GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 9: SPURS VS. MAGIC, 4-11-2018, 6PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

After a solid start to November, we make a quick return for the second game of a back-to-back at home. Building on what we achieved yesterday on both ends, we need to use that energy and competitiveness, and continue adding to our winning streak and growth.

WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

WHEN: Sunday, November 4, 2018, 6pm (CT)

Read on Twitter

GO SPURS GO!!!

[ducler]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

If Rudy rests, my guess is either Jakob or Davis in the starting group.

Feel better, Rudy!

[G R E Y]

Rudy resting confirmed:

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Davis it is:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Kabookalu]

For some reason Orlando always looks like a contender against you guys. I noticed this in previous seasons too.

[Donald Kaufman]

Well that was bad...

[G R E Y]

We've won games in which defensive lessons needed to be learned, but not applying them this time cost us the game. We can't get away with poor defense and trying to rely on our shooting to rescue us. While it's great we've got a lot more scoring options now to cover an off night or a man down, our defense and their scoring pressure affected our offense. We looked a gear or two slower, behind on most plays, even as they were simply run and well executed by our opponents.

It was the second game of our first back-to-back, but against an opponent that had lost four in a row, was shooting poorly, and scoring the fewest PPG. On paper, we had an advantage, and it looked as if we got lulled into expectations of our opponent that they did not care to meet. Combined with perhaps an emotional and physical toll of a tougher challenge we rose to in the previous game, we started out flat, and didn't adjust to their quick transitions, their drive and kick game, or to their hot 3 shooting. It's as if we just expected them to cool off while watching them grow their lead. It was the first time in 15 quarters that we allowed 30 or more points to be scored against us.

Usually we respond well to half time instructions, but we instead came out just as unfocused, lacking communication and precision and physical intensity and allowed a nine point deficit to balloon to over twenty. They kept getting quick points by beating us down the court, putting us on our heels most of the game, and quickly doubling LMA or DeMar to their advantage; we got pressured on both ends. We kept losing the hustle and energy plays, being sloppy with the ball which ended with turnovers or fouls for four-point swings against on one end, or sometimes no points for us even after giving ourselves multiple O possession chances. And after getting torched by their 3s (and still not contesting them well enough) we started to get away from our game and tried the comeback-by-3 ourselves, which wasn't effective for most of the game.

By the end of the third Q, they were shooting 47.6% from the 3 on 10-21, while we shot 26.9% on 7-26. They were also 54.7FG% (35-64) while we were 38.9FG% (26-67), so that even with our excellent 15-15 FTs we were down 17.

There were some positives, like Jakob defending well, looking increasingly comfortable in the sets we run, and being active on the O boards (team-high 4, 5 over all, plus 1 assist, 1 block in 14 minutes) which allowed us to keep possessions with his tap outs and passes. Also, with Rudy out and a couple of players struggling to score, we once again had others who stepped up and provided points. We did go on a nice run with a little more that six and a half minutes left in the game, and even brought a 19 point lead down to within five with a bit more than a minute and a half left in the game.

It was around this time that Patty was called for a phantom 'foul' that gave them the possession again on which they scored. So instead of getting rewarded with the ball after defending well, it was a point swing against us. Patty made the case that it was a bad call, and he's right, but in the context of all plays mattering in that they led up to that one, it was an accumulation of self-inflicted plays that did us in. Both can be true. We waited till half way through the final quarter to exert the kind of focus and pressure and energy to fight for the win, and it was almost enough, but too late. Had we exerted some of that earlier or a bit more consistently on the defensive end to protect the arc or the paint by moving and communicating, we likely would not have found ourselves down so far to have to come back from.

Indicators of both our weak defense and shooting included our giving up 22 points on 11 TOs (contrast that to their giving up 11 points on 9 TOs), their having an 18-1 fast break advantage, and 48-22 points in the paint. So despite our late surge, these numbers show where we were most inconsistent. Still, our bench had a 50-42 edge, a group that was largely responsible for our late rally.

I liked our fight to finish the game, and that it was the bench guys who led the way. LMA struggled to score (14 on 6-14, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) while DeMar had a solid 25 on 9-16 (1-4 from 3, 6-6FTs) along with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. But they combined for 4 points in the fourth after entering the game again with seven minutes left to aid the bench unit that did well on both ends to cut into the lead and bring the game within reach. We don't expect Dante to score 15 every night and whatever he contributes on that end is a bonus, but a little more O consistency as a starter would be welcome. Bryn (13 on 5-13, 2-5 from 3, 1-1FTs, 1 rebound, 2 assists) continues to be a nice surprise stepping up with the first group. Davis needs to find his shot, plain and simple. We're passing around individual inconsistent shooting like a bad cold.

Luckily the bench stepped up with smart plays on both ends. Patty (16 on 6-14, 4-9 from 3, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal) and Beli (15 on 4-9, 2-5 from 3, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) are developing the kind of synergy along with Pau that will be an important long-term advantage for us. We passed it around quickly and with purpose among Bryn, Beli and Quincy who drove and got the and 1 (assertive in his 11 minutes, Q pitched in 5 on 1-2, 3-3FTs); later Bryn got an and 1 of his own. As the game wound down, Pau (12 on 4-7, 1-2 from 3, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) blocked a 3, got the possession and got fouled, then tipped in his own miss, and grabbed a key rebound; LMA also got to the line, his only time, hitting both; Bryn, Pau, and Patty hit clutch 3s (we got 5 to their 2 in the quarter). A series of good plays on both ends gave us a momentum late. Our 43.2FG% and 34.3% from 3 increases while those of our opponents dropped showed us headed in the right direction. If only we had asserted ourselves sooner....

Ifs, and stats on paper do not win games. We could and should have helped ourselves and put a little distance between us and other west teams, many of whom lost on the same night. I like that both LMA and DeMar said there were no excuses, and were consistent, too, about a better focus on defense going forward. Hopefully long-term this one that got away pays dividends in how we regroup and respond.

[G R E Y]

Post-game interviews.

Pop:

Read on Twitter

LaMarcus:

Read on Twitter

DeMar:

Read on Twitter

The spurs.com video section only has Pop's interview from this game (so far?)

[Donald Kaufman]

We're having to fight back to end a lot of games. That can be a good and a bad thing. Good that it teaches the unit to win in close games, which we seem pretty good at so far. Bad because aside from the Pels game, we've either been blown out out or had wins that go either way. We shouldn't be fighting to get back into a game against Orlando at home. Nothing against the Magic, but that shouldn't happen.

10 games in and I still don't have a feel for what we are, where we really sit in the West tier of teams. GS are in a tier unto themselves obviously, Portland and Denver look pretty strong, and I think maybe we sit slightly below that, in that nebulous 4-10 team range where it might come down to tiebreakers to determine conference seeding. You have to assume the Rockets will sort themselves out at some point, the Lakers could make a run, Utah is potentially dangerous.