SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 21: SPURS AT WARRIORS, 4-12-2021, 7:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We head to the west coast and our reward for our solid play is facing the team with the best record in the league. No time like now to test our better team D, especially on the perimeter, than the challenge of a team that loves this shot. Staying on the hot hand to force secondary options and creating and finding the hot hands of our own is central to our task: prevent 3s and drives; make both. We're facing a team on a SEGABABA, which should not make us complacent, but vigilant. Staying true to fundamentals - communication, movement, ball protection, transition - will show the level we're at and need to be to get the results we want.

WHERE: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

WHEN: Saturday, December 4, 2021, 7:30pm (CT)

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GO SPURS GO!!!

[G R E Y]

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To that 3s and drives end, reinforcements:

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[G R E Y]

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[G R E Y]

Shadowing Curry - check.

Reading their D plays and reacting for steals - check.

D to O transition scoring - check.

Making extra passes for open shots and drives while preventing theirs - check and check.

Super start! Now let's keep doing that for the rest of the game

[G R E Y]

lmao Lonnie in, Lonnie steps out of bounds. Best to get them out of the way now, I guess, but it's just so funny how this guy attracts unforced errors.

[G R E Y]

1ST Q: SPURS 36

WARRIORS 21

Well it looks like we've found the right formula - play exceptional team and man D, shadow Curry at all times, and shoot over 50%FGs and from the 3 as well as 100% FTs.

But truly it's an impressive run. We're clicking on all sides.

We have to stay vigilant.

Lonnie, to his credit has been terrific on both sides of the ball, moving his feet to stay with drivers, hitting 3s, making SIMPLE layups.

Balanced scoring, great movement and sharing, too.

Just a great 1ST Q.

Now let's make sure we stay focused and hungry and pushing forward like the score is 0-0. No quarter given.

[Cactus Jack]

Thought I'd stop by & say that this is my first time watching the Spurs play this season & I've been impressed. They're taking it to my Warriors so far. Even though the Dubs played Phoenix last night. But their defense has been really impressive. Especially on Curry.

[G R E Y]

Pop chewing Bryn out. Nice to have some consistency

[G R E Y]

Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing us gathering in the key in a circle after a foul to regroup.

[Cactus Jack]

Lonnie Walker is a nice player

[G R E Y]

2ND Q: SPURS 67

WARRIORS 58

We've scored a LOT and well for the most part, have poured in two 30+ point Qs and our 22-point lead is down to nine. Such is the cushion we need to make sure we stay ahead versus a 3s-shooting focused team.

We allowed a 37-point Q here, but hopefully they expended a ton of energy doing so and we can pick up where we left off. We wilted through the middle with them getting points inside on switches so their bigs were up against our guards, so that's something we have to be aware of and adjust to.

Jakob's third foul was a weak one but called nonetheless and Thad as the first big off the bench was not effective in his place. I wonder if Drew's size and strength and athleticism could be more helpful for us down low.

Love the scoring variety and distribution. I thought we moved a bit less on both ends in the second Q and that's all it takes against this opponent. We got a bit muddled on O, less movement, more contested shots, more outside shots. When we got the cutters going earlier and got behind their D we broke them down very well for open layups at the rim and we have to use this more.

In the 1ST Q we established the outside shot which allowed the drives chances to open up and we took full advantage, but in the 2ND Q when the outside shots were not falling we did not set up the open shots at the rim well enough through that lack of movement.

It's very tough to keep moving on both ends versus this team and so it expends a lot of energy. Still, we've done a great job shadowing and switching and staying with Curry, we just have to be sure we don't over-commit on him, too. We tended to have three Spurs on him as he drove and then their big was wide open at the other side of the basket for dishes. We gambled on getting the deflection or steal but more often than not they were able to thread the needle.

I love our pace and shot selection but we do have to get back to moving more. On D we have to ensure they don't get O boards for second chance points, and make sure we push forward more for more FT chances. So far they've doubled us 14-7 in FT attempts and it'll be a dog fight so we have to keep pushing forward.

I love how we finished the 2ND Q with Derrick getting two drives and stuttering - on purpose! - at the rim to throw off defenders and get two layups plus a FT. We have to start and stay strong in the second half.

Purposeful passing, quick movement, decisive finishes at the rim, and relentless, clean effort on D.

[G R E Y]

Lonnie Walker is a nice player

Man he's like Jekyll/Hyde but I'll take whichever version this is!

[G R E Y]

Aaaaaand that's why you a. protect the ball b. stay relentless in scoring and c. never ever leave their best shooter alone. Ever.

Regroup, refocus on D, stay resilient, and make a strong push.

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 99

WARRIORS 88

Don't stick with their best shooter, pay the price. We still won the Q but our 18-point lead got down to 11 quickly. STAY WITH CURRY, PROTECT THE BALL, MOVE, STAY POISED AND RESILIENT, MAKE OUR SHOTS, DEFEND CLEANLY!

[G R E Y]

We saved our 3RD Q for the 4TH Q uuuggh...

[G R E Y]

We scored juuuuuuuuuuuuust enough, in juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust enough time. It's like we forgot how to basketball for much of the 4TH Q, scoring FOUR points until like 3 minutes left. Then we scored 4 points on one play (FT, O board, a Derrick 3!!!), and then we settled in and remembered how to basketball and ... won. PHEW! AND YEAH!

[JeffReal]

Ah, that was a true feel-good win. Gotta have those once in a while.

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 112

WARRIORS 107

A tale of two halves, and a case of when shots are made. Along the way, the shots we generated and stopped through increasingly tough opponent play got us a big enough cushion to ride out a lull of epic proportions that earlier in the season would have broken us. That we not only pulled out a win but the way we did it, with some clutch shots and defense late in the game, shows our growth resulting in better burgeoning two-way play.

So in the first half we shot a stellar 26-47FGs, 8-17 from 3, 7-7FTs. Along the way, our solid, smothering team D, with a particular focus on shadowing Curry to make sure he didn't get clean looks helped us get and keep a double digit lead and keep responding after their runs. Shooting 55%, 47%, 100% may not have been sustainable but a strong start was absolutely necessary for the big lead that forced an opponent on the tail end of a back-to-back to expend energy catching up.

DJ (9, 7 rebounds of which a team-high were 3 on O, and 6 assists) and Derrick (13, 1 assist, 2 steals) took turns absolutely rolling, both for themselves and others. They were supported by an absolutely blazing Lonnie who sparked a huge bench scoring punch, leading us with 18 points on 6-9, 2-4 from 3, 4-4FTs. I LOVE this version of Lonnie: great movement, great drives and simple finishes at the rim - gone are the weird, unnecessary fancy flourishes, and back is the using the glass, and leading us with FT attempts by the mid-way point.

And when they did bridge the lead gap, we counter-punched, and did it well for three Qs, even with some late Q runs by them that bit into our high double-digit leads. Towards the end of the 2ND Q our 24-point lead dwindled to FOUR on a 9-0 run but we caught fire and Derrick single-handedly went on a 5-0 run on two drives, both of which he used a stutter step close to the rim to fake out the defender, the second time earning a trip to the FT line and a nine-point lead.

Everyone but Thad contributed to the lead, and the terrific shot distribution and high efficiency meant that we were difficult to guard: stop one guy, we pass, another makes a shot. And we had guys who contributed in ways opponents may not expect: Jakob had 5 assists at the half, Doug had a steal and a block by this point, Bryn had 2 assists and a steal, and shot Keldon 2-2 from 3. For a player who was abysmal from the arc to start the season, he's made a huge leap in making them, and is now third on the team in efficiency at 41%!

The big momentum changer was towards the end of the 3RD Q where they hit three 3s in the final minute for a 9-2 run to end the Q and cut a 14-point lead down to 11. Never ever leave the best shooter on the floor open. We did, and we paid for it, because they had some hope back, some momentum with two Curry 3s, and saw some light.

Sure enough, we saw that same light and played like deer in headlights, missing absolutely everything for most of the 4TH Q. It was frustrating but there was a stretch there when we were up five that neither team scored on several possessions for four minutes which benefited us as time ran down. Still, you can't keep a team with a lot of scoring weapons down too long and give them hope for too long and sure enough they blazed by us for a three-point lead with two minutes left.

And this is where timing is everything, but ours was also based on some growth and poise. In several previous games earlier in the season, we lost late due to not being able to close out, not being sure who'd take the clutch shots, not making the proper defensive stops, but we learned from all of these situations and have come through to put together both defensive stops and clutch made shots. We bent, and used that force to push right back.

Jakob didn't score in the second half, was only 0-1FGAs, but with timing being everything, was instrumental in getting rebounds, few more important than after Keldon's second FT miss with 1:47 left in the game. The ball went to Lonnie who passed to Derrick who, again with timing being everything late in the game, made his only 3 of the second half, where he finished 1-5. (EDIT: went from memory and thought DJ passed it to Derrick but it was Lonnie). Lonnie didn't take the shot but made the extra pass, and that Derrick had the guts to take it were both huge HUGE plays for us, right alongside Jakob's presence of mind to punch out the ball and retain the possession.

Lonnie scored only three points in the second half, but he was out there to close out the game being entrusted to make defensive stops. Pop's had him out there more in these situations, and sure enough, timing being everything, Lonnie got the steal, we pushed the ball, passed it to Derrick who drove and got fouled. He made 1-2 hhhhhnnnnghh! but we contested their 3 miss, and DJ got a contested D rebound, then when he got the ball back from Derrick who deftly ran the clock, DJ used Jakob's big body screen to drive down the right side and make a sweet layup off the glass.

Green complained that Jakob pushed in the key, ignoring that he pushed Jakob into Green's teammate which prevented him from staying with DJ, but these are the types of plays that don't show up on the stat sheet yet are crucial in giving that sliver of light for a made shot.

Like in the Boston game where we got up big, lost the lead and came back on a DJ made basket off a Jakob screen. We found a way. Like in the Boston game, we leveled out from a near collapse and just used that as a foundation to make a final push. And like in the Boston game, we came up with clutch plays on both ends late to come from behind and win the game.

True our opponent was on a SEGABABA and true they missed some bunnies, but we also played with enough discipline and pace and late-found poise to not only surprise with our style of play on both ends, but surprise with our late surge. To overcome losing a big lead, to overcome a roaring crowd, to overcome the great late-game play of the most dominant scorer in the league and will out a win is a big step forward for us.

Derrick led us in scoring with 25 on 50% FG efficiency, led us with 7-8FTs, and led us with 3 steals. The late-game ones were so important for us, given the stakes and situation in the game. I agree with gump's assessment after the previous game that Derrick has not shown the growth that DJ has, but we also have to give credit where it's due: our winning streak has coincided with Derrick's improved play, and that improved play is reaching the level we saw from him previously when he earned his contract extension. He's contributing well on both ends and is back to making an important impact. In our winning streak, he's averaging 19.5PPG, has taken between 7 and 9 3s, made 34.6% of them, made 84.4% of his FTs, 5.25 rebounds per game, 5 assists per game, 1.25 steals per game, and 1 block per game.

19/5/5 alongside DJ's season average of 19/8/8 with the exceptional D they provide is a formidable back court. They both deserve to start, they're both earning their contracts, and as they're getting more used to playing alongside one another, be it on or off ball, they're both providing the kinds of plays on both ends that help the team win.

Derrick was one of five Spurs in double figures, and DJ was right there with him with great two-way play. Scoring 23 on 10-21, 3-7 from 3, led us with 12 rebounds - and led us with 5 on O!, led us with 7 assists to go along with 2 steals and it was our back court that once set the tone, steadied our group, and came through early and late.

Keldon was right with them. He's developing great energy with the starting group, in large part because the ball does not stick nearly as much in his hands as it used to earlier in the season. If you watch highlights these past few games, you notice that Keldon is looking to be the guy who keeps the ball moving as opposed to defenses being used to closing out on him. He's making a focused effort to go over screens, drive, and pass to the weak side and move to open spaces, and we're doing a good job finding him there. In trusting that more, he's still improving on his average, this time scoring 15 on 6-13, 2-5 from 3, 1-2FTs, 7 boards (1 on O, and the putback it resulted in was crucial for us), 3 assists (good!), and 1 steal.

His shot chart shows only attempts from the arc and within the paint. This reflects a big team change in our shot selection and distribution during our win streak:

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That we were taking and making so many 3s was something the Warriors commentators brought up early in the game, about how we're last in the league in makes and near last in takes, about how uncharacteristic it was for the guys who were making them to even be taking them. Well, it's fun to flip the script on a team that plays just this way.

The commentators also talked about how surprising it was to see Doug cut off ball and drive so much to the rim, about how he's more known as the 3s sniper. Well this is how he's expanded his game. He's one of the fastest movers, actually, and we're utilizing both aspects of his game. He scored 13 on 5-9, 2-5 from 3, 4 boards (1 on O, another putback for us), 1-1FT. He was isolated on D time and again, but held his own for a +10 while he chipping in 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Pop has expanded our rotation to a nine-man double-digit minutes unit, trusting more players with more responsibilities. With Devin and Diop out, he used Lonnie as the 6th man (and accompanying starter minutes) along with Thad, Tre, and Bryn. With the next-man-up mentality, Lonnie gave us the extra bench punch we needed. He finished with 21 points on 7-13, 2-6 from 3, 5-6FTs, 4 boards (1 on O), 1 assist, and 2 steals. He was also out there to finish the game for most of the 4TH Q. He didn't take any shots, but he did grab the O rebound that Jakob tapped out and made the extra pass to Derrick for that huge 3. You could see the anticipation and joy in Derrick even as it was on it's way. Great team play rewarded. Lonnie also stole the ball with 1:19 left and we moved it quickly in transition, passed it to Derrick who drove and got fouled. Lonnie fought over screens, stayed with drivers, stayed poised, focused, and contributing even when he wasn't scoring.

I also agree that Thad being the first big off the bench in general is an improvement and the right rotation change, but specific to this game it didn't contribute positively. Jakob got into foul trouble with three in the first half, so we used Thad for 14 minutes, but he was 0-2, with 5 boards (1 on O) and that's about it. He was the same size and bulk as their front court players and was given no space to operate. His shots were well contested and he was sealed up well whenever we got him the ball down low. I thought Drew could offer an athletic difference in this game, but he was a DNP so we won despite Thad's presence, not really because of it as in some other games. We are nearing December 15 at which point players like Thad can be traded, so showcasing him more now makes sense.

But it's also a fine balance between that and making the most of the advantages we have. Drew hasn't exactly been tearing it up during our winning streak. It's not lost on observers that we'd been losing with him as the first big off the bench and playing 20+ minutes. During our winning streak, the most he's played is nine minutes or fewer, and, well, here we are. Is it all on Drew's fewer minutes? Well, no. But switching in Thad who during our winning streak has played 6 minutes versus Boston then in the mid-teens the other three games has resulted in either very efficient scoring or none at all, but has contributed in other ways, be it rebounding, assists, steals, calming vet presence, etc.

I also thought that we could have used Jakob more in the second half, but we still won the points in the paint 56-50, largely due to the shot distribution switch we've made. The Warriors commentators mentioned we've got the highest scoring bench in the league, and we also lead the league in percentage of points in the paint where we generate 50.3% of our shots.

We did this despite our bench being outscored in this game, and that's in part due Thad (0), Tre (2), and Bryn (7) combining for 9 of the bench's 30 points, and in part to playing one fewer player. By the end of the game, the team stats were remarkably similar in FGAs, 3s taken and made, FTs taken and made, rebounds, assists, and TOs. That's the big difference a strong start makes - it gives us the cushion for playing through opponent runs, playing through our errors, playing through our droughts, and being able to be in games late to experience making clutch plays.

We got 10 steals on their 12TOs, and we earned 23-18 points off them. We also had a 19-11 fast break point advantage, and several of these we made in end of Q and end of game situations.

There's of course room for improvement, like scoring more than 4 points for three quarters of a Q(!), like not giving up three 3s in a row, like getting more points from our bigs, but it's also about taking what teams give you, and about imposing what we do well. Pop did a great job with the timeouts, using one whenever they got a four or five point run (and depending on how they scored as well). There's only so much you can say in a timeout when guys aren't scoring out of them, so that 4TH Q stretch was surely trying for everyone. But otherwise, the adjustments we've made in terms of rotations, types of shots we generate and make, and the starts we're having are central to our good results. We've been able to turn around the patterns of our middle two Qs in scoring (though we scored 31 in the 2ND, we gave up 37, something to work on), and we're scoring far better. Three 30+ point Qs for a total of 112 points for a team without a supposed go-to guy at the start of the season is big for us. And we held another high scoring team to below their average.

Post-game the guys talked about staying calm in pressure situations, and being tested by their runs throughout the game was a great learning experience for us. It's also telling that Pop mentioned there's a huge chemistry difference this season compared to last season (I've yet to hear it in full so I'll adjust this if needed). These two are related and I don't think it's only about dealing with Covid restrictions last season. We liked the vets we had, but there were issues with LMA accepting first a changed role when we wanted to pick up the pace, then a smaller role when Jakob emerged as the starter. But it was still young guys catering to the games of the vets, and at some point you have to let the young guys figure it out. Earlier in the season we struggled with the roles of who does what when, and with the great chemistry we've built among guys who are mostly peers, it's come along faster than I thought it would given that all of our go-to scorers left, and given that half the team is new. Something tells me we appreciate the vets for what they did while here as they allowed for young guys to build good habits and learn the system, but that we relish the room to grow with more space and responsibility to do so.

Pop was questioned (some mocked him for it) when in the start of the season presser he said it was exciting that we didn't yet know who would be the go-to guy, that it would be something we'd figure out as we'd grow. Well here we are growing and succeeding with guys stepping up together. It's nice to have both the space and the experience and now the good results from them. Happy for our guys, but I hope we stay hungry and humble to learn and keep getting better.

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS

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