LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the San Antonio Spurs shrugged off a listless start Saturday to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-90 in overtime and clinch a NBA playoff spot.
Leonard led his team to their second straight overtime victory in as many days as the Spurs booked their 20th consecutive post-season berth.
Leonard scored six of his 34 points in overtime as San Antonio stretched their winning streak to seven games. Leonard finished with a team-high 31 points in a 101-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
‘‘We were locked in and just wanted to get this win tonight. That is where I got my energy from,’’ Leonard said.
‘‘We got in pretty late last night. We just had to stay in it. Everybody plays back-to-backs.’’
It is still early March but the Spurs are the second NBA team this season to get into the playoffs behind Golden State, who did it last Saturday with a 112-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets.