SAN ANTONIO — Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points, including six in overtime, as San Antonio roared from behind in the second half and then outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 102-98 Tuesday 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 the Spurs’ final regular-season home game.
San Antonio led by just two points heading into the fourth quarter and was 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.
The Spurs gave the ball to Leonard for the final shot, but he almost lost 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.
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.
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.
In a role reversal of sorts, the Thunder left three of their starters — Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka — back in Oklahoma City to rest for the postseason while San Antonio sent its normal starting five to the floor for their final regular-season home game.
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.
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.