted. Green and Kevin Durant had a blowup at the close of regulation in a 121-116 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Monday. Green's tirades on the bench and in the postgame locker room led the team to hand the seventh-year forward a one-game suspension.

The flare-up and the Warriors' inability to move past it spiritually has confounded Kerr.

"Just play with joy. It's always been about just our emotion," Durant said, describing how Kerr has encouraged his club. "He's always been big about that. He's just trying to get that joy back." There wasn't much joy to be found in San Antonio.

DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and nine assists and Rudy Gay added 19 points to help the Spurs snap a three-game slide.

"We needed that one," Gay said. "It was a hard-fought win for us. That's a team that needed this one, too, so it really was an uphill battle for us and good test for us." Aldridge provided a needed boost, shooting 10 for 16 in scoring 20-plus points for the first time since Nov 10.