Season 49, Game 58
San Antonio 96, Utah 78
49-9, 2nd in the West
1. This Utah Jazz team is pretty, pretty good. And very, very young.
The Jazz started February by going on a seven game win streak. Depending on how Houston plays in March, they could very well make the playoffs, which is no mean feat in the Western Conference. Their starters against the Spurs were Gordon Hayward (25), Derrick Favors (24), Rodney Hood (23), Rudy Gobert (23), and Shelvin Mack (25). If Utah can keep Coach Quin Snyder (49) and these guys together, in a couple of years they could be a serious and consistent contender in the West.
2. The Spurs are much, much better.
The Spurs looked every bit like the best defensive team in the league, out rebounding the Jazz 43-31 and holding them to just 12 points in the second quarter – their worst quarter of the season. Combine superior defensive play with better offensive effort – San Antonio out shot Utah 48% to 43% – and you have the recipe for a decisive win.
3. Pop liked what he saw.
“This is the best game since we came back from break. We had been really spotty and undisciplined, but what really helped us is that [the Jazz] are so good at execution. It actually helped us tonight because they used the whole clock and we had to play (defense) over and over.”
4. This is Kawhi’s team.
Of course the Spurs epitomize team basketball and this team won’t get far in the playoffs without great play by LaMarcus and Tony. But make no mistake: Kawhi is the key to the team’s success. He leads the team in scoring, three point shooting, free throws taken and made, steals, offensive win shares and defensive win shares.
Photo Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Against the Jazz, Leonard scored 29 points (his second best of the season) to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
5. This might have been a playoff preview.
If the remainder of the season plays out as predicted, the Spurs will face the Jazz in the first round. That’s good news. San Antonio has won all three games against Utah this season, by an average margin of 27 points.
6. The playoffs will be extraordinarily difficult.
After Salt Lake City, it looks like the Spurs quest for a sixth Larry O’Brien Trophy would take them to Oklahoma City, Oakland and Cleveland. Put another way, after Utah, the Spurs would have to beat the 4th, 1st and 3rd best teams in the league. That’s not so great news.
7. We’re witnessing the end of an era.
Of course we’ve thought for several years now that this season would be Tim or Manu’s last. Given both men’s age, and recent health issues – Tim’s “good” knee doesn’t look so good any more and Manu had to have surgery after getting kneed in the groin by Ryan Anderson — it’s difficult to imagine them coming back next season, no matter how this one ends.
So let’s savor these next few weeks. We’re witnessing history, folks; the changing of the guard, the end of the Big Three, and the beginning of a new, different and exciting era in Spurs basketball.
Go Spurs Go.
