El Conclusion: Spurs can’t get out of first round just yet

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San Antonio Spurs 111 Final

Recap | Box Score

 113 Dallas Mavericks
Tim Duncan, PF 34 MIN | 7-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 9 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 1 TO | 16 PTS | 0Really, really efficient offensive game, but whether it was foul trouble or something else, I just didn’t feel like he was involved like he should’ve been. Defensively, it felt like he was a little late helping on defense. That or Monta Ellis is absurdly fast. Might be the second choice.

Kawhi Leonard, SF 35 MIN | 4-9 FG | 3-4 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 12 PTS | +7Vacillated between super active and not so much. Also, he several times he was being guarded by Dirk Nowitzki and settled for a contested jumper. He has to be able to put the ball on the floor and force some contact. Yes, his mid-range jumper is good, but settling for that shit is exactly what the Mavs had in mind when they switched Dirk over.

Tiago Splitter, C 33 MIN | 4-7 FG | 11-12 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 19 PTS | -10Another great performance by Splitter. Mavs have so much trouble stopping him, especially because they have to glue Dalembert to Duncan when they’re both in or they like what they’re getting from Blair, which put zero rim protection in for Dallas. Blair did give him fits on the offensive glass, so that’s something to work on.

Tony Parker, PG 36 MIN | 10-23 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 6 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 5 TO | 22 PTS | -1He was brilliant in the fourth quarter and almost single handedly won the game. His fourth quarter outburst was also big because Manu Ginobili, who usually has been running things late in games, was pretty bad today.

Danny Green, SG 29 MIN | 7-7 FG | 1-2 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 2 TO | 17 PTS | -1Awesome bounce back game for Green. Was aggressive looking for his shot in the first half especially. Didn’t do it as much in the second half and staying in front of Monta is still a problem for him, but if they can get something that looks like this from him in Game 7, they’ll be in good shape.

Matt Bonner, PF 4 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | 0He defended DeJuan Blair on what looked like a sure fire basket and drew a charge another time down the court. That’s all I got.

Boris Diaw, PF 23 MIN | 3-5 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 9 PTS | 0Efficient? Sure. But I’m really never going to give him a good grade when he’s passive. Also, this Mavs team is a bad match up for him defensively.

Jeff Ayres, C 2 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +3There was in fact a Jeff Ayres sighting.

Patty Mills, PG 16 MIN | 4-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 10 PTS | +1I’m mostly just happy he seems to be finding his shot.

Manu Ginobili, SG 23 MIN | 1-8 FG | 4-4 FT | 3 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 6 PTS | -9Pretty terrible. Found Splitter a few times, managed to get to the free throw line in the fourth quarter, but otherwise he was bad. He was impatient trying to find teammates, didn’t really attack the basket, etc.

Marco Belinelli, SG 5 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | 0Just can’t find a way to get his shot off. And he’s making mistakes defensively.

Gregg Popovich
Mostly I don’t know why Kawhi was guarding Vince instead of Monta at the end of the game. Either way, they need to figure out how to keep Monta out of the paint.

One Thing We Saw

  1. There were six Spurs on the court on the second to the last play of the game. Refs missed it. I find this humorous more than anything. It’s on the internet, find it.
  • sdfs

    The refs are have been calling Kawhi for pushing off w/ his off arm……I’m pretty sure Vince noticed that from Gm 2 & flopped when Kawhi barley grazed him.

  • I need more cowbell

    Manu defense was always a step slow fighting over screens. Pretty much all our point guards struggled on defense. Maybe we should just put our 5 best defenders and just rotate on defense on everybody. EVErybody.

  • lvmainman

    Pop deserves a D+. Under no circumstance should Ginobili not play his normal rotation minutes just because he has 2 fouls in the 1st half. That’s just stupid by Pop.

    There is no scenario, that Ayers should be playing in this series. That was dumb by Pop putting him in the game in the 2nd half.

    Down the stretch, Danny Green should have been in the game for Ginobili to guard Ellis, because Ginobili had stunk the whole game.

    Parker and Ginobili left Nowitzki off the hook at the end of the 3rd qtr by going 0-4 on jumpshots, instead of blowing by him for easy layups.

    Pop also F’d up, by having Duncan inbound the ball on the last play of the game. He should’ve had Diaw inbound the ball to Duncan at the mid-post and let Duncan take the shot to try to send the game to overtime.

    Atrocious job of coaching by Pop. One game left and the season will be over. Mavs have more athleticism, better shooters, more offensive rebounders, and a smart coach.

  • Titletown99030507d

    Pop haaaas those lapses from time to time. The key is better defense on Monte and Carter. Dirk can have his fade away. And we just have to move the ball w/o to’s.

  • Melbourne Spur

    Guarding Ellis isn’t that hard - the guy only goes right….. always…. every time. Don’t fall for his hesitation because it won’t be a cross over back to his left, he just keeps going right. He has the right hand layup, the high extension right hand floater, his jumpers are only good pulling up on the right hand dribble, etc, etc. FORCE HIM LEFT!!!!

  • colt

    Can never blame pop for a loss no matter what the guy does I have to much respect for him but man I thought having kawhi on VC instead of mont a was ridiculous, but more than anything our timeout/ game management is what I truly feel lost this game (besides obviously our atrocious D) down the stretch. We have two time outs with 32 seconds left down 3 with the ball, IMO theres no way in hell i call a TO there man!! Push the ball up the floor & try for a quick 2 & play some defense! kind of felt like pop didn’t trust the team down the stretch in a couple of ways.