Forever young: Old guard and new blood help Spurs beat Cavs

It's been 19 years since the San Antonio Spurs built their dynasty by pairing Tim Duncan with head coach Gregg Popovich.

Two decades and five championships later, the same old faces are still running the show and, somehow, their ageless empire is more impressive than ever.

The Big Three of Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker combined for 43 as the Spurs outdueled LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-95 on Thursday to improve to 35-6 at the halfway mark.

Duncan's lost his bounce, Parker's lost some burst, and Ginobili's bald spot has successfully annexed his entire crown, but their games remain stellar.

It was Parker who led the way with 24 points on an efficient 11-of-18 shooting. He's a decade older than his counterpart but he turned Kyrie Irving out with a dizzying array of tricky dribbles and balletic Eurosteps. Parker even added four rebounds and three steals to finish as a plus-seven.

Ginobili wasn't quite as effective. He couldn't find the range on his three, but he made up for it with slicing drives and thrilling passes.

As for Duncan, he saved his best for last as he used a turnaround bank shot (sound familiar?) for the eventual game-winner. Kevin Love, try as he might, had no chance of blocking Duncan's patented banker. No one can, not even when Duncan's sneakers are nailed to the hardwood.

More impressive was their performance on defense. James got to his averages, but Parker and Duncan held Love and Irving to 10-of-27 shooting from the floor.

Cleveland's Big Three (average age of 27) had 48. The Spurs' 37-year-old trio had 43. Factor in a 35-12 bench advantage for San Antonio and that's how the game was won.

Kawhi Leonard, the next great Spur who's caught the torch from Duncan and company, struggled with his assignment early on. That's understandable, as he was giving up 40 pounds to a four-time MVP.

James found the range on his jumper, and used his size advantage to gain access to the paint. He finished the first half with 14 points and was a plus-14, while holding Leonard to four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

That all changed in the second half. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year locked in on James' tendencies, holding him to just eight points (two of which came in garbage time) on 3-of-7 shooting.

It's a terrifying sight when Leonard puts an opponent on lockdown. He's the rare player who can let James blow by him and still recover in time for a swat. He can also pester James in the post with his unnatural combination of size, strength, and discipline. Leonard forced James into taking five jump shots in the second half, with the superstar only sinking one.

Leonard also found his form on offense. He exploded for 16 points in the second half, hitting two threes, blowing by the defense, and crashing in for putbacks.

He finished with a line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in a team-high 40 minutes while matched up against James for the entire game.

How many other players can do that? And how many years will Leonard's dynasty last? The Spurs are timeless.