• The San Antonio Spurs will face the New Jersey Nets tomorrow and Nets' guard Devin Harris says the Nets' defense is similar to the Spurs and says he knows how to attack them on the court:

According to Devin Harris, the Nets’ defense is very similar to the Spurs’.

“Our system is sort of the same,” Harris said.

As such, Harris said, the Nets ought to know how to attack the Spurs’ defense when they play them Monday night at the Prudential Center. The key, he said, is to attack them in transition.

“With a team like that, you’ve got to push the pace,” he said. “You don’t want to go against their half-court defense because it’s solid. We’ve got to push the ball, and try to score in the first 6, 7 seconds. We don’t want to spend a lot time in their half-court defense.” (nj.com)

• Nets' coach and former Spurs' player Avery Johnson says he wants the Nets to be known for their outside shooting:

“Oh yeah,” Johnson said when asked if he wants his team to become known for its 3-point shooting. “This is the way the game is now. That’s why (the Nets’ 3-point shooters) will tell you they do not have any restrictions on 3s. As much as people want to say about us being a little bit more disciplined team, I’m liberal in that area, especially with guys who can shoot 3s.” (nj.com)

• The Spurs may have the best record (45-9) in the NBA but according to the LA Times' latest NBA Power Rankings, the Miami Heat are number one:

1. MIAMI (39-14) Riley's Runts go 30-6, with one of Big Three out in three of the losses. (3)

2. SAN ANTONIO (45-9) Forget Lakers and Mavericks. The closest beast in the East is 5½ back. (1)

• With the Trade deadline looming, RealGM.com has some trade deadline needs for the Spurs and names Troy Murphy as a player the Spurs could target:

Hit the jump to read how the NBA All-Star game can be improved, how to win a pair of free Spurs tickets and more.

The San Antonio Spurs are coasting this season with their league-leading NBA record at 45-9.

However, there are some weak spots with the team. Namely, the lack of size aside from Tim Duncan.

The Spurs big men are DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner, Antonio McDyess and Tiago Splitter but some question if these players are enough for the Spurs.

With the trade deadline looming, former Spur and former Phoenix Suns GM, Steve Kerr shared his thought on the Spurs and if they will make a move for another big man:

"They likely won't get anybody who would play ahead of Splitter," Kerr said. "Splitter is hardly getting any minutes, but who do they get to come in? Splitter has now been there half a year and he's familiar with the system and what they're trying to do.

"That's the tricky part with these things. When you say who we can get, you have to get somebody better than who you already have on the bench. I don't see anybody out there better than Splitter for San Antonio." (nba.com)

Obviously, the Spurs main competition in the West are the Los Angeles Lakers and they do have size. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom crowd the paint but the Spurs have beaten the Lakers twice this season.

In the East are the Boston Celtics who also have the size advantage over the Spurs with Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins, Semih Erden and the Spurs barely lost the game in Boston.

Barring any trade, there isn't much by way of available free-agents unless you consider the few which are remaining.

After falling to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, San Antonio Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich readjusted the starting line up by putting George Hill in for Manu Ginobili.

How did the move workout?

George Hill scored 18 points while Manu Ginobili only had to play eight minutes as the Spurs (45-9) ran the youthful Washington Wizards (14-38) out of the Verizon Center, 118-94.

After shooting 27-81 (33%) from the field in Philadelphia, the Spurs regained their shooting touch by connecting on 45-77 shots (58%) in Washington.

The Spurs came out in the first quarter ready for offensive redemption by shooting 63% in the quarter. After only scoring 9 points against Philadelphia, Tony Parker eclipsed his total by pouring in 14 points, along with four assists and three steals in the first. The Spurs led 37-18 after the first quarter.

There was an abundance of three point baskets to be shared in the second quarter as the team made six three pointers. The Spurs shot so well in the first half that they passed the season low in points (71) they had set yesterday, in just one half.

Richard Jefferson scored eight points in the quarter as the Spurs headed into halftime leading 72-45.

Hit the "read more" tab to see how the Spurs got the double digit win in Washington.

After playing their worst offensive game of the season, the San Antonio Spurs turned in one of their best offensive efforts leading by as much as 41 points while routing the Washington Wizards 118-94.

What are the the numbers in this Spurs' recent win? Let's find out!

88.2 - The Spurs made their free throws, hitting 15-17 (88.2%) shots from the foul line. The Wizards were not as good, making just 15-24 (62.5%) of their free throw attempts. 

27 - The Spurs shared the ball better, dishing out 27 assists compared to the Wizards 15. 

18 - Tony Parker scored 18 points, eight assists and three steals for the Spurs. While George Hill responded well in his first start of the season with 18 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes for the Spurs. San Antonio also outscored the Wizards 18-11 on fast break points.

16 - Andray Blatche and Cartier Martin scored 16 points a piece for the Wizards while rookie Gary Neal had 16 points off the Spurs' bench.

Hit the jump for more stats and find out what's next for the Spurs!

• The San Antonio Spurs faced the Washington Wizards tonight and for the first time this season, coach Gregg Popovich made a starting lineup change. He benched Manu Ginobili and started George Hill. Popovich gave no reason for the change.

• Last night I had a chance to speak with Spurs' forward Richard Jefferson in Philadelphia before tip-off of the Sixers game and here is what he had to say about Tiago Splitter's hard fall in the Toronto Raptors game:

"It was a tough fall. He was in a tough place, having someone go up and under his legs. He's a tough guy and he'll be back quickly I believe."

• The Spurs suffered their ninth loss of the season last night against the Philadelphia 76ers but 76ers' coach Doug Collins said he wants his team to be just like the Spurs:

Doug Collins said he would like his Sixers team to emulate the San Antonio Spurs.

"It's amazing in terms of consistency," Collins said. "They're 24-1 this year against teams under .500. You would think a team that's been around for a while, won championships, been 10 or so years together, would take a night off somewhere.

"I don't see any weakness. I think it's great because they're a team we'd like to model ourselves after -- high character, talented players who love to play. You never hear anything coming out of San Antonio. They just love to play." (couierpostonline.com)

• For those Spurs fans who have not seen the Matt Bonner for Three-Point Shootout video campaign during the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, here is the video:

Hit the jump to see the video, enter for a chance to win free Spurs tickets, get an update on the Austin Toros, read on how the debate rages on whether Tim Duncan should have been named an All-Star and more.

The San Antonio Spurs (44-9) will face the Washington Wizards (14-37) tonight in Washington D.C. as they will look to shake off their loss last night to the Philadelphia 76ers and get back on the winning track.

However, the Spurs might be facing a Wizards team without key players Josh Howard and Rashard Lewis:

Among those questionable include swingman Josh Howard and forward Rashard Lewis, both of whom have knee tendinitis. Howard participated in practice this morning, but Coach Flip Saunders didn't sound optimistic while not officially ruling him out. Lewis, meantime, missed a second straight practice.

Lewis has managed to play through tendinitis in his right knee, although it has limited his effectiveness. Lewis is averaging 7.8 points over his past four games, including just three points on 1-for-5 shooting in Wednesday's 100-85 win against Milwaukee.

Lewis said shortly after joining the Wizards that his knee had been bothering him since Washington acquired the two-time all-star from Orlando in exchange for Gilbert Arenas on Jan. 18. (washingtonpost.com)

Lewis was a thorn in the Spurs' side in their first meeting in San Antonio this season. He scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Howard managed to score 11 points on the Spurs in that game.

The San Antonio Spurs made a stop in Auburn Hills, Michigan to face the Detroit Pistons during their Rodeo Road Trip this month.

Not only was it a win for the Spurs over the Pistons, 100-89, it was a homecoming of sorts for Spurs' Antonio McDyess who played with the Pistons from 2004-2009 before signing with his current team in the summer of 2009 as a free-agent.

I had a chance to speak with McDyess in Philadelphia before last night's tip-off to get his thoughts on his recent trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills, and the situation with Pistons' guard Rip Hamilton.

Jeff: How was the recent visit to the Palace?

Antonio: It was definitely fun to see old teammates and going back to the arena. I had my best years there. Was the highlight of my career. It's always fun to go back there. To see those guys struggling on the other end, it's kind of tough to watch that because over half the team are still my friends. Even some of the coaching staff. It's tough to see but still I feel like it's my home.

We are seeing Rip Hamilton being relegated to the bench. What are your thoughts on Hamilton's situation?

It's kind of tough to see because I know how Rip is. He's a winner. He plays hard every possession, he wants to win. He's a guy that wants to win when he's on the court. He doesn't do anything but care about winning. To see him not playing, and knowing he can contribute to that team, is tough to watch.

The San Antonio Spurs (44-9) lost to the Philadelphia 76ers (25-28) last night, 77 to 71, in Philadelphia on their Rodeo Road Trip.

After the game I caught up with the newest Spur, Steve Novak, and got his thoughts on the Spurs loss, playing for the Spurs, learning from "Coach B" and more.

Jeff: Spurs have a difficult time playing in Philadelphia. The Sixers have now won four straight games over San Antonio here in Philadelphia. What is it about this team at home that gives the Spurs troubles?

Steve: You know what? I just think tonight obviously on our side we just didn't shoot the ball well. But they [Sixers] played great. Look at how many deflections they had, how active they were on defense, I think they made it difficult for us to kind of get into what we needed to get into. I think on some plays they had deflections on three, four different passes. I think that they just played really good. And credit goes to them obviously. We've been playing well and we came in here and they were ready for us.

Is this loss to the Sixers a sign that fatigue might be setting in for this team in this long road trip?

No I don't think so. I think if any team that I've seen that has mastered in terms of keeping guys fresh and really understanding what the bodies feel like, I think it's these guys (Spurs). Coach Popovich does a great job at walk-throughs and practices in keeping guys fresh, even mentally. He doesn't over do things especially at this point. These are all veteran guys who have been through it so they know what to do with their bodies. So I don't think it's fatigue. I think if anything it's just we came in here and ran into a buzz saw with how well they were playing.

What happened towards the end of the game when the ball was in Ginboili's hands? Was that a play gone wrong or what the Sixers did defensively?

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (44-9) vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (14-37)

The Washington Wizards will try to avoid an 11th straight loss to the San Antonio Spurs when the teams meet tonight at the Verizon Center in Washington. The Wizards snapped their eight game losing streak with a 100-85 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks with six players scoring in double figures.

Nick Young scored 26 points in the team's latest win, while JaVale McGee had 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Wizards improved to 14-12 on their home floor but remain win-less on the road.

The Spurs boasts the league's best record, but had a terrible time scoring last night in a 77-71 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. San Antonio had their four-game winning streak snapped as they shot a season-worst 33.3 percent from the floor, including a 3-17 from beyond the arc. Their 71 point output is also their lowest of the season.

Manu Ginobili had eight points on 2-10 shooting from the floor and Tony Parker finished with nine points on 3-10 field goal shooting. While his teammates struggled, Tim Duncan recorded his 19th double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds. It was the Spurs' first loss of the season where Duncan had a double-double.

The Wizards have averaged 82.8 points during their 10-game losing streak against the Spurs. They haven't defeated San Antonio since a 110-95 home victory last November 12, 2005. 

Hit the jump for the keys of the game and find out which team will win this matchup.

PHILADELPHIA - The weather in the Northeast of the United States is bitterly cold, but the shooting from the San Antonio Spurs tonight was even colder and the main reason they fell to 44-9 for the season losing to the Philadelphia 76ers (25-28) tonight in Philadelphia 77 to 71 on the Rodeo Road Trip.

"Both teams sort of set offensive basketball back a decade or so tonight for whatever reason. But both teams kept motoring, kept trying to get after it," Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich said. "Neither team could make a damn shot down the stretch. We had a couple of turnovers, they had a couple of offensive boards, made a shot or two, end of story."

Philadelphia held the Spurs to a season-low 71 points, their lowest total since scoring 64 at Utah in 2008.

"Yeah it doesn't happen quite that often," Popovich commented on the offensive drought from both teams in the third and fourth quarters.

For the game the Spurs shot a season-low 33.3% from the floor while Spurs guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker shot 5-of-20 and scored 17 points combined.

The poor shooting not only was seen with the Spurs' two starting guards, but it was every starter who could not find their shooting stroke. Richard Jefferson went 1-of-8, Tim Duncan went 7-of-18, DeJuan Blair went 3-of-11 and Ginobili also went 0-of-5 from the three-point line.

But despite their shooting woes, the Spurs transition defense was practically non-existent as the 76ers finished the game with 21 fast break points to the Spurs' five.

The Sixers, as mentioned, also had their share of frigid shooting. Andre Iguodala went 2-of-15 from the floor and scored seven points.

"Forget the offense. Our whole game plan was around three things. First and foremost, keep those guards out of the paint. That was the number one key," said Sixers coach Doug Collins.

The Spurs were led by Duncan, who finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. Gary Neal and Antonio McDyess scored 11 points apiece off the bench.

Richard Jefferson weighed in on the shooting struggles from both teams.

"I wouldn't necessarily say it was cold. Oh, no. It was cold. Both teams were cold."

Perhaps Popovich said it best when he said, "Want me to say it again? Neither team shot well."

Notes:

• With the win, the Sixers split the season series against the Spurs for the fourth straight season.
• The Sixers have now won four straight at home versus the Spurs.
• The Spurs fall to 4-2 on the Rodeo Road Trip.
• The Spurs were 12-0 when holding opponents below 90 points heading into tonight's contest.
• The Spurs finished 14/18 (77.8%) from the free-throw line.
• Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with 27 points. Spencer Hawes scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
• The Spurs will next face the Washington Wizards tomorrow night in Washington.