Let’s get the disclaimers out of the way up front: Pau Gasol did not play. Kobe Bryant left the game in the 3rd quarter with back spasms. Although he played into the third quarter, essentially he only played a half as he was a complete non-factor in the 3rd quarter, failing to even register a shot. So we played (arguably) the best team in the league without the 2 players that make them the best team in the league.
Now that that’s out of the way…what a game. That was the most fun I’ve had watching the Spurs this year. More than the win–which was nice, of course–it was the way the Spurs played. The energy, the hustle, the execution, the flow. Outside of some missed free throws and some careless turnovers that allowed the Lakers to claw their way back into the game late in the third and early in the fourth, there wasn’t much to be disappointed about in this game. In fact, most players had their best attributes on full display in this game:
Richard Jefferson made some jump shots, drove to the net, and put his body into his defensive work.
Antonio McDyess played tough interior D and sank a good portion of his jump shots.
Keith Bogans played tenacious D and snuck to the hoop for a crucial layup with the game still in the balance.
Theo Ratliff only played a few minutes, but had a big block that led to a fast break lay-up. 4 point swing. This is why we brought him here.
Roger Mason, Jr.’s shooting opened up the game in the 2nd quarter.
George Hill was a complete stud, hounding Kobe into 2 turnovers, playing excellent D on Artest, out-rebounding players taller and stronger than him, and filling the lane on the fast break for some great dunks and lay-ups. He was easily the swing player of the game, and I could not be more proud of him.
Tony Parker came alive in the 3rd quarter after a sluggish first half and almost single-handedly pushed our lead to 22 points with hot shooting from mid-range and his usual excellent drives to the basket. More importantly, he played very good D, closing out on shooters very well.
Manu was Manu, creating havoc all over the court and making all the winning plays. It was the insertion of Manu and McDyess in the first quarter that turned an 8 point deficit into a 12 point lead. He is the heart of the team, and when he is playing fearless basketball, we are very hard to beat.
Tim Duncan. What can you say that hasn’t been said a million times before? He anchored our offense and our defense. It was his work on the defensive end that was particularly great. He guarded Bynum straight up almost the whole game. And despite Bynum’s good numbers, Duncan clearly won the battle. He forced him into bad shots, and blocked several. More importantly, though, was his help defense. This has always been his true gift. He anchored the middle and made it very hard for the Lakers to get anything easy at the rim. More than anything, it’s this defensive effort that will take this team where we want to go.
(DeJuan Blair was the only real disappointment in this game. Right now, he’s just a bit too inexperienced to overcome his lack of size against the really talented, tall players in this league. He’ll figure it out. For now, his value against the lesser teams can not be underestimated, as it allows us to save Duncan’s minutes for the bigger games. At his rate of learning, he’ll be dominating Odom by the next time these teams meet.)
The best part of the game: Pop pulling the Big 3 with 1:37 left in the game and only up 12. To me, this was a very subtle and deftly delivered “f you” to the Lakers and Phil Jackson. And then to add insult to injury, the “scrubs” add on 8 more points (a Hill jump shot, and back-to-back Jefferson and Haislip 3s), pushing the final margin to 20. I loved it.
It’s our nature in this day and age of constant media availability to completely over-analyze every game and see it as a microcosm into an entire season. Obviously, this is foolish. Just as we shouldn’t get carried away after bad losses (and I’m as guilty as any of that), we shouldn’t get carried away after good wins. Yes, it felt good to get this win against the Lakers, regardless of who was wearing the Purple and Gold. But it was just one game and one tick in the “win” column. It means nothing if we can’t build on it and continue to win games. Ultimately, this game represents the best of us, a reminder of where we’ve been and where we can be again. It feels good to see that old friend again, and I hope to see him around a lot more in the months to come.
Looking Forward:
This game marks the first game of four games in five nights. Wednesday night we travel to Oklahoma City, a place that has not been kind to us. This is a classic trap/let down game. A loss would not be shocking to see. More important than “win” or “lose”, we should pay attention to how we play. Do we bring the same energy and effort as tonight? Do we show a sense of urgency and desire to get the win? If we do, I’ll be happy with the game, regardless of outcome.
True, the Lakers were dealing with injuries, but the Spurs have been also.
However, the game against the Lakers was not the turning point to the season.
If there was a turning point, it was the game against Oklahoma City last night. The other players had to step up, while Duncan got to rest. Popovich looks like a genius.