2017 Western Conference Playoffs, First Round
San Antonio 116, Memphis 103
Spurs lead series 3-2
Sometimes the most trite analysis is also the most true: it’s a make or miss league.
It seems a bit reductive, but in Game 5 the Spurs made a bunch of shots they didn’t make in Game 4. Manu finally got on the board and Patty caught fire in the 4th quarter, and there’s your ball game.
If you remember, in Game 4, the non-Kawhi Spurs were 2-for-20 from 3. In Game 5, the non-Kawhi Spurs were 11-for-23 from 3. 38% better and 27 points greater. That covers up a lot of the margins.
The shots in Game 4 were mostly open; the Spurs just couldn’t hit them. If they hit just their team average in Game 4, this series might be over. But alas, it was a “miss” night, and the series is stretched. In Game 5, the bench and role players came to play, and huge contributions from Manu and Patty (along with the usual brilliance of Kawhi and the solid play of Parker) provided the difference in getting the crucial win.
While the shot-making was the biggest difference, there were plenty of little adjustments that helped contribute to the victory. David Lee once again got the start–this time for a healthy Dedmon–and it provided so much needed loosening up of the offense. Lee isn’t a floor spacer, but he is an offensive spacer, working beautifully in the margins and weak side of the offense, providing movement and offensive cohesion. Dedmon has his strengths on offense, but it relies on others finding him. Lee inserts himself into the offense.
Sliding up into Lee’s usual spot in the rotation was Bertans, which was also important. Bertans provides spacing on offense, stretching that Grizzlies defense thin. Like any great shooter, his presence alone has great impact on the game. He only played limited minutes, but they were important.
The Spurs also played a much more aggressive defense, often doubling Gasol and Randolph on their catches and daring the Grizzlies role players to beat them. While the likes of Selden, Harrison, and Ennis have played better than expected in the last few games, it’s a worthy risk. If the Grizzlies “others” can win this series, they deserve to win this series. I’m happy taking my chances with wide open 3s for Harrison if it means less shots for Gasol and Conley.
Conley continues to kill us. As long as he’s the only one, though, we can contain that. Damn, he’s a good player. He would have been a perfect replacement for Parker.
Kawhi was great once again, but in a less superhuman way, which is probably better overall. Once again, Memphis aggressively defended him, often sending 1 or 2 extra defenders. Kawhi was patient accepting the double teams and making the right pass. He finished with 6 assists and rarely forced the action. (Another benefit of Lee: he works great off of Leonard in the dunker position, often getting easy points off of drop offs and second chance tip ins.)
The Spurs were able to reassert control of the series, but they’re not out of the woods yet. They haven’t won a game in Memphis yet, and they certainly aren’t favored to on Thursday night. It’d be lovely if this historically great road team could get one road win in this series; it’d be great if the Spurs could make a few shots in Memphis; it’d be fantastic if the team could close this out in 6, and not drag a first round series to 7 games.
We’ll find out Thursday night.
Go Spurs Go.
