GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 53: SPURS AT RAPTORS, 14-4-2021, 6:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

A quick bus ride takes us to our next game versus a familiar opponent on an unfamiliar court. Such is the nature of this unusual season. We'll have to be ready from the start and stay focused and locked in together against a lanky team with nothing to lose. Sometimes such circumstances of too tight on the one end and too loose on the other can make for a trap game. We need this win, so being committed to our defensive principles and effort, protecting the ball, and pushing our transition game for the whole 48 minutes are central to our purpose.

WHERE: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

WHEN: Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 6:30pm (CT)

Earn The Stripes Mode: Focus. Vision. Hustle.

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Edit: This was a Fiesta game.



(Image above is from the Twitter account of Reginald Thomas II, Spurs team photographer)

GO SPURS GO!!!

[ducler]

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[G R E Y]

We're getting good shots but perhaps settling for outside ones too much.

We need to break down their zone D - pass to elbow, cut, pass, drive.

We also need to take care of rebounds in our end.

Can't let a team that hustles stick around. We need to push our transition game and contesting at them better.

[G R E Y]

I did NOT like that weak ass nonchalant contest of their last made 3 by Lonnie there. Get arms up, jump!

[G R E Y]

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Yeah we're waaaayyyyy too soft. Hopefully that lax first half lights a fire under us and we play with a sense of urgency in the second.

We're getting outrebounded in our end plus going under screens for their second chances and open shots.

We're settling for outside shots too much and when we do drive, we finishing with finesse not fire. Jakob HAS to **** dunk the **** ball. ****.

I love Derrick and want to keep being patient with his missed bunnies but I'm honestly starting to get irritated by them now. Our back court is disappointingly inefficient, settling for outside shots, not initiating more of our O. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be a whole lot more aggressive.

DeMar is at 50% efficiency but only 2-4. Need more from our top scorer.

I love you, Patty!

Protect the ball, push in transition, finish hard at the rim, Spurs!

[G R E Y]

Looks like we want our young guys to step up on O but it's not happening at the rate we need.

DeMar has as many shots as some guy on their team I've not heard of.

We need far more from both in the final 12 minutes.

Need some Drew energy infusion throughout the whole team, Spurs!

[G R E Y]

By all means let's not protect the ball and settle for outside shots we keep missing. Jesus.

[G R E Y]

NOW we **** pass around with urgency and drive hard. With under 2 minutes left. .... ... .. .

[G R E Y]

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Yeah no.

I think we played to percentages versus a team that is 1-11 in the second of back to backs and took a stroll for much of the game expecting a depleted - and thus dangerous - team to play to their averages. We got a sense of urgency FAR too late in the game.

Word of the game: soft. Soft finishing at the rim, soft ball protection in terms of TO's and rebounds, soft drives, soft contests, soft passing, soft decision making with the ball.

And another word: settled - until far too late.

We did not take advantage of a game we really needed.

Game Summary:

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And I don't think this was even at the end of the game.

Didn't bring it, kept chasing it, didn't catch up.

Missed opportunity.