SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 75: SPURS AT PELICANS, 26-3-2022, 4PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

2ND Q: SPURS 58

PELICANS 57

Terrific response for an 11-point edge in the Q and holding them to under 30.

We're getting plenty of chances, but our 3s are not falling - YET. We NEED to make this shot.

We increased our energy and intensity on both ends, got some steals and blocks, and scored some in transition.

Good rotations and closeouts, really good rebounding, good FTs effort, and wonderful punch back.

That stretch when we were up 54-50 was poor - miss, give up a basket, then two TOs and they took they lead briefly. Three wasted O possessions from a slight lack of focus. That's all it takes in a close game.

DJ's also getting scouted on those turnaround Js. He has to get more space on them because he's getting stripped.

Pop gave him 'the look' as he got subbed out for the loose ball foul after he got stripped.

But DJ was smart to take the quick 3 for the 2-for-1 chance. Even though he missed, it gave us room for Keldon to make the end of Q basket.

Terrific response overall. Keep pushing!

[G R E Y]

Wonderful front up and under step through by Jakob wow.

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 84

PELICANS 84

End of Q details like O boards, and limiting TOs are crucial. As are making 3s. I think we made two from the arc this Q. Every little bit helps, so pushing to get to the FT line should help too.

You can tell Pop really wants this one, too. Ripped into Keldon and Tre on a poor execution where Zach was left by himself blocked repeatedly. We didn't keep moving.

JUST KEEP PUSHING, SPURS!

[G R E Y]

Flagrant 1. We'll take it.

[G R E Y]

Well maybe we should consider another play besides into Zach in the paint where he constantly gets doubled.

[G R E Y]

Beautiful passing ending with another airball...

[G R E Y]

Not a good stretch for DJ here: missed a contested baseline J, then got cut on for a basket +1.

[G R E Y]

WONDERFUL BALL MOVEMENT, GENTS!!!

THE HIGH-LOW FOR QUICK 2

THE KELDON EXTRA PASS FOR A JOCK 3!!!

[G R E Y]

DJ has to employ that high arc release at the rim sooner versus this high blocking team. We have to move them out of the key more or dunk on them to get these rim shots now.

Great gang rebounding by us on both ends.

[imagump1313]

Avocado would be an MVP candidate if he played us every game......

[imagump1313]

Johnson thinking he was the guy but he's not quite the guy yet

[imagump1313]

Pop was pissed at the end because we blew the tank.....

[G R E Y]

Pop was pissed at the end because we blew the tank.....

you kill me with these!

It's interesting what Pop's doing. On the one hand, he keeps grilling our guys when we don't execute. On the other, he has Primo out there end of games, calls out of timeout plays for him, and lets him play through mistakes. Either we win and stay in for the play-in, AND we develop they young guys, or we develop the young guys and get a higher pick.

It's a win-win-win for us, so long as we're executing.

I though we had a solid second half, and there were some moments of absolutely beautiful ball movement to keep them constantly moving on D and get us some great looks.

I wonder if we could pick up a bounce big somewhere. Feels like we missed a ton of those shots close to the rim because our bigs got sealed up, yes, but we could jump out of it either.

[G R E Y]

Avocado would be an MVP candidate if he played us every game......

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 107

PELICANS 103

I'm so damn proud of our team I can't stop beaming!

The guys have talked openly about having this game in mind, talked about payback, talked about having the goal of the play-in in mind, and just flat out grabbed the game. Saw somewhere on social media that this is our first three-game winning streak since December. And we're on a good groove, too.

We started slow (0-5 in the 1ST Q) and couldn't really get it going from the arc like we had or wanted finishing with 7-26 (both numbers - oof!) but with timing being everything, Jock coming in and nailing two 3s (with a blown layup, but still) to keep us ahead when they were on a run late in the game was crucial for us. He was a menace in the 4TH Q where he got all of his 10 points (4-7, 2-3 from 3), he grabbed a bench high 7 boards, bench high 3 on O, for a game high +17.

We've employed the Zach-Jock tandem in several previous game, but this is the first (I think) time we used the Jakob-Jock tandem. I absolutely loved the final five Pop had to finish the game, DJ, Primo, Keldon, Jock, and Jakob, especially the two-bigs lineup.

Still curious that Pop had Primo and no JRich in the final group. As a matter of fact, JRich didn't play the entire 4TH Q. Instead, Pop had Tre, Primo, some Joe, and variations of two-bigs. Again, the fine line balance between development and winning. The players want the latter badly, and while Pop said you can't expect players to not play their best, he can still get in what he wants with playing the young guys in tight situations.

Despite shooting 0-5 from 3, DJ got another triple double the hard way - 15 on 4-19 (oof! even considering 5 attempts were from the arc, it's still 4-14 everywhere else) but he drove a lot (a good area of improvement for him as he's been too passive with this at times) and got to the FT line a team high 7-8. How important is he to us? He got 13 assists, more than half of our low (for us) 22. We usually have almost everyone on the team contributing to this category but we moved the ball slightly differently and ran different plays to get our points. So Tre (0), Primo (0), and JRich (1) combined for 1 assist. And DJ grabbed tied for team high 11 boards (1 on O) as well as team high 3 steals. He's now second in the league with 13 triple doubles this season.

Not a perfect game as he got caught in high blitz traps in the corners near half court, and at times was covered near the baseline or when he turned into the key in his spins to take his J. He has a tendency to stubbornly over dribble trying to beat the doubles rather than passing out of them. Again, it's on the team to help him by coming to the ball as well. But he was determined to keep pushing, to keep probing and finding ways to contribute; he shared the ball smartly, controlled the pace so well late in the game not rushing shots or settling for one and done ISO attempts (good improvement), went after rebounds (so they weren't just the fall into his hands kind), and did a great job defensively on CJ shadowing him in the 4TH Q.

It was a team effort to do that, and JRich stepped up in particular to stay with their talented scorer whether he had the ball or not. Denying the ball back to high scorers is something we hadn't employed enough of in previous games. JRich led us with 3-4 from 3 and was a solid 5-12, and 5-5FTs for 18 along with 2 boards (1 on O), and one each of assist and steal. He played starter low 27 minutes, but was a significant factor on both ends. I hope we can somehow keep him next season. I wonder whether he's insurance in case Lonnie prices himself out of our lineup.

Primo was really good overall in defending CJ as well. He blocked CJ and stripped him by staying with the play moving his feet, body upright, arms up. Just a solid defensive performance even if some of his passes still need refining. Some soft ones for TOs (team high 3) but we only had 10 in the game and only gave up 7 points on them to earning 13 on their 8 TOs. That he was also an efficient 5-10 despite the 1-5 from 3, and 1-2FTs for 12 points (plus 1 board). All of his shots were either 3s or drives where he made 4-5. Good body control. He was more assertive with them and read the plays well in the D to O transition where DJ stole it and passed to him for a dunk. He was third on the team with 34 minutes!

Joining him in the 30+minute mark were Jakob and Keldon. Jakob was severely bested by his C counterpart in their last game, but was ready in this one. He was 6-10 and made some pretty hook shots, a trailing layup from a nice dish by Diop down low, and a sweet up and under left side finish. He had 3 of our 6 blocks, and disrupted several other shots, grabbed a game high 11 boards and 5 on O, some of which were putbacks. His 3 assists were tied with Zach for second highest on the team. He got bodied but adjusted, was getting into space and covering it with his mobility, and as a team we helped him with some great gang rebounding, winning it 49-42 and 16-12 on O boards. Loved his focus, giving at least as much as he got.

Keldon was the epitome of the modern shot selection - 1-5 from 3, but the rest of his shots were in the key where he made 8-12. And he used his physicality and touch at the rim deftly. He grabbed 8 boards (2 on O), got 2 blocks, and his lone registered assist was a drive over a Zach screen, spin in they key, and a beautiful extra pass cross court to Jock for the left corner 3 and a 95-92 lead. GREAT extra look, and great made shot. Each play of this type just expands each player's game, builds trust among newer team mates and cohesion with newer line-ups.

And then the lesser used and less experienced players combined for an impressive final D play: Primo contested their 3 attempt very well, Jock stepped up to grab the rebound and make a quick outlet pass to DJ on the left side who passed it ahead to an already streaking ahead on the right side Keldon who finished a with a dunk. A textbook fast break, our lone one, sealed the win.

After falling behind by 12 early in the game, we caught them in our own runs and stayed competitive throughout and rolled ahead to a 10-point lead which gave us just enough of a cushion for a scoring drought that they closed our lead down to 3. DJ made a clutch tech FT on their delay of game (when refs being sticklers for details and we complain about it early but it comes full circle for us late), giving us a cushion by putting the game into two possessions territory.

Pop used the starters more than usual with DJ clocking 40 minutes and none of the bench players clocking more than 19. They collectively scored 29 points, made two 3s (both by Jock), 16 rebounds (7 on O), and 4 assists. None of the latter were by Tre, but we used our bigs well with Zach getting 3 (tying Jakob).

We did a great job moving the ball especially in the second half, but we used a LOT of dribble hand off until we found an open lane or team mate for the extra open pass. Movement movement movement and exploit the weakness that comes from doing it quickly and crisply. Good high low passes from big to big - fun to say that again! and from drives, dishes to a big down low and then extra pass to trailing bigs.

Jock led the bench with 19 minutes, but played most of them in the 4TH Q. He was the catalyst for our 10-0 run in the last Q, which he bookended with 3s, and a layup in between for 8 of the 10 points. Gutsy contribution from a guy whose role is largely to be ready to contribute when his number is called. It's hard to come in and make clutch shots off the bench. His hustle was terrific, too.

Zach was the first big off the bench, got another tech (lol) from some yapping with an opponent who taunted him to look at the score during FTs (LOL love retributive irony), also scored 10 points but on 3-7. He got blocked a lot after we kept passing down low and they quickly sealed him up. He doesn't have the hops or physical brawn to overpower opponents, but he's got plenty of moxie and will. He got fouled plenty and made 4-4FTs. He grabbed 5 boards (2 on O) and dished 3 assists.

Tre had no assists, didn't make any 3s (0-2), made 2-5 (one long 2, one at the rim), 1-2FTs, and 1 board. Only 5 points but in a close game they were all the more important. He did a great job with perimeter D hounding ball handlers, fighting over screens, contesting shots. He never takes plays off on this end, and I'm confident he'll improve his shot over the summer. They had 11 blocks and everyone from guards to bigs got swatted. We then moved the ball and off ball better to pull their bigs out or make outside shots.

And that left the final four points for unheralded but making quietly impactful plays for Keita who made a pretty pass to a trailing Jakob for his lone but important assist, drove well but got blocked on one, missed another but got fouled and made both FTs, and made his third drive. Three boards (2 on O) and disruptive length on D and he provided 12 minutes and enough points to contribute to the difference.

Poor Joe got some 1ST Q minutes again but whereas Keita was used as a driver, Joe missed both his arc attempts, one of which was an airball. It's hard to come in cold and hit shots, but that's his lot as rookie Doug. He's getting chances so he needs to stick with it.

Unlike in the previous couple of games, our 3s comprised 28.3% of our shots. We made only four non-paint 2s on I think only nine non-paint attempts. We drove and drove a lot and despite all their blocks, we edged them 54-52 points in the paint. Driving relentlessly gave us a lot of trips to the FT line, making 22-25.

Pop subbed Jakob in for Zach and we finally had a proper bigs pair. And wasn't this the first time we used this tandem? And Pop brought it out in the last seven minutes of a close game when we were up by 5. A proper two bigs, both of whom can and did rebound, one of whom can and did stretch the floor.

We used zone D to stymie their drive efforts and it was effective. We were able to close out arc shots and get rebounds, holding them to a game low 19 points.

Strategies on both ends gave us big advantages as they were facing new schemes from us and didn't adjust as well. Through it all was a much better, more focused, determined, and energized effort to do what we said we sought - some payback and reaching for the play in. And Pop got what he wanted with development.

This game had a weird balance to it: they went on a run to close the 1ST Q, got their biggest double digit lead and we had our lowest scoring Q; we caught them, got our biggest lead in the 4TH Q, and held them to their lowest scoring output.

We used to cave in close games, but we've had several now in which we gutted out wins with some great adjustments. DJ didn't go into ISO hero one and done mode but ran the clock and looked to execute; when the outside shots weren't falling we didn't keep taking them but found other ways to score; we collectively took on the responsibility to rebound and contest and did both better; we incorporated new lineups and still found ways to stay ahead despite their cutting into our lead late and facing a roaring crowd.

A lot was at stake in this game and winning the series gives us an extra cushion should we end up tied in the standings. I love this fighting for something version of us. Some parts of the season are the doldrums, but we actually have a shot not only for the play in, but to exceed last season's wins total - on fewer games then, sure, but still. The betting line was that we were not going to win more than 28 games and here we are. We have our own expectations, and we've not met them yet. It's so fun to watch this team grow.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Please guys take the 10th seed. I beg of you.

[G R E Y]

Please guys take the 10th seed. I beg of you.

We'll do our best, mate!

[G R E Y]

I knew it! I knew Pop wouldn't just let that go. This works every time lol

At the time, Popovich said he wouldn’t even bother to watch film of the disaster. He later reneged on that vow, forcing players to watch the horror flick twice in the lead-up to Saturday’s rematch in New Orleans.

“I was kind of mad we kept watching the film from the last game,” point guard Dejounte Murray said. “We all took that personal.”

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/After-perfect-road-swing-Spurs-course-set-to-17037090.php