We had to see this game coming. We knew we were going to lay an egg soon. The Magic have played us tough over the last few years, and we just didn’t have it tonight. We couldn’t make a shot to save our lives, we were late on defensive rotations, and all the loose balls just went against us.
We hung in the game for the first quarter, and, thanks to some Matt Bonner 3s, were within fighting distance at half time. But Orlando ran away with it pretty much at the start of the second half. That’s what happens when you score a measly 4 points over about a 9 minute stretch.
George Hill, Tim Duncan, and Antonio McDyess all had memorable nights in their unmemorability. Duncan especially had a bad night, shooting 1 for 10 and pretty much getting owned by Howard on the offensive end. Such is life.
There are some positives to be had from this game, mostly in the continued impressive play from Ginobili and Jefferson. During the first half–when it was still a game–both were playing extremely well. Ginobili was getting to the hoop at will, driving around players like they were practice cones and laying it off the glass at impossible angles. I love that Ginobili. Jefferson had everything working: his outside shot, his drives to the hoop, his rebounding. He made his first 7 shots. I believe at halftime Jefferson, Ginobili, and Bonner (on account of his late 3 balls) were responsible for 32 of our 42 points.
My love affair with Malik Hairston continues, as well. He didn’t have a particularly memorable game. But more and more he looks like he belongs on the court with the big boys. His offense gets better every day, especially his slashing. On defense, he’s a playmaker. Sometimes he gets beat off the dribble, and sometimes he’ll get lost on rotations (happens to most players in their first year in the Spurs system). But he’ll make incredible athletic and intelligent plays, getting key steals and blocks when they’re needed. I’m not saying he should be starting; but can you think of a better player to play behind Jefferson in the rotation?
Looking Forward:
We play Golden State at home on Friday. This falls under the “Must Win” category. Our next 5 games after that reads like a playoff call sheet: Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Lakers, Cleveland, and Boston. We need to take care of business when it’s easy to take care of. We usually beat Golden State, but you never know what to expect against them. Playing them very often resembles something different than NBA basketball, and you just have to stick it out for 48 and assume that if you play your game, at the end, you’ll have more points.
We usually do.
