Spurs v. Clippers: The Return of the Aussie Bake Oven
That the Spurs and Clippers have saved an otherwise by-the-numbers opening round of the 2015 NBA playoffs is not surprising. From the day the seedings were set, fans had circled the pairing as the most promising matchup, bringing two peaking Western contenders into what would surely be a series defined by high execution and tight contests. And without question, the series has delivered. Despite what the double-digit loss in Game 1 might imply, the Spurs and Clippers have spent each game in this series scrapping and clawing for every possession, providing breathtaking moments of athleticism and heart pounding levels of anxiety. Last night’s overtime thriller was an instant classic, and the Spurs are heading home having tied the series and stolen homecourt from a frustrated Clippers team.
But as exciting as Game 2 was, it’s worth pointing out that as this series has exceeded expectations, it’s done so in some of the strangest ways imaginable.
A whole lot went right for the Clippers last night. Chris Paul (21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal, one block) continued to dominate the point guard matchup with little to no resistance from a hobbled and field goal-less Tony Parker. DeAndre Jordan grabbed fifteen boards and scored 20 points. Blake Griffin notched the franchise’s second postseason triple double. JJ Redick hit four threes. The Clippers managed to outscore the Spurs during the eleven minutes Glen Davis and Austin Rivers spent in the game. And the much maligned Hack-a-Jordan strategy backfired in spectacular fashion. Sure, Jordan missed eleven of his free throws, but the Spurs also coughed up a double-digit lead in the process, failing to grab some of his misses and also failing to score, running up against a set defense when they did get to head down the court.
In light of the Spurs’ disappointing Game 1 performance, these developments are enough to suggest another Clippers win. Yet the situation somehow got worse for San Antonio. Tony Parker’s jumper was again a mess, and he sat the fourth quarter and overtime with Achilles soreness. He certainly looked like he was struggling to find lift under his shots, but the sitting out could have been as much injury precaution as an acknowledgment of Parker’s terrible night. The Spurs, of course, are built to weather the occasional bad Parker game by leaning on Manu Ginobili, so one might assume that was the case last night, as the Spurs pulled off a tight win. But Manu had an equally frustrating night, and where he made up for bad shooting in Game 1 with excellent playmaking and distribution, his performance in Game 2 left the Spurs no silver lining. He never really got into the flow of the offense like he did on Sunday night, and he ended up fouling out of the game midway in the fourth quarter, reaching in on a Matt Barnes breakaway and slapping his own head in anger after realizing his mistake.
So it must have been shooting, right? San Antonio had to have escaped with the kind of wildfire demolition that pushed them to the franchise’s fifth title last season. Not quite. The Spurs missed 17 of their 25 three-point attempts, which barely qualifies as an improvement on Sunday’s 10/33 performance. They attempted 26 free throws again and hit 19 (five more than they did on Sunday) for a respectable 73% from the line. But outside of a few big performances, the Spurs still missed a tone of wide open shots, continuing a road trend they’ve developed throughout the season. Danny Green, in particular, had another difficult night , and without his shooting, the Clippers’ starting five was able to keep the game close. The situation was dire enough that Popovich elected to bench Green for Marco Belinelli in the fourth quarter.
All of this should have added up to another blowout, but it didn’t because three Spurs players refused to let it. Tim Duncan was once again an ageless wonder, hitting tough angles and dominating Jordan for most of the night, posting a monster line (28 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, two steals, and a block). After a poor shooting performance on Sunday night, it was Duncan’s offense that steadied the Spurs throughout most of the game, forcing Jordan to have to account for him and opening up the Spurs’ shooters in the process. There isn’t much more to be said about the soon to be 39-year-old, who played an astonishingly lively 44 minutes Wednesday night. Suffice it to say that there is little reason to expect him to hang it up next year. Duncan has said for a few years now that he’ll retire when he’s ineffective. After the game, Popovich said he’s been the Spurs’ most important player this series, and watching the actual next Bill Russell hit banks and floaters and layups over the supposed next Bill Russell, there’s little reason to argue with that assessment. The Spurs have several indispensable players on the roster; the oldest still ranks high among them.
Beyond Duncan’s performance, the Spurs survived riding the silent desolation of Kawhi Leonard. The NBA’s newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year was as vital on the offensive end as he was on the defensive end. He scored when the Spurs sorely needed it, putting up an efficient 23 points on 16 shots to go with his nine boards. And when the game offered the Clippers a chance to win in the closing minutes of regulation, he guarded Chris Paul, funneling him into a tough jumpshot over the outstretched arm of Tim Duncan.
But the surprise of the game, and really the season, was surely Patty Mills, who seemed to awake from a long hibernation after his shoulder surgery. One of the Spurs’ dilemmas going into the postseason was designating a backup point guard. Cory Joseph had a phenomenal season keeping the team afloat with Tony Parker and Patty Mills sidelined. He’s a defensive force that doesn’t know how to play at anything but full bore, and you wouldn’t be crazy to think that kind of presence would fill a role against an offense like the Clippers’. But with the Spurs’ shooting woes stretching into Game 2 and Parker and Ginobili out for the closing stretch, Popovich needed offense from somewhere, and he turned to Mills to provide it. You have to take a moment to really appreciate the unlikelihood of this happening. After returning from injury in December, Mills saw his shooting stroke disappear, as his field goal percentage continued to dip for three months, bottoming out in March at an ugly 32.9%. Popovich gave him chances, knowing how much of the Spurs’ offensive movement is predicated on outside shooting, but even after a few good shooting nights in April, there were clear doubts that Mills, and by extension the Spurs’ offense, would recover.
And yet there he was, quietly hitting the most important free throws all season for a team that routinely forgets how to shoot them. It was Mills that tied the game for the Spurs, forcing overtime. It was Mills that pushed the Spurs’ lead in the final frame. It was Mills that hit the game winning free throws. When the Spurs needed a shot, he was there to provide it, with the kind of glacial veins that quiet arenas and change series. The Aussie Bake Oven, as we’ve taken to calling him around here, has returned, and he’s brought with him another gear for the Spurs’ offense.
There is a lot of basketball to be played in this series, but Mills’ return has the potential to shake up the matchup. What’s worrisome for the Clippers is that instead of scrambling the pieces, the Spurs are in position to complete the puzzle. If Tony Parker can return and provide something, he’ll join an offense that performs considerably better at home. San Antonio has survived poor shooting on the road and bad performances from its stars with a mix of strong bench play and consistent defense. A few games in Texas could spell disaster for a Clippers team that has enjoyed atypical Spurs struggles. As competitive and crazy as these games have been, perhaps the Clippers should fear normalcy more than anything else.
