timvp
06-05-2012, 10:10 PM
Game 5 didn't need a final buzzer. When the clock hit zero, the sound of San Antonio's collective heartbreak sufficed. The Thunder came into the AT&T Center and defeated the Spurs to send the good guys to the brink of elimination. Oklahoma City played well throughout and deserved the 108-103 victory.
The Spurs, however, definitely played a role in their own downfall. The Thunder were in the penalty two minutes into the game, yet the Spurs failed to take advantage and never shot another free throw the rest of the way. Add that failure to Pop's abomination of a first quarter rotation and it's no surprise that the Thunder were able to take an early seven-point deficit and turn it into a 26-21 lead by the end of the first period.
Both teams came out firing in the second quarter. Daequan Cook emerged from the shadows to score eight straight points for the Thunder, however Manu Ginobili -- who would come to the rescue countless times -- hit a three-point to get the Spurs within four points with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Then the wheels fell off.
The Spurs went scoreless for nearly six minutes and all the confidence, trust and hope built during San Antonio's legendary run over the last couple months was evaporating right before our eyes. The body language was defeatist, the fun-and-gun offense was depressed and the dream season had turned into a nightmare.
To San Antonio's credit, they were able to bounce back. Down by 14, the Spurs finished the half strong and only trailed by eight -- 52-44 -- at the half. The run continued in the third quarter, thanks again to Ginobili. The Argentine warrior hit a three-pointer to put give the Spurs a one-point lead and then nailed another triple to put the Spurs up by four. With 5:39 remaining in the period, Ginobili hit yet another three-pointer to give the Spurs a six-point advantage.
Did the Thunder start feeling sorry for themselves? Not a chance. The Thunder came storming back with a 20-5 run and entered the fourth quarter up 81-72. The final stanza saw Oklahoma City keep a sizable advantage for the first half of the quarter. When James Harden completed a four-point play with 5:16 left to put the Thunder up by 13 points, it looked like the game was over.
But once again, the Spurs refused to die without a fight. An 11-0 run got the Spurs within two points with 1:54 remaining. After Russell Westbrook hit a jumper to put the Thunder back up by four points, Tim Duncan hit a shot in the lane to get the Spurs within a pair.
The Spurs played hardnosed defense on the next possession. They kept the ball out of Kevin Durant's hands and had the Thunder facing a disappearing shot clock. Unfortunately, that's when the signature shot of this playoff series was authored. Harden hit a backbreaking three-pointer that will be replayed and remembered for all of basketball's eternity.
Amazingly, the Spurs weren't quite done yet. Ginobili made a layup and then the Spurs were able to force a turnover on the inbounds pass. Down by three points, the Spurs got the ball into Ginobili's hands but he missed a twisting three-pointer as San Antonio's hearts broke.
It's sad how this magical season is now on life-support. This game was virtually a must-win but the Spurs -- both the players and coaches -- just didn't enter the contest with enough precision. The rotations were panicky, they turned the ball over 21 times and the offense was uncharacteristically ragged for long stretches, especially in the first half. Plus, perhaps most damning, the defense was reduced to relying on hopes and prayers.
That said, the Thunder deserve a ton of the credit. Coming into this game, I didn't think the Spurs could win if the Thunder played their best. And while Oklahoma City wasn't perfect, they were close enough. Kevin Durant is a great player. James Harden is an assassin. Russell Westbrook is maturing at a rapid pace. The rest of their squad knows their roles.
While the Spurs are technically still alive, it's going to be extremely, extremely difficult for this team to travel to Oklahoma City and gut out a victory following this tremendous disappointment.
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Tim Duncan C+
Tim Duncan got off to a slow start in Game 5 and then saw things spiral south after getting into foul trouble. He hit only 1-of-4 shots in the first half and his defense could best be described as glacial due to his painfully slow reactions. In the third quarter, Duncan began to thaw and his rhythm was improving ... but he once again found himself in foul trouble. In the fourth period, Duncan played his best basketball of the game. Offensively, he was decisive and scored a team-high 11 points on perfect shooting from the floor (4-for-4) and the line (3-for-3). His defense was better but still decidedly below average. All in all, the Spurs needed Duncan to play better and more consistently. Foul trouble played its role but it was more than that. Then again, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 17 points in the 33 minutes Duncan was on the court. When he was off the court, the Spurs got outscored by 22 points in only 15 minutes. If you look at it that way, or simply view his statistics, it's difficult to lay too much of the blame on Duncan.
Manu Ginobili A+
Back in the starting lineup, Manu Ginobili played his heart out. When the team looked like they were on the verge of tossing in the towel in the first half, it was Ginobili's undying will to win that kept the Spurs afloat. Offensively, he got his outside stroke going and then was able to mix in drives to the basket. His passing and playmaking were also fantastic. Defensively, I thought Ginobili gave it his all. There were some technical mistakes along the way but his ferocity was commendable. The only negatives you can point to are his turnovers and the fact that he wore down late in the game. Considering he played a season-high in minutes -- and played so hard -- it's not really a surprise that he missed six of his eight attempts in the final period. The bottomline is Ginobili did all he could to avoid this loss. It just wasn't enough.
Tony Parker C-
This has been Tony Parker's team. He's received the praise, the love and the MVP consideration. But on Monday night, Parker simply didn't live up to expectations. His first half was much too listless. With so much on the line, there's just no way the Spurs could live with Parker going 2-for-8 with one assist. No way. In the second half, Parker began to play like he should. Defensively, he was great. He pressured Russell Westbrook with all the effort he could muster -- and it paid off. Westbrook's miscues down the stretch were seemingly the only times the Spurs could get a stop on defense. On the other end, Parker hit half of his six attempts in the second half and was buzzing around the court with much more purpose. He wasn't quite at his peak level ... but he was close enough. Unfortunately, his dull first half proved to be insurmountable. Give Parker credit for getting to the line 12 times and for playing admirable second half defense but the Spurs needed MVP Parker ... and that just didn't happen.
Kawhi Leonard B+
In the first half, Kawhi Leonard was making some rookie mistakes. On one possession, he failed to fill the lane on a fast break. Soon after that, he ran without looking back for the ball. Both times, the end result was a turnover. Throughout the game, the Thunder made it a point not to leave Leonard open due to how well he's been shooting -- and the strategy limited Leonard's ability to help on offense. On defense, Leonard was pretty damn good. He kept his focus and challenged catches, dribbles and shots. On top of that, he rebounded with force. In the big picture, it's still rather stunning that a 20-year-old rookie is able to play such a huge role in a tight series without looking out of place. Win or lose, Leonard's rookie season has been a gargantuan success.
Boris Diaw C
Boris Diaw got in early foul trouble and he never really recovered. He scored all five of his points in the first five minutes of the game. Then he picked up his second foul. In his final 20 minutes of playing time, Diaw had his moments here and there but they were too few and too far between. The Thunder basically ignore him on offense, so he has to score to be effective. His passing is somewhat helpful, as is his ballhandling, but if he's not scoring in this series, nothing else can compensate. Defensively, he wasn't a liability but he also wasn't providing much of anything.
Stephen Jackson A
One player who can keep his head held high is Stephen Jackson. He did all he could in Game 5 to try to bully this team to victory. Jackson continues to shoot very well from the perimeter. Additionally, his passing has been helpful and he's shown an ability to score off the dribble. Defensively, Jackson was a positive. In the fourth quarter, I thought he was outstanding. He defended Durant for much of the period and did as well as possible. The points Durant scored were under heavy duress. Considering Durant was 0-for-1 in the final six minutes of the game with Jackson on him, I can't label that as anything other than a momentous success. Thank you for the effort, Stephen Jackson.
Gary Neal D
In these playoffs, Gary Neal has been one of the best shooters in the entire NBA. If fact, many statistical measures had Neal as the best of the best. Unfortunately, regression to the mean can by an evil son of a Laker fan. Neal missed all six shots on Monday night. Even worse, many of those attempts were ill-timed and seemed to break any rhythm the team had going. His ballhandling and passing were again well below average. Defensively, while he was better than usual, he was still quite poor. All in all, there's not much to analyze with regard to Neal. He's a hired gun off the bench who jammed at an inopportune time. Let's hope he's shooting straighter in Game 6.
Tiago Splitter C+
Coming into the game, Tiago Splitter had apparently fallen all the way to the fifth spot in the bigman rotation. Both DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner got off the bench before he did. It didn't take long for that to look like a horrible decision by the coaching staff. Splitter regained his spot in the rotation in the second quarter. Given the difficult circumstances, I didn't think Splitter was a disaster. His hands weren't as good as usual on the offensive end but he was able to score around the rim twice. Defensively, while he showed a frustrating lack of toughness on some occasions, he used his length well and his rotations were timely. It didn't look like much but I think this was a step in the right direction for Splitter. He should be back in the rotation heading into Game 6 and there's still time for him to make a mark in this series.
DeJuan Blair C
DeJuan Blair was the first bigman off the bench. While the effort and want-to were there, he soon reminded everyone why he had been banished to the deep bench in the first place. His play was simply too unrefined and the Thunder were able to take advantage. Defensively, he made things worse ... a lot worse. Offensively, he wasn't close to making up for his defensive shortcoming -- pun somewhat intended.
Danny Green D
Benched in favor of Ginobili, Danny Green only played four minutes. In that short amount of time, he looked totally out of sorts. His confidence is obviously gone and he wasn't able to make an impact on either end of the court. It's unfortunate to say but the clock might have struck twelve on Danny Green's Cinderella season.
Pop F
As both teams were preparing for Game 5, I went on record to say this contest would go down as the most important game of Pop's coaching career. He had many items to consider, many possible avenues to explore and no superstar-level Tim Duncan to rely on. Now that the game is over, I still feel like it was the most important game of Pop's career. Unfortunately, Pop was an unmitigated disaster. His first quarter rotations made absolutely no sense. I realize he was dealing with foul trouble but to play Blair at the center of a small ball lineup when the defense was already porous to begin with was astoundingly stupid. Pop shuffling players in and out added to the confusion. By the second quarter, it was obvious that Pop had committed the coaching cardinal sin: he took the game out of the hands of his players. As the game progressed, Pop was better ... but that's not saying much. The rotation was still a question mark and the playcalling was lacking. I've always been a big supporter of Pop but this was an embarrassingly bad coaching effort. Now he faces the even more difficult task of leading the Spurs to a Game 6 win over the Thunder. From what we saw on Monday night, there's little reason to believe that Pop is up to the challenge.
The Spurs, however, definitely played a role in their own downfall. The Thunder were in the penalty two minutes into the game, yet the Spurs failed to take advantage and never shot another free throw the rest of the way. Add that failure to Pop's abomination of a first quarter rotation and it's no surprise that the Thunder were able to take an early seven-point deficit and turn it into a 26-21 lead by the end of the first period.
Both teams came out firing in the second quarter. Daequan Cook emerged from the shadows to score eight straight points for the Thunder, however Manu Ginobili -- who would come to the rescue countless times -- hit a three-point to get the Spurs within four points with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Then the wheels fell off.
The Spurs went scoreless for nearly six minutes and all the confidence, trust and hope built during San Antonio's legendary run over the last couple months was evaporating right before our eyes. The body language was defeatist, the fun-and-gun offense was depressed and the dream season had turned into a nightmare.
To San Antonio's credit, they were able to bounce back. Down by 14, the Spurs finished the half strong and only trailed by eight -- 52-44 -- at the half. The run continued in the third quarter, thanks again to Ginobili. The Argentine warrior hit a three-pointer to put give the Spurs a one-point lead and then nailed another triple to put the Spurs up by four. With 5:39 remaining in the period, Ginobili hit yet another three-pointer to give the Spurs a six-point advantage.
Did the Thunder start feeling sorry for themselves? Not a chance. The Thunder came storming back with a 20-5 run and entered the fourth quarter up 81-72. The final stanza saw Oklahoma City keep a sizable advantage for the first half of the quarter. When James Harden completed a four-point play with 5:16 left to put the Thunder up by 13 points, it looked like the game was over.
But once again, the Spurs refused to die without a fight. An 11-0 run got the Spurs within two points with 1:54 remaining. After Russell Westbrook hit a jumper to put the Thunder back up by four points, Tim Duncan hit a shot in the lane to get the Spurs within a pair.
The Spurs played hardnosed defense on the next possession. They kept the ball out of Kevin Durant's hands and had the Thunder facing a disappearing shot clock. Unfortunately, that's when the signature shot of this playoff series was authored. Harden hit a backbreaking three-pointer that will be replayed and remembered for all of basketball's eternity.
Amazingly, the Spurs weren't quite done yet. Ginobili made a layup and then the Spurs were able to force a turnover on the inbounds pass. Down by three points, the Spurs got the ball into Ginobili's hands but he missed a twisting three-pointer as San Antonio's hearts broke.
It's sad how this magical season is now on life-support. This game was virtually a must-win but the Spurs -- both the players and coaches -- just didn't enter the contest with enough precision. The rotations were panicky, they turned the ball over 21 times and the offense was uncharacteristically ragged for long stretches, especially in the first half. Plus, perhaps most damning, the defense was reduced to relying on hopes and prayers.
That said, the Thunder deserve a ton of the credit. Coming into this game, I didn't think the Spurs could win if the Thunder played their best. And while Oklahoma City wasn't perfect, they were close enough. Kevin Durant is a great player. James Harden is an assassin. Russell Westbrook is maturing at a rapid pace. The rest of their squad knows their roles.
While the Spurs are technically still alive, it's going to be extremely, extremely difficult for this team to travel to Oklahoma City and gut out a victory following this tremendous disappointment.
http://dailyelements.com/junxbox1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/junxbox2.jpg
Tim Duncan C+
Tim Duncan got off to a slow start in Game 5 and then saw things spiral south after getting into foul trouble. He hit only 1-of-4 shots in the first half and his defense could best be described as glacial due to his painfully slow reactions. In the third quarter, Duncan began to thaw and his rhythm was improving ... but he once again found himself in foul trouble. In the fourth period, Duncan played his best basketball of the game. Offensively, he was decisive and scored a team-high 11 points on perfect shooting from the floor (4-for-4) and the line (3-for-3). His defense was better but still decidedly below average. All in all, the Spurs needed Duncan to play better and more consistently. Foul trouble played its role but it was more than that. Then again, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 17 points in the 33 minutes Duncan was on the court. When he was off the court, the Spurs got outscored by 22 points in only 15 minutes. If you look at it that way, or simply view his statistics, it's difficult to lay too much of the blame on Duncan.
Manu Ginobili A+
Back in the starting lineup, Manu Ginobili played his heart out. When the team looked like they were on the verge of tossing in the towel in the first half, it was Ginobili's undying will to win that kept the Spurs afloat. Offensively, he got his outside stroke going and then was able to mix in drives to the basket. His passing and playmaking were also fantastic. Defensively, I thought Ginobili gave it his all. There were some technical mistakes along the way but his ferocity was commendable. The only negatives you can point to are his turnovers and the fact that he wore down late in the game. Considering he played a season-high in minutes -- and played so hard -- it's not really a surprise that he missed six of his eight attempts in the final period. The bottomline is Ginobili did all he could to avoid this loss. It just wasn't enough.
Tony Parker C-
This has been Tony Parker's team. He's received the praise, the love and the MVP consideration. But on Monday night, Parker simply didn't live up to expectations. His first half was much too listless. With so much on the line, there's just no way the Spurs could live with Parker going 2-for-8 with one assist. No way. In the second half, Parker began to play like he should. Defensively, he was great. He pressured Russell Westbrook with all the effort he could muster -- and it paid off. Westbrook's miscues down the stretch were seemingly the only times the Spurs could get a stop on defense. On the other end, Parker hit half of his six attempts in the second half and was buzzing around the court with much more purpose. He wasn't quite at his peak level ... but he was close enough. Unfortunately, his dull first half proved to be insurmountable. Give Parker credit for getting to the line 12 times and for playing admirable second half defense but the Spurs needed MVP Parker ... and that just didn't happen.
Kawhi Leonard B+
In the first half, Kawhi Leonard was making some rookie mistakes. On one possession, he failed to fill the lane on a fast break. Soon after that, he ran without looking back for the ball. Both times, the end result was a turnover. Throughout the game, the Thunder made it a point not to leave Leonard open due to how well he's been shooting -- and the strategy limited Leonard's ability to help on offense. On defense, Leonard was pretty damn good. He kept his focus and challenged catches, dribbles and shots. On top of that, he rebounded with force. In the big picture, it's still rather stunning that a 20-year-old rookie is able to play such a huge role in a tight series without looking out of place. Win or lose, Leonard's rookie season has been a gargantuan success.
Boris Diaw C
Boris Diaw got in early foul trouble and he never really recovered. He scored all five of his points in the first five minutes of the game. Then he picked up his second foul. In his final 20 minutes of playing time, Diaw had his moments here and there but they were too few and too far between. The Thunder basically ignore him on offense, so he has to score to be effective. His passing is somewhat helpful, as is his ballhandling, but if he's not scoring in this series, nothing else can compensate. Defensively, he wasn't a liability but he also wasn't providing much of anything.
Stephen Jackson A
One player who can keep his head held high is Stephen Jackson. He did all he could in Game 5 to try to bully this team to victory. Jackson continues to shoot very well from the perimeter. Additionally, his passing has been helpful and he's shown an ability to score off the dribble. Defensively, Jackson was a positive. In the fourth quarter, I thought he was outstanding. He defended Durant for much of the period and did as well as possible. The points Durant scored were under heavy duress. Considering Durant was 0-for-1 in the final six minutes of the game with Jackson on him, I can't label that as anything other than a momentous success. Thank you for the effort, Stephen Jackson.
Gary Neal D
In these playoffs, Gary Neal has been one of the best shooters in the entire NBA. If fact, many statistical measures had Neal as the best of the best. Unfortunately, regression to the mean can by an evil son of a Laker fan. Neal missed all six shots on Monday night. Even worse, many of those attempts were ill-timed and seemed to break any rhythm the team had going. His ballhandling and passing were again well below average. Defensively, while he was better than usual, he was still quite poor. All in all, there's not much to analyze with regard to Neal. He's a hired gun off the bench who jammed at an inopportune time. Let's hope he's shooting straighter in Game 6.
Tiago Splitter C+
Coming into the game, Tiago Splitter had apparently fallen all the way to the fifth spot in the bigman rotation. Both DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner got off the bench before he did. It didn't take long for that to look like a horrible decision by the coaching staff. Splitter regained his spot in the rotation in the second quarter. Given the difficult circumstances, I didn't think Splitter was a disaster. His hands weren't as good as usual on the offensive end but he was able to score around the rim twice. Defensively, while he showed a frustrating lack of toughness on some occasions, he used his length well and his rotations were timely. It didn't look like much but I think this was a step in the right direction for Splitter. He should be back in the rotation heading into Game 6 and there's still time for him to make a mark in this series.
DeJuan Blair C
DeJuan Blair was the first bigman off the bench. While the effort and want-to were there, he soon reminded everyone why he had been banished to the deep bench in the first place. His play was simply too unrefined and the Thunder were able to take advantage. Defensively, he made things worse ... a lot worse. Offensively, he wasn't close to making up for his defensive shortcoming -- pun somewhat intended.
Danny Green D
Benched in favor of Ginobili, Danny Green only played four minutes. In that short amount of time, he looked totally out of sorts. His confidence is obviously gone and he wasn't able to make an impact on either end of the court. It's unfortunate to say but the clock might have struck twelve on Danny Green's Cinderella season.
Pop F
As both teams were preparing for Game 5, I went on record to say this contest would go down as the most important game of Pop's coaching career. He had many items to consider, many possible avenues to explore and no superstar-level Tim Duncan to rely on. Now that the game is over, I still feel like it was the most important game of Pop's career. Unfortunately, Pop was an unmitigated disaster. His first quarter rotations made absolutely no sense. I realize he was dealing with foul trouble but to play Blair at the center of a small ball lineup when the defense was already porous to begin with was astoundingly stupid. Pop shuffling players in and out added to the confusion. By the second quarter, it was obvious that Pop had committed the coaching cardinal sin: he took the game out of the hands of his players. As the game progressed, Pop was better ... but that's not saying much. The rotation was still a question mark and the playcalling was lacking. I've always been a big supporter of Pop but this was an embarrassingly bad coaching effort. Now he faces the even more difficult task of leading the Spurs to a Game 6 win over the Thunder. From what we saw on Monday night, there's little reason to believe that Pop is up to the challenge.