Season 49, Game 31
San Antonio 84, Houston 88
25-6, 2nd in the West
When the San Antonio Spurs left town for their game against the Houston Rockets, perhaps Coach Popovich replaced their milk & cookies with Big Red & barbacoa, because the game played out as if Santa had put a lump of coal in each of their stockings. The team dragged their feet for most of the game, the defense (especially the rebounding) was atrocious (giving up too many second chance points for my liking) and there was little confidence behind most shots attempted.
As if they came directly from the North Pole, the Spurs started the first quarter ice cold – an awful 0-for-6 until Tony Parker made his first and only basket of the game. A short spurt of energy on both ends of the court gave the Spurs their first lead at 7-6. However the Rockets’ second chance points, due to poor Spurs defense, resulted in 6 missed rebounds, giving the Rockets 8 points. Trailing by three to end the first quarter wasn’t bad, thanks in large part to Aldridge. As any true Spurs fan knows, the team has weathered this kind of first quarter storm before, but there were signs that a worse storm was coming…
The Spurs started the second quarter on an illegal defense call with less than 15 seconds played out. My stomach hurt watching so many missed attempts, shots that the team normally makes. (Or maybe I was just feeling my third helping of mashed potatoes?)
Most notable of the disappointments were Duncan and Kawhi getting stone-walled by a Houston team known for their porous defense. Even though the offense looked out of step, the second unit did what they always do – got us back in the game. Eventually the Spurs’ own defense clamped down, holding the Rockets to just 13 points in the quarter, and giving the Spurs a five point lead at the half.
After 24 minutes played, these stat lines stood out:
- Kawhi Leonard – 11 points (4/8 FG)
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 10 points (5/9 FG)
- James Harden – 2 points (1/6 FG)
- Dwight Howard – 2 points (1/3 FG)
Was I foolish for thinking the Spurs were on their way to winning this game?
Instead, those stats may as well have been white elephants, because only Kawhi, Leonard and Duncan showed up to play for the second half. As if excited from too much hot cocoa at the break, the Spurs played with a bad, sugar-rush adrenaline. Patty Mills was throwing moon shots from beyond the arc, while Boris Diaw and David West were pushing the ball too hard on their post-up plays. At one point the ball was turned over four times in five possessions. That’s when Houston went on a 13-4 run and took the lead for good. Spurs fans were getting a healthy portion of bad decision making – like too much pie after Christmas dinner. It pained me most to see that Jason Terry loved every moment of it.
Much like the turnover at the start of the fourth quarter, the end of the game was a slow dance of the inevitable – every time the Spurs would make a decent push to tie the game, the Rockets would find a way to increase their lead. Houston’s 11-0 and 8-2 runs outmatched the 9-0 run the Spurs put together that got them within three.
After a time out Houston called to stop San Antonio’s momentum, there were several tell-tells as early as 8 minutes left in the game that had me conceding the loss. The first was seeing the Rocket’s act like the Spurs – since when does James Harden play defense and their bench score more points than ours? Then Coach Pop went for the Hack-a-Capela strategy to slow down the game, which only sung the sad tale to come, being as ineffective as everything else the team tried to do.
Finally, the “Bearded One” made contested threes twice in a row and reminded us that it wasn’t going to be the Spurs night. Sure there were chances afterwards to put this ugly game in the win column, but the team found ways to gift the Rockets the ball right back.
This nationally televised performance in Houston should remind everyone that there is nothing special about this San Antonio Spurs team and that we should keep glorifying the boys from the Bay Area, who can play just as awful, but somehow find a way to win. The only thing that was beautiful about the Spurs game was the Christmas Day jerseys. However after tonight’s performance, I think I want to cross them off my wish list, as it would only remind me of last night, when the Spurs didn’t play like the Spurs.
Several players get extra lumps of coal in their stockings for their naughty performances:
• Tony Parker was asked if he was excited about playing on Christmas. Our team general replied: “No. I wish I was home, to be honest with you. I wish I was home with my family and my son.” Well, Mr. Parker, you very much played like it, despite your follow up comment, “but hey, it’s a business.”
Tony’s performance was far from what could be described as good business. Tony’s body may have been in Houston, but it was obvious his heart was not. Shooting 1-for-7 and letting Kawhi lead the team in assists is embarrassing for a starting point guard who wants to keep playing until 2021. He had more turnovers than points. (I’m shaking my head writing this.)
• Danny Green was the offensive liability he has been for most of this season. A 2-for-6 shooting night and a less than impressive defensive game (a single rebound, steal and block) made him an afterthought in the team’s strategy. I know most in the organization are being patient and the San Antonio homers that call the games on television keep saying his stroke will return, but after watching the 31 of 82 games played so far, I’m not so sure. I would say he’s played up to his potential on just three nights.
It is officially time to put out an APB for Danny’s missing form. Maybe he left it in one of several countries he visited over the summer, because since the beginning of the season, no one has seen the stroke that gave him the franchise record for three points made in a regular season.
• David West is a man I am usually high on every game. A consummate professional and a great leader on and off the court, West is that one guy I thought was going to shine in a gritty and ugly game like this. Instead, he seemed lost and out of sync with the team’s play calling. I’m willing to call last night an anomaly, but only if he shows a deeper understanding about what this Rockets team does to the Spurs. It doesn’t matter if they have a marginal record – when they play against San Antonio, they always bring their “A” game. When playing in Houston, it’s more like an “A+” game.
• Patty Mills was 1-for-5 and only shot from behind the arc. Didn’t he remember it was “Game Day, Bala?”
Despite all of this negativity there were a few shining moments to point out:
• Kawhi Leonard, you eeked out 20 points and continued to fill the stat sheet (7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks while committing only 1 turnover). Thank you for putting in the hard work on an off night.
• LaMarcus Alridge, there were moments when we needed you to come through and that’s exactly what you did with 9 rebounds and a 53% shooting night. Thank you for reassuring me that you can be that guy, a force to be reckoned with.
• Tim Duncan, you are still the man. A 13 point, 11 rebound night is just another double-double for you, sir. Thank you for being so fundamentally predictable that there is never a question about what you mean to this organization, even in the twilight of your career.
The Spurs need to forget last night’s game, because they return home to play the Denver Nuggets in the second of a back-to-back. Maybe playing a team they’ve already beat twice is just the medicine they need to recover from such a dreary night. Maybe all the team really needs is to remove the lumps of coal from their socks and play the beautiful game we all had hoped to see on Christmas Night.
Anyway you look at it, one thing is for sure – the loss to this funky Rockets team is only proof that, despite their phenomenal record, there is still room for our men in silver and black to improve.
Go Spurs Go.
