timvp
05-06-2012, 03:50 AM
Leading their first round series 2-0, San Antonio traveled to Salt Lake City to undergo their first true test of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Although the ride was oftentimes bumpy, the Spurs ended up passing the test with flying colors. The 102-90 victory has the Jazz on the brink of elimination; the Spurs will go for the sweep on Monday night.
Through three and a half quarters, the contest was extremely close. The Spurs came out of the gates scoring well, but that was negated by Devin Harris' early success. Neither team gained much traction until the Spurs went on a 15-5 run to take a ten-point lead with one minute remaining in the third.
The Jazz made a push in the fourth period, cutting the lead to five points with 8:25 remaining. That's when Tony Parker flipped the switch over to God-mode. In the final eight minutes, Parker had 16 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the floor and 6-for-6 shooting from the line. With the Frenchman on fire, the Tabernacle Choir could soon be heard humming Taps.
Overall, this was an impressive victory. The Jazz have been a very good home team this season. To have the mental toughness to come out and put the Jazz to sleep tells me this Spurs team has a serious amount of mettle, especially considering San Antonio never trailed by more than three points. It was a workmanlike effort, which is what you want to see out of a team with lofty aspirations.
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Tim Duncan A-
I was expecting the Jazz to come out blazing in the first quarter. Instead, it was Tim Duncan who was aflame. Duncan scored the game's first six points to get the Spurs off to a great start. The rest of the way, he added timely baskets while mixing in a number of quality passes. Defensively, Duncan was a beast. By keeping Al Jefferson in front of him and cutting off his passing angles, Duncan turned Jefferson into a black hole who wasn't capable of aiding his teammates. Help-wise, Duncan was exceptional. In fact, it might have been his best help-defense showing of the season. He was lightening quick to react and snuffed out countless plays. All in all, it was truly an epic defensive performance. Another impressive aspect of Duncan's game was his running of the court. The 36-year-old was often the first player up and down the court; he made the Jazz bigmen look slow by comparison on multiple occasions. To nitpick, Duncan's rebounding was subpar and he seemed to tire in the fourth quarter. But obviously, despite those minor flaws, this was a vintage performance by the franchise.
Manu Ginobili B
Compared to the first two games of this series, tonight was definitely a step in the right direction for Manu Ginobili. His scoring touch is still AWOL; he's made only one non-layup this series. Tonight, he got his two baskets within three minutes of checking into the game. The good news is that Ginobili still had a strong impact on the offensive end by passing the rock. He exploited Utah's poor defense on the pick-and-roll repeatedly. While he had a couple iffy decisions, Ginobili definitely made life easier for everyone on the offensive end. Defensively, I wasn't as impressed. His energy was sporadic at best and he needlessly wandered off of his man too often. That said, the Jazz didn't do much to exploit Ginobili defense, so in the grand scheme of things, it probably didn't matter what he did on that end. In Game 4, let's hope Ginobili breaks out of his scoring slump because his points will become vital as the playoffs unfold.
Tony Parker B+
It was a rollercoaster of a night for Tony Parker. Early on, Parker looked unstoppable as he knocked down his first three shots. Then he went through a stretch that saw him hit only 2-of-9 shots from the field. To finish the game, as I detailed above, Parker connected on his final five attempts. While the results varied, I thought he was consistently taking the right shots. Playmaking-wise, Parker had some issues. He got too sloppy at times and was too anxious at other times when he should have let plays develop. That said, give credit to the Jazz for throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Parker tonight. And also give Parker credit for surviving it and then flourishing in money time. Defensively, even though Devin Harris was scoring early, Parker defended him well. Harris was simply hitting tough shots to begin the contest. As the game wore on, Parker's defense began bearing fruit -- culminating in Harris scoring only one point in the final stanza. Overall, it was good to see Parker withstand struggles and prevail with an MVP-like performance in the fourth quarter. Job well done.
Danny Green A-
Some players shrivel in the playoffs. Some players shine. Tonight gave me a lot of hope that Danny Green is in the latter category. On both sides of the court, Green played with unbridled fearlessness. He wasn't scared to mess up; Green was just out there playing hard while doing whatever he thought was needed to help the team. It sounds simple, but it's surprisingly not. Offensively, his three-point shot was errant but he was much better than usual finishing off the dribble. Green's running of the court and willingness to attack the basket, even when out-manned, was commendable. Defensively, he was really good. Green gets most of the credit for turning Gordon Hayward into a non-factor. He also played the passing lanes, helped out with tenacious double-teams to the post and grabbed a handful of contested boards. It's safe to say the Spurs have found something here.
Boris Diaw B-
Boris Diaw's performance was all over the map. The good: Diaw authored nifty passes, per usual. He also helped break down the defense a couple times by cutting hard to the basket. Defensively, he was excellent against Paul Millsap. The Spurs didn't even have to send much help because Diaw was handling his own. The bad: Diaw's inability to make the Jazz pay for collapsing on defense was majorly hurting the offensive flow. And while his individual defense was good, he was getting manhandled on the defensive boards. Diaw is usually good at boxing out but that wasn't the case tonight.
Kawhi Leonard B-
It's difficult to gauge how Kawhi Leonard played tonight because he didn't play much and wasn't very involved when he was in the game. Defensively, he was mostly on Josh Howard, which was predictably uneventful. On offense, he missed a pair of outside shots, converted a shot in the lane ... and that was about the extent of his touches. With so many other wings playing well tonight, Leonard simply wasn't needed.
Stephen Jackson A-
Stephen Jackson and the pressure of the playoffs seem to make a nice couple. His three-point jumpers all looked perfectly smooth coming off of his fingers. The three triples he made all happened to be well-timed daggers: the first one, in fact, came right after the Jazz had their first lead of the second quarter, while the last two came in the aforementioned third quarter 15-5 run. The rest of Jackson's offensive game was a plus. He was unselfish (if anything, he was too unselfish) and was running plays to perfection. Defensively, Jackson gave a fantastic effort. While the outcomes weren't always positive, he gave it his all against Millsap, boxed out with extreme physicality, quickly offered help in the paint and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. Jackson still has room to clean up his game but he's off to a very solid start this postseason.
Tiago Splitter B+
After missing a game due to a bruised wrist, Tiago Splitter was back with a vengeance. Offensively, he was simply unstoppable in pick-and-roll sets. When the Spurs ran complicated movement prior to a Splitter screen, forget it -- it was almost always an automatic two points for the Brazilian. To nitpick, Splitter was a tad too hesitant at times, which caused a couple turnovers and missed shots. Defensively, I didn't think he was too special in the first half; Splitter just wasn't making enough of a different either stopping players in his area or grabbing rebounds. However, in the final two quarters, I though Splitter was fantastic on D. He picked up his rebounding, played a headier brand of defense and was much better defending the rim. In the fourth quarter, Splitter played next to Duncan for five minutes, which could be a sign that Pop is actually considering playing his two best bigmen at the same time.
Matt Bonner C
Matt Bonner had a strange evening. First of all, he picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Considering that Bonner is the second least foul-prone bigman in the NBA (behind only Andrew Bynum), that was a shock. It was also shocking that Bonner had some level of success defending the Jazz bigmen in the low block, since that has been a bugaboo of his in his postseason career. While Bonner gave up his share of points, he also got a couple blocks and forced a couple other misses. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of Bonner's night. He hit a three-pointer right before halftime off of a set play by Pop but that was all the offense he could muster in his 16 minutes. Bonner grabbing only one rebound in the last two games over the course of 25 minutes is pathetic.
Gary Neal B-
Gary Neal did what Gary Neal usually does. In the first half, he dropped a couple brass-ball three-pointers. However, he also missed a couple wide open teammates on other possessions and played substandard defense, even for him. With Pop weary of Harris exploding in the second half, Neal stayed on the bench when it was time to substitute Parker. Honestly, I thought it was the right call. Neal is a valuable player -- as long as you can hide him on the defensive end.
DeJuan Blair C
With Bonner in foul trouble and Diaw not showing enough gumption on the boards, Pop turned to DeJuan Blair for a stint in the first half. The results were about what you'd expect. On offense, Blair got his first shot blocked and his second shot goaltended. Defensively, he showed flashes of competence -- only to immediately follow it up with a facepalm-worthy gaffe.
Pop A-
The bad: I didn't see much reason for Pop to go to Blair. Bonner wasn't going to foul out and Diaw could have used the work. Jackson probably deserved more time, especially in the fourth. Ideally, Parker and Duncan would have played two less minutes each. The good: The victory. I just can't complain much about a win that puts the Spurs up 3-0. Pop's plays out of timeouts were stupendous all night. He pushed a lot of right buttons; I especially loved the Duncan and Splitter duo down the stretch. Can Pop get the troops ready to put the Jazz out of their misery on Monday night? Let us hope.
Through three and a half quarters, the contest was extremely close. The Spurs came out of the gates scoring well, but that was negated by Devin Harris' early success. Neither team gained much traction until the Spurs went on a 15-5 run to take a ten-point lead with one minute remaining in the third.
The Jazz made a push in the fourth period, cutting the lead to five points with 8:25 remaining. That's when Tony Parker flipped the switch over to God-mode. In the final eight minutes, Parker had 16 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the floor and 6-for-6 shooting from the line. With the Frenchman on fire, the Tabernacle Choir could soon be heard humming Taps.
Overall, this was an impressive victory. The Jazz have been a very good home team this season. To have the mental toughness to come out and put the Jazz to sleep tells me this Spurs team has a serious amount of mettle, especially considering San Antonio never trailed by more than three points. It was a workmanlike effort, which is what you want to see out of a team with lofty aspirations.
http://dailyelements.com/may5box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/may5box2.jpg
Tim Duncan A-
I was expecting the Jazz to come out blazing in the first quarter. Instead, it was Tim Duncan who was aflame. Duncan scored the game's first six points to get the Spurs off to a great start. The rest of the way, he added timely baskets while mixing in a number of quality passes. Defensively, Duncan was a beast. By keeping Al Jefferson in front of him and cutting off his passing angles, Duncan turned Jefferson into a black hole who wasn't capable of aiding his teammates. Help-wise, Duncan was exceptional. In fact, it might have been his best help-defense showing of the season. He was lightening quick to react and snuffed out countless plays. All in all, it was truly an epic defensive performance. Another impressive aspect of Duncan's game was his running of the court. The 36-year-old was often the first player up and down the court; he made the Jazz bigmen look slow by comparison on multiple occasions. To nitpick, Duncan's rebounding was subpar and he seemed to tire in the fourth quarter. But obviously, despite those minor flaws, this was a vintage performance by the franchise.
Manu Ginobili B
Compared to the first two games of this series, tonight was definitely a step in the right direction for Manu Ginobili. His scoring touch is still AWOL; he's made only one non-layup this series. Tonight, he got his two baskets within three minutes of checking into the game. The good news is that Ginobili still had a strong impact on the offensive end by passing the rock. He exploited Utah's poor defense on the pick-and-roll repeatedly. While he had a couple iffy decisions, Ginobili definitely made life easier for everyone on the offensive end. Defensively, I wasn't as impressed. His energy was sporadic at best and he needlessly wandered off of his man too often. That said, the Jazz didn't do much to exploit Ginobili defense, so in the grand scheme of things, it probably didn't matter what he did on that end. In Game 4, let's hope Ginobili breaks out of his scoring slump because his points will become vital as the playoffs unfold.
Tony Parker B+
It was a rollercoaster of a night for Tony Parker. Early on, Parker looked unstoppable as he knocked down his first three shots. Then he went through a stretch that saw him hit only 2-of-9 shots from the field. To finish the game, as I detailed above, Parker connected on his final five attempts. While the results varied, I thought he was consistently taking the right shots. Playmaking-wise, Parker had some issues. He got too sloppy at times and was too anxious at other times when he should have let plays develop. That said, give credit to the Jazz for throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Parker tonight. And also give Parker credit for surviving it and then flourishing in money time. Defensively, even though Devin Harris was scoring early, Parker defended him well. Harris was simply hitting tough shots to begin the contest. As the game wore on, Parker's defense began bearing fruit -- culminating in Harris scoring only one point in the final stanza. Overall, it was good to see Parker withstand struggles and prevail with an MVP-like performance in the fourth quarter. Job well done.
Danny Green A-
Some players shrivel in the playoffs. Some players shine. Tonight gave me a lot of hope that Danny Green is in the latter category. On both sides of the court, Green played with unbridled fearlessness. He wasn't scared to mess up; Green was just out there playing hard while doing whatever he thought was needed to help the team. It sounds simple, but it's surprisingly not. Offensively, his three-point shot was errant but he was much better than usual finishing off the dribble. Green's running of the court and willingness to attack the basket, even when out-manned, was commendable. Defensively, he was really good. Green gets most of the credit for turning Gordon Hayward into a non-factor. He also played the passing lanes, helped out with tenacious double-teams to the post and grabbed a handful of contested boards. It's safe to say the Spurs have found something here.
Boris Diaw B-
Boris Diaw's performance was all over the map. The good: Diaw authored nifty passes, per usual. He also helped break down the defense a couple times by cutting hard to the basket. Defensively, he was excellent against Paul Millsap. The Spurs didn't even have to send much help because Diaw was handling his own. The bad: Diaw's inability to make the Jazz pay for collapsing on defense was majorly hurting the offensive flow. And while his individual defense was good, he was getting manhandled on the defensive boards. Diaw is usually good at boxing out but that wasn't the case tonight.
Kawhi Leonard B-
It's difficult to gauge how Kawhi Leonard played tonight because he didn't play much and wasn't very involved when he was in the game. Defensively, he was mostly on Josh Howard, which was predictably uneventful. On offense, he missed a pair of outside shots, converted a shot in the lane ... and that was about the extent of his touches. With so many other wings playing well tonight, Leonard simply wasn't needed.
Stephen Jackson A-
Stephen Jackson and the pressure of the playoffs seem to make a nice couple. His three-point jumpers all looked perfectly smooth coming off of his fingers. The three triples he made all happened to be well-timed daggers: the first one, in fact, came right after the Jazz had their first lead of the second quarter, while the last two came in the aforementioned third quarter 15-5 run. The rest of Jackson's offensive game was a plus. He was unselfish (if anything, he was too unselfish) and was running plays to perfection. Defensively, Jackson gave a fantastic effort. While the outcomes weren't always positive, he gave it his all against Millsap, boxed out with extreme physicality, quickly offered help in the paint and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. Jackson still has room to clean up his game but he's off to a very solid start this postseason.
Tiago Splitter B+
After missing a game due to a bruised wrist, Tiago Splitter was back with a vengeance. Offensively, he was simply unstoppable in pick-and-roll sets. When the Spurs ran complicated movement prior to a Splitter screen, forget it -- it was almost always an automatic two points for the Brazilian. To nitpick, Splitter was a tad too hesitant at times, which caused a couple turnovers and missed shots. Defensively, I didn't think he was too special in the first half; Splitter just wasn't making enough of a different either stopping players in his area or grabbing rebounds. However, in the final two quarters, I though Splitter was fantastic on D. He picked up his rebounding, played a headier brand of defense and was much better defending the rim. In the fourth quarter, Splitter played next to Duncan for five minutes, which could be a sign that Pop is actually considering playing his two best bigmen at the same time.
Matt Bonner C
Matt Bonner had a strange evening. First of all, he picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Considering that Bonner is the second least foul-prone bigman in the NBA (behind only Andrew Bynum), that was a shock. It was also shocking that Bonner had some level of success defending the Jazz bigmen in the low block, since that has been a bugaboo of his in his postseason career. While Bonner gave up his share of points, he also got a couple blocks and forced a couple other misses. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of Bonner's night. He hit a three-pointer right before halftime off of a set play by Pop but that was all the offense he could muster in his 16 minutes. Bonner grabbing only one rebound in the last two games over the course of 25 minutes is pathetic.
Gary Neal B-
Gary Neal did what Gary Neal usually does. In the first half, he dropped a couple brass-ball three-pointers. However, he also missed a couple wide open teammates on other possessions and played substandard defense, even for him. With Pop weary of Harris exploding in the second half, Neal stayed on the bench when it was time to substitute Parker. Honestly, I thought it was the right call. Neal is a valuable player -- as long as you can hide him on the defensive end.
DeJuan Blair C
With Bonner in foul trouble and Diaw not showing enough gumption on the boards, Pop turned to DeJuan Blair for a stint in the first half. The results were about what you'd expect. On offense, Blair got his first shot blocked and his second shot goaltended. Defensively, he showed flashes of competence -- only to immediately follow it up with a facepalm-worthy gaffe.
Pop A-
The bad: I didn't see much reason for Pop to go to Blair. Bonner wasn't going to foul out and Diaw could have used the work. Jackson probably deserved more time, especially in the fourth. Ideally, Parker and Duncan would have played two less minutes each. The good: The victory. I just can't complain much about a win that puts the Spurs up 3-0. Pop's plays out of timeouts were stupendous all night. He pushed a lot of right buttons; I especially loved the Duncan and Splitter duo down the stretch. Can Pop get the troops ready to put the Jazz out of their misery on Monday night? Let us hope.