The Spurs played their best game of the season on Friday in Atlanta, looking like the world champions on their way to a 125-114 victory over the Hawks. The final score does not really do Silver and Black justice, as they led by up to 42 points and were never behind in what was a display of pure dominance.
In the beginning, there was little evidence that this game would be as unbalanced as it ended up being. Both teams looked a little sloppy at first, with the Spurs kicking but not going out on crazy races. The titleholders did a good job of containing Trae Young (even if it meant delivering some baskets next to Clint Capela) and were hitting their jumpers. But they didn’t exactly attack the Hawks. DeMar DeRozan and the bank unit maintained the attack, but Young warmed up for a while and kept Atlanta close to the attack, despite the poor performance at both ends of the home team. San Antonio led by seven after the first quarter, which seemed correct.
A few points from Patty Mills after the Hawks reduced the lead to three at the start of the second period proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Spurs played one of their most inspired basketballs of the season for just a few minutes, with a lineup that included Mills and Rudy Gay alongside Derrick White, Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl started a race that would continue throughout the period. The defense approached Young without leaving the snipers open for long, while the three points continued to fall on the other side. Atlanta had no one left to create since Young was restrained while the Spurs had DeRozan ready to continue the attack. It was a total dominance of both ends and essentially ended the game in half, with San Antonio leading by 29.
There would be no attempt to return in the second half. The Hawks, losing Bogdan Bogdanovic, did not have the firepower to mount one and the Spurs were too sharp to allow it. Silver and black did not play to the opponent’s level or made premature mistakes. There was always an answer when Atlanta had a bucket and opportunistic moves extended the lead when the home team fought. Spurs led with 42 points at the beginning of the fourth and won, with the final period entirely dedicated to the time of the trash. The Hawks managed to make the final score less embarrassing after the two teams emptied their seats, but the victory was never jeopardized.
Game notes
- The two MVPs of the night were DeMar DeRozan in attack and Jakob Poeltl in defense. DeRozan was aggressive from the start, scoring 22 points in the first half to give the Spurs a bucket whenever they needed it. Poeltl protected the rim extremely well, while also acting as a filter on the other end. It is probably a good idea to keep the two together on the starting lineup.
- Derrick White and Dejounte Murray once again started together and showed why they could be a scary combination going forward. The external shots were dropping for both, which makes everything much easier for everyone, but they also did a great job in controlling the defense. With those two aggressive ball handlers and Poeltl patrolling the painting, the starting unit can be a nightmare for opponents.
- Keldon Johnson did his best game in a while, losing 20 points. His shot was successful and he finished well in the attack, while doing a good job in defensive recovery. He didn’t have a lot of rebounds, but as the team didn’t miss many shots and his teammates taking the clearance on the defensive side, he didn’t have to. Overall, a good performance for a guy who needed to recover.
- The starters did most of the damage in this, but as always, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills helped. Gay was not feeling offended (2 out of 10 on the field), but did a little bit of everything while Patty’s long-range bombs helped start the race that won the game.
- It seems that there may be some intrigue in the small advanced backup point. Lonnie Walker IV received approval at the beginning, but with DeRozan by his side, his role remained the same as when he was starting. So Devin Vassell had a few minutes in the third quarter and seemed more comfortable as an option 3 and D. Walker was the only carvery player to be on the court for the entire fourth time, but his job as the first option at the time of trash was not exactly big. One of the two will not have many minutes of attack unless there is an injury, and Lonnie did himself no favor on Friday. We’ll see what happens next.
- The Hawks desperately need another initiator. With Bogdanovic out, Young is forced to do a lot in the attack. At this point, Danillo Gallinari is not a shot maker and John Collins will probably always be a finisher. Once they get everyone back (Rajon Rondo, De’Andre Hunter and Kris Dunn), they could be a lot of fun to watch.
Next game: @ Hornets on Sunday
Spurs will play the second of seven consecutive matches when they visit Charlotte on Sunday. LaMelo Ball was a revelation for a Hornets franchise in search of a savior, so it will be interesting to see if White and Murray can contain it.