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Washington 80, San Antonio 94 // 26-4 // 1st in the West
Much like the game against Orlando, this game was easy to see coming. Playing at home against arguably the worst team in the league missing two of its best players the day after Christmas (and with two days off to celebrate), the Spurs exerted minimal effort. And that’s all they needed, it appears. Though Washington kept it close for two and a half quarters, eventually talent wins out, and we just have a lot more of it. Midway through the 4th quarter, we had a 16 point lead, from which point forward both teams put on a display of offensive putridness that might have set professional basketball back a few years but kept us comfortably ahead as we sputtered to the win.
Honestly, there’s probably not too much to take away from this game. But if there’s one kernel of fear that has cropped up over the last few games, it’s our slide in offensive efficiency. Yes, we’ve still been winning games; but the offensive prowess that was present at the beginning of the season seems to be missing. The execution isn’t as crisp, the rotations and player movement aren’t as quick, the passes are flat, and the shots aren’t quite as wide open. It might be a function of teams finally scouting us and catching up to us, or just a regular lull that occurs throughout a long season. It’s something to keep an eye on going forward, though.
Tuesday is a big game against the Lakers, who are going through some struggles of their own after getting run out of their own building on Christmas Day by the Miami Heat. This is a test for both teams to see what they are made of and where each stands in the Western Conference hierarchy. I’m very nervous and very excited, as I often am when we play the Lakers.
Go Spurs Go.
