El Conclusión: San Antonio Spurs 95, Miami Heat 81
Welp. For some reason, our recap generator isn’t working properly, so this is going to have to be a quick and dirty job. But don’t worry! You fiends will still get your grades. I’m not going to post the box-score stat lines because that’s just too much, so here’s a link you can use to supplement your reading.
San Antonio Spurs 95, Miami Heat 81
Tim Duncan - A: Not a lot was needed from the big man, as this thing shot out to double-digits for much of the second half. But a double-double and three blocks in just 24 minutes is as efficient as it gets.
Tiago Splitter - B+: It was a quiet night in the box score for Tiago in 23 minutes on the court, but he continues to play his role so well. Miami throws a lot of small-ball lineups out there, so this wasn’t going to be a game where Splitter got a ton of court time. I threw in the ‘plus’ on the grade for that awesome pump-fake he threw at Hassan Whiteside near the free-throw line that got the big man on a pogo-stick. One day, Whiteside might learn there isn’t much need to bite on a Tiago shot-fake from 16 feet.
Kawhi Leonard - A+: I’m not sure you ever really get the full Kawhi experience until you watch him guarding elite offensive perimeter players. Dwyane Wade isn’t quite what he used to be, but he’s very good, and Leonard had a few moments where he simply ate him alive. My favorite was the play along the baseline where Wade spun off Kawhi, bumped him and faded away, only to have Leonard recover and block the shot. It seemed impossible. In other news, Kawhi’s 22 points gave him the ninth 20-point game of the month of March, and he’s now averaging 19.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks over his last 17 games. I’m not sure if he’ll make up enough ground to take over Draymond Green in the top spot, but Kawhi is making a serious push into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Four steals and two blocks will only help.
Danny Green - D: Really quiet night for Green. After getting in early foul trouble, he just never really found a rhythm. He hit one 3-pointer in the second half that sort of felt like an early dagger, but beyond that his numbers were virtually nonexistent. It’s crazy how, when Green struggles, the Spurs’ offense just seems clogged; the Heat know what his shooting can do, so you can be sure Erik Spoelstra had a part in giving him minimal space with which to work.
Tony Parker - A-: Another one of the Spurs elders who didn’t need to play much in order to secure the win. Outside of the four turnovers, Parker played a very efficient game in his 26 minutes. That hamstring injury and the lingering effects continue to drift farther and farther away in the rearview mirror.
Manu Ginobili - F: Manu had one of his worst games of the season — one of his worst games in a couple of seasons probably. He’s been much more inconsistent this season, which is a concern. But one thing still remains true: When Ginobili plays well, the Spurs typically cruise. His stat lines are still pretty good indicators of team success, relatively speaking. Luckily for San Antonio, when he struggles, there are plenty of players around to pick up the slack.
Marco Belinelli - D: Pretty uneventful night. Marco had the worst plus/minus on the team, minus-13 for a team that won by 14 points. Yeesh, oh well. He’s been solid as of late, but that bench needs to get things going. I know … we keep saying that.
Boris Diaw - B: Bobo didn’t drop the kind of numbers we’ve seen from him recently, but he had a few nice stretches where he took advantage of mismatches in the post when Miami went small in an effort to catch up. That’s where Diaw is most dangerous. He’s the ultimate small-ball 4 — a guy who can stretch the floor against bigger defenders and take over in the post against smaller defenders. His bounce-back has been a sight for sore eyes.
Cory Joseph - A+: You’ve got to give it to Cory: Despite all the bench time he’s seen since Patty Mills’ return, he’s always ALWAYS ready to contribute when needed. The dude had all sorts of energy last night, snagging four steals in just 23 minutes to go along with his seven points and four assists. Joseph isn’t the kind of scorer Mills can be, but his contributions defensively and as a rebounder can’t be understated. He’s become a very good player, and it sort of sucks the Spurs have such a logjam in the backcourt.
Aron Baynes - F: I was shocked to see that Baynes played nine minutes in this game. I don’t think I remember a second of it. Of course, that’ll sometimes be the case when you manage just one rebound, a turnover and a foul during that time. He’s probably still regaining his footing after that ankle sprain, but that was not a good game from a guy who’s done nothing but improve this season.
Matt Bonner - A: Before people get mad, remember that grades are relative — I wouldn’t grade Bonner the same way I’d grade Kawhi. Matty was really solid last night. He hit the only two shots he took and dropped off a couple of dimes in the process, and the Spurs’ defense didn’t suffer a bit while he was in. On a night I’m sure Gregg Popovich was thrilled to limit his starters’ minutes, Bonner helped make it possible.
Patty Mills - Inc.: I totally get why Pop has elected to use Mills over Joseph for much of the season. Mills was amazing during last year’s title run, particularly in the Finals. While Joseph is a steady, reliable option at backup point guard, Patty’s extra gear can be backbreaking. The Spurs have made every effort to help recreate that magic, but it has yet to show itself again. You’ve got to wonder: Is Pop starting to think it might be time to move on? Who knows? It sucks to watch, but Mills has been struggling badly, and it’s impossible not to notice how well Joseph has played. There isn’t much time left in the season; perhaps this is Joseph’s chance now.
Gregg Popovich - A+: Went to the well for Cory Joseph, and he struck oil. (I’m not even sure that made sense, but I’m going with it. I’m not sure you’d want oil in your well. Or maybe you wouldn’t care because then you’d be rich enough to just buy a bunch of bottled water from an artesian well in, like, Fiji.)
Things we saw:
1. Tony Parker played the 1,000th regular-season game of his career last night, notching his 718th win. In doing so, he became the winningest player through his first 1,000 games in NBA history. The list goes: 1. Parker 718, 2. Pippen 715, 3. Duncan 707. Pretty unreal.
2. The Spurs have now held six of their last seven opponents to 95 points or fewer. During that stretch, they’re allowing just 93 points per 100 possessions and scoring 110.3 points per 100 possessions. Since this hot streak began back in February — since Splitter returned to the starting lineup (17 games) — San Antonio has an offensive rating of 112.1 and a defensive rating of 97.7, which is good for first and third in the league during that time, respectively.
3. San Antonio is now tied with the Clippers in the loss column, one game behind the Trail Blazers, and two games behind the Rockets and Grizzlies. It seems crazy after all that’s happened this year, but the Spurs have a chance at the freaking 2nd seed.
