Triumphant homecoming for Barry

Tim Duncan scored 21 points to help San Antonio defeat Seattle 91-82 on Saturday night in San Antonio, the Spurs’ first victory in four exhibition games this season.

Brent Barry, a former SuperSonics player signed by the Spurs in the off-season, had seven points and three assists in his first game against his former team.

Rookie Damien Wilkins led the SuperSonics (1-4) with 17 points.

Stepp’s rally too late to beat Pacers

At Bismarck, N.D., Ron Artest and James Jones scored 16 points each and the Indiana Pacers held on for a 106-104 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Trailing 103-95 with 2:09 remaining, Minnesota chipped away behind rookie Blake Stepp, the former Gonzaga Bulldogs standout, who scored eight of his 10 points in the last 90 seconds.

McGrady strikes back at old GM

Tracy McGrady insists Orlando Magic general manager John Weisbrod was transferring blame by saying players failed to take responsibility for an abysmal season.

McGrady – traded to the Houston Rockets in June – discussed the frustrating season before an exhibition game in Orlando. He sat out the game, however, as coach Jeff Van Gundy wanted to rest him and look at other shooting guards and small forwards.

The Magic finished 21-61, with a team-record 19 consecutive losses early in the season. Weisbrod expressed concern over a lack of effort by the players. He took a parting shot at the two-time scoring champ after the trade, implying McGrady wasn’t capable of leading a winning team.

“When you say things like (Weisbrod) said, that’s just covering (yourself),” McGrady said. “I hated losing, but it just got to the point where we were losing so much, you kind of get used to it.

“Going into games, it was like ‘Oh, we’re going to lose, so let’s just get it over with.’ That’s how the mentality was with a lot of guys, not just me.”

The Magic and Rockets meet during the regular season in Orlando on Jan. 20, and in Houston on Jan. 24.

Williams works out with Cavs

Jayson Williams, acquitted in April of aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver, worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

The 6-foot-10 forward retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000 following career-ending leg and knee injuries.

“He wants to play,” said Cavaliers coach Paul Silas, who spent three seasons with Williams when he was an assistant with the Nets. “We worked him out a little bit, and he can still play. He can certainly help somebody.”

Mavericks’ Eschmeyer retires

Dallas Mavericks center Evan Eschmeyer, who missed all of last season following knee surgery, retired.

“I am sad it has come to an end, but I know I have given every ounce of effort every second I have played,” he said. “My only wish is that I would have been a little healthier. Sometimes the mind is willing, but the body is not able.”

Eschmeyer, 29, played 153 games during his four-year NBA career with New Jersey, Dallas, and Golden State. He averaged 2.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

Bucks’ Hamilton has surgery

Milwaukee Bucks forward Zendon Hamilton will miss six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

Hamilton was injured in a preseason game at Dallas on Tuesday.