SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 22: SPURS AT SUNS, 6-12-2021, 8PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We go from one team with the best record in the league to the other team with the best record in the league in this last of a three-game road trip, the first of a back-to-back, the first of five games in seven nights, and the front bookend to a back end back-to-back. In other words, a tough opponent to both end and start a tough schedule. But one thing at a time. We must show our absolute best in our new patterns of strong starts, strong two-way play with communication, movement, ball protection, and transition being the cornerstones of more 3s and more players contributing to strong finishes. Give it all we've got. We'll need it for the result we want.

WHERE: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ

WHEN: Monday, December 6, 2021, 8pm (CT)

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GO SPURS GO!!!

[G R E Y]

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[ducler]

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[imagump1313]

Thank GOD we are back to black and silver

I think I am the only person on the planet that dislikes the fiesta nonsense....

[G R E Y]

Smart, simple, well executed basketball by us to start - P&Rs for ball handler drives or rolled pop-a-shots, use of screens and passes out to open 3s, off the dribble 3s, ball sharing, and great movement on D. no easy baskets.

Keep it going and build on it come on!

[G R E Y]

1ST Q: SPURS 33

SUNS 26

Well it was a solid start until we let it get too loose towards the end and they cut out nine-point lead down to five until Jakob faked and drove just as time expired at the end of the Q.

Loved our 3s takes and makes, hitting 5-10. We have yet to get to the FT line, so something to improve upon, as well as 14-8 in total boards and 6-1 in O boards for them. Their bench C really affected our play late in that Q, something to adjust to as well. We need to box out and watch the switches as well as get on the ball handler to prevent easy passes inside.

Keep pushing forward.

[G R E Y]

Primo time!

[imagump1313]

Don't understand putting Forbes and Jones out there at the same time.....

[G R E Y]

So they're doubling DJ which is slowing our momentum and they are pushing the physicality on us with drives resulting in fouls. The blueprint of teams struggling to score from outside is being used early.

They're adjusting to our pace and its initiators and we are allowing them to give up the ball and take shots we don't want. We have to pass sooner, move better, and get more vertical forward motion going liek we did earlier passing inside to Jakob or dishing to cutters.

[G R E Y]

Better response in the 5-0 run. Collapsing in the paint for gang rebounding, making faster decisions with the ball, spread the floor, great screens, cuts, passes, makes. Love the counter-punch.

[imagump1313]

See how catch & shoot works much better than catch, hesitate & shoot Primo? Nice job!

[G R E Y]

Thank GOD we are back to black and silver

I think I am the only person on the planet that dislikes the fiesta nonsense....

I LOVE them!

Different strokes, etc. But we have a winning record in them, so there's that! Let's keep going in the silver & black unis as well.

[G R E Y]

Rookie's poised, man. Just unshookable.

[G R E Y]

Yeah Tre and really any other small guard is not a good recipe, or Bryn and the same thing - they're the two smallest players on the team.

[G R E Y]

**** MISSED BUNNIES - FINISH WITH THE SURETY OF A DUNK!

[G R E Y]

Maaaaaaaaaaan SO many missed chances here on unforced O mistakes after great D plays. Just a lack of crisp focus right now. I'd like to see us make a stronger push with energy and physicality and smart BBIQ plays.

[G R E Y]

2ND Q: SPURS 48

SUNS 51

We got stuck on 47 points for like the last four and a half minutes of the 2ND Q. We got ONE point off of a Keldon FT and that's all. Just a bad time for a drought but a lot of it was self imposed.

I like Tre a lot but he has a lot of games in which he's not really helping on O.

Lonnie's looking for his consistency again - SO peak and valley with him. It's mystifying.

Thad's ineffectual on O again. Primo and Bryn have made some shots, and Primo's deflection of their alley oop pass was good D positional awareness and effort.

We're running through muck right now. One of the worst 2ND Qs we've played in a long while, one that was worse than our points differential average for it. It's not like our opponent was hitting everything either, they scored one fewer point than in the first Q for 25 but we still got outscored by 10 in it. A 15-point Q is unacceptable with the chances we were generating.

The energy and focus just feels off, like we're still sobering up after the celebrations of the last win. Maybe we're feeling ourselves a little bit too much, but we really nee to improve the physicality, the awareness, and the pace.

We got cold from the 3 making only 1-10 in the 2ND Q and are lucky that our opponent is only 2-11 themselves. But they are instead carving us up inside with a 32-24 advantage of points in the paint so far, and leading in rebounding 24-19, with 8-5 in O boards. They've gotten a lot of second possessions and tip ins that have shifted momentum.

We allowed them to impose their D on us and we need to respond better and quicker: team mates have to get to open spaces and come to the ball of doubled ball handlers, we have to cut purposefully, pass to cutters sooner, don't settle for outside shots, and protect the ball.

We did a better job driving and getting to the FT line, making 4-5, and we have to be cognizant of their efforts to drive. Seal up the inside space, double sooner, force secondary options, and make smart, simple decisions in transition that result in points as reward for good D play.

Excellent challenge by Pop after Derrick went straight up, arms up with the help D contest. It was our sole big momentum changer late in the Q.

I hope Zen Pop raises the volume at half time to wake us up from our self-satisfaction coma. Get up and get moving forward with a strong, smart second half push forward!

[G R E Y]

Yeah missed bunnies are so loathsome.

We're just not crisp the last Q and a bit. We're chasing our own game and chasing them as they execute theirs. Another O board, another second chance, another made shot. And now they're hitting their 3s. Sort of feels like we've run out of gas towards the end of the mini-road trip.

Missing 3s and FTs is a sign of confidence and legs and focus.

[G R E Y]

Safe to say at least two wheels have come off both ends of our play... Can't stop them, can't get our O going on their D.

[G R E Y]

Lonnie with a patented overcooked shot - a fadeaway one-handed pump J miss in the key.