Season 49, Game 29
San Antonio 106, Indiana 92
24-5, 2nd in the West
Another night, another elite foe vanquished by Kawhi Leonard.
I was very interested in this match-up for Kawhi, because Paul George is probably the closest analog to Leonard. They play the same position; they are both noted for their stellar two-way play; they both come from obscure beginnings, working tirelessly to make themselves into superstars. In many ways, Paul George was “Kawhi Leonard 2 years from now”.
Not any more. I came into this game hoping Kawhi had pulled even with George; turns out, he’s most likely passed him.
The stats tell the story fairly effectively.
Kawhi Leonard: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 0 turnovers, +11.
Paul George: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, -12.
Watching the game only made the argument more convincing. It’s not just that Kawhi’s defense stifles you; it completely swallows you up. George only scored 7 points, a season low. He only made one shot all night. Let me repeat that: HE ONLY MADE ONE SHOT. 1-of-14 from the floor. 6 turnovers. After a time, he sort of just disappeared from the game. It was everyone else on the Pacers who kept it respectable into the 4th quarter.
Kawhi, on the other hand, was 10-of-19. And his night would have been even better if he hadn’t been chilly from behind the arc. More impressively, he was showing off moves we’ve never seen from him, making acrobatic layups, finishing with his left hand, and making smart and clever passes in tight spaces for assists. It’s like the Spurs uploaded a new software version over the long weekend, and suddenly he can finish with his off hand and pass like Manu. Scary.
He’s so unassuming on the court, that it takes a long time to realize that he is completely dominating games, the way LeBron and Steph do. The margin of error is so slim for the other team going against any line-up with Kawhi on the floor. And the Spurs second unit is so rock solid, that there isn’t a single moment in the 48 minutes of game time that the other team has a chance to breathe or gain any footing.
You can beat the Spurs, but you’ll have to be damn near perfect to do it. And don’t expect any help from them.
A few other thoughts from Monday’s win:
• Hot outside shooting and offensive rebounding (leading to second chance points) allowed the Pacers to stay in the game into the 4th quarter. The Spurs are usually great at protecting their own glass and good at contesting 3s, so this game is probably more of an outlier than an area of concern. Both rebounding and 3-pointers mostly normalized by the end of the game.
• Boris Diaw was his ridiculously awesome self in this game. His offensive game is so unique and unstoppable. What an asset to have coming off the bench. With his size, and, ahem, heft in the back, nobody can guard him one-on-one in the block. Yet he is not the type of high-profile player who you would think commands a double team. So teams are loathe to bring the second defender, and Boris just backs them down and flips in a little 2-foot shot. If they do bring the help defender, he makes some crazy little pass that leads to a wide-open shot. I love offensively aggressive Boris.
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)
• What a pleasure to see this healthy Tony Parker again. His shooting continues to be hot, and he continues to put teams away in the 4th. He made 3 ‘vintage’ plays in a row where he just abused some poor Indiana defender. He is playing so confidently, which is clearly a function of his health.
• Simmons continues to steal Anderson’s minutes, deservedly so. He is aggressive on both ends of the floor, and plays with the confidence of somebody who knows he belongs. His ability to drive on offense is much needed, as is his overall athleticism. Most impressive, though, is he continues to take and make that corner 3, a must for any Spurs wing player. Count me in as a Simmons believer.
The Spurs swept their 4-game home stand and remain unbeaten at home. Up next, a pair of tough road games, first at Minnesota on Wednesday, then in Houston on Christmas Day. I’m particularly interested in that Houston game. The Rockets are struggling, but that is always a tough matchup for the Spurs.
And the Rockets are my least favorite team in the league. So I want to crush them. Always.
Go Spurs Go.
