NBA: Stephon Castle’s fifth career triple-double helps Spurs beat 76ers

Stephon Castle recorded his fifth career triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, leading a balanced San Antonio attack as the host Spurs defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 115-102 on Monday.

San Antonio played the second half without star center Victor Wembanyama, who sat out with a left rib contusion after a second-quarter collision with Philadelphia's Paul George.

The Spurs (60-19) have now won 12 of their last 13 games after an 11-game winning streak was snapped in Denver on Sunday. San Antonio remains in contention for the top seed in the Western Conference, but they would need to win their remaining three home games and have top-ranked Oklahoma City lose three of its final four contests to claim the position.

Wembanyama and Dylan Harper each contributed 17 points for the Spurs, with De'Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson adding 13 apiece and Luke Kornet scoring 10.

The 76ers (43-36) suffered their second consecutive loss, dropping to seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Paul George scored 16, Tyrese Maxey 15, and VJ Edgecombe 14.

San Antonio held a seven-point halftime lead after a physical first half. Wembanyama was visibly affected by the collision, leaving the floor twice in the second quarter but returning to finish the half.

Even without Wembanyama in the second half, the Spurs extended their lead to 11 points in the third quarter before a late 76ers rally cut the gap to 87-85, capped by a Maxey reverse layup with 50 seconds left. San Antonio responded with five points to end the third quarter and scored 10 of the first 14 in the fourth to push the lead to 13, holding off Philadelphia, who never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

The first quarter ended 29-28 after a physical battle. San Antonio eventually led by eight points at halftime, finishing the half with a 62-55 advantage. Embiid led all scorers with 20 points in the first half, while George had 13, and Wembanyama added 17 points for the Spurs. Castle contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and six assists before halftime.

—Field Level Media/Reuters