G A M E D A Y: Thunder (44-31) @ Spurs (43-32), 7PM Central

[-Sammy-]

Sorry, y'all-- I'm on my phone for this one, so forgive the lateness and the lack of details! This should be an amped-up game, though, between two teams fighting for a seed. Post your thoughts and prediction and GO SPURS!

[G R E Y]

WHERE: AT & T CENTER, San Antonio, TX

WHEN: 7PM Central

Our cog is playing, the rest are details:

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OUR STARTERS: Murray, Patty, Kyle, Pau, LMA (looks like Danny is back to coming off the bench for this game).

As for who's not on the roster, "... and then there was one."

The details:
We sputtered on the mini road trip, and look now for some home cooking to get our game in gear. With only seven games left in the season, the fight for the playoffs is on. Every game is crucial. We need 48 minutes of hunger, mindfulness, precision, movement, and execution on both ends.

GO SPURS GO!

[Milenkovic]

Murray's length is quite something

[bondom34]

GG Spurs! Not gonna lie, kinda like your chances better than OKC in the playoffs even w/o Kawhi. Good luck the rest of the way!

[G R E Y]

If someone told you that LMA had only one made FG in the second half, what chances would you have given us to win the game? LMA dominated the first half to keep us in it (4-6FGs in the 1st, 4-5 in the 2nd, including 1-1 from 3 and 2-2FTs for 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, and finished the game with 25 points on 9-19, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks), the only Spur in doubles figures at that point, and the rest of the Spurs were elevated by his presence and effort throughout the game and provided the much needed scoring-by-committee.

Manu was held scoreless in seven first-half minutes, and ended up being one of five Spurs in doubles figures. Manu had 10 points (plus 3 rebounds and 2 steals), including key 3s and clutch end-of-game FTs to seal the crucial win; Danny's 11 points (including 3 key 3s) and 4 rebounds were as important as his single but standout block - he never gave up on the play, timed it, and made one of those momentum-shifting plays that lift a team. So glad to see Rudy back and contributing on both ends. His 9 points balanced with 2 steals and 8 rebounds (he was huge on the boards for us keeping the ball alive on the offensive end) show a breadth to his game and add a much needed dimension to our team. Tony had some zip to his step, made some Js and vintage drive and kick passes that drew their defenders in and gave us open shots. Davis, thanks for that key 3, aggressive board, 3 assists, and a clutch block.

Kyle's percentages are ridiculously high, in part due to his selective shots, in part to his craftiness. He was 4-4 tonight (1-1 from 3, 1-3FTs) for 10 points to go along with 2 assists and 2 steals. Pau back in the starting line-up gave us more length versus an opponent that is fifth in rebounding and leads the NBA on O boards, and this switch paid off. Pau was 2-7 for 6 points, but had a team-high 12 rebounds, and kept many other possessions alive by staying active in fighting for the ball. Patty's been a tremendous presence for us, with improved D and key shot making. I'm not a fan of us going for big 3s when we get O rebounds and feel we resort to this shot a bit too often, but you have to give credit when and where it's due: Patty kept taking it, and the new wrinkle of a step back 3, thank you very much, was crucial for us tonight. I think Patty was our designated 3-point shooter tonight as all but one of his attempts were around or beyond the arc where he shot 3-9. His clutch 5-5FTs, including clutch two late in the game to put us ahead five, giving us some breathing room after they made a 3 and we nearly turned it over to keep it interesting like a heart attack.

Dejounte deserves a special mention because he's the least experienced starter yet has shown growth that has left even an initial skeptic like me believing in him. It's not just his freakish athleticism, nose for rebounding, and great defensive instincts - all of which he's noticeably improving, but it's his not getting lost in the moment, controlling the game (when to pass, when to drive, when to shoot), seeing the plays available (loved that textbook fundamentals 2-on-1 with Kyle where the ball didn't touch the floor), persevering through some tough plays (sometimes he got beaten, others he got called for a bad foul, like that phantom PG 3 attempt - this is the Harden call and it's one of those that the league will need to adjust), but most importantly, this being accountable and coachable. He finished the game with 7 points (3-8, 0-2 from 3, 1-2 FTs), 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and a block on a tough defensive assignment. His play on both ends, hunger to improve, and attitude to take in teaching that make him already belong with seasoned, respected vets. The best part besides how much he has already improved is that he can improve so much more.

There was a stretch in the third quarter when both teams tried to outdo each other with mistakes. The video just needed a little speeding up and some circus music for full comedic effect. Still, once we got past the erratic play, we settled back into resilience. We neutralized one of their key strengths by outrebounding them 48-43 (including 14-10 on O), and while we had 16 turnovers (6 in the first quarter) we also had 13 steals to their 11, another category they lead the league in at 9 per game. They have a three-headed scoring monster in the starting line-up, so we needed a full team effort to counter it and we did: our bench outscored theirs 42-21, but our stingy defense throughout the game was a foundation from which everything flowed. Though we had 16 turnovers that cost us 17 points, we got 22 points from their 15. So our TO's and FTs (22-30) need some attention, but we put effort into enough of the game for a much needed win.

Noteworthy individual achievements:

LMA

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Manu

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Congratulations, Manu!

Here's Manu doing bragging wrong:

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and he also achieved this milestone

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Tweet of the night:

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Last but not least, you don't need to squint too much to read what's implied:

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and

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Yep, the guys who are here and in the thick of it are going about it the right way. I love out team.

GO SPURS GO!

[Nolan]

Great win! I have no idea what Westbrook was thinking jacking up that 3 with 19 seconds left but he sealed the game for us with that airball.

Turnovers almost killed us but LMA was outstanding and Murray did some serious work on the defensive end.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Work has been insane as of late, barely have time to sleep let alone be present here. Should be more present going forward though!