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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Digest: Aldridge, Leonard lead Spurs to franchise record 64th win

Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, right, drives to the basket against Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas, left. (Michael Thomas / Associated Press)
From staff and wire reports

NBA: Kawhi Leonard had a career-high 33 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 15 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs beat the visiting Toronto Raptors 102-95 Saturday night for their franchise-record 64th victory.

San Antonio never trailed and topped its 63-win season in 2005-06. The Spurs also extended their NBA-record home winning streak to start the season to 39 games.

Toronto sat Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan for rest.

The Spurs closed it out at the free-throw line, capturing their 48th straight home victory dating to March 2015.

Patrick Patterson’s intense effort helped the Raptors outscore the Spurs 52-36 in the paint.

Norman Powell had 17 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph added 16 points and Patterson had 12 points for the Raptors.

Jackson, Harris lead Pistons: Reggie Jackson scored 22 points, Tobias Harris added 21 and the Detroit Pistons overcame Jimmy Butler’s first career triple-double to beat the host Chicago Bulls 94-90.

Marcus Morris had 16 points and Andre Drummond had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who remain on track for a playoff spot. Butler had 28 points and career highs of 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Detroit is a half-game ahead of Indiana for seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Unlikely leaders

at Houston Open

Golf: Jim Herman and Jamie Lovemark, two players who have never won a PGA Tour event or played in the Masters, shared the lead going into the final round of the Houston Open.

A win Sunday and they get to tee off at Augusta National next week.

The 38-year-old Herman shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to position himself for a breakthrough. Lovemark, 28 and a former NCAA champion at USC whose professional career was derailed by major back surgery, wasn’t able to build on his fast start, which saw him birdie three of the first four holes. He stayed in the hunt with a 70 after opening rounds of 67 and 68.

Nineteen players will tee off Sunday within six shots of the lead.

Dunlap out front after long day: Scott Dunlap shot a 3-under 69 in the second round to take a two-shot lead at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in Saucier, Mississippi.

It was a long day for the entire field, with all the players completing 36 holes. The first round was moved to Saturday after heavy rain wiped out play on Friday at Fallen Oak. Dunlap pushed into the lead with a 66 in his morning round before turning around and shooting 69 in the afternoon. He is at 9 under for the tournament.

Thompson leads: Lexi Thompson made a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, California. Trying to win the major championship for the second time in three years, Thompson shot a 3-under 69 to reach 10 under at Mission Hills.

Busch wins NASCAR trucks at Martinsville

Auto racing: Kyle Busch held off John Hunter Nemechek in a two-lap overtime restart and won the NASCAR trucks race at Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway, his first victory in 31 career starts on the 0.526-mile oval.

Busch, who was saving his last set of fresh tires for an opportune time inside the final 50 laps, never got one and won despite driving the last 115 laps on the same tires. Much of the rest of the field had tires that were at least 30 laps newer, and a few also got burned when they pitted for scrub tires expecting the same last full pit stop, but a series of late restarts helped Busch end his Martinsville drought.

F1’s qualifying format to be reviewed: Formula One’s much-criticized new qualifying format will be reviewed again, and motor sport chief Jean Todt says he’s optimistic about getting the unanimous agreement needed for changes.

Under the new system, first used in the season-opener in Australia and again at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, the slowest driver is eliminated on a rolling basis. In an embarrassment for the series, it produced an anticlimax in Melbourne as drivers accepted elimination rather than use up tires trying to better their times.

Lewis Hamilton won the pole for Sunday’s race.

Cleveland releases safety Donte Whitner

Miscellany: A punishing hitter, safety Donte Whitner got flattened by the Browns. Cleveland released Whitner, the latest starter discarded by the NFL team’s new front office, which has spent the past month purging the roster.

Whitner’s release follows that of linebacker Karlos Dansby, the team’s leading tackler last season, and the departures of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, tackle Mitchell Schwartz, former Pro Bowl safety Tashaun Gipson and wide receiver/return specialist Travis Benjamin, all of whom signed with other teams during free agency.

Azarenka wins Miami Open: Victoria Azarenka completed a rare Indian Wells-Key Biscayne double by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 to win tennis’ Miami Open at Key Biscayne, Florida.

Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion mounting a comeback from injuries, defeated Serena Williams in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago. She’s only the third woman to win both tournaments in the same year, and the first since Kim Clijsters in 2005. Steffi Graf did it in 1994 and 1996.

Akinosu runs to 2016 world best: Texas senior Morolake Akinosun won the women’s 100 meters at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, to become the first woman to win the event three years in a row.

Akinosun was a heavy favorite and didn’t let the field behind her get close as she won in 11.07 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.

The Texas Relays is in its 89th year but women didn’t compete until 1963, according to school records. Akinosun joins Leleitha Hodges of Texas Women’s University as the only three-time winners. Hodges won in 1978-79 and 1981.

Hemiller leads South Dakota: Tia Hemiller had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists and South Dakota beat Florida Gulf Coast 71-65 in Vermillion, South Dakota to win the WNIT championship.

Nyquist wins Florida Derby: Nyquist has won the Florida Derby in Hallandale Beach, Florida, to remain unbeaten, giving his connections an enormous payday and likely cementing his status as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

Nyquist earned $1.6 million for the win – $600,000 as his share of the purse, and $1 million more as a bonus because he was also sold at Gulfstream Park and was therefore eligible for extra money by returning for the track’s signature race.