Yesterday afternoon another Spurs game ended in frustration as the Rockets snuck out of San Antonio with an 87-85 victory. For the second straight game the Spurs played well for the majority of the contest but failed to execute in the closing minutes. Against Boston I said we played solidly for 45 minutes but performed poorly for the final 3. On Sunday we played solidly for 47 minutes but performed poorly in the final minute. Given the recent criticism of Tony Parker’s “clutchness,” lots of people will point to the fact that Parker missed a floater in the lane in the game’s closing seconds. But make no mistake, our failure to execute down the stretch on the defensive end has far more to do with the loss than our offensive shortcomings.

Today’s game was the 16th one possession game the Spurs have played this season. We are now 10-6 in these games. In some ways it is reassuring that we have won a majority of our tight contests but at a certain point you have to recognize that luck plays a part in such wins. By allowing so many games to be decided by a single shot we leave far too much to chance far too often.

The game sends the Spurs sliding back into 3rd place in the West. Our season series against the Rockets, now complete, stands at 2-2. They are half a game up on us but have played one more game. Both San Antonio and Houston have two remaining games against division opponents: Houston has a game against Dallas and a game against New Orleans; San Antonio has two against New Orleans. Our division record (which I believe is the tiebreaker if we complete the season with the same record and are 2-2 head-to-head) is 9-5 while Houston’s is 8-6. So as things stand the Spurs are in a decent position to win the division despite today’s full game swing.

As I mentioned earlier, our defensive execution is to blame for the loss. During the final 30 seconds, Luis Scola hit two wide open layups in the lane after receiving a pass from Yao Ming in the high post. Scola was covered by Duncan and Ming was covered by Thomas which may seem counter intuitive but had been working reasonably well throughout the game (at least in terms of limiting Yao; Scola had a huge game). The more shocking breakdown was the latter of the two which came with 11 seconds left in the fourth.

Yao set a high screen for Kyle Lowry, who was moving from right to left along the 3-point line. Both Tony Parker and Kurt Thomas continued to pursue Lowry, attempting to trap him in the corner. Yao remained at the top of the key where he received a pass from Lowry. Duncan, who at the time was covering Scola on the lower left block, immediately rotated onto Yao, leaving Scola wide open for the pass and easy lay-in. I’m not positive where the breakdown occurred. It’s possible Duncan should have rotated earlier, denying Yao the initial pass. I think the failure was actually on the part of Thomas, who should have stayed with Yao while Parker went under the screen. Yes, it would have given Lowry space to shoot but if my options are Kyle Lowry on the perimeter or Yao Ming at the top of the paint, I chose the former. Either way, the defense was outmaneuvered and Scola scored the go-ahead basket.

On the following play, Lowry actually made a defensive error by fouling far too quickly (the Rockets had a foul to give and Lowry used it with around 9 seconds remaining on the clock). In the closing seconds, Parker successfully made his way into the paint and put up his trademark floater. Unluckily enough, it did not fall. I know Parker’s performance in late game situations has come under some scrutiny lately but, honestly, I’m pretty content with the decisions he made. Oftentimes he relies on his mid-range jumper in the closing moments of close games but in both of the final two offensive possessions he decided to penetrate the defense and head for the rim. If Parker is taking a shot in the closing minute, I want him doing it in the paint.

To be fair to Parker, Duncan is not at 100% and Manu Ginobili is out. Tony is carrying a massive amount of the offensive load and it’s quite clear that, at the end of games, his legs are tired. For instance, he quite embarrassingly air-balled a 3-point shot from the corner in the mid fourth. Yes, Parker is a poor 3-point shooter but everybody whose played 5-on-5 full court ball knows late game inaccuracy is just as much an issue of tired legs as it is inability. Given the fact that Duncan struggled all game and our most productive role player was Ime Udoka, I’m comfortable with the fact that Parker stepped up and tried to make something happen.

Speaking of Udoka, his recent play has continued to impress. I’ve always believed he could be an effective member of the rotation and was genuinely disappointed when he had an underwhelming start to the season. He is frequently compared to Bowen, and although the comparison isn’t completely inappropriate, they have some key differences. Udoka is a more diverse offensive player, who is comfortable shooting from more spots on the arc, can make a mid-range jumper, and has the ability to finish on the break. He is also a more physical defender than Bowen and subsequently has the potential to be more effective against big wings like Odom and Artest. I was a shameless cheerleader for Udoka during last season’s playoffs and am happy to see him play at a level that will earn him minutes in the postseason.

Despite my assertion that it was Kurt Thomas’ poor decision that led to Scola’s go-ahead basket, he had an impressive defensive game. He gives up several inches to Yao Ming but, by fronting the 7-6 center, was able to force Ming to work primarily from the high post. This was most notable at the beginning of the Fourth, at which point Yao received two passes on the block, turned quickly and kissed a couple shots off the glass. Thomas immediately changed his tactic and fronted Yao, who would no longer be a major scoring threat for the rest of the quarter (although his passing ability would remain a key factor in the Rockets victory).

A player who didn’t have a great game, primarily because he didn’t have a chance to, was Drew Gooden. I’m not surprised Gooden didn’t see a lot of minutes against the Rockets. Since McGrady’s surgery, Houston has had to function in an increasingly cohesive manner, where ball movement and high-percentage shots have become the name of the game. All five positions are inhabited by an adept passer, making crisp rotations and heady defense absolutely crucial. Gooden isn’t known for his high basketball IQ, but even if he were, he wouldn’t have been able to master the Spurs complicated defense by now. Against the Rockets, we needed guys who knew what they were doing on the defensive end and that’s what we got (for a decent amount of the final stretch we saw a 5-man squad of Parker, Bowen, Udoka, Thomas, and Duncan). Hopefully, in the final 13 games, Gooden will see some more court time (he can practice til the cows come home but if Gooden doesn’t see the court during regular season games, he will be a non-factor come the playoffs).

Our next game is Tuesday at home against Golden State. It’s the first end of a back-to-back, the back end of which is against the Hawks in Atlanta. I wouldn’t be surprised if Duncan was in street clothes for one of those two games. In fact, I’d encourage it (I’m hoping Pop rests him against the Warriors. They’ll be in tank mode anyways. He won’t be necessary to get the W).