timvp
01-17-2019, 03:33 AM
https://i.imgur.com/orradRY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TBTYLtK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Burkn8I.jpg
To say the Spurs came out of the gates sluggishly on Wednesday night against the Mavericks would be an understatement. With Rudy Gay back in the starting lineup after missing five games, San Antonio acted like they were new to the sport. Eight minutes in, the Spurs trailed 23-4.
The bench came in and breathed life into the team, however San Antonio still trailed 35-20 at the end of the disastrous first quarter. The energetic bench and a sturdier defense was able to grab some momentum in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 11 at halftime, 56-45.
The momentum continued in the right direction in the third quarter: the offense got on track and the defense remained stingy. Heading into the fourth, the Mavs were up five points, 80-75.
The Spurs scored the first seven points of the fourth to take their first lead of the game at 82-80. The teams traded baskets until a 6-0 run spearheaded by DeMar DeRozan (two baskets and an assist) gave the good guys a 96-90 lead with five and a half minutes left on the clock.
Unfortunately, that's when San Antonio's offense died. With the Spurs going scoreless over the next four minutes, Dallas was able to tie the game with a 6-0 run of their own.
With the game tied at 96-96 with 1:41 remaining, Davis Bertans hit what turned out to be the game's biggest shot: a corner three-pointer set up by a DeRozan drive and kick. After getting a stop on the other end, LaMarcus Aldridge tipped in a DeRozan miss to give the Spurs a five-point cushion with a minute left. Following a Mavs three-pointer, DeRozan ended the drama with a midrange jumper with 37 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs 105-101 victory was far from pretty but it was a good road win nonetheless. Dallas is a quality home team, 16-5 entering the game, and San Antonio could have mailed it in after the dreadful start. But the silver and black was able to shake off the early rust, dig in and claw out the rugged win. Well done.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
LaMarcus Aldridge's night was shortened by foul trouble (to his credit, at least two of the whistles were questionable). He never found an offensive rhythm against the Mavs -- his outside shot wasn't falling, he located consistently clear passing lanes out of the post and he totaled four of the team's nine turnovers in his 23 minutes of action. It wasn't all bad, though, as two of Aldridge's four made field goals were key hoops in the fourth quarter. Defensively, while he was invisible on the glass and wasn't helping out too much on the perimeter, Aldridge was strong in the paint when guarding the post and his protection of the rim was diligent -- as evident by the three blocks he had in his limited minutes. All in all, while things didn't go his way tonight, the 33-year-old should be commended for playing hard and keeping his head in the game.
Grade: C
Summary: Aldridge suffered some bad luck but persisted.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
For the first three quarters, DeMar DeRozan was an outsider on the offensive end. He was a few steps slow, tentative and not totally engaged mentally. It appeared as if the doldrums had continued another evening. Thankfully, the fourth quarter was a different story. DeRozan checked in with 11 minutes remaining and proceeded to score eight of his 14 points and dish out five of his nine assists, four of which resulted in three-pointers. Literally all of San Antonio's offensive success down the stretch were on plays created by DeRozan. Better late than never. Let's hope this game reawakens DeRozan. What was lost in his offensive woes and his big fourth quarter was the fact that he was good defensively all night. Harrison Barnes (4-for-18 from the field) was his man and he fought him admirably despite giving up height, length and weight.
Grade: B
Summary: Fourth quarter star offensively. Good for four quarters defensively.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Welcome back, Rudy Gay. San Antonio's starting power forward had missed the previous five games with a wrist injury. Rusty to start the game, Gay missed four of his first five shots before finding a rhythm. When he got it going, he started hunting mismatches and finishing with an impressive amount of athleticism. Eventually, the Mavs had to shift their defense to account for him. Defensively, I was pleased. Gay was slow in rotations early on but he eventually found his groove on that end as well. He was throwing his body around in the paint and competing on the glass. Overall, it was a successful return.
Grade: B+
Summary: Gay showed the team what it had been missing.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
The good: Offensively, Bryn Forbes was solid. He bounced back from a pair of miserable shooting nights with an efficient 12 points. He also passed the ball well and limited his mistakes on that end. Rebounding-wise, Forbes was also stout. It's not often we witness him leading the starters in that category. The bad: Defense -- in just about every category outside of rebounding: Couldn't keep players in front of him. Got overwhelmed when posted up. Ineffectual when helping. Forbes needs to get back to trying extraordinarily hard on the defensive end because he simply cannot physically compete otherwise. When he's going through the motions, like he was for much the night, he's a big-holed colander that doesn't stop anything.
Grade: C
Summary: Forbes bounced back offensively. Defense was MIA.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Defensively, Derrick White had the unenviable task of slowing star rookie Luka Doncic. I thought he did better and better as the game progressed. At first, he was too deferential and was letting Doncic dictate the action too much. Eventually, White upped his urgency and left his mark on that end. Offensively, White really didn't do much. He had a few good drives and a couple good passes ... but that was about it. The apprehensiveness that pocked his early season play was back for the first time in a long while. Truth be told, however, White handled the ball much less than usual tonight. Specifically, in the fourth quarter, DeRozan ran point guard and took on almost all of the ball-handling responsibilities.
Grade: C
Summary: Defense got stronger. Offense didn't.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
I don't have much to critique when it comes to Davis Bertans. Offensively, he was aggressive, took smart shots and connected on said shots, including the biggest one of the game that broke a tie late. Defensively, Bertans was active, kept players in front of him, rotated with speed and competed on the boards. He's never going to be a good rebounder but he has been better lately -- and tonight his boxing out was about as good as his body style allows.
Grade: A-
Summary: Big Shot Bert.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
If there was one man responsible for changing the tenor of this game, his name is Patty Mills. The Spurs were lackadaisical until Mills lit a fire underneath the team. Surprisingly, it actually began on the defensive end. Mills started playing a scrappy, ravenous brand of defense in the second quarter and thankfully it was contagious. Throughout the contest, Mills took on bigger players (even Doncic) and was able to hold his own, while at the same time being ready to dart in for timely help defense. Offensively, Mills was also helpful. While he was a bit too shot-happy and didn't shoot the straightest, his aggressiveness was a plus, he passed the ball well and limited his mistakes.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills led the way to victory.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
After missing the game with a knee injury (bruise or hyperextension, depending on who you believe), Marco Belinelli picked up right where he left off. In his last four outings, Belinelli is averaging 18.5 points in only 24.5 minutes per game on 57.1% shooting from the field and 60% shooting on three-pointers. The dude is on fire, simply put. He's confidently taking shots while using a wide array of moves, leans and fades. Against the Mavs, he even mixed in athletic drives to the rack. On defense, he was less of a liability than usual. He efforted both individually and team-wise.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli has led the team in scoring the last two times he's taken the court.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
With Gay back in the starting lineup, Jakob Poeltl was able to return to the exact role in which he had previously thrived for weeks at a time. Poeltl responded with one of his better showings of the season. He scored six points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, handed out four assists, swiped a team-high three steals and had a blocked shot for good measure. Poeltl looked extremely comfortable offensively; when he wasn't dropping off a heady pass, he was masterfully crashing the offensive boards. Defensively, he showed off his mobility and quick hands. He could have done better work on the defensive glass but that's about the extent of my complaints.
Grade: A-
Summary: Poeltl is back in business.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
After Poeltl got two fouls in the first quarter, Pop turned to Pau Gasol. The results weren't too beautiful, to state it gently. The most interesting aspect of Gasol's night was trying to figure out who's slower: 38-year-old Gasol or 40-year-old Dirk Nowitzki. (For the record, I think Gasol might actually be faster.) Gasol's slowness hurt the most on the defensive end, where he couldn't help out on the perimeter ... or the interior, for that matter.
Grade: C-
Summary: Gasol is back in action but he's more immobile than ever.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
DeRozan played too much for a guy who is obviously fatigued and who wasn't doing much of anything in the first three quarters. But other than that, I thought Pop made good decisions. When Mills was rolling, he left him out there for extra minutes. However, when it was time to close the Mavs out, he showed a lot of confidence in picking White over Mills. Playing Bertans during money time is a decision I'll almost always agree with ... and it paid dividends tonight. When DeRozan got hot in the fourth, Pop calling play after play for him turned out to be the right move in retrospect.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop rallied his troops.
Looking ahead: Very good win. That type of grit and determination the Spurs exhibited in the comeback could serve as a building block going forward.
Next up is a similar game in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are 15-7 at home, having won three of their last four there. If the Spurs can get the W, it'd be a wildly successful two-game road trip and would signal they're back on track following their recent three-losses-in-four-games derailment.
https://i.imgur.com/TBTYLtK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Burkn8I.jpg
To say the Spurs came out of the gates sluggishly on Wednesday night against the Mavericks would be an understatement. With Rudy Gay back in the starting lineup after missing five games, San Antonio acted like they were new to the sport. Eight minutes in, the Spurs trailed 23-4.
The bench came in and breathed life into the team, however San Antonio still trailed 35-20 at the end of the disastrous first quarter. The energetic bench and a sturdier defense was able to grab some momentum in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 11 at halftime, 56-45.
The momentum continued in the right direction in the third quarter: the offense got on track and the defense remained stingy. Heading into the fourth, the Mavs were up five points, 80-75.
The Spurs scored the first seven points of the fourth to take their first lead of the game at 82-80. The teams traded baskets until a 6-0 run spearheaded by DeMar DeRozan (two baskets and an assist) gave the good guys a 96-90 lead with five and a half minutes left on the clock.
Unfortunately, that's when San Antonio's offense died. With the Spurs going scoreless over the next four minutes, Dallas was able to tie the game with a 6-0 run of their own.
With the game tied at 96-96 with 1:41 remaining, Davis Bertans hit what turned out to be the game's biggest shot: a corner three-pointer set up by a DeRozan drive and kick. After getting a stop on the other end, LaMarcus Aldridge tipped in a DeRozan miss to give the Spurs a five-point cushion with a minute left. Following a Mavs three-pointer, DeRozan ended the drama with a midrange jumper with 37 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs 105-101 victory was far from pretty but it was a good road win nonetheless. Dallas is a quality home team, 16-5 entering the game, and San Antonio could have mailed it in after the dreadful start. But the silver and black was able to shake off the early rust, dig in and claw out the rugged win. Well done.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
LaMarcus Aldridge's night was shortened by foul trouble (to his credit, at least two of the whistles were questionable). He never found an offensive rhythm against the Mavs -- his outside shot wasn't falling, he located consistently clear passing lanes out of the post and he totaled four of the team's nine turnovers in his 23 minutes of action. It wasn't all bad, though, as two of Aldridge's four made field goals were key hoops in the fourth quarter. Defensively, while he was invisible on the glass and wasn't helping out too much on the perimeter, Aldridge was strong in the paint when guarding the post and his protection of the rim was diligent -- as evident by the three blocks he had in his limited minutes. All in all, while things didn't go his way tonight, the 33-year-old should be commended for playing hard and keeping his head in the game.
Grade: C
Summary: Aldridge suffered some bad luck but persisted.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
For the first three quarters, DeMar DeRozan was an outsider on the offensive end. He was a few steps slow, tentative and not totally engaged mentally. It appeared as if the doldrums had continued another evening. Thankfully, the fourth quarter was a different story. DeRozan checked in with 11 minutes remaining and proceeded to score eight of his 14 points and dish out five of his nine assists, four of which resulted in three-pointers. Literally all of San Antonio's offensive success down the stretch were on plays created by DeRozan. Better late than never. Let's hope this game reawakens DeRozan. What was lost in his offensive woes and his big fourth quarter was the fact that he was good defensively all night. Harrison Barnes (4-for-18 from the field) was his man and he fought him admirably despite giving up height, length and weight.
Grade: B
Summary: Fourth quarter star offensively. Good for four quarters defensively.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Welcome back, Rudy Gay. San Antonio's starting power forward had missed the previous five games with a wrist injury. Rusty to start the game, Gay missed four of his first five shots before finding a rhythm. When he got it going, he started hunting mismatches and finishing with an impressive amount of athleticism. Eventually, the Mavs had to shift their defense to account for him. Defensively, I was pleased. Gay was slow in rotations early on but he eventually found his groove on that end as well. He was throwing his body around in the paint and competing on the glass. Overall, it was a successful return.
Grade: B+
Summary: Gay showed the team what it had been missing.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
The good: Offensively, Bryn Forbes was solid. He bounced back from a pair of miserable shooting nights with an efficient 12 points. He also passed the ball well and limited his mistakes on that end. Rebounding-wise, Forbes was also stout. It's not often we witness him leading the starters in that category. The bad: Defense -- in just about every category outside of rebounding: Couldn't keep players in front of him. Got overwhelmed when posted up. Ineffectual when helping. Forbes needs to get back to trying extraordinarily hard on the defensive end because he simply cannot physically compete otherwise. When he's going through the motions, like he was for much the night, he's a big-holed colander that doesn't stop anything.
Grade: C
Summary: Forbes bounced back offensively. Defense was MIA.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Defensively, Derrick White had the unenviable task of slowing star rookie Luka Doncic. I thought he did better and better as the game progressed. At first, he was too deferential and was letting Doncic dictate the action too much. Eventually, White upped his urgency and left his mark on that end. Offensively, White really didn't do much. He had a few good drives and a couple good passes ... but that was about it. The apprehensiveness that pocked his early season play was back for the first time in a long while. Truth be told, however, White handled the ball much less than usual tonight. Specifically, in the fourth quarter, DeRozan ran point guard and took on almost all of the ball-handling responsibilities.
Grade: C
Summary: Defense got stronger. Offense didn't.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
I don't have much to critique when it comes to Davis Bertans. Offensively, he was aggressive, took smart shots and connected on said shots, including the biggest one of the game that broke a tie late. Defensively, Bertans was active, kept players in front of him, rotated with speed and competed on the boards. He's never going to be a good rebounder but he has been better lately -- and tonight his boxing out was about as good as his body style allows.
Grade: A-
Summary: Big Shot Bert.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
If there was one man responsible for changing the tenor of this game, his name is Patty Mills. The Spurs were lackadaisical until Mills lit a fire underneath the team. Surprisingly, it actually began on the defensive end. Mills started playing a scrappy, ravenous brand of defense in the second quarter and thankfully it was contagious. Throughout the contest, Mills took on bigger players (even Doncic) and was able to hold his own, while at the same time being ready to dart in for timely help defense. Offensively, Mills was also helpful. While he was a bit too shot-happy and didn't shoot the straightest, his aggressiveness was a plus, he passed the ball well and limited his mistakes.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills led the way to victory.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
After missing the game with a knee injury (bruise or hyperextension, depending on who you believe), Marco Belinelli picked up right where he left off. In his last four outings, Belinelli is averaging 18.5 points in only 24.5 minutes per game on 57.1% shooting from the field and 60% shooting on three-pointers. The dude is on fire, simply put. He's confidently taking shots while using a wide array of moves, leans and fades. Against the Mavs, he even mixed in athletic drives to the rack. On defense, he was less of a liability than usual. He efforted both individually and team-wise.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli has led the team in scoring the last two times he's taken the court.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
With Gay back in the starting lineup, Jakob Poeltl was able to return to the exact role in which he had previously thrived for weeks at a time. Poeltl responded with one of his better showings of the season. He scored six points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, handed out four assists, swiped a team-high three steals and had a blocked shot for good measure. Poeltl looked extremely comfortable offensively; when he wasn't dropping off a heady pass, he was masterfully crashing the offensive boards. Defensively, he showed off his mobility and quick hands. He could have done better work on the defensive glass but that's about the extent of my complaints.
Grade: A-
Summary: Poeltl is back in business.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
After Poeltl got two fouls in the first quarter, Pop turned to Pau Gasol. The results weren't too beautiful, to state it gently. The most interesting aspect of Gasol's night was trying to figure out who's slower: 38-year-old Gasol or 40-year-old Dirk Nowitzki. (For the record, I think Gasol might actually be faster.) Gasol's slowness hurt the most on the defensive end, where he couldn't help out on the perimeter ... or the interior, for that matter.
Grade: C-
Summary: Gasol is back in action but he's more immobile than ever.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
DeRozan played too much for a guy who is obviously fatigued and who wasn't doing much of anything in the first three quarters. But other than that, I thought Pop made good decisions. When Mills was rolling, he left him out there for extra minutes. However, when it was time to close the Mavs out, he showed a lot of confidence in picking White over Mills. Playing Bertans during money time is a decision I'll almost always agree with ... and it paid dividends tonight. When DeRozan got hot in the fourth, Pop calling play after play for him turned out to be the right move in retrospect.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop rallied his troops.
Looking ahead: Very good win. That type of grit and determination the Spurs exhibited in the comeback could serve as a building block going forward.
Next up is a similar game in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are 15-7 at home, having won three of their last four there. If the Spurs can get the W, it'd be a wildly successful two-game road trip and would signal they're back on track following their recent three-losses-in-four-games derailment.