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In Game 1 of what promises to be a fantastic series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Spurs blitzed the Thunder late to escape with a hard-fought 101-98 victory. In San Antonio's quest to win a fifth championship, tonight was key. Heading into the final 12 minutes, this game looked headed toward a sour ending. Thankfully, the good guys got it going in time to extend their winning streak to 19 games.
The first half was extremely ugly. I'm not sure if it was rust or playoff pressure but the Spurs struggled to do anything correctly. In the first two quarters, the Spurs turned the ball over 14 times, got their shots blocked seven times and allowed nine offensive rebounds.
Honestly, going into the second half, I was feeling confident about San Antonio's chances. Despite all those negatives, the Spurs were only down by one point at halftime. But that confidence proved to be erroneous because the Thunder dominated the third quarter. They led the entire quarter and built their advantage up to nine points while looking fresher, more explosive in their movements and more determined.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Spurs were down by nine points. Thankfully, the Spurs were far from done. The Spurs went on a 11-2 run to tie the game with 7:56 remaining. After a Kendrick Perkins free throw put the Thunder back up by a point, the Spurs offense went into hyperdrive. They scored on their next eight possessions and capped off the rally with a Stephen Jackson three-pointer to put the Spurs up by seven points with three minutes remaining. A minute later, Manu Ginobili converted a three-point play to grow the lead to ten points and all but officially seal the victory.
It goes without saying but this was a great, great win. The Spurs could have folded under the pressure of a fourth quarter hole but they dug deep once again to get the vital victory.
Heading into Game 2, the Spurs have to be encouraged that they were able to play a much cleaner game in the second half. In the final 24 minutes, the Spurs had only three turnovers, got blocked just twice and didn't allow an offensive rebound. If the Spurs can continue that type of mindful play on Tuesday night, they'll have a good chance of taking a commanding lead in the series.
Tim Duncan B
Tim Duncan simply wasn't as sharp as we've seen him play for most of the 2012 playoffs -- especially offensively. He missed a lot of shots near the rim and his decision-making with the ball wasn't as crisp as usual. That said, he fought through his struggles and was able to put together a solid outing. Offensively, he found a much better rhythm in the second half and his screen-setting, movement and timing were very good in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Duncan also progressively got better. He defended his man and the rim well throughout, however his pick-and-roll and help defense peaked in the final stanza. Duncan can definitely play better but he helped the Spurs start the 2012 Western Conference Finals with a victory.
Manu Ginobili A+
I never worried about Manu Ginobili in the first two rounds of the playoffs. His stats were pedestrian but the truth is the Spurs didn't really need for him to do much. Against the Thunder, San Antonio desperately needed him and the Argentine superstar was ready to deliver the goods. Ginobili's awesome night began with a thud. He turned the ball over twice and then got his first two shots blocked. But at the end of the first quarter, he started to take over. He scored the team's final seven points of the period and then opened the second quarter with a three-pointer. However, it wasn't until the second half that Ginobili really became the difference-maker. Even though the Thunder were bottling up everything the Spurs tried to do, Ginobili stayed aggressive and kept probing for openings. In the fourth quarter, Ginobili's tenaciousness paid off and he began shredding Oklahoma City's defense left and right. At that point, it was as if he destroyed the dam and San Antonio's offense was allowed to flow unimpeded. Defensively, I thought Ginobili was mostly good. He was slow a few times getting around picks but he more than held his own when guarding James Harden. Going forward, let's hope Ginobili can continue to find weaknesses in OKC's defense.
Tony Parker B-
Game 1 featured a lot of positives and a lot of negatives for Tony Parker. Most of his negatives came in the first half. Parker was doing a poor job running the offense. He was dribbling too much, creating too little and seemingly couldn't figure out how OKC was attacking him. Parker also totaled four first half turnovers and got his shots altered numerous times by the long athletes of Oklahoma City. The second half, thankfully, was much better. Parker got back to buzzing around the court to produce openings for himself and teammates. He took better care of the ball (no turnovers) and his defense intensity went through the roof. He was good defensively in the first half but Parker's D against Russell Westbrook in the final two quarters was special. He was beating Westbrook to his spots and kept up the pressure. Parker also pulled down six rebounds in the second half as he zoomed to long caroms. In the fourth quarter, the Frenchman hit the game-tying jumper and the shot that gave the Spurs their first lead. Overall, though that first half was forgettable, Parker was able to bounce back with a quality final push while continuing his underrated dominance on defense.
Kawhi Leonard B
Kawhi Leonard was San Antonio's Kevin Durant defender for most of the game and I thought the rookie did fine work. You're not going to stop Durant but Leonard challenged his shots well, stayed in front of him for the most part and took away catch-and-shoot looks. Best of all, Leonard only had one foul in 25 minutes against Durant. I really can't complain and I'm anxious to see if Leonard can continue to make Durant work for his points. Offensively, I wasn't as happy with Leonard. For the first time in a long time, Leonard actually looked like a rookie. He was too jumpy with the ball and his shot selection left a lot to be desired. Leonard knocked down a three-pointer, hit the offensive boards and made a few nice passes but he simply wasn't what we've come to expect on that end: a calm, collected assassin who picks his spots well. Then again, he wouldn't be human if he didn't show any sort of trepidation during this playoff run.
Boris Diaw B
Offensively, Boris Diaw was productive. When he wasn't making heady passes, he was finishing off possessions with shots in the paint. Diaw was very good at recognizing and exploiting interior mismatches. Unfortunately, he just wasn't as useful out on the perimeter. By passing up open shots, Diaw allowed the Thunder to sag off of him, which then subsequently clogged the lane. Defensively, Diaw was mediocre. His help defense was hit or miss and he wasn't very comfortable above the free throw line. When the Thunder went small, Diaw's inability to defend out to the three-point line eventually led to him sitting out the game's final 16 minutes. It was far from a bad game for Diaw but OKC was able to take advantage of some of his shortcomings.
Danny Green D-
Danny Green has been a streaky shooter this season. Sunday night was a streak in the wrong way. He missed all six of his shots, five of which came from three-point territory. Considering he was a blistering 11-for-19 (57.9%) on threes against the Clippers, his waywardness tonight was surprising. Green's offensive woes seemed to negatively impact his defense, which is something that should never happen. He alternated between being slow to react and trying to do too much. Let's hope Game 2 is kinder to Green.
Gary Neal B+
Gary Neal continues to be a scoring machine in the playoffs. He played the final 15 minutes of the game and was an important cog in the machine, particularly in the final ten minutes. He scored seven points in the fourth quarter and played some of his best defense of the season. While he was assigned to a spot-up shooter, Neal was quick to rotate to the paint and drew a pair of changes down the stretch. While Neal was big when it mattered, he did have a few head-scratching moments. His defense wasn't good in the first half, his playmaking remained iffy throughout and he decided to pull-up for a three-pointer from New Braunfels in the third quarter. But all in all, Neal is giving the Spurs solid minutes -- especially in tight situations.
Stephen Jackson A
The legend of Stephen Jackson just grew larger. Defensively, Jackson was fabulous. He took the challenge of guarding Durant and did everything he could to slow the Thunder's natural born scorer. In the 18 minutes he defended Durant, Jackson held him to nine points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field. To bother Durant, Jackson was physical with him from the time he crossed the half-court stripe. Perhaps most importantly, during those 18 minutes, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 14 points. Offensively, Jackson contributed with the aforementioned momentous fourth quarter three-pointer. His game wasn't flashy but this was a hugely important performance that should make Jackson even more of a fan favorite.
Tiago Splitter B+
Outside of going 1-for-5 at the free throw line, I was pleased with how Tiago Splitter played. He had a few moments of sloppiness in the first half but he played hard and was able to provide five key points to begin the fourth quarter. Sets featuring a Splitter pick-and-roll were increasingly effective as the game wore on. When he got the ball down low, Splitter mixed in a few well-timed passes to keep the defense on their toes. The Brazilian has been an important weapon all season and he fit that definition again tonight. Defensively, Splitter was smart and strong. He didn't foul needlessly (in fact, he was able to draw a few fouls), he rebounded very well and he patrolled the paint with purpose.
Matt Bonner C-
On offense, Matt Bonner wasn't very good. The Thunder weren't paying especially close attention to him yet he didn't make them pay. He missed both of his three-pointers and didn't look confident in his attempts. Defensively, he was a little bit better ... but not much. The Thunder were able to bump him out of position a few times and he was invisible when it came to protecting against penetration. He was asked to defend out on the perimeter when the Thunder went small -- and that failed pretty quickly. Bonner's saving grace was his effort on the boards.
Pop A
This game will probably be remembered for Pop's instant classic "I Want Some Nasty!" soundbite, however his actual coaching was even better than that pep talk. His adjustments from quarter to quarter and minute to minute were amazing. He quickly figured out what wasn't working and kept shuffling the deck until he found a worthwhile equation. Pop's decision to match the Thunder's small ball with small ball of his own was an important subplot of the second half. He was also right to keep Jackson on Durant down the stretch, go away from Green and Bonner, play Neal in the fourth quarter and to call countless movement-heavy plays for Ginobili. Whatever Pop said at halftime should be bottled and sold in stores because the Spurs followed one of their most disheveled halves with a much more pristine effort in the second half. Now the challenge is to start over in Game 2 while attempting to carry over the momentum from Game 1's fourth quarter.
first
awesome, waited up for these.
yeah neal worries me when he chucks the ball up without even waiting for the O to settle. i guess thats one of the aspects we have to neal with.
Every single spurs' game, the little candy: TIMVP's grade.
Thx a lot.
ginobili must be better than A+ . sorry bro. you r wrong.
Thanks for the writeup!
Westbrook took Parker's bait.
He came out with a ton of energy and intensity on both ends. I think he did bother Parker and was responsible for some of our many turnovers in the first half.
But he was never quite as energetic in the 2nd half. Parker did a great job defensively as well. Westbrook had to have been tired too after his frantic first half.
Westbrook ended up going 3 of 10 in the 2nd half and took the most shots of any Thunder player. While Parker went 4-7 and scored 12 points and didn't look fazed by Westbrook's defense at all. He also grabbed 6 rebounds in the 2nd half alone. IIRC most of them were long rebounds from Westbrook's bricks.
Vintage Manu and his penetration was a thing of beauty. DAT ball fake on KD
I was concerned. I didn't want him to be a non-factor again. I was confident that he would come out and be ready to compete but that doesn't guarantee that his shots will fall.
In addition to Jackson's defense, he was really animated and brought the level of emotion to another level.
Neal taking those 2 or 3 charges in the 4th also energized the crowd and his teammates.
Amazing battle by the spurs.
First time this playoffs their game looked like a playoff game.
Pop told them it's the playoffs and they responded with gr8 performance. We needed supermanu and we got him.
Now Pop and the spurs knows the recipe to play those Thunder IMO.
I thought Leonard played good ball on D and his rebounding is awesome. How long we have been waiting for a rebounding wing?
I just feel bad that he is starting his career when Tim and Manu are on the way out ..
TP needs to calm down. Thunder anticipated most passes in the 1st half, and if TP was not that crazy with his play the win would be much more boring but easier.
Spurs will learn from it but again OKC can shoot the lights out the next game.
Can Jax stay in the Durant stopper mode? If yes the Spurs gonna end the series quick.
We need Green to wake up and we need Bonner to get better position to hit those treys!
Spurs forced OKC to play small as I said when it's gonna happen we have even bigger advantage.
I like this series already.
In the matchups and coaches decisions it's one of the best series since 2005 finals
Thanks for the grades.
Hopefully next game the Spurs can limit the amount of transition buckets that OKC gets. That is what hurt us in our first game against them and it was hurting us today.
Last edited by SanDiegoSpursFan; 05-28-2012 at 06:45 AM.
What you guys think Pop should do if Green has one or two more games like this?
I was thinking that maybe inserting Neal into the starting five wouldn't be that bad.
I know, I know, why change something that works, but by starting Neal could actually give us some advantages:
1. Gary would play on his natural position.
2. He'd play (defend) against Thabo, which should be much easier for him than defending Harden.
3. Green, as the better defender would get to defend Harden.
But i realize that it would be the best thing for us if this was just an off-night for Green. Hope his shooting come back on Tuesday.
Great grades as always, but it was more like San Marcos.
Bonner should have had a D- too.
Random note: Tonight was the first game since the season opener that Ginobili played more than 30 minutes.
And the Spurs are in the Western Conference Finals. That's crazy, tbh.
Splitter's presence on the offensive end was key to the start of the 4th quarter. There were, as I recall, three possessions in a row that ended with him scoring or getting fouled. In between, he also drew a charge on the other end. I think when the bench units are on the court, the P'n'R with Manu and Splitter should be the first option to explore because the Thunder simply don't seem able to defend it.
Neal was just big down the stretch. Yeah, his ball-handling and playmaking will always make you cringe a little, but he hit vital shots. Defensively, that must have been one of his best outings as a Spur simply because of the timely charges he drew late in the game.
Great to see that Manu still can be Super-Manu when the Spurs need him to. Let's just hope that Danny doesn't start to second-guess himself. If he is open, he needs to keep shooting it.
The small-ball lineups down the stretch are something the Spurs should be comfortable enough with, especially when Brooks is going with Perkins instead of Ibaka, because Perkins doesn't really protect the rim and isn't a shotblocking presence either.
All in all, a win that was as vital as it was impressive. The Thunder came out roaring and their quick and aggressive defense clearly bothered the Spurs. But Pop and our guys were able to adjust and to find a way to get into rhythm offensively when it mattered most towards the end of the game.
I'm not a Bonner hater at all, but I screamed at him a lot, watching the game earlier today.
Splitter too, a little bit.
PS:
I told you guys, Manu's gonna step up when they really need him.
Bonner Z-.
Doesn't Chip Engelland give 1 on 1 FT shooting lessons to Tiago?
His basics is not 100% bad. His elbows are tucked in straight enough, but he's too stiff and no rhythm. And no confidence/ iness of making it when he's on the line.
A little tweaking and practice and he'll be really decent FT shooter, I feel.
None was able to stop it,not only the Thunders tbh.It was money all the season.
It works with Tony or Neal sometimes but Manu is by far the best passer of the team and one of the best in the league.
Spurs won. Now let's get Game 2!
No he's certainly not a better passer than Diaw by far.
Btw look at Manu's line, 3 assits 3 TO (if that was TP people would be crying about it). Boris 4 assists 0 TO.
I just watched the game.
This is the best I have seen Manu played all year..
Timmy, Boris, Jax, Leonard and Tiago played really good, but they can play better.
Manu was on another level. This is the Batmanu we need, the Manu we deserve right now
Good grades tim. +1 on Kawhi.
Manu is a better passer than Diaw. Manu doesn't need to give the ball up under the rim in one on one coverage. Don't get me wrong, Diaw is a good passer, but his assists often come from deferring when he could have made a shot. No way Diaw completes or even attempts some of the passes Manu makes.
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