timvp
11-08-2010, 03:27 PM
Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Rockets (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-vs-rockets/)
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/) | San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
The Houston Rockets entered the game without Yao Ming. During the contest, the Rockets lost both Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin to ankle injuries. Despite having the far superior healthy talent, it took a mixture of late-game execution and luck for the San Antonio Spurs to escape with a victory.
With less than a minute and a half remaining in the third quarter, George Hill hit a pair of free throws to put the Spurs up by 13 points, 89-76. However, at that moment the Spurs seemed to take their foot off the gas. Over the next five minutes, the Rockets went on an 18-2 run to take a 94-91 lead.
Fast forward to Shane Battier’s three-pointer with 1:23 remaining that gave the Rockets a 113-109 lead. Antonio McDyess missed a jumper on the next Spurs possession but then more than made up for it on the defensive end. He blocked an Ish Smith layup, got the rebound and found Richard Jefferson for a layup on a quick outlet pass. The Spurs then got lucky when Courtney Lee missed a pair of free throws, which allowed Manu Ginobili to hit a step-back jumper to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, Tony Parker took over on the offensive end and the Spurs got a couple rare defensive stops late to seal the W. While the Spurs shouldn’t have taken their foot off the gas, hopefully this will be a case of lesson learned without suffering a loss.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
38 mins (+11), 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal
8-for-15 from the field, 3-for-7 at the line
Early in the season, sometimes Duncan moves well and sometimes he doesn’t. Against the Rockets, it was a case of the latter. Duncan’s speed and horizontal mobility just wasn’t there. Despite the limitations, Duncan willed himself to a good game. He hit more than half his shots, made quality passes, protecting the rim and did decent work on the boards. With Houston rarely sending doubles, Duncan was able to finish the game without a turnover. Let’s hope that Duncan’s creaky knees will allow him to move well come playoff time.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
40 mins (0), 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers
11-for-24 from the field, 4-for-11 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Manu Ginobili totaled his team-leading 28 points mostly via his outside jumper. Ginobili spent much of the night shooting three-pointers and step-back jumpers. While his field goal percentage wasn’t anything to write home about, his scoring kept the Spurs in the game for long stretches. Defense was a negative for Ginobili for most of the night, however he came up with a few key defensive plays. The 40 minutes played was too high, even accounting for overtime, and Ginobili admitted he was gassed at the end.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
41 mins (+12), 21 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 turnovers
8-for-17 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker was very much involved against the Rockets. He had his best passing game of the season and came up huge in overtime. Parker scored the team’s first seven overtime points and authored the assist to Duncan on the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds remaining. Defensively, Parker was inconsistent. At times, he relentlessly pressured the ball. At other times, Parker was asleep at wheel. Overall, Parker was definitely an asset and the Spurs wouldn’t have won without him carrying the tired team in overtime.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
39 mins (+13), 22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover
8-for-13 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
The hot streak continues. For the second straight game, Jefferson was 4-for-5 from deep. He once again took great advantage of his touches and his decision-making was practically flawless. If teams start respecting his outside shot, Jefferson will be even more dangerous because he has always been good at driving to the basket against closing defenders. On the defensive end against the Rockets, I thought Jefferson could have done more. His rotations were slow, especially in the second half. Plus, it would have helped if he gave more effort on the defensive glass.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
21 mins (+13), 6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
3-for-8 from the field
DeJuan Blair showed signs of breaking out of his slump, especially in his fourth quarter stint. During that stretch, he played his best defense of the season and scored a key basket. His work on the boards was a positive throughout the game and he ran the court better than usual. Hopefully he keeps improving and once again begins playing at the level we saw during preseason and for much of his rookie campaign.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
35 mins (-9), 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers
5-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
Antonio McDyess continues to play very, very well. His man-on-man defense was solid, his rebounding was strong and he was a presence in the lane. On offense, he took shots without hesitation and his passing remains a plus. The Spurs couldn’t expect much more out of their 36-year-old backup big. If anything, they might be leaning on him a bit too much to begin the season.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
23 mins (-6), 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
3-for-5 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 at the line
George Hill returned from his one-game absence due to neck spasms as a result of a Craig Smith flagrant foul (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/) and had a decent ballgame. Most of his production came in the first three quarters. As the game wore on, Hill seemed to lose a step and he stopped doing much of anything on either end. Pop wisely kept him on the bench for the final ten minutes of the game.
Gary Neal
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gary-neal.jpg
16 mins (-8), 5 points, 1 steal
2-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Well, a lack of aggression won’t be a problem with Gary Neal. He came off the bench firing — and kept firing throughout. As long as he doesn’t force shots, Neal’s itchy trigger finger will likely remain a positive for him and the Spurs. The Spurs can use shooting and scoring from off the bench and Neal seems willing to help in those areas. Defensively, the rookie guard had a lot of issues versus Houston. He lost his man a few times. Other times he was overly physical instead of moving his feet. Defense will likely remain a weakness for Neal for at least the short-term but he plays with a mean streak on that end that should help him out.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
11 mins (-11), 2 points, 2 rebounds
1-for-2 from the field
Tiago Splitter had his first poor game for San Antonio. He looked tired in his first two games in the NBA. In his third game, he looked absolutely exhausted from the first minute. As a result, he was moving in slow motion on defense and had trouble running up and down the court. There were a few good moments sprinkled in but all in all it was a forgettable outing for the Brazilian bigman.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
Pop was struggling as much as his players against the Rockets. He didn’t utilize his bench enough early on and that forced him to ride a tired group of veterans down the stretch and in overtime. Pop couldn’t find other groups that could produce and seemed to panic a bit. It might seem strange but being without rookie James Anderson (who was in Arkansas for the birth of daughter) had Pop scrambling to piece together a workable rotation.
Offense
The offense was again not a problem for San Antonio. The Spurs shot 48.5% from the field, including going 9-for-21 (42.9%) on three-pointers. The Spurs also dished out 28 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times. Getting to the line 25 times and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds were both pluses. These newfangled running Spurs also outscored the Rockets 27-18 on fast break points.
Defense
The defense, on the other hand, was a problem. Giving up 121 points, even with overtime, is obviously way too much. The Rockets shot 47.5% from the field, 45% (9-for-20) on three-pointers and were 18-for-21 at the line. Houston was also allowed to total 24 assists, while only turning the ball over 16 times. Take out the second quarter and Houston had 103 points in 41 minutes. Not good, to say the least.
Drive for 5
The Spurs will look to improve to 5-1 on Monday against the Charlotte Bobcats on the road. With Larry Brown and Stephen Jackson in the building, these Bobcats will be ready to play. Let’s hope the Spurs are able to match their energy.
Related Articles:
Grading the San Antonio Spurs versus the Rockets (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-rockets/)
Spurs Fans Concerned Despite the Win (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurstalk-syndicated/despite-win-spurs-fans-concerned/)
The Week Ahead – Spurs Preview (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-preview-the-week-ahead-nov-8-14th/)
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-vs-rockets/
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/) | San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
The Houston Rockets entered the game without Yao Ming. During the contest, the Rockets lost both Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin to ankle injuries. Despite having the far superior healthy talent, it took a mixture of late-game execution and luck for the San Antonio Spurs to escape with a victory.
With less than a minute and a half remaining in the third quarter, George Hill hit a pair of free throws to put the Spurs up by 13 points, 89-76. However, at that moment the Spurs seemed to take their foot off the gas. Over the next five minutes, the Rockets went on an 18-2 run to take a 94-91 lead.
Fast forward to Shane Battier’s three-pointer with 1:23 remaining that gave the Rockets a 113-109 lead. Antonio McDyess missed a jumper on the next Spurs possession but then more than made up for it on the defensive end. He blocked an Ish Smith layup, got the rebound and found Richard Jefferson for a layup on a quick outlet pass. The Spurs then got lucky when Courtney Lee missed a pair of free throws, which allowed Manu Ginobili to hit a step-back jumper to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, Tony Parker took over on the offensive end and the Spurs got a couple rare defensive stops late to seal the W. While the Spurs shouldn’t have taken their foot off the gas, hopefully this will be a case of lesson learned without suffering a loss.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
38 mins (+11), 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal
8-for-15 from the field, 3-for-7 at the line
Early in the season, sometimes Duncan moves well and sometimes he doesn’t. Against the Rockets, it was a case of the latter. Duncan’s speed and horizontal mobility just wasn’t there. Despite the limitations, Duncan willed himself to a good game. He hit more than half his shots, made quality passes, protecting the rim and did decent work on the boards. With Houston rarely sending doubles, Duncan was able to finish the game without a turnover. Let’s hope that Duncan’s creaky knees will allow him to move well come playoff time.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
40 mins (0), 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers
11-for-24 from the field, 4-for-11 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Manu Ginobili totaled his team-leading 28 points mostly via his outside jumper. Ginobili spent much of the night shooting three-pointers and step-back jumpers. While his field goal percentage wasn’t anything to write home about, his scoring kept the Spurs in the game for long stretches. Defense was a negative for Ginobili for most of the night, however he came up with a few key defensive plays. The 40 minutes played was too high, even accounting for overtime, and Ginobili admitted he was gassed at the end.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
41 mins (+12), 21 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 turnovers
8-for-17 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker was very much involved against the Rockets. He had his best passing game of the season and came up huge in overtime. Parker scored the team’s first seven overtime points and authored the assist to Duncan on the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds remaining. Defensively, Parker was inconsistent. At times, he relentlessly pressured the ball. At other times, Parker was asleep at wheel. Overall, Parker was definitely an asset and the Spurs wouldn’t have won without him carrying the tired team in overtime.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
39 mins (+13), 22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover
8-for-13 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
The hot streak continues. For the second straight game, Jefferson was 4-for-5 from deep. He once again took great advantage of his touches and his decision-making was practically flawless. If teams start respecting his outside shot, Jefferson will be even more dangerous because he has always been good at driving to the basket against closing defenders. On the defensive end against the Rockets, I thought Jefferson could have done more. His rotations were slow, especially in the second half. Plus, it would have helped if he gave more effort on the defensive glass.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
21 mins (+13), 6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
3-for-8 from the field
DeJuan Blair showed signs of breaking out of his slump, especially in his fourth quarter stint. During that stretch, he played his best defense of the season and scored a key basket. His work on the boards was a positive throughout the game and he ran the court better than usual. Hopefully he keeps improving and once again begins playing at the level we saw during preseason and for much of his rookie campaign.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
35 mins (-9), 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers
5-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
Antonio McDyess continues to play very, very well. His man-on-man defense was solid, his rebounding was strong and he was a presence in the lane. On offense, he took shots without hesitation and his passing remains a plus. The Spurs couldn’t expect much more out of their 36-year-old backup big. If anything, they might be leaning on him a bit too much to begin the season.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
23 mins (-6), 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
3-for-5 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 at the line
George Hill returned from his one-game absence due to neck spasms as a result of a Craig Smith flagrant foul (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/) and had a decent ballgame. Most of his production came in the first three quarters. As the game wore on, Hill seemed to lose a step and he stopped doing much of anything on either end. Pop wisely kept him on the bench for the final ten minutes of the game.
Gary Neal
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gary-neal.jpg
16 mins (-8), 5 points, 1 steal
2-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Well, a lack of aggression won’t be a problem with Gary Neal. He came off the bench firing — and kept firing throughout. As long as he doesn’t force shots, Neal’s itchy trigger finger will likely remain a positive for him and the Spurs. The Spurs can use shooting and scoring from off the bench and Neal seems willing to help in those areas. Defensively, the rookie guard had a lot of issues versus Houston. He lost his man a few times. Other times he was overly physical instead of moving his feet. Defense will likely remain a weakness for Neal for at least the short-term but he plays with a mean streak on that end that should help him out.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
11 mins (-11), 2 points, 2 rebounds
1-for-2 from the field
Tiago Splitter had his first poor game for San Antonio. He looked tired in his first two games in the NBA. In his third game, he looked absolutely exhausted from the first minute. As a result, he was moving in slow motion on defense and had trouble running up and down the court. There were a few good moments sprinkled in but all in all it was a forgettable outing for the Brazilian bigman.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
Pop was struggling as much as his players against the Rockets. He didn’t utilize his bench enough early on and that forced him to ride a tired group of veterans down the stretch and in overtime. Pop couldn’t find other groups that could produce and seemed to panic a bit. It might seem strange but being without rookie James Anderson (who was in Arkansas for the birth of daughter) had Pop scrambling to piece together a workable rotation.
Offense
The offense was again not a problem for San Antonio. The Spurs shot 48.5% from the field, including going 9-for-21 (42.9%) on three-pointers. The Spurs also dished out 28 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times. Getting to the line 25 times and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds were both pluses. These newfangled running Spurs also outscored the Rockets 27-18 on fast break points.
Defense
The defense, on the other hand, was a problem. Giving up 121 points, even with overtime, is obviously way too much. The Rockets shot 47.5% from the field, 45% (9-for-20) on three-pointers and were 18-for-21 at the line. Houston was also allowed to total 24 assists, while only turning the ball over 16 times. Take out the second quarter and Houston had 103 points in 41 minutes. Not good, to say the least.
Drive for 5
The Spurs will look to improve to 5-1 on Monday against the Charlotte Bobcats on the road. With Larry Brown and Stephen Jackson in the building, these Bobcats will be ready to play. Let’s hope the Spurs are able to match their energy.
Related Articles:
Grading the San Antonio Spurs versus the Rockets (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-rockets/)
Spurs Fans Concerned Despite the Win (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurstalk-syndicated/despite-win-spurs-fans-concerned/)
The Week Ahead – Spurs Preview (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-preview-the-week-ahead-nov-8-14th/)
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-vs-rockets/