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Thanks a lot LJ.
Another night. Another double-digit victory. While it wasn't always easy, there was never any doubt that the Spurs were the better team. The 105-88 win was San Antonio's 16th straight victory, which have been won by an average margin of 17.1 points per game.
In the first quarter, the Spurs got it rolling early. Over a six-minute stretch, the Spurs went on an 18-2 run to take a 15-point lead. However, after San Antonio got the early advantage, there was a bit of a letdown in the form of a loss of intensity and a stagnation of the offense. The Clippers took advantage and got within one point in the second quarter.
Thankfully, the third quarter saw a return to the type of basketball we've all come to expect. After scoring only 17 points in the second period, the Spurs scored 32 in the third and were able to take an 11-point lead into the final quarter. The Spurs led by double-digits for the last 11:22 of the game as they cruised to the 2-0 series advantage.
Overall, it was yet another workmanlike effort. The second quarter was concerning but it proved to just be a bump in the road. Now the series shift to Los Angeles where the Spurs will try to continue their winning ways.
Tim Duncan A-
The Tim Duncan Throwback Tour held another show on Thursday night. While he wasn't quite as dominant as he was in Game 1, Duncan was again very good. Offensively, he had his full repertoire working. He hit jumpers from the perimeter, layups at the rim, flip shots in the lane and everything in-between. His passing, decision-making and patience were all at high levels. Defensively, Duncan was very good against pick-and-rolls and artfully protected the basket area. He also made a few world-class rotations to bail out his teammates. While Duncan's rebounding and transition defense weren't as good as last game, he definitely more than did his part tonight.
Manu Ginobili B-
Offensively, it was a strange game for Manu Ginobili. In his first five and a half minutes of playing time, he scored all ten of his points and appeared to be well on his way to a huge night. But in his final 20 minutes, Ginobili was 0-for-6 from the field and never quite looked comfortable -- for a variety of reasons. Sometimes he wasn't getting touches. Sometimes the Clippers defended him well. Other times he was simply trying to run the offense. All in all, Ginobili was far from his best on offense but was also far from a liability. Defensively, I thought he had another very good outing. I was wary about his ability to defend in this series due to the matchups but Ginobili has been up to the challenge and has made me look foolish for doubting him.
Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker celebrated his 30th birthday in memorable fashion. The old man played fantastic defense. Sure, Chris Paul is less than 100% healthy, but Parker just destroyed him on that end of the court. Every move he made, the graybeard was right there with him. Offensively, Parker had his ups and downs -- particularly in the first half. For a stretch of time, he was having a hard time toeing the line between being in attack-mode and not involving his teammates enough. In the final two quarters, I thought he toed that line much better. He kept testing the Clippers defense and eventually found a few cracks. Going forward, the Spurs need Parker to be a little bit more efficient offensively but his effort was great on both ends of the court tonight.
Boris Diaw A
This series couldn't have started any better for Boris Diaw. He's just playing great basketball right now. First of all, his passing was amazing once again. After Parker got doubled, Diaw oftentimes received the first pass and was asked to facilitate. The results were almost always positive. If the Clippers didn't rotate to him, he'd score. If the Clippers did rotate to him, Diaw would find the open man. There was nothing too fancy involved but it was very effective. Defensively, Diaw was again stout against Blake Griffin. He got low and usually forced Griffin to beat him over the top. And while Diaw's personal rebounding numbers weren't great, he played a large role in holding Griffin to only one board.
Kawhi Leonard B+
Though Kawhi Leonard's production wasn't overly eye-catching tonight, he caused plenty of headaches for the Clippers. Defensively, Leonard was everywhere. His individual defense was solid but he really shined away from his man. Leonard's help-defense was fantastic, he blew up a handful of pick-and-rolls with his length and activity, he helped defend the paint and then finished off possessions by crashing the glass. It was truly one of Leonard's finest all-around efforts of D of his rookie season. Offensively, his main attribute was running the court hard. And while he didn't score much, Leonard remained assertive and forced the Clippers to account for him.
Danny Green B
Offensively, Danny Green's three-pointers were perfectly timed. It seemed like whenever the Spurs needed to fight back a Clippers rally or extend a run, Green was ready with a three-point bomb. While he didn't do much else positive on offense, the timeliness of Green's shooting can't be understated. On defense, I thought he was average to below average. Green just wasn't as attentive as he was in Game 1 and gave up too many clean looks. He had a few great possessions but was otherwise lacking.
Stephen Jackson B-
Stephen Jackson has had a quiet beginning to the Clippers series. Although he only has one basket, his passing has been very helpful. Jackson has always been an underrated passer and tonight he created easy buckets due to the timing and accuracy of his passes. Defensively, Jackson has been inconsistent. The small guards on the Clippers are stretching the limits of his mobility on the perimeter and his rotations have sometimes been a step slow.
Tiago Splitter B
In the first half, I wasn't too impressed with Tiago Splitter's play. Much like Game 1, Splitter wasn't crisp, wasn't moving with purpose and his defense was spotty. But his second half play was much better. He started in place of Diaw due to foul trouble and Splitter was able to shine on both ends of the court. Defensively, he played fine individual defense, patrolled the paint and did a much better job on the boards. On offense, Splitter was smart with his movements and seemed to rediscover his groove. Let's hope it carries over to Game 3.
Gary Neal C+
The Clippers continue to be a nightmare matchup for Gary Neal. He can't handle their pressure on offense and he can't stay in front of anyone on defense. I didn't like that he seemingly gave up on trying to handle the ball on offense because it forced Ginobili to waste energy. Defensively, he was a little bit better than Game 1 -- but that's not saying much. Thankfully, Neal continues to hit shots so he's not a total disaster.
Matt Bonner B-
The good: I liked that Bonner issued a pair of hard fouls against poor free throw shooters. He was active on defense and came up with a few loose balls. It's also obvious that he knows the scouting report on each player because he expertly knows who to close out on and who to let shoot. The bad: Bonner remains invisible offensively. If not for a garbage time basket, he'd be scoreless for the series. On defense, Bonner could have given better effort on the boards and in getting back in transition.
Pop A-
Pop once again spread the minutes well. Understandably, he has to play Parker a lot in this series because Neal is such a poor fit against the Clippers. Pop's gameplan, especially defensively, was impressive and worked perfectly. There's not much more to say other than Pop is doing a great job; he's pushing all the right buttons right now. With a back-to-back in Game 3 and Game 4, it'll be very interesting to see how the 2012 NBA Coach of the Year attacks these next couple games.
Thanks a lot LJ.
Thanks, always appreciate your grades. Boris played great and Neal is still not a pg.
I think Manu got a little bit too trigger happy after the non foul-call on his third three. He took some more threes, all misses, where he should have passed the ball more.
I think that played a major part in LA's comeback in the first half.
While I was watching the game I came up with a conclusion that the spurs are unable to lose. They denied losing. They do not know how to lose!
In that aspect I was not satisfied with some stagnant moments of the game but overall the spurs kept Clipps in check. They did not allowe them to have any rhythm or pace. Spurs just controlled everything. And even if not many things were clicking for the spurs in some moment of this game. The spurs make those playoffs look easy. Unlike for the playoffs.
Bo Diaw A+++
Our bench isn't giving us the lift on offense and defense that they provided all year. After telling ourselves we had the deepest bench in the NBA, we are finding out that other teams have deep benches too and aren't afraid to play them extended minutes.
In fact, the Clipper bench is winning the battle of the benches. Their bench is impressive on defense, pressuring our starters into turnovers and outscoring their opposites on the Spurs bench when our guys give the starters a rest.
Pop has been forced to play our starters against their bench to maintain our dominance.
This could be a problem as the series goes to LA for a b-2-b.
The clipper guards are doing a good job at being pests. When the bench guys are in they're struggling to get into the offense. Neal playing the point being the biggest victim of that.
I saw that too. Loved it. I wonder if Matty will become our designated "enforcer"??!!
OV's Game Thoughts, 2012
Volume 1 of probably 1
Tim Duncan A
I simply don't have the words to describe how satisifying it is to see Duncan playing healthy in the playoffs, and for the first time in years, he's got wind for the whole game to boot. The decision to slim down is without a doubt the best thing that could have happened for the Spurs. Duncan played great on both ends, and though he didn't rebound particularly well, he deserves his grade for saving us all from having to watch Griffin's pick and roll dunk on Sportscenter for the next 48 hours. That made up for the two times he went Tragic Johnson in this game, though if anyone's en led to a pass, it's Timmy.
Manu Ginobili C+
When Manu came out shooting hot, I thought to myself, "Hot damn, here we go!" When Manu started settling for threes and seemed to get frustrated with the officiating and the defense on him, I wondered if he was going to contribute. Fortunately he settled down in the second half and did what he does, help on defense, help going after rebounds, help with energy. Not his greatest game, but he fought through it and made a difference.
Tony Parker A
In the fourth quarter, Chris Paul went to the bench and sat down next to Chauncey Billups. Billups looked over at him and said, "Parker did this to Rip Hamilton in the finals." Let's not make any mistake here, Tony's grade is for his defense. If he didn't score a point, I love the tone he set with his effort on that end. Parker got mad at the rough treatment and the perceived non-calls by the refs and absolutely took his frustrations out on Chris Paul. With Westbrook and Rondo and Wade potentially looming down the road, that's a good sign.
Boris Diaw A+
Wow. All I could think of while watching Diaw tonight is how embarrassed I am that I said he was a stupid basketball player. By his facial expressions you'd think he's disinterested, but he knows where everyone is, and seems always to be in the right place. His ability to pick up the offense and defense so quickly and integrate himself to this team just astounds me, and he deserves a ton of credit. He's Fabricio Oberto with more skills, and that should scare the bejeezus out of the rest of the playoff teams.
Kawhi Leonard A-
When the Spurs came out at the beginning of the game, I didn't like their energy. They seemed to be standing around, and then Kawhi Leonard turned it on. He had his hands in everything, grabbed a couple of nearly impossible rebounds, absolutely destroyed the Clippers' pick and roll sets, ran hard on the break with perfect spacing, and really helped to destroy any confidence Chris Paul might have gotten in the second quarter. That he did it all without a change of expression just makes Spurs fans love him more. The Spurs have some special role players this year who just fit in seamlessly.
Danny Green B
Danny Green was not good in this game. I thought he was channelling Michael Finley with his ability to leave good three point shooters wide open. It really was not a good effort for him. That said, he absolutely hit the shots he needed to hit for this team when they needed them most, and that saved his grade. I have a feeling Clippers nation feels about Danny Green much the same way we feel about Derek Fisher and Devean George after tonight.
Stephen Jackson B-
Jack is kind of the odd man out this series. There's just not anyone on the Clippers that he matches up well with. Through it all, he's been the consummate professional and done his job. He's focused on facilitating and getting into good position, and every minute he's on the floor is a chance to turn it all around. I'm still expecting an explosion from him before the playoff run is finished, but I don't know if it'll happen against LA.
Tiago Splitter B+
Say what you want about Splitter, but he's a tough kid. He grabbed some really tough rebounds in this game and took some shots. He's very smart and runs the floor hard and seemingly has no fear. I'd suggest translating Manu's nickname into Brazillian, but "o hematoma" sounds like a bizarro Christmas carol.
Gary Neal C+
Gary Neal is suffering from the same problems as Stephen Jackson. Every guard he faces can kick his ass on both ends of the floor, so there's just not a matchup that suits him. You'd expect a guy to shut down or change what he does in the face of that. Gary just keeps shooting and keeps hitting them. Can't really ask for more than that from a shooter.
Matt Bonner B-
One might look at the box score and think Matt Bonner is reverting to playoff form. One would be misaken. Bonner missed his only shots that mattered and half of his rebounds were wrestled away from smaller teammates, but here's the difference: Bonner was not exploited on defense in any way. He was in good position during his minutes, and played really smart on both ends. Despite his looks and his goofy run, he's a big, strong guy and isn't afraid to mix it up. He's now learning when to bring his hands down as he made two really smart fouls when he needed to. I'm immensely grateful that Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter prevent Bonner from having to play 30 minutes a night, but this is exactly how I want Matty playing, and I'll count any baskets he makes as gravy.
Pop A
I've never given a Pop grade before in a game thread. I don't recall him pulling anyone that was on a hot streak or inserting someone for the first time in a clutch situation against a bad matchup, so I guess I'll give him an A. I'm a bit surprised that he didn't call a timeout when three point shooters were left absolutely wide open three times in the first quarter, but the team aren't looking over their shoulders when they make a mistake like they did in previous years, and this is a pretty tight team, so he probably deserves credit for that as well. Between philosopy, subs utions, who to play, and minute distribution, he's pretty much doing all the things we've been begging him to do over the last several years. It's no coincidence that he has home court and a little statue of Red Auerbach for his trouble.
this is what bothers me about the C+, he is playing out of position and got 7 points. damn SJ didnt even score, i expected a better game from him yesterday.
anyhow, last night i was scream for patty mills to play a few minutes with the manu and duncan.
Thanks to both Timvp and OV for the grades. I actually agree more with OV's grades this time, particularly with respect to Parker and Popovich.
Parker clearly got po'd at the beating he was taking and the lack of calls for that beating, and got interested in making his own shots more than involving others at times in the game. But he clearly deserved an A for the dominance of Paul ( and he WAS the dominant defender on Paul), and for not giving up on his offense after struggling. Not only his points and assists, but he also out performed Paul on turnovers and steals. Paul is limited due to his injury, but he was also limited due to Parker's excellent defense.
Neither of you guys mentioned Pop's adjustment in the third quarter of starting Splitter instead of Diaw. I thought it was a truly inspired move, inasmuch as we didn't want Diaw getting an early fourth foul, and we definitely needed somebody who knew what they were doing at the 5 role with the second squad. The Splitter for Diaw change accomplished both things perfectly and was the exact right call, assuring Pop an A, imo.
Great win all around.
timvp, to Bonner's credit, he made a 3 pointer from the corner, but Duncan was fouled before so it didn't count. Of course Bonner missed 2 very make-able 3's which were wide open, but I can forget those, right?
mando
i litterally can not believe how good TD, Diaw, and green have been this year/postseason. it's astounding, my jaw is constantly dropped.
I liked the move Pop made to [play Duncan and Splitter together to open the second half. While it slows us down a bit the defense and offense looked good. You can tell those two had some practice together during our 8 days between series.
I also think Pop should see what Patty Mills has in him this series. Give him a few minutes and see if he can keep in front of anyone or see the floor better than Gary. I know the motion offense isnt easy, but toss him in the fire.
Thank you so much for both recaps, timvp and OV.
Excellent write-ups.
A+++++!!
So impressed with Boris Diaw, he makes the Spurs that much better. Always loved his game during his Suns days
and when Gary Neal is out there, he should NOT be playing the PG, he just cant do it and does not look comfortable out there playing that position.
Bonner's realization of learning how to foul Griffin without giving up an and 1 was a missed part.
His shot misses are close, unlike previous years where they weren't.
This. I think that somehow contributed to his bad reputation (and his lack of motivation in Charlotte this season didn't help either), but the thing is he always looks like that even when he's 100% focused.
He looks like this cool laid back guy who never displays emotions, but some people see that as softness/carelessness
A bit too tough on Parker as usual.
Progress
I bet it is.
One thing that has really been getting my attention about Kawhi's permieter defense lately is just how good he has become about keeping his feet, and not biting on pump fakes. I see guys who have been in the league for years - good players, who can't help themselves. Kawhi almost never bites now. It's amazing for a rookie. (Green is pretty good, but less consistent about it.) He may not be throwing up huge offensive numbers, but he's way, way ahead of the curve defensively.
I have to disagree about Manu - there were some times last night when he was a liability on offense. It's not just that he tossed up some bad 3-point shots. Part of the problem was when he tossed them up. And part of it is that he's not getting his reserve teammates involved, even though he's supposed to be facilitating the offense. This is just a general impression - I haven't reviewed the video or play-by-play, but it seems like when Manu is on the floor, he's just about the only one shooting from the perimeter. Almost like he thinks he has to do the heavy lifting, since this is the playoffs. The young, quick guards on this Clipper squad are making it tough for Manu to get the corner, going to the rim. He's going to have to trust the teammates that have been so good all season.
Clippers are pretty much screwed imo. I don't think they're even able to win in SA. At best this will be a 5 game series imo.
When the Clippers went on their little "run" at the end of the first and first part of the second, it wasn't really because they were playing well. They hit like three straight prayer-type shots. . highly contested long range jumpers that happened to go in. While the Spurs missed like 5 straight WIDE OPEN shots. And didn't hit a jumper for something like a 7 or 8 minute span despite almost all of their looks being open looks.
That was their run. That's it. It was basically luck. They probably got all excited then couldn't figure out why doing the same thing wasn't working in the 2nd half anymore. lol.
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