Season 48, Game 47
San Antonio 95, Charlotte 86
30-17, 6th in the West
Disregard a mere 25% of that game, and it was a really good game.
Playing 3/4 of a game at a high level is nothing to be upset by; but when the remaining 1/4 is that bad, it can get pretty frustrating.
If you watched the game, you know exactly what I am talking about. That 3rd quarter. There are lots of words to describe it. The word I scribbled in my notebook was “disaster”. The Spurs were outscored 26-14 (and only got those last 5 points on FTs in the final minutes of the quarter), and gave up an 18-3 run in there. The defense was porous; the offense was impotent. I know the Hornets are known for playing stout D, but it looked like it became a physical impossibility for the Spurs to get within 10 feet of the rim. That didn’t stop them from shooting floaters and layups as if they were at the rim, essentially just throwing the ball at the rim. I could do that. I expect a bit more from Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and cohorts.
Any other team, and the Spurs might have been in real trouble. But the Hornets are really offensively challenged and were without their playmaker and most potent offensive player, Kemba Walker. Al Jefferson is a very good post player, but he was (almost literally) the only real offensive threat for the Spurs to worry about. So the team weathered the disastrous quarter, and magically rediscovered how to play basketball in the final frame, pushing the lead back to 17 before finally winning by 9.
That out of the way, let’s talk about the other 3 quarters.
Parker looked really good to start the game, but it was still a bit deceptive. He is playing really well in isolation, getting his legs back with his spin moves, his crafty drives to the paint, and his jump shot. That’s a good sign. But I still don’t see him leading the team, and the offense for the first unit is struggling as a result. I find myself just biding my time, counting the minutes until the second unit comes in.
Patty and Manu enter, and suddenly the offense explodes and the team looks more like the Spurs that we saw last season. The game was blown open in the first half by the second unit, and the gap was closed again in the third against the starters. Granted, the second unit struggled in the third once Charlotte found their rhythm, but it was the starters who gave up the chance to end this thing early.
It was the insertion of Cory Joseph into the game late in the third that helped to turn the tide. He brought a lot of energy and tenacity that had been missing. He didn’t do a lot that shows up on the stat sheet, but the tenor of the game shifted when he entered. Mills did the same in both halves. The common denominator remains the same: it’s the other point guards that are having a more positive effect on games right now.
I don’t say this to bag on Tony. I love Tony. I don’t think this team can succeed to the levels it aspires to without a fully healthy Tony. You could even say the reason this team is struggling a bit this season is because Tony is not yet Tony. It’s cool that both Cory and Patty are contributing more to wins than Tony, but that’s also the problem. As Stephen said in his weekly recap today, let’s hope that Tony gets some good rest over the All-Star Break and closes the season strong.
The other conspicuous thing from this game is Tiago’s line. As in, DNP-CD. Before the game, Pop mentioned that he thought Tiago hadn’t been able to find his rhythm yet this season, which is probably why Matt has been starting games as of late. Maybe Pop didn’t play him to prove a point; maybe he did it to give him an extended break, as the team has another 2 days of rest after this before the next game. Whatever the case, much like Tony, the team needs last year’s Tiago to truly compete for a championship. He does so many of the little things that are vital to winning games, series, and titles.
The Spurs are now 3-0 on this homestand. And while it wasn’t entirely pretty, the Spurs are starting to make a little dent in the West. The Blazers lost tonight. Dallas lost tonight. The Spurs are finally out of the 7th spot…just barely. Still, after the December this team had, they are due a little winning streak and for some of the other teams in the West to start losing some games.
The Spurs can gain even more ground on Saturday, when the Clippers visit the AT&T Center.
