Cry Havoc
05-02-2016, 07:14 PM
Thunder @ Spurs
AT&T Center
April 30th, 2016
Prelude
With the dominant performance put up by the Golden State Warriors in last year's playoff run, you would expect them to be unanimous favorites to win the title. Such is life in the West that many experts didn't even have them winning the Conference. Instead, a host of predictions put Golden State as a favorite, but just slightly ahead of two other teams, the Spurs and the Thunder. Such is life in the West that winning 67 games and a Larry O'Brien trophy isn't enough to instill faith for a 2nd run at a title. While the Spurs posted a franchise-best 67 wins, the Thunder went 55-27 with some notable 4th quarter struggles throughout the season. Still, many thought that the combined talents of Russell Westbrook and former MVP Kevin Durant would make for a dream second round matchup and give the Spurs fits on the defensive side of things.
First Quarter
There are very few times when the word "perfect" can be uttered in the world of sports without resorting to severe hyperbole. And in truth, perhaps this wasn't a perfect quarter posted by the Spurs, but it was about as close as most fans will ever see. The barrage they laid on the Thunder started with a dunk by Kawhi Leonard and quickly became a torrent. A 2 point lead became 10, which became 18, and then when the dust had settled, it was 43 to 20, Spurs. The barrage of offense was dominant and unrelenting, and left Oklahoma City looking not only deficient on defense, but completely at a loss as to how to combat the series of offensive sets the Spurs ran. Even the crowd at the AT&T center looked somewhat stunned by the output, which matched the highest scoring quarter in NBA playoff history.
Second Quarter
As any Spurs fan would attest, a dominant first quarter in the post-season isn't a surefire indicator that the Spurs are going to reel off an easy win. But this Spurs team wasn't done tearing into the Thunder's haphazard, sagging defense. Indeed, the Spurs did more than hold a lead, they demoralized the Thunder with incredible passing and decisive pick and rolls. On defense, Kawhi Leonard destroyed any rhythm Westbrook wanted to establish, and Danny Green spent most of the quarter making Kevin Durant extremely uncomfortable. The Spurs were destroying passing lanes, and the Thunder bigs, who usually enjoy grabbing easy offensive rebounds for putbacks, found hands in their faces and bodies in front of the rim to stop any open looks the Thunder were used to from chipping away at the lead.
Spurs led at the half 73-40.
Quarters 3 and 4
If the night were different, or the Thunder perhaps a different team, the game might not have been over. But so complete was the devastation that the Thunder quickly lost composure in the 3rd quarter, with Westbrook picking up a technical and shouting, "one call!" to a ref. This was a complete beatdown.
The Spurs pulled away, and eventually claimed a 43 point lead, 109-66, the largest playoff lead in Gregg Popovich's career.
Player of the Game
http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/37/47/52/8288942/5/1024x1024.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge - A+
Welcome to the playoffs, Mr. Aldridge. The San Antonio Forward... Center... person put up not only his best playoff game in recent memory, but far and away the best game of his life as a Spurs player. And it couldn't have come at a better time. 38 points and 6 rebounds don't even begin to tell the story of how dominant LMA was on Saturday night (okay, it does a little, but I digress). It was also the complete ease with which Aldridge operated against a defense that was primed to stop him. Every time he caught a pass, he was looking to either get a good shot off, make a post move to put himself into position, or make a pass to an open teammate. His operation of the pick and roll was near flawless in execution, and every time the Thunder sagged to contain interior penetration, he made it look like he was taking jump shots in practice. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how fantastic he was with the ball, but 18-23 shooting is simply incredible. Aldridge was also active on defense, using his mobility to bother the Thunder when they snagged an inevitable offensive rebound. His hands were also active in the paint and any post-entry passes were quickly contested, if not outright deflected. Simply a phenomenal game from the Seagoville graduate.
Starters
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Big_Hand_-_geograph.org.uk_-_644552.jpg
Kawhi Leonard - A+
Kawhi had by some accounts a quiet night, with "only" 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. It's a testament to how far he has come for the Spurs that that in isolation would be considered a substandard game for him. But what Kawhi did on the court was just as impactful as Aldridge. He completely blitzed the Thunder, making his first 6 shots en route to a ridiculously efficient 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting. Kawhi easily could have had a career high in points, but with the game out of hand after just 22 minutes of action, Pop pulled him for good as the Spurs pulled away. Usually it's worth talking about specifics, but Leonard absolutely destroyed Westbrook. Completely. In all facets of the game. The standout point guard from OKC had absolutely nothing easy and for much of the game couldn't even put a shot up, as he started 1-9 and finished just 5-19 from the field. But Kawhi's presence was felt all over the floor, as he quickly cut into the paint when post-entry passes were made or the Thunder grabbed a rebound. Pop's gameplan on defense seemed to rely on having multiple defenders fly to any loose or open balls, and even if the Thunder were get a 2nd possession it was quickly stymied by swarms of hands. This was particularly noticeable anytime they made a pass through/across the lane, netting multiple turnovers for the Spurs which quickly turned into fast breaks, often with Leonard flying ahead of the Thunder for easy dunks.
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/spurs-assistant-coach-becky-hammon-speaks-to-spurs-player-danny-green-picture-id480781340
Danny Green - A+
Are we seeing a theme yet? We can only hope after a season of cold shooting that Green was just bored and waiting for his time to shine. Not only was Danny en fuego from 3, he rose to the occasion of guarding Durant, and quite simply outplayed the reigning MVP. His stats might not be the most off the charts, but anytime someone not named Kawhi or LaMarcus outplays Durant, it's likely going to result in a big fat W for the Spurs. Danny was fearless with the ball and while he chose to drive a few times, he usually ended up using the penetration to make passes. His 5-6 from 3 was instrumental in completely wrecking the gameplan of the Thunder, which appeared to be to sag off everyone to help with Kawhi & Co. into the paint against them. The Spurs burned them for 9-15 from downtown, nearly all of which were open, and Green was the go to guy from distance. His defense on Durant was a fantastic show, as he even blocked "Not Nice" on a 3 point attempt (someone who's better with fact-checking than I am, how many guards have blocked a 3 point attempt from KD in the past few seasons?). It's just astonishing how well Tar3 plays when his shot is falling. Green also posted a game high +/- of +34. :wow
http://hollowverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tony-parker-640x360.jpg
Tony Parker - B+
There's a saying that exists in eSports: Let yourself get carried. On a night when the rest of the Spurs were completely dominant on offense, Tony Parker took 3 shots and let Green, Kawhi, and LMA carry him to victory. He didn't force shots. He didn't try to establish his own dominance. He rode the wave of the hot shooters and ended the game with 12 assists and 0 turnovers. He was also quite active on defense, and his defensive assignment Andre Roberson scored a goose-egg for the game. Parker did exactly what was necessary of him to get the Spurs a dominant victory. He moved the ball then got out of the way for the Spurs who were burning the net up. Fantastic game and 100% free of ego for Parker.
http://gonetworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tim-duncan-net-worth.jpg
Tim Duncan - B
Duncan's numbers are fairly pedestrian, but the most telling quote of all came from Kevin Durant following the game: "Duncan can play until he's 90. It’s not about him scoring 20 and getting 10 rebounds, it’s just his presence.” Duncan dictated interior pressure on the Thunder especially on defense early, where he not only provided excellent positioning but also made several nice outlet passes that got the Spurs offense off the ground. It's already been highlighted elsewhere, but it really was marvelous how active and aggressive the Spurs were anytime one of the Thunder bigs caught the ball in the post. They looked timid, and aside from Ibaka shooting from outside early in the shot clock, none of the Thunder bigs were particularly impressive. Tim was relegated to Patty Mills towel duty after just 21 minutes, remarkable considering his +28 for the game. If there's one quibble I have with Duncan, it's that he only grabbed 2 rebounds on a night that no one on the starters had more than 6 (Aldridge).
Bench
A note on the bench: Normally, I would break down our bench player's performances as thoroughly as possible. But given the fact that our lead grew so quickly, it's difficult to really evaluate their performances, so these will be more of a basic overview rather than a detailed look (also I want to give more people time to read these before Game 2 starts).
http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/recruiting/ncb/players/full/67264.png&w=350&h=254
Kyle Anderson - B+
Let's be clear here: Kyle Anderson really needs to take fewer shots, specifically shots that aren't set looks or layups. If he isn't wide open or laying it off the glass, some of his awkward heaves toward the hope are not just bad, they're in Deandre-Jordan-shooting-a-free-throw territory. However, outside of his ill-advised shots, I was thoroughly impressed with the UCLA standout. Anderson was not only a factor on defense, he actively harassed Durant into taking bad shots and staying out of rhythm. It was bar-none the most physical I have ever seen KA play, and it was extremely effective, particularly in the 2nd quarter before the game was totally out of reach. He was fast to the ball, up in grills, and led Spurs with 7 rebounds. KA might just be a great wild card on defense in these playoffs.
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0a68a55bd71c2b77b7e98599c2af3356119268be/c=389-60-1305-749&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/10/13/USATODAY/USATODAY/635803416826025275-USP-NBA-Preseason-San-Antonio-Spurs-at-Miami-Heat.jpg
David West - B-
I mostly liked what I saw from West, he played some time in the 2nd quarter and kept the momentum going. His hands were also pretty quick on D and he crowded the paint to keep the OKC bigs off balance. In general, I hope to see him get more looks in games, but tonight was obviously an unusual situation.
Manu Ginobili
Manu only played 11 minutes but he had a great statline of 6 points and 5 dimes. He also sucked in the Thunder with his pump fakes.
Andre Miller
'Dre played late in the game and actually looked pretty good. He drilled a 3 and handled the ball just fine.
Patty Mills
Mills' shot was off, but Patty brought energy as usual and was +13 in limited minutes.
Boris Diaw
Diaw played nearly all of his minutes in the 2nd half and had a very Diaw line of 6/4/4.
Kevin Martin
Perhaps the darkest spot on the roster came from Kevin Martin. He shot 1-7 and never looked comfortable on the court, although his shots were mostly in rhythm.
Boban Marjanovic
I was actually pretty unhappy with Boban's play, although it could be explained by the fact that the game was long over when he saw the court. He looked passive, almost lackadaisical, and didn't take great shots. That said, the Thunder look very concerned about him and he definitely commanded some attention on that side of the ball in just 8 minutes of play.
Coaching
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NsUBvUeKqZ8/hqdefault.jpg
Gregg Popovich - A+
"Our shots went in."
...
Now really, this should go down as a masterpiece by Popovich. If there's one reason why the Spur fans should feel that this game isn't a total fluke, it's that the guy staring across the court from Popovich is Billy Donovan, who appears like he is in way, way over his head. I wouldn't bet on a sweep because the Thunder are still supremely talented, but it only took about 3 minutes to see how the Spurs are on another planet when it comes to gameplanning and setting things up to take advantage of what the opponent does poorly. If this series ends early, it's going to look really bad for the Thunder coaching staff.
Of note:
The Spurs 1st quarter shooting was the 10th greatest shooting quarter in NBA playoffs modern era.
The Thunder were sucked into fouling Spurs shooting a three pointer four times in the game.
News from around the league:
Luke Walton agrees on a 5 year $25,000,000 contract to coach the Lakers. Good luck, Luke. :lol
In case you missed it, longtime Spurs antagonist and general asshat Jason Terry guaranteed a victory for Houston in Game 5 against GSW and promptly posted an 0fer for the game. :lol
Dirk Nowitzki will opt out of his contract to sign a new two year deal with the Mavs.
Jeremy Lin said he would 100% be back with the Hornets next season. He also met a fan that accidentally had his name tattooed on her body. http://imgur.com/a/K5vBh
Paul George set a Pacers record for number of points in a series (191), breaking Reggie Miller's record of 181. Expect Miller to strongly downplay all of George's accomplishments next season.
Next Game: Thunder @ Spurs - Monday, May 2nd, 8:30 Alamo time.
Game 3 @ OKC (if necessary): Friday, May 6th, 8:30 Alamo time.
AT&T Center
April 30th, 2016
Prelude
With the dominant performance put up by the Golden State Warriors in last year's playoff run, you would expect them to be unanimous favorites to win the title. Such is life in the West that many experts didn't even have them winning the Conference. Instead, a host of predictions put Golden State as a favorite, but just slightly ahead of two other teams, the Spurs and the Thunder. Such is life in the West that winning 67 games and a Larry O'Brien trophy isn't enough to instill faith for a 2nd run at a title. While the Spurs posted a franchise-best 67 wins, the Thunder went 55-27 with some notable 4th quarter struggles throughout the season. Still, many thought that the combined talents of Russell Westbrook and former MVP Kevin Durant would make for a dream second round matchup and give the Spurs fits on the defensive side of things.
First Quarter
There are very few times when the word "perfect" can be uttered in the world of sports without resorting to severe hyperbole. And in truth, perhaps this wasn't a perfect quarter posted by the Spurs, but it was about as close as most fans will ever see. The barrage they laid on the Thunder started with a dunk by Kawhi Leonard and quickly became a torrent. A 2 point lead became 10, which became 18, and then when the dust had settled, it was 43 to 20, Spurs. The barrage of offense was dominant and unrelenting, and left Oklahoma City looking not only deficient on defense, but completely at a loss as to how to combat the series of offensive sets the Spurs ran. Even the crowd at the AT&T center looked somewhat stunned by the output, which matched the highest scoring quarter in NBA playoff history.
Second Quarter
As any Spurs fan would attest, a dominant first quarter in the post-season isn't a surefire indicator that the Spurs are going to reel off an easy win. But this Spurs team wasn't done tearing into the Thunder's haphazard, sagging defense. Indeed, the Spurs did more than hold a lead, they demoralized the Thunder with incredible passing and decisive pick and rolls. On defense, Kawhi Leonard destroyed any rhythm Westbrook wanted to establish, and Danny Green spent most of the quarter making Kevin Durant extremely uncomfortable. The Spurs were destroying passing lanes, and the Thunder bigs, who usually enjoy grabbing easy offensive rebounds for putbacks, found hands in their faces and bodies in front of the rim to stop any open looks the Thunder were used to from chipping away at the lead.
Spurs led at the half 73-40.
Quarters 3 and 4
If the night were different, or the Thunder perhaps a different team, the game might not have been over. But so complete was the devastation that the Thunder quickly lost composure in the 3rd quarter, with Westbrook picking up a technical and shouting, "one call!" to a ref. This was a complete beatdown.
The Spurs pulled away, and eventually claimed a 43 point lead, 109-66, the largest playoff lead in Gregg Popovich's career.
Player of the Game
http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/37/47/52/8288942/5/1024x1024.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge - A+
Welcome to the playoffs, Mr. Aldridge. The San Antonio Forward... Center... person put up not only his best playoff game in recent memory, but far and away the best game of his life as a Spurs player. And it couldn't have come at a better time. 38 points and 6 rebounds don't even begin to tell the story of how dominant LMA was on Saturday night (okay, it does a little, but I digress). It was also the complete ease with which Aldridge operated against a defense that was primed to stop him. Every time he caught a pass, he was looking to either get a good shot off, make a post move to put himself into position, or make a pass to an open teammate. His operation of the pick and roll was near flawless in execution, and every time the Thunder sagged to contain interior penetration, he made it look like he was taking jump shots in practice. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how fantastic he was with the ball, but 18-23 shooting is simply incredible. Aldridge was also active on defense, using his mobility to bother the Thunder when they snagged an inevitable offensive rebound. His hands were also active in the paint and any post-entry passes were quickly contested, if not outright deflected. Simply a phenomenal game from the Seagoville graduate.
Starters
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Big_Hand_-_geograph.org.uk_-_644552.jpg
Kawhi Leonard - A+
Kawhi had by some accounts a quiet night, with "only" 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. It's a testament to how far he has come for the Spurs that that in isolation would be considered a substandard game for him. But what Kawhi did on the court was just as impactful as Aldridge. He completely blitzed the Thunder, making his first 6 shots en route to a ridiculously efficient 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting. Kawhi easily could have had a career high in points, but with the game out of hand after just 22 minutes of action, Pop pulled him for good as the Spurs pulled away. Usually it's worth talking about specifics, but Leonard absolutely destroyed Westbrook. Completely. In all facets of the game. The standout point guard from OKC had absolutely nothing easy and for much of the game couldn't even put a shot up, as he started 1-9 and finished just 5-19 from the field. But Kawhi's presence was felt all over the floor, as he quickly cut into the paint when post-entry passes were made or the Thunder grabbed a rebound. Pop's gameplan on defense seemed to rely on having multiple defenders fly to any loose or open balls, and even if the Thunder were get a 2nd possession it was quickly stymied by swarms of hands. This was particularly noticeable anytime they made a pass through/across the lane, netting multiple turnovers for the Spurs which quickly turned into fast breaks, often with Leonard flying ahead of the Thunder for easy dunks.
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/spurs-assistant-coach-becky-hammon-speaks-to-spurs-player-danny-green-picture-id480781340
Danny Green - A+
Are we seeing a theme yet? We can only hope after a season of cold shooting that Green was just bored and waiting for his time to shine. Not only was Danny en fuego from 3, he rose to the occasion of guarding Durant, and quite simply outplayed the reigning MVP. His stats might not be the most off the charts, but anytime someone not named Kawhi or LaMarcus outplays Durant, it's likely going to result in a big fat W for the Spurs. Danny was fearless with the ball and while he chose to drive a few times, he usually ended up using the penetration to make passes. His 5-6 from 3 was instrumental in completely wrecking the gameplan of the Thunder, which appeared to be to sag off everyone to help with Kawhi & Co. into the paint against them. The Spurs burned them for 9-15 from downtown, nearly all of which were open, and Green was the go to guy from distance. His defense on Durant was a fantastic show, as he even blocked "Not Nice" on a 3 point attempt (someone who's better with fact-checking than I am, how many guards have blocked a 3 point attempt from KD in the past few seasons?). It's just astonishing how well Tar3 plays when his shot is falling. Green also posted a game high +/- of +34. :wow
http://hollowverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tony-parker-640x360.jpg
Tony Parker - B+
There's a saying that exists in eSports: Let yourself get carried. On a night when the rest of the Spurs were completely dominant on offense, Tony Parker took 3 shots and let Green, Kawhi, and LMA carry him to victory. He didn't force shots. He didn't try to establish his own dominance. He rode the wave of the hot shooters and ended the game with 12 assists and 0 turnovers. He was also quite active on defense, and his defensive assignment Andre Roberson scored a goose-egg for the game. Parker did exactly what was necessary of him to get the Spurs a dominant victory. He moved the ball then got out of the way for the Spurs who were burning the net up. Fantastic game and 100% free of ego for Parker.
http://gonetworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tim-duncan-net-worth.jpg
Tim Duncan - B
Duncan's numbers are fairly pedestrian, but the most telling quote of all came from Kevin Durant following the game: "Duncan can play until he's 90. It’s not about him scoring 20 and getting 10 rebounds, it’s just his presence.” Duncan dictated interior pressure on the Thunder especially on defense early, where he not only provided excellent positioning but also made several nice outlet passes that got the Spurs offense off the ground. It's already been highlighted elsewhere, but it really was marvelous how active and aggressive the Spurs were anytime one of the Thunder bigs caught the ball in the post. They looked timid, and aside from Ibaka shooting from outside early in the shot clock, none of the Thunder bigs were particularly impressive. Tim was relegated to Patty Mills towel duty after just 21 minutes, remarkable considering his +28 for the game. If there's one quibble I have with Duncan, it's that he only grabbed 2 rebounds on a night that no one on the starters had more than 6 (Aldridge).
Bench
A note on the bench: Normally, I would break down our bench player's performances as thoroughly as possible. But given the fact that our lead grew so quickly, it's difficult to really evaluate their performances, so these will be more of a basic overview rather than a detailed look (also I want to give more people time to read these before Game 2 starts).
http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/recruiting/ncb/players/full/67264.png&w=350&h=254
Kyle Anderson - B+
Let's be clear here: Kyle Anderson really needs to take fewer shots, specifically shots that aren't set looks or layups. If he isn't wide open or laying it off the glass, some of his awkward heaves toward the hope are not just bad, they're in Deandre-Jordan-shooting-a-free-throw territory. However, outside of his ill-advised shots, I was thoroughly impressed with the UCLA standout. Anderson was not only a factor on defense, he actively harassed Durant into taking bad shots and staying out of rhythm. It was bar-none the most physical I have ever seen KA play, and it was extremely effective, particularly in the 2nd quarter before the game was totally out of reach. He was fast to the ball, up in grills, and led Spurs with 7 rebounds. KA might just be a great wild card on defense in these playoffs.
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0a68a55bd71c2b77b7e98599c2af3356119268be/c=389-60-1305-749&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/10/13/USATODAY/USATODAY/635803416826025275-USP-NBA-Preseason-San-Antonio-Spurs-at-Miami-Heat.jpg
David West - B-
I mostly liked what I saw from West, he played some time in the 2nd quarter and kept the momentum going. His hands were also pretty quick on D and he crowded the paint to keep the OKC bigs off balance. In general, I hope to see him get more looks in games, but tonight was obviously an unusual situation.
Manu Ginobili
Manu only played 11 minutes but he had a great statline of 6 points and 5 dimes. He also sucked in the Thunder with his pump fakes.
Andre Miller
'Dre played late in the game and actually looked pretty good. He drilled a 3 and handled the ball just fine.
Patty Mills
Mills' shot was off, but Patty brought energy as usual and was +13 in limited minutes.
Boris Diaw
Diaw played nearly all of his minutes in the 2nd half and had a very Diaw line of 6/4/4.
Kevin Martin
Perhaps the darkest spot on the roster came from Kevin Martin. He shot 1-7 and never looked comfortable on the court, although his shots were mostly in rhythm.
Boban Marjanovic
I was actually pretty unhappy with Boban's play, although it could be explained by the fact that the game was long over when he saw the court. He looked passive, almost lackadaisical, and didn't take great shots. That said, the Thunder look very concerned about him and he definitely commanded some attention on that side of the ball in just 8 minutes of play.
Coaching
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NsUBvUeKqZ8/hqdefault.jpg
Gregg Popovich - A+
"Our shots went in."
...
Now really, this should go down as a masterpiece by Popovich. If there's one reason why the Spur fans should feel that this game isn't a total fluke, it's that the guy staring across the court from Popovich is Billy Donovan, who appears like he is in way, way over his head. I wouldn't bet on a sweep because the Thunder are still supremely talented, but it only took about 3 minutes to see how the Spurs are on another planet when it comes to gameplanning and setting things up to take advantage of what the opponent does poorly. If this series ends early, it's going to look really bad for the Thunder coaching staff.
Of note:
The Spurs 1st quarter shooting was the 10th greatest shooting quarter in NBA playoffs modern era.
The Thunder were sucked into fouling Spurs shooting a three pointer four times in the game.
News from around the league:
Luke Walton agrees on a 5 year $25,000,000 contract to coach the Lakers. Good luck, Luke. :lol
In case you missed it, longtime Spurs antagonist and general asshat Jason Terry guaranteed a victory for Houston in Game 5 against GSW and promptly posted an 0fer for the game. :lol
Dirk Nowitzki will opt out of his contract to sign a new two year deal with the Mavs.
Jeremy Lin said he would 100% be back with the Hornets next season. He also met a fan that accidentally had his name tattooed on her body. http://imgur.com/a/K5vBh
Paul George set a Pacers record for number of points in a series (191), breaking Reggie Miller's record of 181. Expect Miller to strongly downplay all of George's accomplishments next season.
Next Game: Thunder @ Spurs - Monday, May 2nd, 8:30 Alamo time.
Game 3 @ OKC (if necessary): Friday, May 6th, 8:30 Alamo time.