After a last-second loss to Thunder, Spurs proved they can still win games. Largely thanks to DeMar DeRozan’s fantastic performance on his return, San Antonio beat the Pelicans 117-114 at home in another head-to-head match.
It did not appear that the Spurs, still severely shorthanded, would force a closed end early in the game. Neither team was playing well in defense to start the night, but San Antonio simply had no answer for Brandon Ingram. The young All-Star winger dropped 15 points in the first frame to take his team ahead by up to eight. Fortunately, San Antonio increased the defensive intensity at the perimeter, keeping Zion Williamson under control. As soon as the second units checked in, Prata and Preto found the advantage they needed to return fully, with a lot of credit due to LaMarcus Aldridge’s aggressive game off the bench.
With Aldridge and DeRozan leading the charge and an inspired Dejounte Murray wreaking havoc on both ends, the Spurs showed more balance in the second quarter. Luck was also in their favor, to be fair, as they caught fire outside just in time while the Pelicans fought with the long ball. If New Orleans had been able to capitalize on the open looks that San Antonio was suffering from folding Zion and putting the ink on the drives, the score in the first half could have been different. Unfortunately for visitors, the Spurs did a good job of bothering some of their snipers with large closings, which resulted in 1 to 7 rooms in addition to the Pelicans’ arch. After a strong final stretch through San Antonio, the lead was six at the break.
The Pelicans had a chance to regain control in the third quarter after some strong Williamson moves, but they made mistakes that prevented them from capitalizing on the usual lull after the Spurs break. After a few chaotic minutes, San Antonio again limited Zion’s impact and controlled the pace. In the attack, they put Trey Lyles in the X-factor role that Lonnie Walker IV played in the second quarter, but the work of DeRozan, who did a good job of orchestrating the attack, was really the biggest reason for his success. Both teams were cold and each point was more difficult to win, but due to having an excellent half-court creator, Spurs came out on top and increased his lead to nine in the final period.
DeRozan’s addiction that helped them in the beginning again haunted the Spurs in the fourth period. After thriving with a heavy ISO attack on the second and third frames, the attack dried up. RPG players couldn’t get their moves right, and unless DeRozan made it to the line, there was nothing easy. Fortunately for the Spurs, the Pelicans simply failed to deliver the final blow. Zion had some fantastic moments and the whole team deserves credit for reducing the deficit to three times in the last few minutes. But each time they approached, they could not close the gap by missing a shot or having a breakdown in defense.
Game notes
- DeMar DeRozan returned with full force, registering 32 points and 11 assists. It was a tremendous performance that took Spurs through the most difficult periods of the game. DeRozan will not be in Atlanta, but everyone should already know that he is an All-Star player.
- LaMarcus Aldridge once again got off the bench and did a good job in the attack. After missing a few jumpers, he became more aggressive and ended up shooting 10 free throws. As a gunner who can punish second units, Aldridge can be quite productive in attack.
- Is anyone in the league called for so many light offensive fouls while playing as Jakob Poeltl? It’s bizarre. Despite the problem, Jak managed to knock down 11 boards and block three shots in one win, so I’m sure he isn’t too bothered by this, but I can’t wait until he gets the respect of the referees.
- Dejounte Murray filled out the statistics sheet, flirting with another triple-double, while also doing a good job of containing Ingram after his initial attack. Murray did most of his damage in the first half, but he still found ways to contribute when the ball was not in his hands after DeRozan’s acquisition. It’s great to see how reliable he is becoming.
- Trey Lyles and Lonnie Walker IV were asked to take over as starters once again. As mentioned, both had their moments, but they also simply helped in their areas of expertise. Lyles picked up seven rebounds and kept the ball moving while Lonnie scored 17 points. These two will probably continue to have great minutes until everyone is back, so it was nice to see them play well, despite having difficult defensive tasks.
- Patty Mills was hot in the first half, but cold in the second. He still played well at both ends, so it’s hard to complain.
- Luka Samanic came off the bench this time, but he had one of the most encouraging games of zero point and three rebounds that I remember. He just seemed to belong to the group and played well in defense, most of the time. He also almost had a monstrous dunk that, unfortunately, escaped. We are seeing Luka’s progress.
- The entire Spurs game plan was centered on stopping Zion Williamson, and he still got 23 points. Even if the defense forces him to make a bad shot, Zion is so strong and has a second jump so good that he can grab his own offensive board and get the reversal. That’s how he caught at least four of his eight offensive rebounds against Spurs. Just a player’s beast.
Next game: vs. the Nets on Monday
The Nets will visit the AT&T Center next. The Spurs’ perimeter defenders will face another difficult challenge. If they manage to stop James Harden, the silver and blacks should win their second consecutive victory.