G A M E D A Y: Nuggets (22-20, 7-15 road) @ Spurs (28-15), 730PM Central

[-Sammy-]

WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
TV: Altitude Sports, FOX Sports SW


Even noting the injury issues and holdouts, dropping one to our purp-and-gold rivals always stings a bit. This game provides an opportunity to wash that taste out of our mouths, though, as the rebuilding Nuggets have struggled on the road this year and will be on night #2 of a back-to-back. This is a potential first-round playoff matchup, too, but since Gay is still sidelined with a sore heel and Parker, Green, and Kawhi are all question marks, we shouldn't read too much into it, win or lose.

The odds will be evened a little with Paul Millsap out as well (Millsap's out of his cast, though, which is good news for Denver fans), so look for the good guys to take advantage of a slightly-thinned Nugget frontcourt; Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, and Will Barton will look to do the same against our backcourt-and-perimeter skeleton crew.

[ducler]

[G R E Y]

YES!

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Having three starters back in the line-up makes a big difference in our play, who'd have thought...

Commentators said our starters tonight have played a total of 47 minutes together this year. Incredible what we've been able to sustain when you think about it in this context.

Feels great to play the right way and get a decisive victory.

GO SPURS!

[imagump1313]

I'll take the win but seeing Kawhi with a team leading 28 minutes is the most promising thing of the game.

[G R E Y]

Responding so decisively showed what we’re made of. Getting three starters back was a great help in rebalancing our line-up and roles; we stepped in to them and looked very comfortable, reinvigorated, and cohesive. As a result, it was an inversion of the previous game in just about every way. We got the lead and never relinquished it, starting with doubling the Nuggets in the first 32-16. When the Nuggets got off to an 11-0 run in the second quarter, we responded with a 10-2 one of our own; we countered their strong start and 6 straight points in the third with 7 in a row of our own.

We outscored them 56-44 (22-40 for 55%FG, 8-13 from 3, 4-4 FTs) in the first half, 56-36 (19-38 for 50%FG, 6-14 from 3, 12-14FTs) in the second. Getting a lead early and adding to it as the game progressed ensured our starters got more rest once again, this time because the outcome was in our favour. Kawhi for the first time had a team high in minutes with just 28, the rest of the starters ranged in minutes from 27 to 18.

Kawhi’s presence was felt all over the court on what seemed like just about every play. He was 5-8FG for 19 points (including assertive shots and drives that lead to 9-11FTs), and got 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block; he was efficient on O, and a stalwart on D. LMA got 15 points on 7-13, with 5 rebounds, a steal, and a block; a solid contribution, but for once he didn’t need to bear the heaviest minutes, O and D load. Pau hasn’t put up a lot of points of late, but is continuing to contribute in other ways, this time with 5 rebounds, 2 assists (including on Manu’s time-defying dunk), and a steal.

Parker and Green were eased in to the rotation, but their presence, like Kawhi’s, was keenly felt. Danny scored 11 on 4-8 (3-5 from 3), with a rebound, steal, and a block. Tony had just 5 points, but the synergy that this line-up has, limited though their play together this season has been, was apparent from the start. He moved into his spots and found his team mates in theirs for 5 assists; it was as if they hadn’t missed any time at all from one another, just automatic.

When our young Spurs got minutes, they were energetic and looking to match the standard set by the starters. Bertans thankfully got more looks this game, and rewarded us with excellent 6-8FGs, all makes 3s (5 of these came in the first half) for a team-high 18 points off the bench, which scored 26 in the first half (solely from a secondary unit of Kyle, Davis, Manu, and Patty), 27 in the second (from seven of all eight players). And although Davis sometimes got muscled on D by Jokic, he did well on both man and help coverage on several plays. On one such sequence Bertans forced a driving Jokic to pass it out, then provided good help D, got the rebound, ran the floor, and received a pass for 3. Five point swing.

Anderson got more shot attempts than he did in the last several games as a starter, and although he connected on 3-9 for 8 crafty slo-mo points, he also pulled down 6 rebounds, made 6 assists, and got a steal. Like Kyle, previous starters Murray (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, steal) and Forbes (8 points on 3-7, 2-4 from 3, and 3 rebounds) now came off the bench (both in the second half) to pitch in with scoring and distribution. They looked more relaxed and controlled. Bryn made a concerted effort to fake shots, dribble in, and stop and pop, and Murray focused on looking for open team mates.

Hardly a game can be mentioned without some Manu magic. Starting with his taking a charge early to then making a huge dunk, Manu was determined to to make a better contribution and provided a reliable presence; his energetic and smart play was emblematic of our play as a team.

Having three starters back was a catalyst for much improved team play that asserted our game and allowed Pop the rare luxury of managing minutes and line-ups among more players. Both starters and bench players stepped smoothly into their roles and flourished in them. We shot well consistently, withstood and countered runs, forced shot clock violations, moved well without the ball, and moved the ball very well, often with every player touching it to find a wide open team mate who made the shot. We needed to step up, and we did. It was exciting to see our starting unit together again, and the team playing the right way. Now for some health and continuity...

I love this team. GO SPURS!