Toronto 95, San Antonio 104 // 36-6 // 1st in the West
After racing out to a 10-0 lead in the first 3 minutes, it took us another 9 minutes to score 10 more. 12 minutes later, we only had 20 more, trailing 42-53 at halftime. The first 3 minutes aside (in which it looked as if we might run Toronto out of the building), the first half was one of the more frustrating performances from the team this year. 0-6 on 3-pointers, 15-43 overall (34.9%), 12 turnovers leading to 15 Raptors points and no pride on defense, giving up 20 points to DeMar DeRozan in the first 24 minutes.
One of my all-time favorite Pop-isms is this: You must participate in your own recovery. Concise and elegant. There is no magic wand to wave that will cure all of your ills; there is nobody feeling sorry for you; there is no 10-point shot. Only hard work, perseverance, and belief in the system and the team can get you back in a game. Trust the system, trust your teammates, and trust yourself.
The Spurs have been very good at self-recovery this year, often storming out of the locker room after halftime and seizing control of games. It usually starts with increased defensive intensity and execution and spills over to the offense. Tonight was no different. Coming out of halftime we overwhelmed them with sheer force and will, winning the 3rd quarter 33-16 and taking a lead we would never relinquish. DeJuan Blair was amazing in the 3rd quarter, a one man wrecking crew under the offensive basket. Antonio McDyess had another strong game, even throwing down a couple of thunderous dunks. And Tony Parker orchestrated it all, running the offense as only he knows how.
As of today, we stand at 36-6. An elegant string of numbers. On pace for 70 wins, a benchmark only reached once in the history of the NBA. Most people (myself included) don’t think we’ll reach it; some people (like Pop) probably hope we don’t even come close to reaching it.
Take a look at those numbers, breathe them in, enjoy what they have meant and how well the team has played thus far, and hold that feeling for one moment…then let it go. Let it all go. The numbers only matter inasmuch as they can secure us home court advantage in the playoffs and give us a greater shot at winning what really matters. But there will be tough losses, there will be injuries, there will be bad games in which we don’t come back. But don’t look at the numbers as the final arbiter of this team’s success; use growth as your final judgement. This team, as good as it is, can be much better. It needs to get better to achieve what it wants. Counting wins is a fool’s errand; count successful rotations, teams held under 40% shooting, wide-open 3-pointers regardless of outcome, rebound advantages…all of the little things that championship teams excel at.
When the final bell sounds on the regular season, the number in the W column won’t mean much, but the length of the journey and growth therein will. Once the playoffs begin, all teams start at zero wins, but not all teams start from the same place.
