El Conclusión: San Antonio Spurs 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 105

by

Oklahoma City Thunder 105 FinalRecap | Box Score 122 San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan, PF 29 MIN | 11-19 FG | 5-6 FT | 7 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 27 PTS | +8
He cannot be stopped without Ibaka in the line up. Perkins has to act as the primary pick and roll defender, meaning Duncan’s going to have a small defender on him a ton. He’s too smart for Steven Adams, too big for everyone else.

Kawhi Leonard, SF 39 MIN | 7-16 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 3 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 16 PTS | +12
Man he went off in the second half. Spin moves (plural), steals and transition finger rolls. Durant was 10-19 from the field, but only had four free throw attempts. That’s going to be key this series: Making Durant work for his points and not giving him a ton of free throws.

Tiago Splitter, C 19 MIN | 3-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 6 PTS | +8
It looks like Scott Brooks is going to go small pretty often this series. Only 19 minutes tonight, but he bottled up the paint and converted easy baskets. That’s what you need from him this series.

Tony Parker, PG 36 MIN | 6-12 FG | 2-3 FT | 3 REB | 12 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 14 PTS | +12
#HAMSTRONG. He looked great. Didn’t force a thing on offense.

Danny Green, SG 27 MIN | 6-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 16 PTS | +30
Missed one shot tonight and played excellent defense, mostly on Russell Westbrook.

Aron Baynes, PF 7 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 2 PTS | +5
The Banger played with great energy. Drew a charge from Kevin Durant, executed the pick and roll with Manu almost as nicely as Tiago would. The Spurs are bigger than the Thunder and seem to be ready to take advantage of that.

Boris Diaw, PF 20 MIN | 3-7 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 9 PTS | -2
Bobo is going to be big this series if Oklahoma City goes small as much as they did tonight. He’s mobile enough to play center at their SUPER small line up and bigger than guys like Durant, Caron Butler.

Patty Mills, PG 14 MIN | 2-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 5 PTS | +10
Plenty of energy, fearless shooting, but didn’t force any bad shots up. With the Spurs in front for most of the game, it was really important for no one to take dumb shots.

Manu Ginobili, SG 27 MIN | 7-12 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 18 PTS | +12
You were all worried about him. He got some rest and looked spry, especially in the second half. He was key in the comeback after the Thunder made their third quarter run. His pick and roll work could pick Oklahoma City apart if they don’t make some adjustments soon.

Marco Belinelli, SG 16 MIN | 2-3 FG | 1-1 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 5 PTS | +2
Here’s how I’m going to gauge Belinelli this series: Did I notice him out there? If I didn’t, I won’t grade him too harshly because it probably also means I’m not going to complain about his bad defense tonight. He was fine tonight. Didn’t make any egregious defensive errors and hit a couple of open shots.

Gregg Popovich
Seemed to have an answer for everything Scotty Brooks tried.

Two Things We Saw

  1. Obviously the paint was WIDE OPEN and the Thunder will try to adjust to that in the second half, but I’m not sure they have the personnel to keep San Antonio out of the paint. And if they do collapse the paint, it’ll create a little more space for open 3’s. One way or another, the Spurs are going to be able to score this series.
  2. Kawhi. Lots of fun Kawhi tonight. If he stays aggressive, Durant’s going to be exhausted at the end of games. 41 minutes of having to work that hard on both ends will have Durant tired by Game 4.
  • Anton Gregory

    I smell a sweep or at least a gentleman’s sweep

  • Anton Gregory

    It was really great seeing kawhi be so creative and aggressive, but what pleased me most was Manu’s game tonight.

  • Anton Gregory

    Fisher kept them in this game. I doubt he will play that well evry game. Neither will Danny Green, but at least his D will always be there.

  • http://seriesandtv.com/ Series And TV

    Indeed, Manu´s game was huge, both he and us needed him at this level

  • Graham

    Need to keep the pressure on for Game 2, and after that we will be in the driver’s seat. Hold home court, then go and nab one in OKC and we have things looking pretty.

  • samhl

    we need to keep the rest of okc role players contained like today (reggie jackson and Derrick Fisher really hit some tough shots), without Ibaka they can spread the floor as well as they usually do , since they go small with Ibaka at center and everyone of them is a good shooter, that is why we struggle defensively against them.
    now their big guys can’t spread the floor and our bigs can stay and protect the lane , and their guards will struggle (westbrook especially) because that is his game, i think we should give him the long mid range shots , at some point in the 3rd our def. was bad and we let him score of layoffs , but if we continue to play good def. we can win. Durant hit a lot of tough shots , same with Fisher which kept them in the game.
    hopefully our supporting cast can keep hitting their open jump shots because we struggle when we don’t hit our open jump shots

  • Fusiontron

    Hey if anyone on ST reads this would you guys approve my account already?

  • T-Spurs

    What’s ST?

  • I need more cowbell

    Oh man Baynes bailed out the spurs in the 3rd quarter. He was the banger we needed to stop Westbrooks and Durants dribble penetration. I hope he gets some time on the 2nd unit with Diaw as the 4.

  • Fusiontron

    Spurs Talk

  • lvmainman

    Good job by the Spurs. Pop messed up to start the 3rd qtr by posting Duncan on Perkins. Perkins should be put in the pick and roll every time.

    Brooks coached that game like he didn’t know Ibaka was out. Collison and Perry Jones should’ve gotten all of Ibaka’s 38 minutes. They only got 18. Good thing Brooks is slow on the uptake. He’ll figure it out eventually, one would think.

    Aggressive Green and Kawhi in transition make the Spurs bigger threats. Can we get 2 good games by Ginobili in a row?

  • spurs10

    Thanks for the grades!

  • CAROB NUTLER

    CAROB NUTLER CAROB NUTLER CAROB NUTLER.
    It’s what’s for dinner.

  • Pingback: Ibaka’s absence looms as Spurs offense rolls()

  • Tim in Surrey

    Collison I can see, although I think his +/- numbers make him overrated (and, like Adams, he relies way too much on fouling, which won’t work without Ibaka). But you think Brooks should’ve put Perry Jones on Tim Duncan? Seriously? I’d much rather see him than Perkins. Perkins may have the mobility of Billy Paultz (I don’t mean back in the day, I mean Billy Paultz right NOW, at age 65) but he does help protect the rim, get rebounds, and set mean picks. Perry Jones has yet to show me ANYTHING in the NBA.

  • Ray Briggs II

    For once I wish there wasn’t so much extra rest between games. I think the Spurs could have run Westbrook and Durant ragged if there had only been one day between each game.

  • Joseph Dooley

    Perkins is a wall. Tiago should be setting picks on him every time Timmy posts up against him.

  • Mike Smith

    I do not like your Belinelli curve. I think you’re too hard on him.

  • foose

    Of course, if Kawhi plays 39 minutes a game on KD, he is going to end up just as exhausted.

  • Pingback: The Margin: Experimentation out of desperation()

  • RawJa777

    Kawhi isn’t forced to play at both ends though. KD is being asked to be their MOST productive playmaker, plus at times guard Duncan, Diaw, or Splitter on the block when he’s not guarding Kawhi. Kawhi covers Durant first and foremost, then makes plays as necessary on the offensive end, while getting more rest than Durant. By the end of the game Durant’s stamina meter is in the red. Kawhi’s is in the yellow. Win.

  • foose

    The work output for a perimeter defender is much higher than defending on the block. You are telling me that guarding Bobo is just as difficult as guarding KD? With Kawhi chasing the league’s MVP around the perimeter all night, I am not sure your assertion will hold in practice.

  • LukeDawg

    I see your point but I’m not sure your comparison is fair. Of course guarding the mvp of the league for 42 minutes a night is almost always going to be more physically demanding than guarding bobo for 25 minutes; but that’s not the dilemma kd and the Thunder are facing. Their choice is stick kd on the perimeter against a smaller guy, sagging off and using his length to contest, or put him in the post against a bigger and stronger guy. Now There are always exceptions, but i think most players at all levels will tell you, it’s usually less taxing on the perimeter against a smaller guy because it is just a matter of moving your feet, resistence free. Sure your legs might get a little tired, but that is nothing compared to the full body exhaustion that comes from physically banging and having to use every ounce of your body every play to push back against 280 lbs in order to keep that bigger, stronger guy from getting to his spot. World class athletes like kd are conditioned to run around all day long, but you start pushing that thin frame of his around a little bit and that wear and year might start to add up over 5 or 6 games.

  • Pingback: 3-on-3: Reactions from the Spurs' Game 1 win over Thunder()