Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Thunder - Jan. 13

[Kori Ellis]

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.

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.

[lurker23]

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.

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

[Pauleta14]

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!

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!

[Kori Ellis]

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

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

[DPG21920]

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.

[lurker23]

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

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

[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.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

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.

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?

[rAm]

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

[Bruno]

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?

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.

[Wildcat67]

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.

[ElNono]

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

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)

[benefactor]

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

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.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

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.

[Ignignokt]

[Ignignokt]