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A+ Tim Duncan, PF 44 MIN | 14-23 FG | 0-1 FT | 11 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 28 PTS | +9 +/-Just a freak of nature. He’s nearly 39 years old and he absolutely murdered a Defensive Player of the Year candidate for much of the night. But perhaps most impressive was the fact that he bounced back from what he called one of the worst fourth quarters of his career to ensure the Spurs didn’t let this one get away. I refuse to believe this guy is ever going to retire. I just refuse. |
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A Kawhi Leonard, SF 39 MIN | 9-16 FG | 3-4 FT | 9 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 3 TO | 23 PTS | +4 +/-Leonard reacted incredibly well after a Game 1 that saw the Clippers send a bunch of double-teams his way. And holy hell, that move he put on J.J. Redick was an all-timer. He played so well within the flow of the offense tonight, and made big play after big play. This was the kind of game you expected from a Finals MVP down 1-0 in a playoff series, and he delivered. |
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B Tiago Splitter, C 19 MIN | 0-1 FG | 2-4 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 2 PTS | -2 +/-He’s still limited, but during his time on the court he was very good. Splitter is the only one remotely capable of making life difficult on Blake Griffin, though I’m not sure anyone’s doing that these days. Still, it was an improvement from Game 1, and that’s a good sign going forward, so long as his calf issues don’t flare up. |
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D+ Tony Parker, PG 30 MIN | 0-6 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 1 PTS | +7 +/-There’s got to be a boatload of concern here. Look, even when Parker is struggling physically the way he is, he still has value because of his knowledge of the offense and his ability to keep everything flowing. But at a certain point, what’s the cost? He’s hurt, that’s pretty clear right now. Maybe a little home cooking will help, but I don’t know. This isn’t looking like a matchup he can win right now, especially given the way Chris Paul is playing. Only reason he gets a D is because he did keep the system moving…and that counts for something, at least. When he was on the floor, the Spurs played well. |
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B Danny Green, SG 29 MIN | 3-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 9 PTS | +10 +/-A weird Danny night. He hit some 3s on the road for once, and he played decent defense at times. But he found himself in Pop’s doghouse, or so it seemed. Gotta give it to him, though: Green made a massive shot to start the overtime period, and his defense down the stretch was crucial for a Spurs team that managed to coax a few turnovers out of the Clippers. I still can’t get over that OT. |
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C Marco Belinelli, SF 19 MIN | 3-8 FG | 2-3 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | -8 +/-He didn’t shoot very well, but he was playing his ass off on both sides of the ball. I don’t remember the last time he successfully shot the passing lanes the way he did tonight. He got overly confident at times, but that’s how you want this guy to play, for better or for worse. Those shots are gonna go in at home. |
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A+ Matt Bonner, C 5 MIN | 0-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +8 +/-Had a few chances to knock down some open 3s, but couldn’t connect. Matty got some time to give Splitter a rest, who was clearly gassed. This is NOT a good matchup for Bonner as a defender. Oof.
But get this: THE SPURS WERE PLUS-67.7 POINTS PER 100 POSSESSIONS IN HIS FIVE MINUTES ON THE COURT. A+! |
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B Boris Diaw, C 37 MIN | 6-14 FG | 0-0 FT | 9 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 12 PTS | -7 +/-You’ve gotta love Bobo. He just kept going at people, kept attacking, kept looking for his shots, kept looking for shooters. He still isn’t shooting the way he did last year, but you’ll take the aggressiveness. Had his moments where he fell asleep defensively, or was just out of position, but you still take that all-around production. Still, can’t have those defensive lapses. |
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A+ Patty Mills, PG 19 MIN | 5-9 FG | 6-6 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 18 PTS | +5 +/-PATTY PATTY PATTY, OI OI OI!!! If ever there was a time for San Antonio’s spark plug to re-emerge, this was it. The Spurs do not win if not for Patty Mills, and there’s no question about that. This guy has been mired in an awful slump for months and months and months, and here he is on a massive stage making the difference in an unbelievably competitive |
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INC Cory Joseph, PG 1 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -4 +/-Patty took his spot, but that’s not on Cory. San Antonio just needs the element Mills provides. |
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C- Manu Ginobili, SG 22 MIN | 2-6 FG | 5-6 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 9 PTS | -2 +/-Had a few moments and made a few shots, but the Spurs weren’t great with him on the floor tonight. Just didn’t look great. I think we’re at the point where we’re going to get a couple of good Ginobili games per series, and that’s OK. Because when those happen, the Spurs are damn near unbeatable. We’ll just have to watch and wait. |
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INC Aron Baynes, C DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN | FG | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | +/-Poor Baynes. DNP-CD. Eh, can’t blame Pop. |
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A+ Gregg Popovich
It takes a hell of a lot of confidence in a guy to go away from what you’d been doing consistently over the last month of the season, but Pop opted for Mills instead of Joseph, and it paid off in a big way. I still find it hard to gauge whether or not the intentional fouls on Jordan have been successful, because it’s tough to measure how it affects his own team’s pace, but otherwise, the way the Spurs hung in says a lot about their head coach. |
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