SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 75: SPURS VS. MAGIC, 1-4-2025, 7PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

Fine form on the fake and extra side step into the 3. Good lift. Balance lower and upper body. Lower power transfered up and through the ball. Well done.

[G R E Y]

Blake doing good recognition things and setting up teammates well.

Much improved shooting form and better confidence taking 3s, too.

Looks like the game is coming to him well now.

Always a speed demon and a hunter on D but the O is coming along nicely.

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 84 MAGIC 79

Castle making rookie rushed mistakes with TOs into too close a space. But he's SO HUNGRY to prove himself you take the mistakes through the inexperienced passion.

Good 3s shooting.

Good transition pushes.

Just take care of the ball and our rim.

[G R E Y]

Watching a vet like Barnes play within himself, lots of options in the toolkit, one of which is patience as the clock runs down, and then cooly knocking down a fadeaway J is a pleasure.

[G R E Y]

Champie left corner.

Steps out of bounds.

Sigh.

[G R E Y]

Wish we could aee Steph vs. Wagner some more.

[G R E Y]

Mamu did everything but put it in. A game of inches.

[G R E Y]

ANOTHER Castle mid-air pass for a TO.

[G R E Y]

Hmm I wonder if it occurs to anyone to contest pretty much the ONE 3s maker for them...

[G R E Y]

No one I mean NO ONE with any help D on that wiiiiiide open dunk after the initial defender was past.

[G R E Y]

So we actually scored on our final possession despite the game being out of reach, eh?

Not a fan of that.

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 105 MAGIC 116

Simply put, we got bested by our own strategy - 18-47 from 3 to our 13-32 - adopted by a team that ranks 23rd in attempts (to our 6th) and ranks last in efficiency (to our 18th).

The extra 15 points against was more than enough despite our winning PITP by 10, another surprise reversal between the teams. But it was too much to overcome, especially in light of all our TOs, a whopping 17 which cost us 20 points. Add five missed FTs and the game was at hand but we loosened our grasp.

Castle had a slow start, a better recovery, and put up 16 (6-13, 1-2 from 3, an improved 3-3FTs), 8 (4 O boards, both team highs), and 6, but the 7TOs stood out as well.

Several of these were passes to where he expected teammates would be (and so did defenders) and made mid air passes that were picked off. Others were of the dribbling into a too congested paint that multiple defenders sealed off. Book is out on him and his desire to drive. Picking it up or recognizing the seal and adjusting earlier as well as finding better angles or alternatives for expected passes will help.

Dev struggled when he even appeared. Only 4-11, of which was 1-7 from 3, so much more passive game for whatever reason. We make it easier for defenses when teams can expect one guard to drive and another to settle for outside shots.

Vets were terrific and this would have been a blowout without them. Barnes led us with 24. Efficient, experience showing through in adjustments to defensive schemes.

We ran a nine-man unit with Champie leading the bench with an efficient 19. Mamu and Blake struggled to score and Keldon ought to have shot more, giving us 9 on 3-6, bench high both with 7 boards and 4 assists.

Just too many TOs and playing against type. We know what we can improve.