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SAN ANTONIO -- It took until the next-to-last game of the regular season for San Antonio to play an overtime game, but in the end, the Spurs found a way to win at home for the 40th time in 41 contests this season. The Spurs outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 102-98 Tuesday at the AT&T Center.
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Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points, including six in overtime, as San Antonio roared from behind in the second half and then made the plays that counted the most down the stretch to snap a season-high, three-game losing streak.
Leonard's jumper with 49 seconds left in the extra period gave the Spurs a 100-98 lead, and Tony Parker hit two free throws with 12 seconds to go, providing the final margin in San Antonio's last regular-season home game.
The Thunder were playing without three mainstays -- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka -- who remained in Oklahoma City to rest for the postseason.
The Spurs led by just two points heading into the fourth quarter, and they were on top 93-88 with 1:52 remaining. The Thunder's Dion Waiters had a running dunk and a ringing 3-pointer in the final 1:22 of regulation to tie the game.
San Antonio gave the ball to Leonard for the final shot, but he fumbled it on his drive to the basket and missed at the buzzer to end regulation.
The win allowed the Spurs (66-15) to tie the 1985-86 Boston Celtics for most home victories in a single season in NBA history, 40. San Antonio's 66 wins set a franchise single-season record.
San Antonio, which previously secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs, has one game to play before the postseason -- on Wednesday at Dallas.
"We started the game with not much energy and were a little bit sluggish," Leonard said. "We had some breakdowns on defense, but we got better and got some things going on offense. We had to be more assertive to get back in the game. We would always like to be better, and we just have to continue to improve."
Parker added 20 points for the Spurs in his best scoring performance in more than a month. Tim Duncan scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
"(Parker) was more aggressive the whole second half, and everybody picked up on that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We were getting killed on the boards, so we got more physical. Tony was ahead of that with Kawhi -- they did a great job."
The Thunder (55-27) completed their regular season as runaway champs of the Northwest Division and will take the third seed in the Western Conference into the playoffs.
Oklahoma City got 17 points apiece from Steven Adams, Cameron Payne, Enes Kanter and Waiters. Kanter pulled down 16 rebounds. The Thunder outrebounded San Antonio 55-42 but had 21 turnovers to the Spurs' 11.
"There are going to be a lot of ups and downs in a game," said Payne, who started for the first time this season. "San Antonio came out in the third quarter hard and strong, and we weren't ready to take that hit. Coming down the stretch, we pulled together and got back in the game."
In a role reversal of sorts, the Thunder rested their stars while San Antonio sent its normal starting five to the floor.
Oklahoma City was not daunted about playing the Spurs short-handed. The Thunder jumped on San Antonio from the opening tip, taking a lead on a 3-pointer by Andre Roberson on the game's opening possession and building a 32-21 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
A 23-4 run that began with four minutes remaining in the first quarter and extended 4 1/2 minutes into the second propelled the Thunder to a 41-23 lead and quieted the sellout crowd at the AT&T Center on hand for Fan Appreciation Night.
The Spurs made a 10-2 run and cut the Oklahoma City advantage to eight points. The Thunder led 53-43 at halftime behind 11 points apiece from Payne and Kanter.
San Antonio got to within 62-59 on a Leonard 3-pointer at the halfway mark of the third quarter, but the Thunder answered with three straight baskets to push the margin back to nine points. San Antonio finally retook the advantage for the first time on a dunk and a free throw by Boban Marjanovic off a nifty assist by Patty Mills, and the Spurs carried a 74-72 lead into the fourth quarter.
"The third quarter really hurt us -- we had seven turnovers in that quarter and it allowed San Antonio to get back in the game," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. "We made mistakes in some crucial and key situations. That said, I have to give our guys credit -- they battled and fought all the way through."
NOTES: The teams split four games this season, each winning its home games. ... Since the NBA's Southwest Division was formed before the 2004-05 season, San Antonio has won eight division titles. ... The Spurs pulled down a season-high-tying 18 offensive rebounds in their loss on Sunday to Golden State. ... The Spurs trailed for only 21:46 in 480 minutes played in fourth quarters at home this season before Tuesday. San Antonio only trailed late in six of its first 40 home games. ... With averages of 28.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists, Kevin Durant became the first player since Michael Jordan (1988-89 season) to average 28-plus points, eight-plus rebounds and five-plus assists. Additionally, Durant had scored 20-plus points in 64 straight games, which represented the most since Jordan scored 20-plus in 69 straight games during the 1990-91 season.
