A Reminder of Brilliance and Mortality in a Cloud of Chaos
To describe the outcome of Game 5 using the idiom that’s the way the ball bounces is cliché as hell, but after the calamity that ensued on Tuesday (and early Wednesday), it feels like the most appropriate way to analyze the situation.
DeAndre Jordan was called for basket interference after a Blake Griffin shot attempt bounced around the rim, wiping out what could’ve been a go-ahead score with just four seconds remaining. Instead, the Spurs escaped Staples Center with their second consecutive 111-107 victory in Los Angeles and a 3-2 series lead, squeezing out every little bit of good fortune as they walked out the door.
When you stop to consider all the factors at play in this series, it’s remarkable the Spurs are where they are.
A bruised and beaten Tony Parker prays to the heavens every time he puts a shot up; Tiago Splitter looks like he’s chasing Griffin around on a peg leg; Danny Green, San Antonio’s perimeter sniper of playoffs past, needed a fortunate bounce to convert his lone made 3-ball of the night; the perpetually up-and-down Manu Ginobili is more often down than up these days.
All four of these players are Spurs staples, critical elements to last year’ title run. And all four have been bad, save for a moment or two.
And look at how they’ve survived: an unforced, uncharacteristic Griffin turnover in the final 15 seconds in Game 2, and a wide-open would-be game-tying J.J. Redick 3-point attempt at the end of overtime that night; a weak-looking Chris Paul technical in the final five minutes of Game 5, several missed shots in close for L.A. (though San Antonio’s rim protection had a lot to do with that), and a basket-interference call on a shot that appeared ready to fall through the net and give the Clippers the lead.
Sometimes, a lucky bounce of the ball is needed. Who knew Patty Mills would wake from his season-long surgery-induced slumber to help bury L.A. in two consecutive games on their home court, or that Boris Diaw the Magician would reappear in a cloud of smoke with mind-blowing, timely shot-making followed by simple shrugs of indifference? I know I never would’ve guessed the Clippers would miss 13 of their 14 shots from beyond the arc.
The randomness in this series has been so frustratingly palpable (which wasn’t helped at all by some truly awful officiating last night), and every possession seems to come with potential for a serious momentum swing.
But, right smack in the middle of the drama, the serene Tim Duncan has been an almost unhuman constant. Even reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who’s been widely celebrated — and rightfully so — as the next great Spur, hasn’t been able to match the output of the 39-year-old on any given night. The Big Fundamental just keeps bank-shooting (a definite basketball term), drop-stepping, and shot-blocking his way into our hearts at the expense of a list of victims that spans nearly two decades.
How’s this for consistency: As a 21-year-old, Timmy averaged 17.9 points on 52.1 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.2 blocks, .5 steals, and 2.4 turnovers per 36 minutes during the 1998 postseason; During this series against the Clippers, he’s going for 17.1 points on 55.4 percent from the floor, 10.7 boards, 3.8 dimes, 2.0 rejections, 1.8 thefts, and just 1.2 giveaways per 36 minutes. (Thanks to Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders for this observation.)
In Game 5, Duncan posted 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one gigantic block.
With less than a minute remaining and the Spurs up by two, Griffin caught a pass out of a pick-and-roll with Paul, maneuvered to his right around a scrambling Green, and attacked the basket. One of the fiercest athletes in the NBA was met by a wall, a Duncan rejection that kept the former Slam Dunk Contest champion earthbound like few things can. Griffin grabbed the ball again, only to have it stripped by a helping Diaw. From there, San Antonio would hold on for dear life to win, just as it did a week ago on that same floor.
There’s no telling what happens from here. Scrapping together wins like these is exhausting, and the Spurs are not operating at full capacity. Even if they’re able to take care of business at home on Thursday and eliminate one of the very best teams in the NBA (and that is no guarantee whatsoever — this isn’t over), the road ahead is long and treacherous. Still, San Antonio is getting contributions when it needs them. They may not be consistent, and they may not be from the same guys every night, but they’re getting them against an incredibly difficult opponent. Without question, that’s something on which you can hang your hat.
It’s funny, though. Over a half-decade ago, Parker took the keys to the car and rescued Duncan and the offense from the post-centric beating it had taken for 10-plus years. The young, fresh legs took over for the old guy with knees on the decline. Now, in the 18th year of his career, Timmy is rescuing his point guard in his own time of need.
Four years ago, folks were writing columns and opining on air that Duncan should hang ’em up, that the game had become too fast for the old man; now people are using their platforms to beg him to stay.
Duncan’s contract expires at the end of the season and the Spurs have a pretty interesting summer lined up dealing with the contracts of guys like Leonard and Green. But the Duncan domino is a big one. His coming or going might mean the difference in the team pursuing free agents like Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge or simply retooling on the fly. It’s an important time for the Spurs as they prepare for their transition to the Kawhi era, and with only a couple of months before free agency begins, so much is still up in the air.
You guys probably don’t need the reminder, but I feel compelled anyway: Take all of this in while you can, because the greatness we’re currently witnessing is fleeting. We may watch Duncan play on a night-to-night basis and think there’s no way this guy retires, he’s still too damn good; but just remember, the end will happen sooner than any of us hope.
There likely won’t a grand preseason announcement, and there sure as hell won’t be a pre-retirement tour. Duncan will leave the game with as little fanfare as possible, though in the moment, when it does happen, it will create a seismic shift in the NBA landscape.
The one thing we know, the one thing he’s made clear in the murky, quiet conversation about the day he calls it a career, is that he’s going to do so before age gets the best of him. He’s not going to wait around for the realization that he’s incapable of doing the things we saw last night against the Clippers. And that’s OK. THAT’S the Duncan I want to remember. The one who, at damn near 40, obliterates some of the best athletes in the world in crunch time of Game 5 during one of the best first-round playoff series you’ll ever see. The one who, in the middle of a chaotic, raucous atmosphere, seems no less calm than he would be at home with his kids.
Duncan seems at peace — he said as much during his press conference last night. Father Time may eventually win this fight to remain undefeated, but I’m not sure it’ll be by his choice. One of the greatest players to ever play the game is still doing so brilliantly, so just enjoy the show.
You know he is, with every last bounce of the ball.
