Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Thunder - Jan. 13

With Tim Duncan sitting out the second night of a back-to-back, the San Antonio Spurs faced a tall order on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the Spurs blew a 19-point first half lead, the good guys kept fighting, rallied late and escaped with a 109-108 overtime victory.

The Spurs led 97-89 with four minutes remaining, however the Thunder went on an 8-0 run to tie the game. With ten second remaining, Tony Parker drained a long two-pointer. On the other end, Russell Westbrook hit a jumper to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, the Spurs had the ball down by one point with 33 seconds remaining. After a broken play that featured Manu Ginobili diving out of bounds to save the ball, Richard Jefferson hit a pull-up jumper from the foul line at the shot clock buzzer to give the Spurs the lead. This time Westbrook missed and the win was secured.

The Thunder are a very impressive young team. They play defense and they know where the ball should go on offense. Kevin Durant has already developed into perhaps the best pure scorer in the NBA, while Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden have bright futures. I'm not quite convinced that they will make the playoffs this season, though there's no denying OKC has all the makings of a developing powerhouse.

As for the Spurs, this was one of the best wins of the season. The Spurs now have two wins on the season against teams at least four games over .500 -- Tuesday against the Lakers and Wednesday against the Thunder. Championship level heart and determination were on display and hopefully this can serve as a turning point for the 2009-10 campaign.

Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3380.jpg
30:17 minutes, 2 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 turnovers
0-for-10 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line

Manu Ginobili had one of the best 0-for-10 games I've ever seen. His inability to find the net limited his overall effectiveness but doing the small things made him an asset on the night. His save on the final offensive play of overtime was legendary, while his passing was once again great. His age may have robbed him of some of his explosion but I've never seen him pass the ball better. Defensively, I loved his effort and the way he attacked from off the ball. The Spurs need him to score, especially when Duncan isn't playing, but you have to be proud with how Ginobili persevered through a tough shooing night.

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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3527.jpg
41:17 minutes, 28 points, 8 assists, 4 turnovers
12-for-24 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line

Tony Parker was all over the map against the Thunder. In the first half, he was dominant -- finishing with 22 points and six assists on 10-for-14 shooting from the field. He missed his first six shots of the second half and appeared to struggle with his mobility ... and then he nailed that clutch jumper with ten seconds remaining. In overtime, Parker played with a lot of heart and made a few big plays. His trio of three-pointers doubled his number of made threes on the season. If plantar fasciitis is going to make it more difficult for Parker to get to the basket, we may see more three-point attempts in coming games.

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Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3523.jpg
40:25 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds
5-for-12 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line

Richard Jefferson had a decent outing. He looked slow on defense at times and the Spurs really would have benefited from more offensive aggression, but Jefferson's clutch play was a welcomed sight. Not only did he have the game-winning shot, he also had a few key defensive plays and pulled down important rebounds. Hopefully Jefferson gained confidence and now will be more comfortable in clutch situations.

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Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3746.jpg
28:06 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds
1-for-8 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line

Keith Bogans had been shooting way above his career percentages from the field and beyond the arc. For that reason, his 2-for-14 shooting in the last two games can't be too surprising -- plus we've seen him be streaky in both directions already in his Spurs career. Defensively, he gave great effort against Durant. Pop pointed to Bogans as a hero for keeping the ball out of Durant's hands in the final play of the game.

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DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/4642.jpg
31:20 minutes, 28 points, 21 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers
11-for-17 from the field, 6-for-8 at the line

Holy beast. In the last three games, it looked like DeJuan Blair had hit the rookie wall. Either I was dead wrong or Blair shattered the wall in record time. The 37th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft had by far the best game of his career. If it wasn't for a set of poor foul calls, his final stat line would have been even more jaw-dropping. On offense, most of his points came in the pick-and-roll or off one of his ten offensive rebounds. Defensively, he was also very good. He was aware of his team defense responsibilities and helped protect the rim. To the surprise of no one, Blair's beasting led to a team best plus/minus of +7.

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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/3628.jpg
27:39 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
2-for-8 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers

In place of Duncan, Roger Mason, Jr. got the start. The changing of his role seemed to knock him out of rhythm. He didn't look as comfortable shooting the ball as he has looked in recent weeks. Mason's defense was decent but nothing to be to write home about. Even though he started, Mason spent the last 12 minutes of the contest on the bench.

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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/4488.jpg
40:12 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds
7-for-9 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line

George Hill continues to show vast improvement. He played 40 minutes from off the bench and made the most of his playing time. Defensively, he fought Durant and did relatively well. Durant scored on him down low but Hill made him work for all his buckets. Offensively, Hill played another great floor game. He's just really growing before our eyes. Oh, and it also helps that he's on fire. In his last five games, Hill is shooting 78.6% (22-for-28) from the floor and 77.8% (7-for-9) on three-pointers while averaging 11.2 points in 26.8 minutes.

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Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3004.jpg
25:44 minutes, 13 points, 9 rebounds
5-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 at the line

I thought Antonio McDyess was the unsung hero of the game. When the Spurs looked tired and needed offense, McDyess came though with big baskets. We even saw a vintage pump fake, drive and dunk out of the 35-year-old. His defense against the quick Thunder was also impressive, as were his nine rebounds in 26 minutes. McDyess has now pieced together a string of quality outings. Good sign.

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Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg

Pop made a number of controversial decisions against the Thunder. He decided to sit Duncan to get his franchise player some rest while at the same time trimming his rotation to only eight players. That move doesn't exactly make much sense on paper but I agreed with the decision. To combat the speed and athleticism advantage the Thunder have shown against the Spurs in recent games, Pop decided to play small ball for virtually the whole game. With Blair and McDyess playing so well, Pop didn't have much need to go to someone like Theo Ratliff, Ian Mahinmi or Marcus Haislip to buy some minutes. In retrospect, all of Pop's moves worked out. He got Duncan rest, small ball was very effective and -- most importantly -- the Spurs got the win.

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Offense

The Spurs were hot and cold all night long but everything evened out at the end. San Antonio shot 45.3% from the floor and totaled 21 assists to 14 turnovers. The three-point shooting (7-for-22) and the free throw shooting (16-for-24) left a lot to be desired, however the 18 offensive boards (thank you, DeJuan Blair) cleaned up a lot of misses. The Spurs are averaging 102.2 points per game on the season and 105.2 in their last five contests.

Defense

Defense didn't win the game for the Spurs, although it wasn't too horrible. The Thunder shot 46.1% from the floor and 24-for-27 from the free throw line. The Spurs limited the Thunder to just five three-point attempts and forced 17 turnovers. Those two stats plus the 50-45 rebound advantage allowed the Spurs to stay in the game.

Drive to Five

These two back-to-back wins were great but there's no rest for the weary. The Spurs have a tough three-game stretch that has the Spurs playing Friday night, Saturday night and Monday afternoon. The first leg of the adventure is in Charlotte against the Bobcats where the Spurs will try to improve their winning streak to four games.

Believe.

excellent as always. the tide is turning...need atleast 2 out of the next 3.

Holy Beast indeed! no rookie walls here :nope

I'm hoping these games are a turning point for mcdyess.
If he can bring the good D rebounding and clutch shooting that he did in that fourth, then IMO this tema matches up with ANYONE.

Great thoughts as we have come to expect from the "tiMVP". Thanks.

This win is one to savor because apart from the win against the Mavericks earlier in the season, there wasn't really much to write about in the "Drive for 5". Early last season, we had a weaker team, but it showed that "corporate knowledge" and hunkered down to get tough wins late in the games. This season, we have a good core and a great bench, that never reached a summit together and this game suggests that they are getting there steadily.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg

Pop made a number of controversial decisions against the Thunder. He decided to sit Duncan to get his franchise player some rest while at the same time trimming his rotation to only eight players. That move doesn't exactly make much sense on paper but I agreed with the decision. To combat the speed and athleticism advantage the Thunder have shown against the Spurs in recent games, Pop decided to play small ball for virtually the whole game. With Blair and McDyess playing so well, Pop didn't have much need to go to someone like Theo Ratliff, Ian Mahinmi or Marcus Haislip to buy some minutes. In retrospect, all of Pop's moves worked out. He got Duncan rest, small ball was very effective and -- most importantly -- the Spurs got the win.

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Well it worked out yes but I think it was too risky to have played only 8 guys on a second night of a btb. Everybody was really really tired at the end in this kind of situation injuries could have been a consequence. If Pop was happy with Blair / Jefferson and Blair / Dice ok but why not giving Hairston some minutes ? He could have brought hustle especially in the 3rd and at the end of the 4th.

I agree also, if Spurs get 2 out of the next 3 we could cal it a successful run.

thanks timvp...

Imagine you were the one calling the rotations with Duncan out yesterday... What would you have done differently?

I think also playing a short rotation made the Spurs get into a rhythm and extended playing time from our very successful second unit payed dividends.

rookie wall my ass lol

i think a few of us are disappointed haislip or whoever is on the inactive list should be given minutes to see where their at when we have starters sitting out games....

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Originally Posted by Chomag

I agree also, if Spurs get 2 out of the next 3 we could cal it a successful run.

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if we win the first game, then 2nd game is also winnable, and 3rd game has a day in between for rest...we can win it 3-0

the question is when finley and bonner is returnin....

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Hill is shooting 78.6% (22-for-28) from the floor and 77.8% (7-for-9) on three-pointers while averaging 11.2 points in 26.8 minutes.

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wow!!

I remember ST during the draft night when Hill was drafted... I had no idea who he was, and many people on here were in meltdown... "who the hell is hill?"

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His save on the final offensive play of overtime was legendary

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It reminded me of Rodman diving for the ball.

i thought tony parker was ridiculously clutch with his jumper and saved the game at many times when the spurs floundered and couldnt get anything going.

No one wanted to touch that ball, and TP kept making jumpers that mattered even though he was only average at shooting jumpers the whole game. I thought it showed us a glimpse into his toughness and should have been elaborated.

Blair did hit a rookie wall.
It just took him 3 games to realize the wall had collapsed.

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Originally Posted by TDMVPDPOY

if we win the first game, then 2nd game is also winnable, and 3rd game has a day in between for rest...we can win it 3-0

the question is when finley and bonner is returnin....

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Hopefully never.

Gotta hurry and grab the my flame shield after saying that.:lol

I really do NOT want the Thunder in the first round, that would fucking suck..

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Originally Posted by Muser

I really do NOT want the Thunder in the first round, that would fucking suck..

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I see what you mean. Playing these young athletic freaks for at least 4 games in a row is a freaking scary thought. Can our old guys keep up with them for so many games so close together?

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Originally Posted by Chomag

I see what you mean. Playing these young athletic freaks for at least 4 games in a row is a freaking scary thought. Can our old guys keep up with them for so many games so close together?

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we would take them in a 7 game series...but at what cost? they can easily push a team to 6 games, and wear you out for your 2nd round opponent.

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Originally Posted by Chomag

I see what you mean. Playing these young athletic freaks for at least 4 games in a row is a freaking scary thought. Can our old guys keep up with them for so many games so close together?

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It reminds me of New Orleans in 08, Spurs won in 7 but you could tell they were exhausted in the WCF.

Now if Dallas got them then the Thunder have a legit shot at getting into the second round (Dallas really struggle against athletic teams). Please lord don't let OKC make the playoffs.

Anyone else kind of wondering the possibilty that maybe the reasoning behind Pop's odd 8 man rotation last night was to get ready for Bonner and Finleys return to the rotation?

Love your analysis here and on the show, LJ. :toast

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Originally Posted by Chomag

Anyone else kind of wondering the possibilty that maybe the reasoning behind Pop's odd 8 man rotation last night was to get ready for Bonner and Finleys return to the rotation?

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I did.
Unfortunately.

One last point: McDyess needs to pay attention to what Manu does.
He looks slow to react to Manu moves: by now he should know that Manu will get him the ball even if he is not staring at him for 3 straight seconds.
Wake up man, the guy is fast and smart!

Parker and Blair were great but I was very impressive with Dice.

I think he attacked the rim more times in this game than he did in the whole season. Since the horrible Dallas game he looks much more active

And I was disappointed with Hill up and down play but he's been great in the last 2 weeks

If Tony hadn't made that last jumper he would have been the goat in regulation. He had three or four turnovers in a row. But everything worked out OK.

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Originally Posted by wildbill2u

If Tony hadn't made that last jumper he would have been the goat in regulation. He had three or four turnovers in a row. But everything worked out OK.

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He had one turnover in the first quarter, one to start the third quarter, one with 4 minutes left to go in the third, and his last one with two minutes left in regulation.

He didn't have a good second half at all.. but he didn't have three or four turnovers in a row.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

He had one turnover in the first quarter, one to start the third quarter, one with 4 minutes left to go in the third, and his last one with two minutes left in regulation.

He didn't have a good second half at all.. but he didn't have three or four turnovers in a row.

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Is there a good site with quarter-by-quarter box scores, or were you just looking at the play-by-play?

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Originally Posted by temujin

One last point: McDyess needs to pay attention to what Manu does.
He looks slow to react to Manu moves: by now he should know that Manu will get him the ball even if he is not staring at him for 3 straight seconds.
Wake up man, the guy is fast and smart!

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I think we'll have to deal with McDyess ups and downs all year long the same way we dealt with Horry's at the time...
For him, the whole season is just a road to the games that matters!
He just learning every game to find his place a know how everybody (re)act...
Coming the PO, he'll know all Manu's stricks, what everybody does and will be far more efficient!
I don't expect too much from him right now, He is still very reliable when needed (see yesterday) and WILL be ready in the PO!
I have no doubt!

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Originally Posted by lurker23

Is there a good site with quarter-by-quarter box scores, or were you just looking at the play-by-play?

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I remembered the last two, so I just looked at the play-by-play for the others.

After letting it soak in a little bit more, this was a big game for TP. I know he ran out of gas in the second half, but with the news coming out on his injury and the team being in a hole without Duncan, he came up big when it mattered.

Hopefully this gets his mind right and hopefully he can make it through the season without constantly be hindered.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

I remembered the last two, so I just looked at the play-by-play for the others.

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I was also considering asking if you just knew them all from pure memory. :lol

Parker being awesome in the first half and then seriously fading makes me think that the main problem with him isn't his foot but that he is tired.

For Spurs, it's a good news because recovering from tiredness is way easier than from plantar fasciitis. We will see but I'm not sold that Parker's injury will have some kind of impacts come playoff time.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

Parker being awesome in the first half and then seriously fading makes me think that the main problem with him isn't his foot but that he is tired.

For Spurs, it's a good news because recovering from tiredness is way easier than from plantar fasciitis. We will see but I'm not sold that Parker's injury will have some kind of impacts come playoff time.

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But don't you think PF would affect his speed/agility/quickness?

I'm relieved to see he is still able to play solid basketball despite it, but considering there is no long rest for Tony in the immediate future, why do you think we shouldn't be too concerned?

Doesn't PF flare up from time to time?

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Originally Posted by timvp

In place of Duncan, Roger Mason, Jr. got the start.

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:lol

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Originally Posted by Amuseddaysleeper

But don't you think PF would affect his speed/agility/quickness?

I'm relieved to see he is still able to play solid basketball despite it, but considering there is no long rest for Tony in the immediate future, why do you think we shouldn't be too concerned?

Doesn't PF flare up from time to time?

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When Parker talked, he doesn't point the PF as the only reason why he is not playing great. He is also pointing that he is tired and a little banged up.

I'm not that worried simply because it looks more like Parker is tired than hurt.
Parker has often had some bad stretches during the regular season due to being tired and has always been able to recover.

Parker also said that it's improved a bunch since the start of the season. If it is improving without him needing signifigant rest then it could continue to improve the and heal and not be a season long problem.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

He didn't have a good second half at all.. but he didn't have three or four turnovers in a row.

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I think he means the third quarter from min 10 to min 7 where (as far as Tony is concerned):

- TP missed a shot
- There was a team turnover with a shot clock violation
- He got his shot blocked by Sefolosha

They weren't all plays in a row (Manu and Blair had some blocked shots and turnovers also), but that where we lost the bulk of our lead (along with Westbrook scoring 5 points in a row)

I'm lazy...so here are my thoughts on the small ball situation from another thread:

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Originally Posted by benefactor

Playing a rotation like this in back to back games is not about chemistry. That is a Pop apologist cop out. The Thunder are an athletic team...and you have an athletic big on the bench that knows the system and played pretty well against another NBA rotation big just a couple of games ago. You also have another young, athletic player that is a good defender that knows the system very well. Oh, and there is that veteran big you signed because the team needed shot blocking(as TJastal pointed out, we gave up 54 points in the paint).

Would Mahinmi, Hairston or Ratliff made a difference? I think they could have. At the very least Hairston could play 10 minutes while Parker got a little bit more rest and Hill ran the point. Ratliff or Mahinmi could have given Blair a few extra minutes on the bench that might have kept him from picking up that extra foul so he could be in there at the end of the game. A better case scenario suggests that one of those two could have blocked a shot or two in the third quarter that led to a fast break and an easy bucket....or Hairston, who is very good at blocking jump shooters, could have made a great defensive play on Durant. Things like that tend to change momentum, so maybe the run the Thunder went on gets shortened and the Spurs don't have to worry about overtime.

Though these scenarios are hypothetical, they are all plausible. Would they have happened for sure? Maybe not. But in a game like this there is no good reason not to test them, as all three players have the potential to execute them.

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Thunder are a very very tough matchup for us.

Every time they play us they have one more piece of the puzzle intact.

If the thunder get a dominant post scoring presence, watch the F out.

:lmao

:lol