Season 49, Game 71
San Antonio 112, Miami 88
60-11, 2nd in the West
With 3:37 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Danny Green pulled up for a 3 and connected, making the score 80-57 and pushing the Spurs lead to 23 points.
Having learned the lessons from two nights earlier, the team was not going to let this 23-point cushion slip away. Two and a half minutes later, the lead was 29 and Boban Marjanovic was checking in, as sure a sign the Spurs have that a game is out of hand.
Nineteen Marjanovic points later, the lead would crest at 31 points, before the Heat’s last minute ‘run’ put it back to a more respectable 24.
The Spurs are a different team at home than they are on the road, but this was still an encouraging response to the dispiriting loss two nights earlier in Charlotte. Whatever doubts that lingered around the collective psyche of the team after surrendering such a substantial lead was quickly erased by their performance against the Heat.
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Kawhi Leonard was the catalyst. This is what is expected of superstars, and this is what we should expect from Kawhi. After appearing out of sync and at times lost in the Charlotte game, Kawhi came out with an aggressiveness and ferocity that left little question as to who the best player on the court was. He seemed determined to impose his will on offense, a trait we haven’t seen a lot of yet.
Let’s hope we see it more. With Kawhi’s mixture of skill, size, strength, and athleticism, he is near unguardable… when he wants to be. He scored 32 points on 21 shots while collecting 8 rebounds… in about 24 minutes of action. His jumper was on, but he wasn’t settling for it. He was aggressive and drawing fouls, a necessary next step for his game.
The rest of the team seemed dialed in, as well. Green continued to play strong defense, but also chipped in 3 3-pointers. Funny how good he looks when he’s doing everything he does so well and hitting shots. Martin had a good showing, scoring 12 points. Everybody chipped in, scoring here and there, but always playing within themselves and the system. Really, the Heat have no chance against a locked in Spurs team at home.
Then there’s Boban. It’s so hard to get a feel for what his game could be in this league. His lack of speed and mobility is a huge detriment in today’s game, but his combination of size (SIZE!) and surprisingly soft touch is a wholly unique and rare combination. His array of moves and jumpers against Whiteside were impressive for a man half a foot shorter, let alone a 7’3″ giant.
I doubt he’ll get much serious playing time in the playoffs, as interesting as it would be to see. Long-term, though, I hope the Spurs are able to hold on to him and develop him. There’s a solid NBA player in there, and no team is as good at unearthing talent as the Spurs are.
The Spurs welcome a decimated-by-injury Memphis Grizzlies to San Antonio tomorrow night. With a quick back-to-back Saturday, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kawhi sits out both games to rest his injured quad. The Spurs should beat the pesky Grizzlies at home with or without him, and Saturday night in Oklahoma City has ‘rest game’ written all over it.
Go Spurs Go.
