timvp
02-22-2013, 09:53 PM
In a matchup between two of the best teams in the Western Conference, pundits were expecting a great game. That expectation didn't come to fruition. Instead, the Spurs obliterated the Clippers in Los Angeles by a final score of 116-90. San Antonio played a fantastic game that was undoubtedly one of their best regular season outings in recent memory.
The good guys got going with five minutes remaining in the first. With the game tied 17-17, the Spurs scored 12 consecutive points in a span of two minutes. Heading into the second quarter, San Antonio led 34-21.
The Spurs kept the lead for the duration of the second quarter. Their advantage remained between 11 and 17 points before taking a 58-43 cushion into intermission.
San Antonio didn't take anything for granted heading into the second half. In fact, their defense got even better. The Clippers went without a field goal in the first 7:14 of the third quarter, during which the Spurs took a commanding 77-51 lead.
Los Angeles never recovered. The end of the third and the entire fourth quarter was glorified garbage time. The Spurs led by as many as 34 points before coasting to their 26-point trouncing.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box561.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box562.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box563.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Tim Duncan was solid across the board. On defense, he offered timely help, rebounded well and was surprisingly mobile out on the perimeter. Offensively, Duncan tortured the Clippers with his pick-and-pop action. L.A. simply couldn't figure out how to protect the hoop yet also stay out on Duncan. To help the spacing even more, he knocked down a couple jumpers and was also a presence in the paint. The St. Croix native didn't do anything spectacular on Thursday night but he definitely helped San Antonio's cause.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 89.3
Adj. Average: 89.6
Last 10 Average: 88.8
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
The Good: Manu Ginobili's movement was really good again. Although his quickness is limited, Ginobili is able to compensate with consistent energy. He also had a couple of crafty passes and a few bright spots on defense. The Bad: Totaling four turnovers in 17 minutes is obviously unacceptable. He's not able to stay in front of his man on D right now. Ginobili also came up limping after getting kneed in the thigh. Let us hope he can walk it off and continue moving toward 100% health.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 85.0
Adj. Average: 84.8
Last 10 Average: 87.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
WoW. Tony Parker played one of the best games of his career. Parker incinerated Chris Paul to the point that dental records were needed to identify the body. Defensively, Parker bodied Paul very well and played the leading role in the Clippers superstar laying an egg. On offense, the Frenchman was a machine. He came out scorching from the field and managed to stay hot for the entirety of his 28 minutes. Thirty-one points on 16 shots? Seven assists and no turnovers? Words can't even describe how well Parker played. Scoring-wise, he picked Los Angeles apart with surgical precision. Parker's passing was outstanding. His orchestration of the offensive sets was Beethovian. Everything about him was simply fantastic. Bravo.
Final Grade: 100
Season Average: 88.7
Adj. Average: 88.7
Last 10 Average: 95.3
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Early in the game, Danny Green's weakside defense was lackluster. His ball-handling was painfully amateurish at times. Other than those two quibbles, I thought Green was great. Defensively, he was good all game in one-on-one matchups. His help-defense got better as the game progressed. His defense in transition and during broken plays was extremely beneficial. Offensively, Green continues to score well. In his last nine outings, he's averaging 16.3 points per game on 55.8% shooting from the field and 55.9% shooting from three-point land. However, where Green was best against the Clippers was passing the ball. He made great decision off the dribble and illustrated a surprisingly vast range of vision.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.2
Last 10 Average: 83.6
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Gary Neal didn't play like Gary Neal. On this night, that previous sentence should be taken as a compliment. Instead of forcing the issue, Neal took what was available to him -- which wasn't much -- and didn't look to break the offense. His passing was much better than usual and he struck a balance between aggression and playing under control. Neal's tempered play extended to defense, where he mostly did commendable work -- outside of a couple brain hiccups.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 79.7
Adj. Average: 80.8
Last 10 Average: 79.7
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Blake Griffin hit a couple shots early but Tiago Splitter's post defense was exceptional. Splitter kept at it and put together arguably his best defensive showing of the season. He was patient, kept his hands up and used enough physicality to keep Griffin off-balance. Additionally, Splitter's help-defense was opportune and he rebounded adequately. Offensively, he took advantage of his touches. Again, it was a combination of patience and strength that allowed him to succeed. Splitter's passing, screen-setting and overall mobility were superb.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 85.5
Adj. Average: 86.0
Last 10 Average: 85.7
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Defensively, Boris Diaw did good work. His blend of strength and quick feet allow him to be well above average on that end when he's totally engaged. Unfortunately, Diaw's rebounding was inept against the Clippers and ruined a portion of the good he did on D. On offense, his facilitating was extremely helpful. He could have shot more but at least he took care of the ball and always seemed to have a plan when he caught it.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 81.3
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Following his family tragedy, Stephen Jackson was back on the basketball court. Though obviously not in rhythm, Jackson had a few positive moments. His defense was good, even out on the perimeter, and he boxed out with gusto. Offensively, Jackson turned it over too much and didn't make enough shots but he passed it well and his shot-selection was fine.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 80.7
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 79.1
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Honestly, I thought Matt Bonner took bad shots. He fired his attempts quickly even though he wasn't open. On Thursday evening, it worked out for Bonner. His shot-making provided a spark and forced the Clippers to pay even more attention to him. Defensively, he played with a firm backbone. He was the one hitting first and also offered a surprising amount of resistance. It was a positive yet uncharacteristic performance out of only mamba currently in the playoff picture.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 78.5
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
The Spurs have had a lot of trouble dealing with Eric Bledsoe, L.A.'s backup point guard. Nando De Colo went against him and actually did quite well. On offense, he avoided letting Bledsoe wreak much havoc by passing the ball early in possessions. De Colo also knocked down a couple shots from the perimeter, which forced Bledsoe to account for him. Defensively, De Colo used his superior size and length to disrupt Bledsoe and make him more one-dimensional. In future matchups, if the Spurs can negate the Clippers advantage at backup point guard, they have a great shot of consistently winning.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.5
Adj. Average: 83.2
Last 10 Average: 82.1
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
The Spurs played without Kawhi Leonard yet Pop was able to seamlessly adjust. Starting Neal next to Green turned out to be the right call. Throughout the night, Pop's substitutions and playcalls were virtually flawless. Truth be told, this probably fell in the "just don't get in the way" category for the coaching staff.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 84.1
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Offense
The passing, spacing and immaculate execution harkened back to last season when the Spurs were in the midst of their 20-game winning streak. It was truly beautiful to watch.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Defense
Even when the Clippers made shots, the Spurs were almost always in the right spots at the right times. For the defensiphiles out there, the defense was just as beautiful as the offense.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Overall
The Spurs picked a wise time to unleash their best showing of the season. San Antonio apparently wanted to avenge their two losses against the Clippers earlier in the season. They did just that in unequivocally brutal yet beautiful fashion.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.8
Last 10 Average: 87.0
---------------
The good guys got going with five minutes remaining in the first. With the game tied 17-17, the Spurs scored 12 consecutive points in a span of two minutes. Heading into the second quarter, San Antonio led 34-21.
The Spurs kept the lead for the duration of the second quarter. Their advantage remained between 11 and 17 points before taking a 58-43 cushion into intermission.
San Antonio didn't take anything for granted heading into the second half. In fact, their defense got even better. The Clippers went without a field goal in the first 7:14 of the third quarter, during which the Spurs took a commanding 77-51 lead.
Los Angeles never recovered. The end of the third and the entire fourth quarter was glorified garbage time. The Spurs led by as many as 34 points before coasting to their 26-point trouncing.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box561.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box562.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box563.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Tim Duncan was solid across the board. On defense, he offered timely help, rebounded well and was surprisingly mobile out on the perimeter. Offensively, Duncan tortured the Clippers with his pick-and-pop action. L.A. simply couldn't figure out how to protect the hoop yet also stay out on Duncan. To help the spacing even more, he knocked down a couple jumpers and was also a presence in the paint. The St. Croix native didn't do anything spectacular on Thursday night but he definitely helped San Antonio's cause.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 89.3
Adj. Average: 89.6
Last 10 Average: 88.8
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
The Good: Manu Ginobili's movement was really good again. Although his quickness is limited, Ginobili is able to compensate with consistent energy. He also had a couple of crafty passes and a few bright spots on defense. The Bad: Totaling four turnovers in 17 minutes is obviously unacceptable. He's not able to stay in front of his man on D right now. Ginobili also came up limping after getting kneed in the thigh. Let us hope he can walk it off and continue moving toward 100% health.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 85.0
Adj. Average: 84.8
Last 10 Average: 87.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
WoW. Tony Parker played one of the best games of his career. Parker incinerated Chris Paul to the point that dental records were needed to identify the body. Defensively, Parker bodied Paul very well and played the leading role in the Clippers superstar laying an egg. On offense, the Frenchman was a machine. He came out scorching from the field and managed to stay hot for the entirety of his 28 minutes. Thirty-one points on 16 shots? Seven assists and no turnovers? Words can't even describe how well Parker played. Scoring-wise, he picked Los Angeles apart with surgical precision. Parker's passing was outstanding. His orchestration of the offensive sets was Beethovian. Everything about him was simply fantastic. Bravo.
Final Grade: 100
Season Average: 88.7
Adj. Average: 88.7
Last 10 Average: 95.3
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Early in the game, Danny Green's weakside defense was lackluster. His ball-handling was painfully amateurish at times. Other than those two quibbles, I thought Green was great. Defensively, he was good all game in one-on-one matchups. His help-defense got better as the game progressed. His defense in transition and during broken plays was extremely beneficial. Offensively, Green continues to score well. In his last nine outings, he's averaging 16.3 points per game on 55.8% shooting from the field and 55.9% shooting from three-point land. However, where Green was best against the Clippers was passing the ball. He made great decision off the dribble and illustrated a surprisingly vast range of vision.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.2
Last 10 Average: 83.6
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Gary Neal didn't play like Gary Neal. On this night, that previous sentence should be taken as a compliment. Instead of forcing the issue, Neal took what was available to him -- which wasn't much -- and didn't look to break the offense. His passing was much better than usual and he struck a balance between aggression and playing under control. Neal's tempered play extended to defense, where he mostly did commendable work -- outside of a couple brain hiccups.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 79.7
Adj. Average: 80.8
Last 10 Average: 79.7
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Blake Griffin hit a couple shots early but Tiago Splitter's post defense was exceptional. Splitter kept at it and put together arguably his best defensive showing of the season. He was patient, kept his hands up and used enough physicality to keep Griffin off-balance. Additionally, Splitter's help-defense was opportune and he rebounded adequately. Offensively, he took advantage of his touches. Again, it was a combination of patience and strength that allowed him to succeed. Splitter's passing, screen-setting and overall mobility were superb.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 85.5
Adj. Average: 86.0
Last 10 Average: 85.7
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Defensively, Boris Diaw did good work. His blend of strength and quick feet allow him to be well above average on that end when he's totally engaged. Unfortunately, Diaw's rebounding was inept against the Clippers and ruined a portion of the good he did on D. On offense, his facilitating was extremely helpful. He could have shot more but at least he took care of the ball and always seemed to have a plan when he caught it.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 81.3
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Following his family tragedy, Stephen Jackson was back on the basketball court. Though obviously not in rhythm, Jackson had a few positive moments. His defense was good, even out on the perimeter, and he boxed out with gusto. Offensively, Jackson turned it over too much and didn't make enough shots but he passed it well and his shot-selection was fine.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 80.7
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 79.1
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Honestly, I thought Matt Bonner took bad shots. He fired his attempts quickly even though he wasn't open. On Thursday evening, it worked out for Bonner. His shot-making provided a spark and forced the Clippers to pay even more attention to him. Defensively, he played with a firm backbone. He was the one hitting first and also offered a surprising amount of resistance. It was a positive yet uncharacteristic performance out of only mamba currently in the playoff picture.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 78.5
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
The Spurs have had a lot of trouble dealing with Eric Bledsoe, L.A.'s backup point guard. Nando De Colo went against him and actually did quite well. On offense, he avoided letting Bledsoe wreak much havoc by passing the ball early in possessions. De Colo also knocked down a couple shots from the perimeter, which forced Bledsoe to account for him. Defensively, De Colo used his superior size and length to disrupt Bledsoe and make him more one-dimensional. In future matchups, if the Spurs can negate the Clippers advantage at backup point guard, they have a great shot of consistently winning.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.5
Adj. Average: 83.2
Last 10 Average: 82.1
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
The Spurs played without Kawhi Leonard yet Pop was able to seamlessly adjust. Starting Neal next to Green turned out to be the right call. Throughout the night, Pop's substitutions and playcalls were virtually flawless. Truth be told, this probably fell in the "just don't get in the way" category for the coaching staff.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 84.1
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Offense
The passing, spacing and immaculate execution harkened back to last season when the Spurs were in the midst of their 20-game winning streak. It was truly beautiful to watch.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Defense
Even when the Clippers made shots, the Spurs were almost always in the right spots at the right times. For the defensiphiles out there, the defense was just as beautiful as the offense.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Overall
The Spurs picked a wise time to unleash their best showing of the season. San Antonio apparently wanted to avenge their two losses against the Clippers earlier in the season. They did just that in unequivocally brutal yet beautiful fashion.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 84.8
Last 10 Average: 87.0
---------------