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.

2016 Western Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 124, Oklahoma City 92
Spurs lead series 1-0

OK, Spurs. We all see you.

After most NBA heads decided to take the first round series against Memphis off, the prevailing assumption was that this second round series against OKC would be a classic. And while it very much still could be, this first game could also be a harbinger of things to come.

The average margin of victory against Memphis was 22 points. Saturday’s win against OKC was 32, though the biggest margin was a cool 43 points. The most points the Spurs scored against Memphis was 116. They put up 124 against OKC, and that was with a 19-point 4th quarter that was played on cruise control.

After 3 quarters the score was 105-66, or an average of 35-22 per quarter. I don’t think I need to say much else about those numbers.

Really, the only difference between Game 1 against Memphis and Game 1 against OKC was two names: Durant and Westbrook. (And that people actually watched the game.)

For those of us that did watch the Memphis series, though, we know something the rest of the world doesn’t quite know yet: San Antonio got their groove back. That’s weird to say about a 67-win team, but it certainly looked as if the Spurs found another gear in that first round. While the competition was certainly not playoff-level, the Spurs used that first round masterfully, preparing for each game and executing the game plan regardless of opponent.

We saw that payoff in Game 1. The defense looks as locked in as ever. The offense feels more fluid and cohesive, striking the perfect balance between the selfless passing and movement we all love from the last championship and the reliance of the superb individual talents of Aldridge and Leonard.

Both had superb nights. Kawhi looked fresh and eager (well, as eager as Kawhi ever looks) to shed that ‘system player’ tag that Durant applied to him several years ago. We’re all system players; Leonard happens to be the foundational piece of it. He was aggressive on offense, getting several dunks attacking the rim.

Aldridge showed exactly why he was worth every penny the team spent on him this summer. His shot was butter; everything he threw up was going in, even the shots he quite literally just threw up at the rim. He demonstrated how just his mere presence can distort and break defenses, as the opposing team must choose between a wide-open midrange jumper or protecting the rim. Many will be quick to argue that Aldridge won’t shoot 78% again. He might if he remains that wide open.

The player of the game, though, was Danny Green. (Yes, the Danny Green that Trace presciently apologized to before Game 1.) His defense remains invaluable independent of anything offensively. (More on that in a moment.) But when his 3-point shot is falling, this offense has another level to ascend to. Suddenly, everything opens up, and it feels like stopping the Spurs is a fool’s errand. Take away one option and two more open up. Shut down the rim and the midrange and 3-point line are wide open. Contest the 3 and the rim is there for the taking.

While the increased offensive production is certainly a boon, it’s still on the defensive end where Green makes his money. To me, the absolute key to Game 1 was the Spurs’ defensive scheme. Namely, starting Green on Durant and Leonard on Westbrook.

This accomplishes several things. First, it probably throws off OKC’s game plan, as they most likely planned for the opposite match-up. More importantly, it puts our best defender on Westbrook. Westbrook is not a better player than Durant, but he is the emotional centerpiece of The Thunder, and probably more instrumental to the team’s overall offensive success than Durant. He is quick and fearless with the ball, and when he gets headed downhill, he wreaks havoc on defenses.

Of course, even Kawhi can’t really stop him from doing that. (Can anybody?) But Kawhi can make it so that is his only option (as Kenny Smith rightfully pointed out after Game 1). So now the Spurs know that he is headed to the rim and can overload protection there. Kawhi (and the backside help) can help to shut down his passing lanes from that point, and OKC’s lack of reliable shooters can allow the other wing defenders to squeeze in with even more help.

And we know that Westbrook is going for the layup. How well he does at the rim (and how well the Spurs defensive rebound) can go a long way to determine how this series plays out. Putting Kawhi on Russell makes things a lot easier because it leaves the Thunder so many fewer offensive options.

Of course, none of this matters without Green’s defense on Durant. Durant is a superlative offensive talent. But a lot of his damage is done with his length, with defenders on him. Green isn’t expected to stop Durant; just make his life difficult and make him exist in isolation. He might be their best playmaker with the ball in his hands. This might sound silly, but the Spurs’ goal is probably to make Durant try to score more, but in tougher situations. Their two stars won’t beat the Spurs, but if they get their role players going, then things could get out of hand quickly for San Antonio.

Game 1 was about the best possible scenario. The game is over, and we reset back to 0-0 for Game 2. The Spurs showed a definite path to a series win in Game 1, but we should expect the Thunder to come out strong in Game 2. Despite the big win, it’s still incumbent on the Spurs to protect home court.

Game 2 is Monday night.

Go Spurs Go.