2016 Western Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 97, Oklahoma City 98
Series tied 1-1

You probably want to talk about those last 13 seconds.

I don’t really want to. In a 1-point loss, much will always be made about the final play or plays. When there are 5 (according to the NBA) missed fouls in one final possession, a whole lot will be made about it.

But as many have already said, it kind of all came out in the wash. Manu stepped over the line (maybe, or maybe just on the line, which might not be an infraction), Waiters came over the line to throw a forearm, Kawhi held on to Westbrook’s jersey.

Either way, the Thunder turned it over and San Antonio ended up in an arguably more advantageous position, a mad scramble fast break, which often favors the offensive team. They had 2 or 3 potential good looks at the rim, most of which they eschewed because of the solid defense of Adams. Mills fired up a horrible 3, and in the ensuing scramble, Ibaka probably fouled a player or two. But those fouls will never be called.

Does that about cover it? Say what you want about the officiating. The Spurs had the ball with 13 seconds left, down 1, and failed to score. Ball game.

What often gets overlooked in a 1-point loss is the 47 1/2 minutes that preceded the last 30 seconds, all those miniature moments that might have swung the game a point or two in either direction. The Spurs were down 10 about 5 minutes into the game. After closing the half down only 3, they were quickly down 10 again at the start of the third. After closing yet again, they surrounded a quick 6 points at the start of the fourth. Add those up, and we’re talking about a 20-25 point deficit.

The Spurs only started one quarter strong. While they played good to very good in stretches, you can’t start halves and quarters that poorly. If the Thunder starters are that much better (hint: they shouldn’t be) than the Spurs starters, we’re probably not winning the series.

There is lots of blame to go around in this one. Let’s start at the top: Pop made some tough decisions in this game that might have cost the Spurs several points (and by extension, possibly the game). After picking up his second foul early in the first half, Pop sat Kawhi for a long stretch in the first half. Want to hazard a guess as to how many fouls he ended with? Three.

I understand the sentiment: you need Kawhi at the close. But you need Kawhi all the time, and the 5th minute of the 2nd quarter carries the same weight as the final minutes of the game. Kawhi needs to play as many minutes as he can, particularly with Durant and Westbrook on the floor. Pop trusts Duncan with foul trouble; he should be able to trust Leonard, a player whose defensive acumen rivals Duncan’s.

Pop also had some interesting rotations. I understand that he wanted to send a message by pulling his starters so early into the game. With Westbrook going like he was going, though, either Green or Leonard pretty much has to be on the floor at all times (just as either Westbrook or Durant will always be on the floor for the Thunder). Manu, Anderson, Diaw, West, Mills, and Parker just don’t have the juice to guard the Thunder stars, and Westbrook in particular will eat inferior defenders alive attacking the rim, particularly in transition.

Pop keeps a short leash when it comes to defensive mistakes, especially with Green. But Kawhi and Danny need as many minutes as they can play to combat the Thunder’s only real chance of winning this series.

Of course, it’s the players that play, and most Spurs didn’t play all that well. Team wide, they need to be smarter in transition. Westbrook is most dangerous attacking in fast break, catching defenses off guard. Time after time he turned defense into a one-man fast break offense that the Spurs couldn’t stop. Westbrook is the heart of the team, and violent offense is his lifeblood. You have to prevent it.

After a sizzling Game 1, the Spurs regressed back to the mean and then blew right by it, unable to convert even the most basic of layups. I had hoped the team had exorcised their collective fear of Ibaka at the rim, but it seems as if the ghost still lingers.

Mills looks all out of sorts. He is shooting it as if he is hoping it will go in. He was good against Memphis, so let’s hope he returns to form quickly. With neither Parker nor Mills shining, the PG problem could get real bad, real fast.

Duncan missed a bunch of those layups, and had some moments on defense where he looked 40 years old. He was huge in Game 1, particularly defensively. His ability to protect the rim is critical against this team.

David West was fairly ineffective in his minutes.

The stat sheet says that Boris played 8 minutes, but I can’t remember them.

Kyle Anderson can do a lot of things, but guarding Kevin Durant is probably not one of them. Again, this is more of a Pop mistake than a Kyle one. There were at least 2 possessions off a dead ball in which Durant just roasted Anderson. That’s 4 points in a 1-point loss.

Kawhi had a rough night. He just never found his rhythm and seemed to be rushing a bit. Games 3 and 4 will be a real test for him. So far he has been magnificent these playoffs, but the Spurs have faced zero adversity so far. It’s time for him to come through as the go-to guy.

Speaking of magnificent, Aldridge has been everything we wanted and so much more in these first two games. Watching him in Portland, I never thought he had this in him. He’s making shots, playing great defense, playing tough and strong and unintimidated. LaMarcu is easily the best player in a series that includes Durant, Westbrook, and Leonard.

We can’t rely on Aldridge to score 40, though. That’s not this team’s M.O.

It was a close game, and we can lament so many missed opportunities. The better team won Monday night. The fact that the Spurs had a chance at the end speaks to their execution and resolve (and the Thunder’s inability to close). But they were too poor for too long to deserve that win.

It’s funny how the Spurs-Thunder games have been so similar since 2012. The Thunder have the athletic and ‘pure talent’ edge, while the Spurs have the execution and intelligence edge. Game to game, it’s hard to tell which will win out. And these teams often play exciting games (and series).

Now we have a series. I expect the Spurs to take at least one game in Oklahoma City, but it’s no given. I still believe they are the better team, but OKC absolutely can win this series.

Your move, Spurs.

Game 3 is Friday night.

Go Spurs Go.