timvp
12-17-2012, 07:05 PM
The Spurs hadn’t defeated the Celtics within Bexar County in more than seven years. Thanks to a strong second half, particularly on the defensive end, the Spurs won by a final score of 103-88 to end that streak.
After a slow start by San Antonio, the first quarter was closely contested. The Spurs scored six consecutive points near the end of the first quarter to take a five-point lead into the second period.
The Celtics began the second quarter well, however the Spurs used an 8-0 run in the middle of the period to take a seven-point advantage. Unfortunately for the good guys, their defense let them down in the second half of this quarter. Boston put 18 points on the board in the final six minutes before intermission, with Paul Pierce and Jason Terry combining for 16 of the points. The Spurs kept up enough to still hold a three-point lead at halftime.
With the game tied 55-55 early in the second half, the Spurs used three three-pointers to fuel an 11-0 run over the course of less than two minutes. The Celtics fought back but the Spurs kept them at bay and led 77-69 going into the final stanza.
With Boston within six points with 8:37 remaining in the game, San Antonio’s three Frenchman took over. Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nando De Colo scored the Spurs next 14 points. By the time the France-led run was over, the Celtics were emptying their bench to signal the end of the competition.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box251.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box252.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box253.png
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Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Offensively, there’s no denying that Tim Duncan struggled. The culprit? An uncharacteristically shaky outside jumper. On shots outside of the paint, Duncan was 0-for-9 on the night. On the other end, Duncan brought a lot of value to the table. His rebounding was outstanding; he pulled down one-third of the team’s defensive boards in only 31 minutes of play. Duncan was stout in the paint and even rotated out to the perimeter on multiple occasions to challenge three-pointers. Overall, while his outside shooting was impotent, the St. Croix native was able to remain the team’s anchor and didn’t let his struggles negatively influence the rest of his performance.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.7
Last 10 Average: 88.7
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Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Four minutes into his night, Manu Ginobili collided with Chris Wilcox. Wilcox’s knee hit Ginobili directly on his right quad. The two previous times that El Contusion has suffered quad contusions, he has only missed one game each. Let’s hope his return this time is that speedy.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 85.1
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Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Earlier this season, it was a game against the Celtics that got Tony Parker rolling. In the rematch, Parker was even better. Defensively, he was fantastic. He stayed close to Rajon Rondo and rarely gave him any room to operate. This was a massive defensive improvement from Parker’s recent outing. On the other end of the court, the Frenchman was extremely efficient. He kept the pace brisk, attacked well off the dribble and repeatedly found open teammates, all while limiting his miscues. Parker had a cold spell scoring-wise but ended on a high note. He hit four straight shots in the fourth quarter -- two of the circus variety -- to close the door on Beantown.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 88.0
Adj. Average: 88.0
Last 10 Average: 90.6
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Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Defensively, Danny Green was pretty good as long as screens weren’t involved. When Boston started running their players around double and triple screens, Green missed a few rotations and appeared to simply not know what to do half the time. That has to be fixed. Offensively, I was mostly satisfied with how Green played. He attacked the rim with more purpose than usual, passed the ball well and shot it straight.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.0
Adj. Average: 82.4
Last 10 Average: 81.3
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
In the first quarter, I was extremely impressed with how Gary Neal was playing defense. He was chasing Jason Terry around screens and was great about eliminating passing lanes. But then it stopped. I don’t know if Neal got tired or checked out mentally but the rest of the night was downhill. He stopped aggressively chasing his man around screens and oftentimes drifted aimlessly into the paint. Offensively, though, Neal was undeniably huge. This was the fourth time in 17 days that he scored at least 20 points and the fifth time this season. A couple times the Celtics doubled off of him and Neal made them pay. His well-rounded offensive attack has undoubtedly helped the Spurs survive this rash of injuries.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 83.1
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Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter started against the Celtics and, judging by Pop’s comments, he’ll be starting for the foreseeable future. His debut as a full-time starter was a good one. Defensively, Splitter guarded Kevin Garnett and did splendid work. He had no trouble defending Garnett out on the perimeter or in the post. He also rebounded well and was able to challenge shots without fouling. On the other end, Splitter was mostly a positive. His passing is really shining right now; he’s always been a good passer but he has taken it to another level in the last few games. Splitter also found ways to score without have to always rely on pick-and-roll action. My only issue with the Brazilian this game was his hesitation when looking to finish when he’s stationary under the basket. If he could ever learn to jump off of two feet and powerfully go to the rim, he’d REALLY be something.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 84.6
Adj. Average: 85.5
Last 10 Average: 89.3
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Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
After three really bad games, Boris Diaw took a few steps forward versus Boston. His offensive decisions remain sloppier than usual but it wasn’t the total disaster that we witnessed the previous three outings. Defensively, again he was better but not all the way back to normal. His defense in the paint isn’t where it needs to be and he also missed a handful of rotations out on the perimeter. Diaw did some good in this game but his funk isn’t completely behind him yet.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 79.0
Adj. Average: 80.4
Last 10 Average: 78.4
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Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
The NBA rookie is really starting to figure this stuff out. Nando De Colo looked very comfortable on his way to 20 productive minutes. Defensively, he was strong at both guard spots. He not only rebounded well but he helped out by snatching steals and other loose balls. I continue to think that he has the requisite amount of athleticism to play at this level, especially given his size and length. On offense, De Colo illustrated a healthy amount of aggression and his passing remains superb. The three-pointer he hit with four minutes remaining in the game was notable because it gave the Spurs a double-digit lead that they would never relinquish. All in all, De Colo is skilled in a number of areas and has a chance to grow into a solid player.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 85.0
Last 10 Average: 83.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills played with a ton of energy on both ends of the court. He ran the court hard, picked up early on the defensive end and made quick decision. On this night, his energy didn’t do much in terms of production but he also wasn’t a liability. His lively play especially helped him on the defensive end, where the Australian made a few plays he doesn’t usually make.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 87.9
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Versus the Celtics, Matt Bonner always seems to have some extra pep in his step. That was again the case Saturday night. When he entered the game, he became a positive factor on the offensive end immediately. Bonner not only knocked down shots but he also used his pump-fake to help create looks for his teammates. On the defensive end, he wasn’t as successful. Bonner moved his feet decently well and wasn’t a pushover in the paint but he didn’t rebound (or even box out that well).
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 85.6
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Already without his small forwards, Pop was further challenged after he lost Ginobili to injury. But by trusting his young guns even more, he made it seem like a non-issue. I liked Pop’s rotation considering the circumstances. I’m in favor of giving Splitter the highest amount of minutes he can handle, so I support Pop moving him to the starting lineup.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.1
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Offense
All of the offensive stats look solid. They passed it well, limited their turnovers, got to the line and made shots. The Spurs didn’t explode on this end mostly because the Celtics packed the paint and got back very well in transition defense.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 85.0
Last 10 Average: 86.5
---------------
Defense
Outside of a few errors in the latter stages of the second quarter, San Antonio did commendable work on the defensive end. The two most important aspects were forcing 20 turnovers and holding the Celtics to only eight free throws. Combined, those numbers make it virtually impossible for any team to win.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 86.0
---------------
Overall
Bouncing back from their first back-to-back losses of the season, the Spurs getting this win was important. The Celtics aren’t necessarily a great team but they have the tools to make life tough for San Antonio. The Spurs had a lot of players play well and didn’t skip a beat despite the injuries. Job well done.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 86.4
---------------
After a slow start by San Antonio, the first quarter was closely contested. The Spurs scored six consecutive points near the end of the first quarter to take a five-point lead into the second period.
The Celtics began the second quarter well, however the Spurs used an 8-0 run in the middle of the period to take a seven-point advantage. Unfortunately for the good guys, their defense let them down in the second half of this quarter. Boston put 18 points on the board in the final six minutes before intermission, with Paul Pierce and Jason Terry combining for 16 of the points. The Spurs kept up enough to still hold a three-point lead at halftime.
With the game tied 55-55 early in the second half, the Spurs used three three-pointers to fuel an 11-0 run over the course of less than two minutes. The Celtics fought back but the Spurs kept them at bay and led 77-69 going into the final stanza.
With Boston within six points with 8:37 remaining in the game, San Antonio’s three Frenchman took over. Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nando De Colo scored the Spurs next 14 points. By the time the France-led run was over, the Celtics were emptying their bench to signal the end of the competition.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box251.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box252.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box253.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Offensively, there’s no denying that Tim Duncan struggled. The culprit? An uncharacteristically shaky outside jumper. On shots outside of the paint, Duncan was 0-for-9 on the night. On the other end, Duncan brought a lot of value to the table. His rebounding was outstanding; he pulled down one-third of the team’s defensive boards in only 31 minutes of play. Duncan was stout in the paint and even rotated out to the perimeter on multiple occasions to challenge three-pointers. Overall, while his outside shooting was impotent, the St. Croix native was able to remain the team’s anchor and didn’t let his struggles negatively influence the rest of his performance.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.7
Last 10 Average: 88.7
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Four minutes into his night, Manu Ginobili collided with Chris Wilcox. Wilcox’s knee hit Ginobili directly on his right quad. The two previous times that El Contusion has suffered quad contusions, he has only missed one game each. Let’s hope his return this time is that speedy.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 85.1
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Earlier this season, it was a game against the Celtics that got Tony Parker rolling. In the rematch, Parker was even better. Defensively, he was fantastic. He stayed close to Rajon Rondo and rarely gave him any room to operate. This was a massive defensive improvement from Parker’s recent outing. On the other end of the court, the Frenchman was extremely efficient. He kept the pace brisk, attacked well off the dribble and repeatedly found open teammates, all while limiting his miscues. Parker had a cold spell scoring-wise but ended on a high note. He hit four straight shots in the fourth quarter -- two of the circus variety -- to close the door on Beantown.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 88.0
Adj. Average: 88.0
Last 10 Average: 90.6
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Defensively, Danny Green was pretty good as long as screens weren’t involved. When Boston started running their players around double and triple screens, Green missed a few rotations and appeared to simply not know what to do half the time. That has to be fixed. Offensively, I was mostly satisfied with how Green played. He attacked the rim with more purpose than usual, passed the ball well and shot it straight.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.0
Adj. Average: 82.4
Last 10 Average: 81.3
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
In the first quarter, I was extremely impressed with how Gary Neal was playing defense. He was chasing Jason Terry around screens and was great about eliminating passing lanes. But then it stopped. I don’t know if Neal got tired or checked out mentally but the rest of the night was downhill. He stopped aggressively chasing his man around screens and oftentimes drifted aimlessly into the paint. Offensively, though, Neal was undeniably huge. This was the fourth time in 17 days that he scored at least 20 points and the fifth time this season. A couple times the Celtics doubled off of him and Neal made them pay. His well-rounded offensive attack has undoubtedly helped the Spurs survive this rash of injuries.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 83.1
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter started against the Celtics and, judging by Pop’s comments, he’ll be starting for the foreseeable future. His debut as a full-time starter was a good one. Defensively, Splitter guarded Kevin Garnett and did splendid work. He had no trouble defending Garnett out on the perimeter or in the post. He also rebounded well and was able to challenge shots without fouling. On the other end, Splitter was mostly a positive. His passing is really shining right now; he’s always been a good passer but he has taken it to another level in the last few games. Splitter also found ways to score without have to always rely on pick-and-roll action. My only issue with the Brazilian this game was his hesitation when looking to finish when he’s stationary under the basket. If he could ever learn to jump off of two feet and powerfully go to the rim, he’d REALLY be something.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 84.6
Adj. Average: 85.5
Last 10 Average: 89.3
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
After three really bad games, Boris Diaw took a few steps forward versus Boston. His offensive decisions remain sloppier than usual but it wasn’t the total disaster that we witnessed the previous three outings. Defensively, again he was better but not all the way back to normal. His defense in the paint isn’t where it needs to be and he also missed a handful of rotations out on the perimeter. Diaw did some good in this game but his funk isn’t completely behind him yet.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 79.0
Adj. Average: 80.4
Last 10 Average: 78.4
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
The NBA rookie is really starting to figure this stuff out. Nando De Colo looked very comfortable on his way to 20 productive minutes. Defensively, he was strong at both guard spots. He not only rebounded well but he helped out by snatching steals and other loose balls. I continue to think that he has the requisite amount of athleticism to play at this level, especially given his size and length. On offense, De Colo illustrated a healthy amount of aggression and his passing remains superb. The three-pointer he hit with four minutes remaining in the game was notable because it gave the Spurs a double-digit lead that they would never relinquish. All in all, De Colo is skilled in a number of areas and has a chance to grow into a solid player.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 85.0
Last 10 Average: 83.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills played with a ton of energy on both ends of the court. He ran the court hard, picked up early on the defensive end and made quick decision. On this night, his energy didn’t do much in terms of production but he also wasn’t a liability. His lively play especially helped him on the defensive end, where the Australian made a few plays he doesn’t usually make.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 87.9
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Versus the Celtics, Matt Bonner always seems to have some extra pep in his step. That was again the case Saturday night. When he entered the game, he became a positive factor on the offensive end immediately. Bonner not only knocked down shots but he also used his pump-fake to help create looks for his teammates. On the defensive end, he wasn’t as successful. Bonner moved his feet decently well and wasn’t a pushover in the paint but he didn’t rebound (or even box out that well).
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 85.6
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Already without his small forwards, Pop was further challenged after he lost Ginobili to injury. But by trusting his young guns even more, he made it seem like a non-issue. I liked Pop’s rotation considering the circumstances. I’m in favor of giving Splitter the highest amount of minutes he can handle, so I support Pop moving him to the starting lineup.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.1
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Offense
All of the offensive stats look solid. They passed it well, limited their turnovers, got to the line and made shots. The Spurs didn’t explode on this end mostly because the Celtics packed the paint and got back very well in transition defense.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 85.0
Last 10 Average: 86.5
---------------
Defense
Outside of a few errors in the latter stages of the second quarter, San Antonio did commendable work on the defensive end. The two most important aspects were forcing 20 turnovers and holding the Celtics to only eight free throws. Combined, those numbers make it virtually impossible for any team to win.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 86.0
---------------
Overall
Bouncing back from their first back-to-back losses of the season, the Spurs getting this win was important. The Celtics aren’t necessarily a great team but they have the tools to make life tough for San Antonio. The Spurs had a lot of players play well and didn’t skip a beat despite the injuries. Job well done.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 86.4
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