Grades: Spurs @ Clippers - Game 3

[timvp]

The Spurs tallied their 17th consecutive win on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 96-86. However, this was not a run of the mill Spurs blowout. Far from it. Instead, this ended up being one of the most memorable Spurs wins in recent history.

Early on, San Antonio came out flat. Their shots were short, their defense was shoddy and their competitiveness was lacking. The Clippers, on the other hand, were doing everything right. When they weren't playing perfect defense, they were knocking down impossible shots. The Los Angeles crowd was rocking as the Clippers grew their lead to 40-16 with 9:17 remaining in the second quarter.

That's when the worm began to turn. Matt Bonner hit a three-pointer. Gary Neal hit a free throw. Kawhi Leanord hit a runner. Slowly but surely the Spurs kept chipping away as their execution sharpened more and more possession after possession.

By halftime, the Spurs had cut the 24-deficit to a more manageable ten points. After Blake Griffin made a layup to put the Clippers up by 12 points early in the third period, the Spurs began one of the most epic runs we'll ever witness in playoff basketball. Over the course of seven and a half minutes, San Antonio eviscerated Los Angeles. The carnage: A 24-0 run that turned a 12-point hole into a 12-point mountain.

The rest of the way, the Clippers made a few half-hearted runs but the game never got within seven points again. The Staples Center went from rock concert to morgue. The series went from potentially compelling to needing life support. The Spurs, with robotic efficiency and a steely-eyed demeanor, took another step forward in their quest for a fifth championship.

Obviously, this was a fantastic victory and one we won't soon forget. Let's hope it boosts the team's confidence even more and gives the Spurs something to draw from the next time they face a seeming insurmountable deficit during this playoff run.

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Tim Duncan B+
To begin the game, Tim Duncan was playing like he forgot to set his alarm clock. In the first quarter, he was listless offensively; Duncan was either holding the ball way too long or attempting to blend into the background. Defensively, he was a non-factor. However, in the middle two quarters when the Spurs were making their comeback, Duncan was spectacular. Fully awake, he totaled 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 20 minutes of play. Beyond those numbers, he carved the Clippers up with surgical precision offensively and absolutely shut down the paint defensively. It was truly some of the best minutes Duncan has played all season. The fourth quarter saw Duncan keep up his defensive intensity while playing a supporting role on the other end. All in all, it was yet another vintage performance from the ageless legend.

Manu Ginobili B-
Like Duncan, Manu Ginobili's outing needs to be broken into segments. In the first quarter, he was bad. He had no energy on defense and he was playing with no purpose offensively. In the second quarter, he played much better. Though still a little bit off-kilter, Ginobili was instrumental in closing the deficit heading into halftime. He was scoring, creating for others and playing inspired defense. In the second half, the Argentine whirling dervish took a backseat but still played an important role in putting the Clippers away. Specifically, his defense and passing in the third quarter were unquestionably vital. While we're still waiting for Ginobili to explode, I feel good about how he's playing right now. Outside of the first quarter, he figured out how to best help the team and did so with great focus.

Tony Parker A
While Tony Parker has posted more impressive stat lines this season, I loved the tenacity and passion he played with this afternoon. Coming out of the gates, he seemed like the only Spur who was ready to play. Offensively, he relentlessly pushed the pace all game long and his endless probing eventually flummoxed the Clippers. In the first quarter, Parker kept the Spurs from totally dying by scoring the ball. The middle two quarters saw Parker's passing and playmaking at impeccably high levels. In the fourth, his ten points kept L.A. at a bay. Defensively, Parker continues to not let Chris Paul find any sort of rhythm. Paul is hobbled but Parker's defense is still very much commendable.

Kawhi Leonard A+
The rookie is now a man. While the Big 3 all played their roles, I'm not sure anyone was as good as Kawhi Leonard was today. Defensively, he was a one-man hurricane. Wherever he went, destruction was sure to follow. He started the game off on Caron Butler and totally shut him down. The rest of the way, he defended everyone from Blake Griffin to Chris Paul. Individually, he was fantastic at moving his feet and challenging shots. When it came to his team-defense responsibilities, Leonard was even better. He was aggressive when coming over for help and then used his length and anticipation to cut off driving lanes, passing lanes and every other type of lane. To finish off possessions, Leonard was maniacal about going after defensive rebounds. I've thought that Leonard has been somewhat overrated defensively for much of his rookie campaign, but he was legitimately awesome on D in Game 3. Offensively, he was ultra efficient. He took (and usually made) open three-pointers. Off the ball, he sliced wisely to the basket at the right moments. In transition, Leonard ran the court as hard as anyone. Recognizing how great he was playing today, Pop kept Leonard on the court for 27 of the game's final 33 minutes.

Boris Diaw B-
Perhaps the most disappointing player of the first half, Boris Diaw looked like he was crashing down to the earth after his wonderful outings in Game 1 and Game 2. In the opening two quarters, his defense was weak, he wasn't rebounding and offensively his laissez-faire attitude wasn't helping matters. Thankfully he turned it completely around in the second half. Offensively, he started moving and cutting with authority. His passing and ability to make space became a factor. Defensively, he was much sturdier and he also began to rebound. When it came to help-defense, Diaw's instincts were beautiful to watch during the second half. He's great at impeding a player's progressive just long enough to allow his man to get back into defensive position. Outside of the first half of Game 3, Diaw has had a great series so far.

Danny Green B
Danny Green's first half was ruined by foul trouble. Three minutes into the game, he already had two fouls. Green re-entered in the second quarter but was trying to do too much, too soon. The effort was there but his activity wasn't really helping cut into the deficit. In the third quarter, I thought Green played pretty damn well. Offensively, he got into the paint and scored a couple times at the rim. Out of a timeout, Green knocked down a corner three-point on a set play. But where he really made his mark was defensively. When the Clippers went cold, Green was one of the main culprits supplying the ice. He was challenging shots out on the perimeter, swooping in when help was needed and assisting on the glass. It was far from Green's cleanest game but he played a winning brand of basketball in the third period to help the Spurs go on that glorious run.

Gary Neal C-
It was another ugly game out of Gary Neal. Defensively, he oscillated between unconscionably putrid and really bad. The fact that Neal doesn't have great length, quickness or extincts on the defensive end has been made painfully obvious this series. Offensively, he wasn't much better. When he wasn't turning over the ball, he was struggling mightily to get the Spurs into their sets. His shooting was again somewhat of a saving grace. Neal also mixed in some better-than-usual passes to help offset his negatives.

Tiago Splitter C
To be blunt, I thought Tiago Splitter was soft in the first half. On defense, he got roasted by Griffin. While everyone else was forcing Griffin into taking tough shots, Splitter wasn't putting up much of a fight. I also thought he could have rebounded better; too often he was getting bumped out of position by smaller players. In the second half, Splitter was much better. He apparently traded in his softness for a hardhat at halftime. While his second half stint was relatively short, he made a lot happen. His picks were more meaningful, his cuts were harder and everything about his defense was better. Splitter hasn't had a good series thus far but the Spurs are going to need him in the back-to-back on Sunday night.

Matt Bonner C-
Matt Bonner had a nondescript outing. His most noteworthy moment came in the second quarter when he hit a three-pointer with the Spurs down by 24 points. However, that was the only shot he made. On defense, while he wasn't bad, Bonner wasn't particularly good either. He did what he could against Griffin but it often wasn't enough. It also didn't help matters that Bonner went without a rebound. Since scoring nine points in Game 1 of the first round, Bonner is averaging 2.2 points per game on 28.6% shooting. Let's just say he hasn't yet shed his label as a player who shrinks in the postseason.

Stephen Jackson D
How about we just forget this ever happened? Stephen Jackson's eight minutes in the first half were horrible. In that time, he managed to turn the ball over three times, miss a shot in the lane, disrupt the rhythm of he offense and give nothing on the defensive end. The only reason his grade isn't lower is because he didn't get a chance to redeem himself in the second half.

Pop B+
Once again, Pop ended up pushing all the right buttons. Personally, I thought he stuck with Neal too long and might have pushed Duncan a little bit too hard (especially since it was the first day of a back-to-back). But, again, I can't complain about the results. Pop also had a lot of really good decisions, with the best example being his decision to give Leonard extended minutes. Pop's playcalling out of timeouts also aided the comeback immensely. In Game 4, it'll be very interesting to see what Pop decides to do. Does he try to keep his players fresh while going for the win or does he just go all out for a sweep? Stay tuned.

[Spurtacus]

:tu


Up late to rewatch the game right now.

[MannyIsGod]

Its obvious Pop isn't going to tweak anything major. If we didn't see Patty Mills today I think barring an injury Neal is going to continue to get those minutes.

[ElNono]

Thanks for the writeup :tu

[Manu-of-steel]

Thanks for the grades, timvp. I'm so ecstatic for this spurs win. I'm glad i watched it live, eventhough i sacrificed my sleep to catch one of the greatest comebacks in nba history. Great win, spurs. Leonard was just awesome!

[Crookshanks]

:tu


Up late to rewatch the game right now.

I had to work all day, so I missed the game. I'm glad they're replaying it. Even though it's late, I want to see this awesome game.

[roycrikside]

If you pay attention, you see it was still a 20-pt lead with about 4 mins to go in the 2nd. Then Manu hit a 3 to get a run started, and Spurs actually had a pretty quick 13-0 run there to cut it to 7 before Williams' 3.

[Darkwaters]

Thanks for write up - as always.

[roycrikside]

Two points:

1. Not sure what more Jackson (or anyone) can do to get an F. That was absolutely awful. I've loved what he's done for us since the trade and I know the psychological effect it's had on the team, getting rid of the RJ dark cloud, but let's be honest, even RJ never played that badly in any playoff game for us. Jackson was a complete disaster out there. If RJ did the same thing in his eight minutes, you'd have given him an F in 72-point font, with some swears thrown in. (I think you're being nice because A) we won and B) Kori loves him.)

2. Obviously Bonner hasn't shot well since Game 1 vs. Utah, but it's misleading to say he's shooting 28.6% since then. It's only 4-of-14. Yes, I understand the math, but it's not like a large sample size. He makes two more and it's a great 3-pt percentage. Plus, the dude is getting like 2 FGA a game all of a sudden. Pretty hard to develop any kind of rhythm when you see so little action. He's the fourth big, a spot player now getting 10-12 minutes, so literally spacing the floor will be his most useful contribution because teams have scouted us to not leave him open.

(I'm actually curious if anybody in round 3 or 4 will pay attention to his playoff choker reputation and instruct their guys to double off Bonner and make him beat them.)

[timvp]

Its obvious Pop isn't going to tweak anything major. If we didn't see Patty Mills today I think barring an injury Neal is going to continue to get those minutes.Yeah, not only did we not see Mills, we saw even more of Neal. Neal is in the rotation to stay.


If you pay attention, you see it was still a 20-pt lead with about 4 mins to go in the 2nd. Then Manu hit a 3 to get a run started, and Spurs actually had a pretty quick 13-0 run there to cut it to 7 before Williams' 3.I'll assume that's not directed at me since I covered that.


Not sure what more Jackson (or anyone) can do to get an F. That was absolutely awful. I've loved what he's done for us since the trade and I know the psychological effect it's had on the team, getting rid of the RJ dark cloud, but let's be honest, even RJ never played that badly in any playoff game for us. Jackson was a complete disaster out there. If RJ did the same thing in his eight minutes, you'd have given him an F in 72-point font, with some swears thrown in. (I think you're being nice because A) we won and B) Kori loves him.)Nah, I don't think I've ever given anyone an F who only played eight minutes. That's not really fair, tbh.

But, yeah, as I noted, the only thing that kept Jackson from an F was the fact he only played eight minutes.

[polandprzem]

We need to win that 4th game tbh

Fricking Thunder are rolling, and It would be better if we advance sooner then them tbh


And tbh - good write up timvp , tbh

[ElNono]

Jack is just a bad matchup against this young and jumpy Clippers second unit. He was useful against Utah, and would be useful if the Lakers advance (against Artest). He's also a guy that would be useful in an eventual matchup against the Heat's bench (Battier, Miller).

[polandprzem]

And btw, tbh my girlfriend called me /by phone/ during the game and asked wasssup?

I was like - yea we getting toast, we losing the game.
She said: No worries I bring luck.
Me: I don;t know about the luck... we losing by 24 now
She: No worries I'm telling you. I'm bringing so much luck ... :blah:


And today when I told her we won
She said: I told you, you not believer



The I was like :fight tbh

[Manufan909]

We need to win that 4th game tbh

Fricking Thunder are rolling, and It would be better if we advance sooner then them tbh


And tbh - good write up timvp , tbh

Are we following the same series? LAL has bottled up OKC for 3 straight games now, and the only reason they lost 2 of those is because they choked at the end. I wouldn't be suprised if the Lakers at least push the series to 6 games, but the Clippers winning more than 1 game seems ludicrous, after their epic chokejob last night.

Also, thanks timvp. I am a bit less disappointed than you with Tiago, seeing as his efficiency from the reg season hasn't really regressed yet, even though his overall D might be worse than usual. Totally agree with the grade though, hope Pop starts him in the 2nd half today regardless of whether or not Diaw is in foul trouble.

[roycrikside]

I'll assume that's not directed at me since I covered that.



You assume incorrectly. You wrote that they started chipping away from the point it was 40-16, as if they steadily cut it from 24 to 10 evenly over the next nine minutes, when that's not really accurate, imo. Mostly they were treading water for the next five minutes, cutting only four points from the deficit. It was still 48-28 with 3:20 to go.

There wasn't too much slow and steady about the game, tbh, it was a story of three runs: 14-0 by LA in 5 mins in the first, 13-0 by the Spurs in about 2:30 in the second and 24-0 Spurs in 8 mins in the third.

[therealtruth]

I am just happy were not relying on Bonner so much. Now the only defensive weak links in the rotation are Neal and Bonner. The one thing I loved about the game is the defense. That championship level defense seems to be rounding into form. Combined with the elite offense I don't think the Spurs will be beatable. Watching the Spurs dominance right now reminds me alot of those 90's Bulls teams.

That's the clear difference between this team and the teams of the past few years. This team not only scores well but defends well. Our top eight guys don't give up easy baskets.

[angelbelow]

2. Obviously Bonner hasn't shot well since Game 1 vs. Utah, but it's misleading to say he's shooting 28.6% since then. It's only 4-of-14. Yes, I understand the math, but it's not like a large sample size. He makes two more and it's a great 3-pt percentage. Plus, the dude is getting like 2 FGA a game all of a sudden. Pretty hard to develop any kind of rhythm when you see so little action. He's the fourth big, a spot player now getting 10-12 minutes, so literally spacing the floor will be his most useful contribution because teams have scouted us to not leave him open.


I agree with you but I agree with Timvp as well. While Bonner hasn't taken that many shots, he hasn't exactly parted ways with his "playoff reputation."

I also suspect that getting wide open shots as Matt Bonner is pretty difficult in the playoffs. Teams will make a point to stick someone onto him at all times. But that also means that it's imperative that he makes the shots that he gets. 4-14 certainly isn't a large sample size but his FG% needs to be closer to 40% and not 25%.

All in all, I expect Bonner to play well this year. He has nothing to lose and no pressure to play well. Previous years we were forced to rely on him, this year he can lay multiple eggs and we still have a great shot at winning.

[hooperflash]

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[Rapper]

Timmy B+???

can not agree with you, Timmy deserves A grade in game 3

[-21-]

I think Timmy deserves a higher grade but still, great job timvp. :tu

[Paranoid Pop]

That starting unit is just awesome, on the other hand the so called best bench in the nba is in the negative for the third straight game.

Great point timvp about Tim's minutes, I think Pop doesn't deserve more than a C, he made zero ajustement, he just rode the starters to victory, still played Neal late, played Tim more than TP, was probably too conservative with Green foul trouble...

[T Park]

Someone on the radio last night while I was driving compared Leonard to a longer young Latrell Spreewell. Intriguing comparison.

[ViceCity86]

Im not giving up on Capt Jack,but this is a tough series.The scary part.We could win a championship even if Jack never played another minute.Leonard and Green have arrived,along with Manu,they all can manned the SG/SF position.

But it's always good to have depth. :flag:

[carina_gino20]

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:rollin



The key to that run was the Spurs defense. They missed a lot of open looks early in the game and was obviously taken out of it mentally when Green was called for 2 early fouls and when they couldn't buy any calls. On the other end, there was little effort on defense and Clippers were making flukey shots. I'm very impressed at the composure that they all showed. I think the thought of the Clips beating them just never occurred to them. :lol

[freetiago]

I dont think Boris/Matt/Tiago played bad man to man defense
griffin hit some shots he hasnt hit in his career
and they did what they were suppose to do
made him pick up his dribble and stood hands up
he got away with a few travels as well on some post ups
bonner flopping under slight contact 2 feet under the rim was the only dumb defensive mistake he made in man to man coverage

[timvp]

You assume incorrectly. You wrote that they started chipping away from the point it was 40-16, as if they steadily cut it from 24 to 10 evenly over the next nine minutes, when that's not really accurate, imo. Mostly they were treading water for the next five minutes, cutting only four points from the deficit. It was still 48-28 with 3:20 to go.

There wasn't too much slow and steady about the game, tbh, it was a story of three runs: 14-0 by LA in 5 mins in the first, 13-0 by the Spurs in about 2:30 in the second and 24-0 Spurs in 8 mins in the third.

Ah, your quibble is with this line:


Slowly but surely the Spurs kept chipping away as their execution sharpened more and more possession after possession.
Tbh, I was going for the the stonecutter analogy with the chipping and the sharpening ... but apparently I failed. I meant that the execution slowly but surely improved, not that that the deficit vanished at an even rate from then on.

And, btw, it was a 15-2 run in the second quarter, if anyone is scoring at home.

[timvp]

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Someone on the radio last night while I was driving compared Leonard to a longer young Latrell Spreewell. Intriguing comparison.Good comparison hair-wise. Both have good motors. But that's about all I see.

[polandprzem]

Are we following the same series? LAL has bottled up OKC for 3 straight games now, and the only reason they lost 2 of those is because they choked at the end. I wouldn't be suprised if the Lakers at least push the series to 6 games, but the Clippers winning more than 1 game seems ludicrous, after their epic chokejob last night.

Also, thanks timvp. I am a bit less disappointed than you with Tiago, seeing as his efficiency from the reg season hasn't really regressed yet, even though his overall D might be worse than usual. Totally agree with the grade though, hope Pop starts him in the 2nd half today regardless of whether or not Diaw is in foul trouble.

Well LAL are no slouch and Thunder are having 3-1 advantage

[quentin_compson]

Right now, it seems that the Spurs just have forgotten how to lose games. The important thing is that they have picked it up defensively since the last stretch of the regular season and now can come back into a game by playing defense as well, not just by their at times almost flawless offensive execution.

[polandprzem]

No way Leo is like a Spree
Spree was an explosive guy and Kawhi is more technical and smoother

[Old School 44]

Kawhi Leonard A+
The rookie is now a man. While the Big 3 all played their roles, I'm not sure anyone was as good as Kawhi Leonard was today. Defensively, he was a one-man hurricane. Wherever he went, destruction was sure to follow. He started the game off on Caron Butler and totally shut him down. The rest of the way, he defended everyone from Blake Griffin to Chris Paul. Individually, he was fantastic at moving his feet and challenging shots. When it came to his team-defense responsibilities, Leonard was even better. He was aggressive when coming over for help and then used his length and anticipation to cut off driving lanes, passing lanes and every other type of lane. To finish off possessions, Leonard was maniacal about going after defensive rebounds. I've thought that Leonard has been somewhat overrated defensively for much of his rookie campaign, but he was legitimately awesome on D in Game 3. Offensively, he was ultra efficient. He took (and usually made) open three-pointers. Off the ball, he sliced wisely to the basket at the right moments. In transition, Leonard ran the court as hard as anyone. Recognizing how great he was playing today, Pop kept Leonard on the court for 27 of the game's final 33 minutes.

Thanks again for the grades! I think a little Aztec home cooking may have helped a bit this game. Kawhi was just awesome. I've always said his ceiling is higher than most people think, especially offensively. I might even have to adjust my ceiling even higher. I don't really know how to explain it, but he's just got "it".

[wildbill2u]

Amazing to see a rookie actually improve and grow DURING the playoffs. Where many rookies would have panicked at 40-16, he picked up his game and calmly went to work.

His confidence should be so high right now. He 'gets it' and is earning the trust and respect from our vets. A grade well-earned.

In contrast, Jax was the worst player on the court for either team in his short stint.
Is there a grade of F-?

Sometimes I'm seeing an expression on Manu's face that looks like "hey, I'm still one of our Big 3" and then he pushes a little too much in order to prove it, but the shots and the rest of his play aren't quite there except in flashes. I still have hopes he will have a break-through game where he dominates the court again and earns an "A".

This win will go down in Spurs history as equal or surpassing the Memorial Day miracle. Great win from a confident, hard-working team.

[_jin]

:lol

Good comparison hair-wise. Both have good motors. But that's about all I see.
they both have families to feed, I guess

[doldrums]

Thanks Tim for all the great effort you expend. I always look forward to these grades after a game. So does John Carroll too, apparently

[EVAY]

Couldn't Tim get an A for nothing more than that phenomenal block on Griffin's attempted slam dunk? thought that particular play should be the highlight for every single after game show on every channel.

[therealtruth]

Right now, it seems that the Spurs just have forgotten how to lose games. The important thing is that they have picked it up defensively since the last stretch of the regular season and now can come back into a game by playing defense as well, not just by their at times almost flawless offensive execution.

The Spurs pretty much put on a defensive clinic. The key is not having weak defenders that give up easy baskets. Everything was well defended and then they sealed it off by getting the rebound.

[Legacy]

What a HUGE comeback The Spurs made in the 2nd half after being down a whopping 24 pts. ... And people are saying that The Spurs are not being "tested." BAH, I say!!

Thanks again for the write-up! :toast




:flag:

[Spurs da champs]

Yeah, not only did we not see Mills, we saw even more of Neal. Neal is in the rotation to stay.

I'll assume that's not directed at me since I covered that.

Nah, I don't think I've ever given anyone an F who only played eight minutes. That's not really fair, tbh.

But, yeah, as I noted, the only thing that kept Jackson from an F was the fact he only played eight minutes.

But if was RJ in those 8 minutes he would've got more than an F. Simply put Jack seems to care more about rapping then basketball. He doesn't look at all engaged in the game.

[AztecSpur]

At the end of the season JAX was picking up his game and Kawhi's minutes were diminishing, and that continued into the Playoffs. As a rookie, begrudginly, I was expecting KL's minutes to continue that trend deeper into the playoffs.

Sure glad I was wrong. :flag:

[Legacy]

Couldn't Tim get an A for nothing more than that phenomenal block on Griffin's attempted slam dunk? thought that particular play should be the highlight for every single after game show on every channel.


Yes. That was simply a thing of beauty. :ihit

[WaywardTexan]

Watching the game live at Staples, the difference in mindset of the Spurs and Clippers really came through. When the Clippers mounted the big run in the 1st quarter, I saw the Spurs clap their hands or shake their heads a few times, but they never looked down at the ground or showed serious doubt in their body language. On the other hand, when the Clips were hot had this crazy, unearned confidence like "See! We're making these [often very difficult] shots! And the Spurs are missing theirs [many of which were blown layups or missed open 3's but who's counting]! We are now suddenly a better team than the Spurs!"

Then as the game went on, the Clippers tough shots stopped going in, they stopped getting many easy looks, the Spurs adjusted a little bit to the physical defense that was stopped their own layup attempts, and just kept getting to their spots on offense, taking care of the ball, making passes and making shots.

Big runs are part of the game, of course, but talent and execution over time tend to convert to wins much more often than hot streaks. I know the Clips are hobbled, but a less mentally tough team than the Spurs would have folded in that game. It's a great time to be a Spurs fan.

[Obstructed_View]

OV's game thoughts

To start off, I'm going to just give everyone, with two exceptions, a pass on that start, and my grades will reflect that. In addition, I won't go into too much technical breakdown because it was a very emotional win, and I haven't had time to absorb that yet.

It's been discussed elsewhere, but still merits mention: When watching the 2009 or 2010 Spurs get down by 20 points in the first quarter, I'd have been too nervous to watch the game. I paused this game, went to pick up a friend at the airport, and told him I had to get home to watch the Spurs come back and win. This is a special team, folks. Let's hope fortune smiles on their health for nine more games.


When you put a team down in a two game hole, you expect an emotional response in game three, weather that emotional storm, and just play your game. The Spurs took a different tact and decided to hit the snooze bar during all that, taking care of business once they sensed the Clippers' adrenaline wearing off. What resulted was the Spurs pulling off one of the most historic playoff wins in their storied history. That they pulled off said feat with a largely disinterested expression on their faces marks them as a special group of cold-blooded assasins, the likes of which we've not seen around these parts since 2007 or earlier.


Tim Duncan A
Can Tim Duncan do what he does year in and year out for 40 minutes a game? No. Is Tim Duncan as good a defender when you need him as any big in the league? Yep. Any. Big. In. The. League. Yes, I said it. No, I'm not ashamed of it. Duncan's block on Jordan and Griffin are my evidence. I rest my case and :lol at anyone who thought it was such a ridiculous statement to make.

Manu Ginobili A
Manu Ginobili has waited a long time to blow up. I've really been expecting one of his amazing games by this point where he's the best player on the floor. I'm still waiting, but the real Manu Ginobili stood up for a few minutes tonight, and it was beautiful to see. It's a testament to the man's greatness that he's booed in more places than Kobe Bryant.

Tony Parker A
If there's any doubt who the leader of the team is this season, it should have been erased in this game. Tony Parker came to play from the start, was extremely aggressive throughout, played more strong defense, and closed the Clippers out in the fourth. It's really funny to see Parker chatting and smiling with Paul during dead ball before turning on the intensity when the ball's in play. The best closer in the Los Angeles wore silver and black yesterday.

Kawhi Leonard A+
It's too early to say for sure, but it's possible that we will look back on this game years from now as the coming out party for Kawhi, where he lived up to the hopes the defense-starved fans placed on him the day he was drafted. To be completely frank, I don't know that the Spurs even compete in this game without him. He had two or three momentum plays that were absolutely essential to their ability to cut the lead to seven before halftime. His spacing and team play has been so good this postseason that he can impact the game in ways a stat sheet is unable to show, and he did all that and more. He moved his feet on defense better than he's ever done it before, and immediately showed what kind of a force he can potentially be for this team. From frustrating to outright shutting-down, he did a little bit of everything against Clippers at all five positions. It was beautiful to see. If he keeps this up, the word "Bowenesque" will become inadequate to describe him.


Boris Diaw B
Diaw personified the attitude the Spurs started the game off with, and to be honest, was a big reason they were in a hole. No energy, no compete, no real urgency. Then he hit his three pointer to cut it to eight before halftime, and all was suddenly right with the world again. Moving without the ball, passing, and especially defense. Calm and cool, he grabbed his lunch box, said "sorry I'm late" and punched in.

Danny Green B-
Danny Green had an odd game. I'm thinking he read all the papers before game three. That's my only theory. He was bad. He made two absolutely stupid fouls really early and got himself yanked, then came back in later and took a shake and bake step back three pointer that was so wide that the scorekeeper almost recorded it as a pass out of bounds. He was abysmal. Then when the team started to play well again, he said "Oh, this is what I do." and became himself again, at which point he was what we expect from Danny Green, but with better defense.

Gary Neal B-
Gary Neal has not had a good series. The matchups are a nightmare for him, and there's simply no place for him to hide. In spite of all that, he's worked hard and kept his head in the game to a degree that really really impresses me. He got put into a bad position when Danny got into foul trouble and he was suddenly inserted into a nearly impossible situation that he wasn't prepared for. He wasn't any worse or any better than he's been, which is a sign to me that he's simply in a situation that he can't do much about. The cold hard truth is that he's not needed for this series, but he's going to be down the road. It's essential that he keep his game face on, which he's done. A sign of that is he's still hitting shots, and that's simply all that matters.

Tiago Splitter B
Splitter wasn't nearly as bad as LJ says he was. Griffin's a good player, he was full of adrenaline, and he was on a roll. I expected the NBA Jam voice to yell "HE'S ON FIRE!" at some point. Splitter came into that situation, drew several charges from Griffin and actually got the refs to blow the whisle on one of them. He also worked hard to get rebounds. It was his misfortune that he was defending Griffin by himself at the same time that his teammates didn't think they needed to pass the ball to anyone that wasn't in a Clippers uniform. His steal at the beginning of the second quarter was one of those momentum plays like Leonard had. It was the first thing in the entire game to happen that looked like Spurs basketball.

Matt Bonner C
Matt Bonner fills time. He wasn't great, but he hit a shot. He wasn't great on defense, but nobody got going because they were on him. He was tough, he was physical, he was overmatched. He's not a momentum changer. Thank God he's not starting anymore.

Stephen Jackson F
I love you, Jack, but fuck yo outing, clown.

Pop D-
When Danny Green got into foul trouble and the Spurs were playing listless, robotic basketball, there's only one guy in the entire league who plays with passion and lifts the effort level of his team, and that man is...Gary Neal? Stupid, stupid, stupid decision to put Neal into the game next to Parker, particularly when it's been such a proven failure thus far. Pop has been great this year, but his adherence to substitution schedules has been a major reason why he's been blasted over the last several years. He avoids an F in this game because he went away from that practice later in the game. Leaving the starters in long enough to clean things up was a sensible move, and one that wouldn't even require mention with any other coach.

[TJastal]

Amazing to see a rookie actually improve and grow DURING the playoffs. Where many rookies would have panicked at 40-16, he picked up his game and calmly went to work.

His confidence should be so high right now. He 'gets it' and is earning the trust and respect from our vets. A grade well-earned.

In contrast, Jax was the worst player on the court for either team in his short stint.
Is there a grade of F-?

Sometimes I'm seeing an expression on Manu's face that looks like "hey, I'm still one of our Big 3" and then he pushes a little too much in order to prove it, but the shots and the rest of his play aren't quite there except in flashes. I still have hopes he will have a break-through game where he dominates the court again and earns an "A".

This win will go down in Spurs history as equal or surpassing the Memorial Day miracle. Great win from a confident, hard-working team.

I love the bi-polar segments of ST...

[TJastal]

Did anyone catch Leonard's block on Paul? I paused my DVR and watched it in slow-mo. Leonard's length is almost unbelievable. He's like the plastic man of the Fantastic Four.

[therealtruth]

OV's game thoughts

It's been discussed elsewhere, but still merits mention: When watching the 2009 or 2010 Spurs get down by 20 points in the first quarter, I'd have been too nervous to watch the game. I paused this game, went to pick up a friend at the airport, and told him I had to get home to watch the Spurs come back and win. This is a special team, folks. Let's hope fortune smiles on their health for nine more games.


I've got to agree with most of your takes. This Spurs team is different. I wasn't worried when I saw them go down because I knew the Clippers were playing out of their minds. Plus this Spurs team can actually defend. So once the Clippers stopped hitting incredible shots I knew they would go back to the mean. This team is full of guys who can make plays on both ends of the court. We haven't had that in a while.

[therealtruth]

Did anyone catch Leonard's block on Paul? I paused my DVR and watched it in slow-mo. Leonard's length is almost unbelievable. He's like the plastic man of the Fantastic Four.

Yeah. I love watching KL play. One key difference we have with this team is we can put KL and DG on good point guards to wear them down. I think we missed that when we were swept by the Suns in '10.

[SOMA Spur]

Thanks for the grades Timvp...I read them after after every game - great stuff.

Long time lurker but went to the game yesterday and had some thoughts from inside Staples.

I sat a section away from the Kahwi Leonard fan club - 15-20 family members all with Leonard jerseys. Lots of fun watching them get into it as Kahwi made great play after great play. That kid's gone through a lot in his young life - so proud for him and his entire family.

The Reggie Evans situation was hilarious as the crowd went absolutely ape shit for this guy when he entered the game. And after his rebound/put back, the crowd cheering 'Reggie' was absolutely deafening. I turned to my buddy and asked when did Reggie Evans become league MVP. But a few minutes later as Pop instituted Hack-a-Reggie, these same fans sitting around me just started laughing at the guy as he missed his free throws. They were just shaking their heads saying 'Fucking Popovich'. Loved it.

Clips and spurs fans usually get along. I think true die hard Clip fans might be the only fans in the league who hate the Lakers more than the Spurs fans do. Plus there is usually a lot of respect the Spurs/POP get from Clipper nation, so things don't usually get too heated in the stands. But in the third as Duncan kept driving to the whole and making layup after layup, some Clips fans and one Spurs fan wearing a Duncan jersey got into it in the lower level and security had to be called in. It was like 10 Clippers Jerseys surrounding one Spurs fan and of course they threw out the one Spurs fan - messed up.

Overall weird game - both my buddy and I knew the Spurs we going to come back and win, hell, everyone in the building knew the Spurs were going to come back and win. We were just expecting it to be cut to 10 by half, tied up at the end of 3, and Spurs winning with a Gary Neal 3 point dagger. We got the 'cut to 10 by half' part right, but I blinked in the third and we were up by 12 and the game was over. I guess its just a testament to how good we are this year as a team, or how mediocre the Clips are as a playoff opponent. Hopefully the former - I guess we'll find out next round.

Thanks again for posting...

[TJastal]

I like the way the spurs battled back from that huge defecit to win. But the spurs cannot have let downs like that against Durant & Westbrook in the next round. They will be an entirely different animal. Not saying the spurs can't win it, it's just going to be alot tougher.

Thankfully Pop grew some balls in the latter stages of the regular season and secured the #1 seed which very well may be the deciding factor.

[rasho8]

I love your breakdowns LJ. Please take over for kens5 or something.

I also miss the old GTGs