Game Blog: Spurs @ Thunder - Nov. 14

[Warlord23]

Smallball with Bonner as the only big? That's pushing it a tad IMO

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

What a strange game this has been. Think I'll watch it again later.

[Cessation]

manu putting the chery on top

[hitmanyr2k]

Bonner can be God tonight all he wants :lol I hope he shoots his load so he'll go back to sucking on Wednesday lol.

[L.I.T]

Spurs defense is turning a young team inside out right now.

[CFH]

2 TOs in a row

[WeNeedLength]

NOT the time to get careless.....

[BanditHiro]

dammit another turnover

[hitmanyr2k]

Last year Hill would have splashed a three. This year he's just lost.

[Ice009]

George really needs to fucking wake up and sharpen up. FFS.

[dbestpro]

OK, why no more plays foir Bonner?

[024]

chris paul and williams carry the ball all the time and they never get called.

[BanditHiro]

nice effort hill

[ducks]

tp needs some assist

pass the ball to booner

[Pelicans78]

Huge win on a b2b. Really outclassing the Thunder. Superior depth. And I hate it.

[Cessation]

here come the refs trying to bail out the thunder

[Spurologist]

Tp makes that move all the time.......it's a carry every time but why call it now. :lol

[HarlemHeat37]

chris paul and williams carry the ball all the time and they never get called.

Carrying is just a random call, tbh..it's probably the least consistent call in the NBA, they can call it almost any time they want..

[CFH]

Make your free throws

[WeNeedLength]

Wow what a bad freethrow. Get your head in the game George!

[BanditHiro]

damn hill quit ruining our FT percentage

[Doe]

Good effort on the glass from Hill

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

And now the refs have decided to ruin it again.

[Cessation]

Bonner can be God tonight all he wants :lol I hope he shoots his load so he'll go back to sucking on Wednesday lol.


you seem worried, for good reason

[Spurologist]

Thunder announcers channeling the Jazz in hope the Thunder can come back

:lmao

[CFH]

Good aggressiveness by RJ

[Ice009]

I'm going to slap you GEORGE. FUCKING WAKE UP AND STOP BEING WEAK.

[NASpurs]

Spurs have been road warriors so far this year. Gotta love that

[BanditHiro]

wow why is bonner on harden?

[Warlord23]

Here comes the layup line. Get a big in, Pop

[NASpurs]

Did Manu say "Come on shit!"?

[team-work]

Bonner stepped in at exactly the right time, when Duncan struggled with ?flu symptoms, Splitter having foul trouble (questionnable calls).

7 3-pointers! Should be a memorable night.

[CFH]

Don't get complacent Spurs

[WeNeedLength]

Manu yelling at Bonner... "Bonner! Come on! Shit...." LOL classic

[Texas_Ranger]

wtf

[Libri]

Come on, hold the fort.

[HarlemHeat37]

Spurs need to calm down, close it out..

Damn, Spurs are playing Jefferson at C right now..

[BanditHiro]

come on get Splitter and Duncan in and stop this Layup Line

[hitmanyr2k]

Bonner with a heat check hook :lol

[Warlord23]

And now Pop turns to super-small ball

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

Still a lot of time.... better close this out

[c whata11]

why the fuck is jefferson our center right now?

[siraulo23]

ultra ultra small ball FTL

[Texas_Ranger]

Jefferson is center. :lol

[dbestpro]

5 guards on the floor?

[CFH]

What's with this small ball?

[DesignatedT]

Durant vs RJ at the center position lmao

[45 bank shot]

LOL @ midget ball

[ducks]

people bashing spurs o and they have score over 100 points tonight

I rember it was rare spurs scored 100

but then their d was great

[itzsoweezee]

damn bonner is getting abused

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Super smallball is not our strength.

[NASpurs]

I find it funny the Spurs are shooting 40% and have 108 points :lol

[Cessation]

rj playing center, give me a break

[Spurologist]

mini mi ball????

[AFBlue]

good timeout

[Darth_Pelican]

Matt Bonner is getting laid tonight.

Impressive road win Spurs. Looking good, damnit.

[GSH]

Manu yelling at Bonner... "Bonner! Come on! Shit...." LOL classic

Probably not the best night for Manu to be bitching about Bonner.

[Spurologist]

spurs 32-36 @ the FT line?????? :wow

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

Manu yelling at Bonner... "Bonner! Come on! Shit...." LOL classic


Bonner should yell bak, "bitch i'm the one making shots"

[dbestpro]

rj playing center, give me a break

Well, he said he didn't want to play PF anymore.

[NASpurs]

RJ dunk!

[Spurs Brazil]

Bonner with a amazing game

Put TD back

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

GH3 to RJ

[CFH]

RJ dunk

[007nites]

RJ at Center LOLO

[ShoogarBear]

Well, now, that was crappy D.

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

Come on TP....

[HarlemHeat37]

Pop with a great play call to start the quarter..best set play caller in the league..

[007nites]

Ginobili at PF and Hill at SF

[Texas_Ranger]

Manu!!!!!!

[c whata11]

Ginobili tress!!

[CFH]

Manu tresssssssssssssssssssss!

[duncan228]

Manu with the dagger

[NASpurs]

Manu with a three in front of KD's pizza face!

[DarkGinobili]

manu 3!

[TIMMYD!]

Great rest for Timmy.

[itzsoweezee]

Selfish Tony. Gotdamn, get the assist and the easy basket. Greedy bastard.

[Cessation]

hill picking durants pocket

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

Manu for 333333333333333


but seriously worst lineup ever?

[HarlemHeat37]

Manu has been horrible against OKC last season and tonight, but when it's clutch time, it doesn't matter which opponent he's playing against..

[Cessation]

Well, he said he didn't want to play PF anymore.


lol good one

[BanditHiro]

nice win

[c whata11]

parker just embarrassing okc

[siraulo23]

dagger bitches!!!!

[CFH]

Harden just gave up :lol

[dbestpro]

:)

[Darth_Pelican]

OKC was absent the day that they taught defense.

[Cessation]

ginobli dropping daggers, why so cold?

[Spurs Brazil]

Manuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu tres!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Texas_Ranger]

Spurs without Tim defeated the ''2nd best'' team in the west. Nice!

[Pelicans78]

As long as Manu as on the Spurs, I will never be completely happy.

[duncan228]

Great griity win. Really nice to see the defense turn it. :spin

[Libri]

OKC didn't even try to guard TP. lol

[Spurologist]

manu is gonna blow up in the 4th

[Trainwreck2100]

Dayger

[Cessation]

this game is over, ginobli put it away :)

[Spurs Brazil]

Tony fucking Parker!!!!

[team-work]

rest the starters.

[NASpurs]

Here come the Human Victory Cigar team

[duncan228]

Great rest for Timmy.

He obviously needs it. Don't think he's well yet, but loved his defense, especially in the third.

[CFH]

Scrub time

[jestersmash]

Lakers, Hornets, and Spurs = triumvirate of the West at the moment. Nobody's fucking with these teams.

[spurs1990]

I can't believe this game. I tuned in expecting a loss.

Can you say 81-1. Believe.

[Cessation]

Manu with a three in front of KD's pizza face!



lol +1:downspin::downspin:

[maddnezz]

Selfish Tony. Gotdamn, get the assist and the easy basket. Greedy bastard.I was gonna say that 2. But he did get a foul and make the ft. Your right though lol:lol

[Spurs Brazil]

Defense in the 2nd half was fantastic

Bonner :worthy::worthy::worthy:

[AussieFanKurt]

Good game blokes. Props to Bonner

[hitmanyr2k]

Sucks for Splitter...didn't get much time on the court tonight.

[boutons_deux]

extremely pleasing win, b2b + road game.

[BanditHiro]

we made it through our first back to back and timmy hardly played either one lol

[NRHector]

that's a great win back to back and on the road :toast

[NASpurs]

Great fucking win! Total team play offensively and defensively in that second half.

Props to Tony, Bonner and to a lesser extent RJ for keeping the Spurs in the game in that first half.

[Darth_Pelican]

I am giving an over/under line of 5 minutes for a new Matt Bonner thread to be created.

[Nathan89]

Defense in the 2nd half was fantastic

Bonner :worthy::worthy::worthy:

only 38pts and many in garbage time.

[024]

nice win.

[siraulo23]

spurs win!

[maddnezz]

Player of the game.......

[CFH]

Great 2nd half, Spurs did work and clamped down on defense. :flag:

[Cessation]

best game of the year for the spurs

[Pelicans78]

Lakers, Hornets, and Spurs = triumvirate of the West at the moment. Nobody's fucking with these teams.

Hornets need someone who can compete with Kobe and Manu. They're missing an elite perimeter scorer. Belinelli is playing well right now, but not sure if he can be elite.

[Death In June]

What the fuck was chip wearing? He looked like a gay pirate.

[maddnezz]

The red rocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Killakobe81]

props spurs not surprised duncan as i said has one run left and yallhavent needed much from him.

[ducks]

Sucks for Splitter...didn't get much time on the court tonight.

he will get his time

booner never will go for 7-7 from downtown again

[Spurs Brazil]

GREAT win

[Nathan89]

I can't believe this game. I tuned in expecting a loss.

Can you say 81-1. Believe.

Yeah, why?

[Barfunk]

OKC's 104 final score is deceiving. The Thunder were on pace for about 500 at one point. Spurs played TERRORIZING defense for a good stretch there.

[Pelicans78]

Jefferson has played better than expected.

[ElNono]

Great win on the road tonight against a great team

[GSH]

he will get his time

booner never will go for 7-7 from downtown again

I wonder how many players have ever gone 7-7 from the 3? I bet not many.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Superb win. In the first quarter you would have called it as a blowout the other way, but the team stuck at it, rode Bonner's hot hand, and ended up with the easy victory.

Looking very strong indeed. :tu :D

[Pauleta14]

Sucks for Splitter...didn't get much time on the court tonight.

+1

He had the "rookie treatment"... :bang

[NRHector]

Please God keep us under the radar

[jestersmash]

Hornets need someone who can compete with Kobe and Manu. They're missing an elite perimeter scorer. Belinelli is playing well right now, but not sure if he can be elite.

CP3's superior assist-making ability easily offsets that IMO.

[maddnezz]

Time to play Live and talk some smack online hahahaha!

[ElNono]

It felt like it. But we took 21 shots in the 1st, 24 in the 2nd, and 27 in the 3rd.

Thanks :toast

[Darth_Pelican]

I wonder how many players have ever gone 7-7 from the 3? I bet not many.


I think Peja did it 26 years ago, when he was in his 20s :lol

Seriously though, very impressive performance by Bonner and the Spurs.

[Ice009]

Selfish Tony. Gotdamn, get the assist and the easy basket. Greedy bastard.

Are you joking here? Do you not like TP at all? He was huge tonight. He was awesome.

In the other thread you compared TP to Gary Neal when against Westbrook which is a huge slap in the face to TP.

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

Jefferson has played better than expected.


Jefferson is night and day from last year..... Even him not shooting the ball well he got to the line. That wouldn'thave happened last year.

[td4mvp21]

Really good win :smokin

[GSH]

Okay... Latrell Sprewell and Ben Gordon both went 9-9 in a game. But that still puts Matt in some pretty rare company.

[Pelicans78]

Jefferson is night and day from last year..... Even him not shooting the ball well he got to the line. That wouldn'thave happened last year.

Seems like he's being more assertive and getting back to what made him successful in New Jersey. His improvement is helping the Spurs just like Okafor's improvement is helping the Hornets.

[EricB]

Just wondering if Matt bonner is still "the worst signing in spurs history" as all the experts here talked down to the rest of us and shouted us down when when we slightly thought not that it was a great signing but not as bad as we thought.

Jefferson too. Just horrible.

[Chieflion]

Didn't catch the 2nd half. Matt Bonner looked awesome from the box score.

[Ice009]

Sucks for Splitter...didn't get much time on the court tonight.

What actually happened? That is the only part of the game that I missed as my internet went offline for a few minutes, and I only saw Splitter for about 10 seconds when he got his 3rd foul? or was it 4th foul in the first quarter? How did he play in that stretch and what were the fouls?

[NASpurs]

Have the Spurs ever scored 110+ and shot 41% (or less) from the field and still won the game?

Unless I'm using Basketball reference incorrectly, I can't find a game.

[Cessation]

never mind splitter, looks like booner is gunning for that blair starting job lol

[Strike]

Matt Bonner had a good game? Well I'm sure that makes up for all the on-court diarrhea he's squirted out over the past few playoff runs, right?

[GSH]

What actually happened? That is the only part of the game that I missed as my internet went offline for a few minutes, and I only saw Splitter for about 10 seconds when he got his 3rd foul? or was it 4th foul in the first quarter? How did he play in that stretch and what were the fouls?

Three fouls in about a minute and a half. At least one of them was legit.

[Kori Ellis]

I wonder how many players have ever gone 7-7 from the 3? I bet not many.

Steve Smith 8-for-8 once for the Spurs. I don't know who else.

[jestersmash]

never mind splitter, looks like booner is gunning for that blair starting job lol

They don't play the same position.

[GSH]

Have the Spurs ever scored 110+ and shot 41% (or less) from the field and still won the game?

Unless I'm using Basketball reference incorrectly, I can't find a game.


They were 7-21 in the first quarter, and 9-27 in the third quarter. They actually shot 33% for half of the game, and STILL scored 117.

[hitmanyr2k]

What actually happened? That is the only part of the game that I missed as my internet went offline for a few minutes, and I only saw Splitter for about 10 seconds when he got his 3rd foul? or was it 4th foul in the first quarter? How did he play in that stretch and what were the fouls?

Splitter got two straight BS rookie calls on him that weren't really fouls in the least and then he made the mistake of trying to take a charge on Durant...gee, wonder who's gonna get that call :lol

He looked pretty good. Made a great defensive rotation and trap on a Thunder player in the corner and forced them into a tough shot late in the shotclock and also got an offensive putback.

[EricB]

Matt Bonner had a good game? Well I'm sure that makes up for all the on-court diarrhea he's squirted out over the past few playoff runs, right?


With each three you were more and more miserable weren't you.

[GSH]

Steve Smith 8-for-8 once for the Spurs. I don't know who else.

I'd wager a month's pay that you didn't have to look that up. :toast

[Ice009]

Just wondering if Matt bonner is still "the worst signing in spurs history" as all the experts here talked down to the rest of us and shouted us down when when we slightly thought not that it was a great signing but not as bad as we thought.

Jefferson too. Just horrible.

I don't recall, were you pimping the Matt Bonner signing in the offseason?

Matt was GREAT tonight and I would absolutely love him if he did this in the playoffs, but it's still a regular season game. Keep it going Matt.

You're also forgetting all the posters that said Matt is a good signing if he's used properly. This season Pop has played tall ball for most of the games and that's what most people want. They only want Matt to get court time if he is playing like he was tonight. I hope Pop doesn't go silly and start overplaying him if he's not playing good. This has been said for the last two seasons, but Bonner has just come back and hasn't played many games so we don't know if Pop has smarted up on this yet.

[Yorae]

Manu Ginobili 11/11 fts. Career best?

[Strike]

With each three you were more and more miserable weren't you.

Nope. Actually I'm happy he had a good game. Doesn't change my opinion that giving him a four year deal was completely freaking stupid. Doesn't change my opinion that he will more than likely suck rhino ass come playoff time. Is he capable of dropping half a dozen threes in a game? Sure. Is he ever going to be a consistent contributor that comes through when it really matters? Probably not.

Shooting the lights out in game #9 of an 82 game season doesn't mean shit. When he's stinking up (insert arena here) in late April/early May, no one will remember what he did on November 14th.

[FilSpursFan]

Good game, Matt Keep it up!:tu :tu

[JustinJDW]

Very good win. So proud that the Spurs won both back-to-back games and Timmy didn't even have to play that much! And RJ is getting to the line! And Bonner is god from 3-point line.

Spurs looking very strong right now. 8-1. :)

[Yorae]

Spurs record is 8/8 from three. Guess who did it? Oops someone beat me to it lol.

[Ice009]

Three fouls in about a minute and a half. At least one of them was legit.

So only one of them was legit? What kind of fouls were they? I saw the last one was a blocking foul. What were the first two?

Also, Sjax has the best shooting performance as a Spur. He missed his first shot then hit 8 threes in a row against the Lakers in 2003 and swished his 9th in a row, but at the same time he shot that 9th 3 Malik Rose committed an offensive foul so the shot didn't count. So Sjax would have had 9 threes in a row if Malik didn't commit the offensive foul.

[Darth_Pelican]

My prediction for Mark Stein's Power Rankings Tomorrow:

1. Lakers (9-1, assuming win @ Suns tonight)
2. Hornets (8-0)
3. Spurs (8-1)
4. Celtics (8-2)
5. Jazz (7-3, most impressive week by far)

Orlando & Miami fall out of top 5.

[Ice009]

Manu Ginobili 11/11 fts. Career best?

lol not even close.

[Budkin]

Awesome friggin win... this is the kind of game the Spurs usually lose at this time of the year. Good sign for the rest of the season.

[HarlemHeat37]

Splitter's 2nd foul was legit, but it was either EXACTLY at the 24-second buzzer or right after..a really bad call that should never be made in the NBA..

The 3rd call was a superstar call for Durant, which was expected..

The 1st call was really bad..

[MinuteByMinuteSports]

Wow what an amazing win! Bonner shocked us all here in the Spurs Center. The Fouls were awful tho

[Manufan909]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Spurs outscore OKC when they decided to play Manu and RJ as the bigs? I thought it was retarded as hell when I was following on yahoo, but then Manu went clutch and TP hit some fts.

[EricB]

Nope. Actually I'm happy he had a good game. Doesn't change my opinion that giving him a four year deal was completely freaking stupid. Doesn't change my opinion that he will more than likely suck rhino ass come playoff time. Is he capable of dropping half a dozen threes in a game? Sure. Is he ever going to be a consistent contributor that comes through when it really matters? Probably not.

Shooting the lights out in game #9 of an 82 game season doesn't mean shit. When he's stinking up (insert arena here) in late April/early May, no one will remember what he did on November 14th.


Yeah I can see it didn't bother you at all.

[duncan228]

Spurs are 8-1 for the first time since 2004-05. Only three players -- the Big Three -- remain from that club.

Spurs have never started 9-1 under Pop. Last time was 1981-82. Seriously. They'll take a shot Wednesday vs. Chicago at ATT Center.

[GSH]

Originally Posted by JMcDonald_SAEN


Spurs are 8-1 for the first time since 2004-05. Only three players -- the Big Three -- remain from that club.

Spurs have never started 9-1 under Pop. Last time was 1981-82. Seriously. They'll take a shot Wednesday vs. Chicago at ATT Center.




This is the Spurs first 6-game streak since December 2008. That's something to be happy about. But when you look back at what has been preventing them from getting win streaks in the last couple of years, it's been teams like the Lakers, Mavericks, Celtics, Magic, and (LeBron) Cavs. We haven't played any of those teams yet.

Even if we beat Chicago and start 9-1, we have Utah, Dallas, and Orlando in the five games after that. If we're 13-2 after that, we'll know that we can really start expecting big things this year.

[Pauleta14]

Manu Ginobili 11/11 fts. Career best?

Are you kidding?

He had a few better performances! At least 19/19 if I recall..

[timtonymanu]

Yes!!!!

And it sounds like I missed a great game. :depressed

[ace3g]

JMcDonald_SAEN Jeff McDonald
Tim Duncan scored in single digits in three consecutive games for 1st time in his career. At this rate, won't pass D-Rob until rodeo trip.

[EricB]

Good win.

Of course this won't satisfy the critics.

A win over Chicago won't either "They didn't have Boozer blah blah blah"


Would've loved to have seen what Anderson would've done against OKC, would've potentially been possibly his break out game IMO.

[ace3g]

when we get to the Jazz game, the key will be to let them have the lead at the start of the 4th quarter (they won't know what to do with it)

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 104 (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/)
by Timothy Varner
48 Minutes of Hell

With a little over a minute left in the first quarter, the San Antonio Spurs trailed the Oklahoma City Thunder by 12. And then they started to adjust, and simply make baskets. The Spurs kept the game close until halftime, and then blew the contest open behind Matt Bonner’s hot hand (7-7 3pt, 21 points) and terrific second half team defense. Between the end of the first quarter and the final buzzer, San Antonio slowly, methodically wore the Thunder down with crisp offensive and defensive execution, coming away with a convincing 117-104 victory (http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=301114025). A few brief thoughts:

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/san-antonio-spurs-117-oklahoma-city-thunder-104#more-11145)

[duncan228]

Some post-game quotes. A couple more here:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166013


Bonner’s seven 3s help Spurs race past Thunder (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AviV.X.d7WH6X1CGFmCY7biLvLYF?gid=201011 1425)
By Jeff Latzke

Matt Bonner took advantage of being left open from long distance to put together an impressive line of lucky sevens: seven shots from 3-point range, seven makes and seven straight wins for the San Antonio Spurs.

Bonner scored 21 points and just missed matching the best 3-point shooting outing in Spurs’ history, leading a long-range barrage as San Antonio beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-104 on Sunday night.

Bonner swished home three of his 3s during a 21-8 run to open the fourth quarter, and the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team went 6-for-8 from behind the arc to pull away in the final period.

“They were just getting to the basket at will and making shots from the perimeter,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “That’s a deadly dose of offensive basketball.”

Bonner led the way, falling one shy of Steve Smith’s record for 3-point accuracy. He went 8-for-8 from 3-point range against Portland on Nov. 3, 2001.

“With each consecutive shot, the hoop is just getting bigger and bigger,” said Bonner, who set a career-high with the seven 3s. “It was just one of those nights where I was just feeling it.”

Bonner had made six 3-pointers three other times in his seven-year career, but he’d never before gone even 5-for-5 or 6-for-6. Only once had he hit all four of his 3s—against New Orleans during his rookie year with Toronto.

“We over-helped, and that wasn’t the game plan. We talked about that: Stay at home,” Brooks said. “The bottom line is we gave them the openings. All it takes for him is just a half a second. He’s a knockdown 3-point shooter.

“We didn’t do a good job on him. No excuses.”

Tony Parker scored 24 points, Manu Ginobili added 21 and Richard Jefferson had 18 for the Spurs.

Kevin Durant had a season-low 23 points and Russell Westbrook scored 19 for the Thunder, who have given up more than 100 points in seven of nine games this season.

“We’re having trouble stopping the basketball,” Brooks said. “When you play against a good team, when you make one mistake they capitalize on it. That’s what a good team, an experienced team will do to you.”

The Spurs trailed the entire first half and didn’t lead by more than three until Jefferson connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner late in the third quarter to make it 82-78. From there, the 3s kept coming.

Gary Neal and Bonner hit early in the fourth quarter, then Bonner sank another from the right wing and—after Ginobili got into the action—one from the left wing. When the Thunder called timeout to stop the spurt, Tim Duncan greeted Bonner at the bench by tousling his red hair.

The Spurs shot just 41 percent from the field but finished 11-for-20 on 3-pointers, improving on their league-leading 42.7 percent.

Oklahoma City, the NBA’s worst 3-point shooting team at 23 percent, simply didn’t have an answer despite efforts by Durant and James Harden.

Harden led a strong effort from the Thunder’s bench with 14 points, Serge Ibaka added 13 points and Eric Maynor had 12.

Jeff Green had 12 points in his return to the starting lineup after missing the previous three games with a sprained left ankle, and Nick Collison drew a charge in his season debut after missing the first eight games with a left leg injury.

Green didn’t play in the fourth quarter or in the final 6 minutes of the third and had his left foot soaking in a tub of ice in the locker room.

“It just got a little sore. It’s not something I want to try to push through,” said Green, Oklahoma City’s third-leading scorer. “It’s still early in the season. If it was the playoffs, yes. I don’t want to drive it to the point where I reaggravate it too much and then I’m out longer than I was before. I didn’t want to push it too much.”

The Spurs missed nine of their first 10 shots and fell behind by 12 before scoring the final seven points of the first quarter. Bonner hit his first 3-pointer in the final 5 seconds of the first quarter, then hit three more to keep San Antonio within striking distance in the second.

DeJuan Blair scored seven in a row on a tip-in, a steal for a fast-break layup and a three-point play off a putback to tie it at 68 early in the second half but then went to the bench with his fourth foul just a minute later. Jefferson’s three-point play put the Spurs ahead for the first time at 71-70.

“We definitely have multiple weapons in the offense and it makes it really hard to guard us,” Bonner said. “Everybody did a great job after that slow start in the first quarter of picking it up and playing hard.”

Notes: Before Durant and Westbrook did it in Friday night’s win against Portland, the Thunder hadn’t had two players with back-to-back 30-point outings since Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel in April 1989 when the team was in Seattle. … Oklahoma City has sold out its first six games, and 17 in a row dating back to last season. … Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford attended the game. His pupil, Spurs rookie James Anderson, is expected to miss two months with a stress fracture in his right foot.

[crc21209]

I have to admit I'm eating my crow for hating on Matt Bonner. But I do know that he can shoot the rock. The one thing I notice is that when he is confident and just lets the ball fly, it goes in. The problem with him is when he starts to hesitate with it...

[duncan228]

Notes on a scorecard: Why Matt Bonner should eat turkey subs before every game (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/14/notes-on-a-scorecard-why-matt-bonner-should-eat-turkey-subs-before-every-game/)
by Tim Griffin

Matt Bonner might have been the most unlikely player expected to turn a game around.

...Maybe it was the turkey sandwich from Subway before the game. Or it might have been all the rest. But whatever the cause, Bonner had a memorable performance Sunday night when his team most needed it.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/14/notes-on-a-scorecard-why-matt-bonner-should-eat-turkey-subs-before-every-game/

[spurs10]

Praise the Ginger!

[Spurs Brazil]

OKC announcers are very bad, one of them is Grant Long

[Dex]

Views from the other side:


Thunder loses another Sunday home game

By John Rohde, Staff Writer, [email protected]
Published: November 14, 2010
Modified: November 15, 2010 at 4:00 am

At least next Sunday the Thunder will get to rest.

Thank God.

On consecutive Sundays, three of the league’s elite teams convincingly have disposed of the Thunder inside Oklahoma City Arena. This time around it was San Antonio by a 117-104 knockout.

The two previous TKOs came compliments of Utah (120-99) and Boston (92-83).

The good news is the Thunder has next Sunday off, but that is followed by three more consecutive Sunday games at Houston (Nov. 28), at home against Golden State (Dec. 5) and at home against Cleveland (Dec. 12).

Another sellout crowd of 18,203 watched the Thunder shoot 51.1 percent from the field en route to a 66-61 halftime lead against San Antonio, but the Spurs turned up the defensive pressure after intermission as the Thunder misfired at 37.8 percent and was outscored 56-38.

The Thunder entered last in the league in assists at 15.8 per game, but had 15 by halftime. In the second half, a choppy Thunder offense managed just five assists.
“I thought our (second-half) defense was very good, maybe the best of the season, and a lot of guys participated in that, so it generated our game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

No argument from Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “They really did a good job of exposing us in many areas, and I give them a lot of credit,” Brooks said. “They’re good, they’re well-coached and they have a lot of experience.”

The Thunder failed to capitalize on being at full-strength for the first time all season thanks to the co-returns of forward Jeff Green and Nick Collison.

Green returned to the starting lineup after a three-game absence due to a sprained left ankle, while Collison returned after missing training camp and the entire season to date with a lower left leg stress reaction.

The Thunder was outscored by 21 from 3-point range, outscored by 10 from the line and outrebounded by nine, including 13-5 on the offensive end, which the Spurs converted into 18 points.

The Thunder never trailed until the 8:57 mark of the third quarter. From that point forward, the Spurs’ domination included 21 points in the first 4:55 of the final period.

“That’s a deadly dose of offensive basketball, and we couldn’t handle it tonight,” Brooks said. “Defensively, we’re having trouble stopping the basketball and when you play against a good team, when you make one mistake, they capitalize on it.”
San Antonio shot 55.0 percent from 3-point range, led by forward Matt Bonner, who came off the bench and shot 7 for 7 to finish with 21 points.

“All it takes for him is just half-a-second,” Brooks said of Bonner. “He’s a knockdown 3-point shooter, and we didn’t do a good job going into it.”

The Spurs converted 89.5 percent from the free-throw line (34 of 38), marking the first time this season the league-leading Thunder was outshot at the line. Defending NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant, who was averaging 9.5 free throws per game, went to the line only twice.

“We all have to get on the same page,” Durant said. “We have to come out at the beginning defensively and finish defensively as well.”

The Thunder is now 5-4 and continues its busy week with a game tonight at Utah, a home game against Houston on Wednesday, followed by a road back-to-back at Boston on Friday and at Milwaukee on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are 8-1, their best start. (?)

Read more: http://newsok.com/thunder-loses-another-sunday-home-game/article/3514715#ixzz15NyQMeQV

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Awesome win! Kicked the Thunder's ass!