Season 50, Game 35
San Antonio 110, Toronto 82
28-7, 2nd in the West

More of that, please.

Outside of the very first game against Golden State, that might be the Spurs’ most impressive buzzer-to-buzzer performance of the season. Those first 9 minutes of the game were the best I’ve seen the starters play as a unit, bar none. The ball was whipping around on offense, finding open shooters galore. On the other side, everything was a chore for Toronto, whose only scoring opportunities came mostly in isolation. The Spurs were up 19 in a blink.

We all know the fear of an early double-digit lead. The bench did their best to put the scare into us, as Toronto was able to stay in touch for a little bit. But the Spurs were just too much for the Raptors (on Game 6 of a 6-game road trip), building the lead every quarter.

Kawhi was clearly feeling better. 25 points on 12 shots in 28 minutes is good. Throw in his usual stout defense with 3 blocks and 2 steals and being unconscious from 3 (5-for-7), and the Raptors just had no answer for him. Aldridge also continued his hot streak, with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Combined they scored 48 points on 28 shots and just completely overwhelmed the Raptors.

When those two can play this well individually and have great chemistry together, the Spurs are truly an elite team. Aldridge’s play in particular has been impressive these last few weeks. His activity on both ends has been remarkable, and he’s not just settling for long jumpers (though taking–and making–enough of them to keep the defense honest). I really love how well he’s playing in the post right now.

Parker also had a great game, and is settling into quite a groove for the season. He does a little bit of everything on the floor, and is truly a floor general out there. He’s not as quick as he once was, nor does he score quite like he used to; but he still can make the Spurs’ offense hum, and he’s become more unselfish in his basketball dotage, which sometimes makes the Spurs even better.

There’s not a lot more to say. The Spurs just dominated this game. 13 (out of 24) 3s to just 4 (out of 18) for Toronto. 55% from the floor to 37% for Toronto. 32 assists to just 8 for Toronto. 15 (!!) blocks. While the effects of the road surely played a role, the Raptors are currently one of the two best offenses in the league (with Golden State), on pace for historic season numbers. And the Spurs just made them look like a D-league team out there.

After the tough loss in Atlanta, it was encouraging to see the team respond so strongly in a game they very easily could have lost. The Spurs are in a soft spot in their schedule, and this is a good time to bank wins.

The Spurs travel to Denver to take on the always-pesky Nuggets on Thursday.

Go Spurs Go.