The Spurs started their Rodeo Road Trip in style this year, with an easy win over the Hawks. Trae Young made some noise in the first quarter, but the defense intensified and he was not heard much after that, while the Spurs’ attack was working on all cylinders (and a few more) while shooting ridiculous 53% [which should have been much higher] for the game, and scored 100 points at the midpoint of the third quarter. The last quarter was extended, which was great for Spurs fans to see players like Quinndary Weatherspoon and Keita Bates-Diop for Spurs and Skylar Mays and Brandon Goodwin for Hawks. The only bad note of the night was the poor performance of the Spurs’ reserve bench, who were defeated by 36-13 in the final quarter, while Quinndary Weatherspoon was fouled in 10 minutes of play and the Hawks overcame the Spurs by 41-15 in the last quarter.
Comments
- Sometimes I refer to Trae Young and ‘Steph Curry dollar store.’ It’s mean, but not entirely inaccurate. He’s amazing at scoring and improving on other aspects of the game, so it’s probably unfair to him, as he’s still developing.
- Jakob Poeltl is not a great striker, but he does a lot for the attack with his canvases. Almost half of the Spurs’ open shots are due to Jakob when he is in play.
- Patty Mills has a lot more in his game than when he first came to the Spurs. He is an amazing sniper, but he can also pull you onto the runway for a floater or an enclosing tray.
- There is nothing more fun to watch than Spurs when they are really rolling. The first half was brilliant Spurs basketball and a not-so-stellar defense by the Hawks.
- The bad game in the bankers’ final was the worst part of the game. The Hawks players who entered the game were really motivated and the Spurs looked terrible. There was never a chance that the Spurs would lose that lead, but the guys at the end of the bench need to be more prepared to play. Quinndary Weatherspoon, in particular, was very bad, scoring 2 points and failing in 10 minutes.
Game flow
The Spurs started well, but things got a little hectic when DeMar DeRozan and John Collins faced off early and got the dreaded dual technology, one at Dejounte and one at Collins. The Spur increased its lead to double digits in the middle of the room, but when the Spurs’ bank crowd entered the game, Trae Young broke free, scoring 17 of the Hawks with 29 points in the room.
The Spurs increased their defense against Young in the second half, keeping him with 2 points. Silver and Black expanded the lead with Jakob Poeltl forming an almost impenetrable barrier at the edge for the Hawk’s greats. Spur hit almost everything he looked at in the second quarter, led by up to 30, with a ridiculous score of 77-48 at halftime.
The avalanche of points continued at the start of the second half, with Spurs leading by up to 39 points at the beginning of the quarter. But after two quick attempts by the Hawks, a nervous Popovich called for time with a 35-point lead to regroup. The Spurs regrouped and reached the century mark in the middle of the quarter, winning by 100 to 61 with plenty of time to play. Lloyd Pierce could read a scoreboard and started emptying the bench, and a Summer League game broke out when the Spurs led 110-72 after three in a four-point Patty Mills move to close the fourth.
The quality of play was not so good in the last quarter, as both teams emptied their seats and, although the Hawks’ seat made a small dent in the lead, it was not enough, although it gave Pop many opportunities to defend against the young people for allowing the Hawks to reduce the lead from 42 to 11 as time ran out. It goes into the books as an 11 point win for Spurs, but it has never been closer.
Musical break
Atlanta, Blind Willie McTell’s hometown. . .
What is the next . . .
For Hawks fans’ perspective, visit Peachtree Hoops.
The Spurs will continue their stay at the Eastern Conference with a game against the Hornets on Sunday night at 6 am, while trying to remain undefeated on this year’s Rodeo Road Trip. I’ll see you there!