Well, that was predictable. Tonight, the Spurs managed to beat what is quite possibly the worst team in the Western Conference. Big deal, right? Well, actually, there were quite a few memorable moments, but it was especially memorable for how thorough this beatdown was.
First off, we have to talk about the fact that Manu Ginobili has now been confirmed as something other than human. During the first quarter, a bat was loose in the arena, which delayed the game a couple of times. Theo Ratliff and Dejuan Blair both tried to get away from the bat. But what did Manu do?
via zocalo at SpursTalk.
Yeah, look at those reflexes. Nobody knocks a bat out of midair, they're just too quick. But Manu isn't human, something which many of us have suspected for quite some time.
Checking out the box score, it's pretty obvious that the whole Spurs team performed well. Even Keith Bogans scored 5 points, which is unheard of.
The defense still has some issues, but there were a few great plays that those of us who were watching the game got to see. The Spurs blocked 7 shots, including 4 by Ratliff. Timmy got one as the first half expired, and Theo got an especially nasty one on the final play of the game. They also got 10 steals, and a lot of deflections that aren't recorded in the box score.
Offensively, the Spurs again were very balanced. Everyone scored, but most of our points came from the backcourt. Roger Mason even looked more like a point guard than he normally does. The Spurs shot 8-16 from 3-point range, which is always a great sign. Not quite as much ball movement as we saw in the home opener, as the team had 19 assists on 43 field goals. The 17 turnovers can definitely be improved upon. But when the team shoots 58%, there's not a lot to complain about.
Your 4 Stars - Because 3 isn't enough.
1. Tony Parker - 27 points, 7 assists, 2 steals. Just another day at the office.
2. George Hill - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, and tons of deflections. A force on both ends of the floor.
3. Richard Jefferson - 21 points, 2 rebounds. It's about time we saw this guy perform up to par.
4. Manu Ginobili - 13 points, 3 assists, 1 kill. Okay, officially the bat was "stunned" - we'll see how that looks tomorrow.
That's it for the quick cap. Wayne should be along in a few hours with a more detailed recap of the evening's happenings.