El Conclusión: San Antonio Spurs 114, Atlanta Hawks 95

March 22, 8:17 pm — by

San Antonio Spurs 114 Final
Recap | Box Score		 95 Atlanta Hawks
Tim Duncan, PF 31 MIN | 5-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 7 AST | 1 STL | 4 BLK | 1 TO | 12 PTS | +22 +/-

Not a lot of scoring, but everything else was so fun to watch — great defense at the rim, perfect passing, etc… When he was in the game, the Spurs were dominant against the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Kawhi Leonard, SF 32 MIN | 8-14 FG | 3-4 FT | 10 REB | 7 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 20 PTS | +18 +/-

Kawhi Leonard took another step toward a level of basketball we have yet to see out of him. That 40-foot bounce-pass to Tiago Splitter on the break after a steal? I didn’t know he had that type of play in him. We all know how impactful his defense is. We’ve seen his scoring take off over the last dozen games. But that kind of passing is not something we typically associate with Leonard’s game. His computer is still being programmed, and it’s fun to watch.
Tiago Splitter, C 27 MIN | 10-14 FG | 3-4 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 23 PTS | +24 +/-

The best game of Splitter’s season. Prior to that, the best game of Splitter’s season came on Friday night. It’s been a rough season for Tiago, health-wise, but that’s been sort of swept aside with all the stuff going on with Tony Parker, and to a lesser extent, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills. Splitter looked like 2014 Playoffs Tiago in all aspects. When he’s playing like this on both sides of the ball, the Spurs are a different animal. San Antonio was 43.5 points better than Atlanta per 100 possessions when Tiago was on the court.
Tony Parker, PG 30 MIN | 3-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 8 PTS | +28 +/-

Not a big stat line from Parker in this one, but it wasn’t really needed. Still, when he was on the floor, the Spurs killed the Hawks. Those “Parker is done” “Parker is overweight” “Parker is (blah blah blah)” storylines seem so far gone these days.
Danny Green, SG 33 MIN | 5-11 FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 15 PTS | +26 +/-

Along with Splitter’s resurgence, Parker’s bounce-back, and Kawhi’s explosion, Green has returned as icy/HOT rather than ICY/hot. When this team is playing like this, Green’s perimeter shooting is back-breaking. He has become so much more of a complete player than he was even last year, and he’s starting to regain his shooting stroke.
Marco Belinelli, SF 24 MIN | 4-7 FG | 3-3 FT | 5 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 13 PTS | -2 +/-

Nice game for Marco. When he’s shooting like that, it really helps minimize the impact of Manu’s absence with the bench unit. Still, the bench is having issues, especially on the defensive end of things. It will be an interesting thing to watch moving forward.
Aron Baynes, C 7 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -5 +/-

The Big Banger rolled his ankle pretty badly. He’s probably gonna be out a little while.
Boris Diaw, C 22 MIN | 8-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 17 PTS | +3 +/-

Boris has put up two of his five highest-scoring games of the season in the Spurs’ last three contests. It kind of looks like he’s coming around. The biggest difference with Diaw this season has been his lack of scoring, so this is certainly a great sign for the ‘Foreign Legion.’
Patty Mills, PG 16 MIN | 0-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -7 +/-

The lack of shot-making is becoming a bit concerning. There is time left, but the Spurs’ reserves need Patty’s shooting to come back. He’s their spark plug. When they play the way they did today, all is good; when the starters struggle, it’s important that he regains form. I can’t imagine how difficult it is trying to get back to what he was last season after undergoing surgery on his shooting shoulder, but he’s got to figure it out.
Gregg Popovich

San Antonio is rolling right now. These guys typically respond when Pop uses the ol’ “pathetic” line as he did after the Knicks game.

Four Things We Saw

  1. The Hawks were favored in this game, and I’m not sure if that’s a reflection of what oddsmakers think of the Spurs or what they think of Atlanta. No matter. San Antonio isn’t often an underdog, so blowing the East’s best team out of the water from the tip was a nice statement.
  2. It’s a freaking treat watching Kawhi Leonard play basketball these days. The most enjoyable part of it is seeing him incorporate new wrinkles into his repertoire, and we continue to that happen.
  3. The Spurs are rounding into form as a group at just the right time. Those of you who were panicking a month ago: Are you back on board yet?
  4. Hey! Stop taking these grades so seriously! I’m grading a damn basketball game here! Think about how silly that sounds!
  • http://officalmovienight.blogspot.com/ Robert

    We are all silly people.

  • Andrew

    Home team is often favored when you have two evenly matched opponents. No biggie. Can’t get more evenly matched than Spurs vs Spurs East.

  • brunostrange

    Is it an exaggeration to say that Splitter is playing the best ball of his career right now? Serious question - I know he made a big leap in performance during last year’s playoffs, but he’s been more effective and dominant the past couple of weeks than I’ve ever seen him.

  • GlassofOrangeJuice

    MMMMM SPURS

  • Pedro

    People sometimes forget Splitter was the Spanish League MVP in 2010 and a 3 time European All-Star, he used to be the focal point of the offense it def takes some time to adjust into being at best the 5th scoring option. Nevertheless, I agree his improved play has pushed the Spurs play into another level which they will need come playoff time.

  • jamberg

    I still think that the best two-way basketball of Tiago’s career is the Conference Finals against Memphis back in 2013. But the way he’s moving on defense and the way he has his low post game going is very reminiscent of that. Tiago is playing at a very high level and it’s not a surprise the Spurs are humming around him. He makes our defense and our pick-and-roll offense hit that extra gear.

  • thedrwolff

    Hello Boris Diaw. Been awhile. 2 games out of the 3 seed…we play Houston twice and yet….Houston’s remaining schedule includes quite a few D-league games while ours is dominated by playoff teams all up and down. It sure looks like our guys believe they can do it again. If they make it to even the WCF I’ll be very proud. Unreal the mental state to be there year after year after year after year after……

  • ferscia

    This EC was extremely serious. Bring back the humour. Don’t let the doriestreets of the world take over!

  • thedrwolff

    The Spanish league MVP….really…was he the junior high rebounding champion of La paz as well? I can’t remember.

  • hoopsaf

    I was one of the skeptics about Parker, so I’ll eat my words, he is looking about the same as he was last year.

    However, I also said that it was far more important for Kawhi and Green to start playing well, much more so than Parker. I think I was right on that one. When Kawhi plays like he’s been playing for a few weeks now, Spurs are a completely different team. I think he has physical attributes (his giant hands and wingspan are IMO much more valuable than 40″ hops), talents and athletic ability to be competing for the best SF in the league in the coming years. I’m actually taking him over Durant right now (who knows what’s going to happen to Durant post-surgery).

    They still need Diaw and Patty to really start to contribute (today could be a start for Diaw) I think if they want to beat GSW in the playoffs. But the way they’ve been playing, I think Spurs are the only real threat to stop the GSW juggernaut this season and I think they are on a collision course for the WCF.

  • D

    Hate to admit this as I love the idea of the “spurs east” and coach bud as COY but ATL is not the best team in the east right now. I don’t think this game was as much of a measuring stick game as I would have liked it to be. Our true tests still lie ahead…

  • thedrwolff

    Giant wingspan and Hands more valuable then hops may be talking about Duncan. Advanced metrics has Kawhi only behind Lebron in RPM at SF. Amongst all players just a hair behind Anthony Davis in RPM.

  • birdie

    And proud!

  • transgojobot

    Spurs fandom; tis’ a silly place.

  • Dapimp Ofdayear

    It’s easy for us to forget his Euro-credentials because his play is so often forgetable, even pre-injury.

  • brunostrange

    Yeah, I think the best team in the East is Cleveland, not Atlanta. The Hawks may have the best record, but I think Cleveland is currently playing the best ball in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta may be going through a mini-slump, as all teams are wont to do, or it could be a case of the team having peaked too soon. We’ll see.

    Spurs are clearly on an upward trajectory right now, hopefully it will continue. It would be a trip to have the Spurs face LBJ in the Finals for the third straight year.

  • Comrade747

    Started off as an A+ post from Matthew Tynan

    Then I read from Four Things we Saw: “Hey! Stop taking these grades so seriously! I’m grading a damn basketball game here! Think about how silly that sounds!”

    Matthew…Matthew..Matthew

    Great start to a good post, but couldn’t finish it. We take basketball seriously….so serious…I’m grading you this time.

    Matthew Tynan
    The lack of interest posting is becoming a bit concerning. There is time left, but ESPN needs Matthew’s good blog posting to come back. He’s their spark plug.

    Grade: D+

  • td4life

    I was never worried about Tiago or our Frenchmen being ready for the postseason, but our bench worries me. If Mills isn’t FIBA Mills, we are in trouble. I still trust CoJo more than Marco. The Spurs are close, but not all the way there yet.

  • thedrwolff

    Being taken to “CLAW school” now trending. Love it. Professor Leonard grades dribbling VERY harshly and NO ONE gets a perfect paper.

    Flip Saunders T-wolves postgame “Leonard took over the game…he simply mauled us”.
    The lesson…..There is no escape when the CLAW goes into MAUL MODE.

  • DorieStreet

    It’s a slump. Kyle Korver and Mike Scott (broken toe -out until the start of the playoffs) injuries were a big impact on the team in terms of production and bench energy, respectively. And swingman Thabo Sefolosha has been out for over 7 weeks (injured Jan 30th).
    The Warriors and Thunder had those dates circled when the Hawks would come to their arenas, to avenge their losses in Atlanta..
    But on Sunday, Atlanta tried hard, but were a step lower; and they were no match for the Spurs’ focus and intensity. A top 3 game by the Silver & Black so far in 2014-15.

  • DorieStreet

    On ESPN’s NBA page, the RPM contributor has Kawhi two places above Davis.
    1. Curry
    2. Harden
    3. James
    4. Leonard
    5. Westbrook
    6. Davis

  • DorieStreet

    I attended yesterday’s game. I concur with Mr. Tynan’s ‘individual player’s game reviews’ whole-heartedly.
    After the Spurs’ devastating first 8 minutes, Tony settled into SOP PG mode. (HIs most fiery moment was when he out-protested Pop on an official’s call—while he was on the bench.)
    Despite the total dismantling of the Hawks, Patty stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to his teammates’ play. He was not engaged enough to even get open for shots, and was reluctant to pull the trigger. Pop really lit into him when he missed a rotation that left Kyle Korver open for one of his only two made 3’s.
    Boris, Boris, Boris…..you just had to put on that show in the 4th quarter to remind Atlanta fans why you were the their 1st round pick —2st overall- in 2003 by the franchise brass back then.
    AAA RATING TO THE ALL THE SPURS FANS AT PHILIPS.
    Just over 19,000 is the official attendance; Silver & Black 15% IMHO.

  • thedrwolff

    As of Monday yes. As of Sunday when posted….no.

  • merkin

    All this time, I thought Joey had it in for the Spurs. Turns out it was Bud all along.