SAN ANTONIO — On Friday, history was made as the San Antonio Spurs took the court at the Alamodome for a special game against the Golden State Warriors.
The game, which was part of the Spurs’ celebration of their 50th anniversary season, drew an impressive crowd of 68,323 fans, setting an NBA record for regular-season attendance and smashing the previous record of 62,046 who watched Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls play the Atlanta Hawks at the Georgia Dome on March 27, 1998.
”The presentation of the game was spectacular,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played four seasons with San Antonio starting in 1999 said. ”For me, it was a bit of a trip down memory lane. I got emotional before the game.
“They played the video and introduced me. To get an ovation from 68,000 fans gives you chills. This was a really special night. The Spurs made it special.”
The Alamodome served as the home court for the Spurs for nine seasons, from 1993-2002. During this time, the team won its first championship in 1999 and also hosted the 1996 NBA All-Star Game. The team has since moved to the AT&T Center, located just a few miles east of the dome.
On the court, the Warriors had eight players score in double figures, with Jordan Poole finishing with 25 points, Donte DiVincenzo adding 22 points in the win.
Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Stephen Curry added 15 as Golden State set its season high in points, surpassing its previous high in a 143-141 victory in double-overtime against Atlanta on Jan. 2.
Tre Jones had 21 points for San Antonio, which has lost four straight and seven of eight. Johnson added 17 points.
”Obviously, I hate to lose. But with the turnout, how can you be mad?” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said after the game. ”The Spurs fanbase surpassed anything we could imagine. That made tonight special.”
”The fans enjoyed themselves, even though we were getting our ass kicked,” added Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. ”They seemed to be having a hell of a time, so there must have been a lot of beer sales out there.”
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