Contrary To Popular Belief, It Would Be Fun If It Was Easy

Season 48, Game 29
San Antonio 125, Los Angeles Clippers 118
18-11, 7th in the West

The west is death this season. Nobody at the top of the standings is losing. So getting tonight’s win over the Clippers was doubly important because it not only snapped the 4-game losing skid, it was also a rare night to gain some traction in the West as Memphis, Portland, Dallas, and the Clippers all lost ahead of us. (Golden State could also lose, but it’s not looking likely.)

True to form, the Spurs gave us another cardiac game. Thankfully, they had enough to hold on tonight in a game that featured close to zero defense.

The first half was offensive execution at its prettiest. Reminiscent of those game in Miami during the Finals, the Spurs shot a blistering 75% in the first half. Much like those Finals games, they were hitting everything because every shot was wide open, the end result of perfectly designed and executed sets. Players were moving, the ball was moving. It was the best the offense has looked this season.

Parker was particularly zippy in the first half, coming off of injury and extended time off. He was attacking, moving the ball, making his shots. When we get this Parker, it’s easy to see how he is the engine of the whole offense…and why the team struggles in his absence.

But it wasn’t just Tony; Manu was springy in the first half, as well. Should we just let him have 2 days off before every game? Honestly, would it make sense if Manu only played 60 or so games a season if he was guaranteed at least 2 days rest before each game? Because when he plays like tonight, he is still Manu Ginobili, basketball savant. 19 points and 10 assists in 27 minutes. Manu Ginboili assists.

Boris and Marco were both lighting it up in the first half, too, and the Spurs went into halftime having scored a gaudy 72 points. Problem was, the Clippers had 60.

There was a moment in the beginning of the third quarter when the Spurs had a chance to really open up the game and put it away. Up 18, they could have pushed it to 20. Instead, the Clippers made a little run, and it was a game again.

The Spurs’ near-perfect offense isn’t ready to be unleashed for full games, and the execution fell apart a bit in the second half. Parker seemed to lose his legs, and in the process stopped attacking, stopped passing, and settled for jumpers. The problem is, with tired legs, those jumpers fall short. With Parker gassed, the Spurs offense dipped.

For a stretch there, Boris became our best offensive weapon. He kept the team afloat. (But please, Boris, make your free throws!)

Still, the Clippers came all the way back and the game was dead even with about 6 minutes to go. Given the team’s recent history, it didn’t look good.

Enter Manu. 3 possessions, 3 glorious assists, and some breathing room. He was orchestrating the offense like we’ve seen so often, getting wide open 3s for Green (who had a rough first 3 quarters, but came alive when it mattered), hitting Tim and Tiago on the pick and roll, and pushing the team to a victory.

The West is death, and it’s hard to feel too bad about a home victory against another elite West team. So for now, we’ll ignore that the team missed 4 free throws in the final seconds that could have iced the game (5 missed in total, but Duncan’s miss didn’t really matter) and left the door open for the Clippers. Or that the defense was pretty much poop. Some nights just turn into offensive battles like this.

The West has 8 teams that legitimately think they can make the Finals. Think about that: 8 teams that have championship aspirations. 4 of those teams will lose in the first round. Every team is going to enter every series legitimately thinking they can win (and having reason to think so). The team given the least consideration–Portland–is currently second in the Conference. The team given the most consideration–Oklahoma City–is currently 10th due to early season injuries. The two most playoff tested teams (San Antonio and Oklahoma City) could both be seeded in the bottom 4. Meaning that if you finish with a Top-4 seed in the West, your ‘reward’ could be facing San Antonio or Oklahoma City in the first round, and possibly both on your way to the Conference Finals. There isn’t a match-up between the 8 teams that wouldn’t be a complete battle and a great series.

The West is death.

Speaking of: up next for the Spurs, Oklahoma City in San Antonio on Christmas Day. At least the team will have 2 days of rest.