Season 50, Game 23
San Antonio 91, Chicago 95
18-5, 2nd in the West
After the Bulls snapped the Spurs 13-game road winning streak, Pop had a nice little rant when asked about his team’s motivation. To paraphrase, he said: these are grown men and professionals; they get paid to do their jobs.
The Spurs inability to play a full 48 minutes finally caught up to them, as they were unable to overcome yet another double-digit point deficit (18 in this game). Once again, they started flat, only scraping out 32 points in the first half.
Unlike the past few wins, the usual second half burst and Kawhi Leonard heroics were not enough. They got close, and threatened to make the game interesting. But every time it looked like the worm might turn, there was a careless turnover leading to an easy Bulls basket; or a missed wide-open jumper followed up by a silly foul. These miniature 4-point swings add up in a game, and they are even more deadly when you’re trying to battle out of a (self-inflicted) huge hole.
When you get down by 18 points in the 3rd quarter, I think you lose the ability to complain about the end of game. There were some dubious calls, to be sure, but if the team had played with a lick of force in the first half, it probably wouldn’t have mattered.
It’s not to say they played poorly. They didn’t. They just played flat. The offense wasn’t bad. It just lacked the energy necessary to generate great shots, too often settling at good or good enough. It feels like the Spurs are too often playing as if they are not all on the same page, not all sure what the best course of action is in the offense.
When they’ve made their comebacks, it’s usually because Kawhi decides he is the best course of action. Which is often the case. But we can’t expect Kawhi to always play the hero, nor is that the kind of basketball Pop really wants. Kawhi is more efficient and more effective when he is a threat to pass and a threat to score. In the 4th quarter against the Bulls, he did a great job breaking down the defense and finding open teammates. If there’s one bright spot to take from this game, it’s this.
I don’t know if Pop’s comment was meant for any single player, or just the team in general. The Spurs are usually nothing if not professional, but the slow starts are troubling. Maybe it’s just that time in the season when he needs to kick them in the ass a little bit.
Whatever the case, there is too much offensive talent on this team to routinely score in the low teens in quarters.
Now that we’ve gotten the grousing out of the way, let’s remind ourselves that the Spurs are 18-5, have the second best record in the entire league, are 13-1 on the road, and are doing this all while integrating seven new players, adjusting to the loss of their cornerstone player, and still figuring out exactly how they want to play.
Translation: the Spurs are good with plenty of room to get a whole lot better. Losing a road game in Chicago in December is pretty unremarkable on its face. That it’s the first road loss of the season isn’t. 13 straight road wins to start the season is damn impressive. So impressive, in fact, that it’s only been bested once in the entire history of the NBA.
The Spurs are fine. There’s still plenty to work out and fix, but that’s the fun of the season, right?
If nothing else, Pop’s choice words should spark a strong performance tonight at home against the Nets. Poor Nets.
Go Spurs Go.
