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Well, it's a win.
The Spurs struggled early and often with the length of the Pelicans' starting front-court of future All-World forward Anthony Davis and some guy named Alexis Ajinca. In particular, Tim Duncan found it difficult to finish around the rim, missing several layups and a dunk. In general, the Spurs first half performance was a sloppy amalgamation of turnovers, poor defense, and missed shots leading to a 12-point deficit at the break.
Davis got to the rim at will and it appeared as though he was on his way to one of those monster stat-lines that usually exist only in video games. The guy is a tantalizing talent.
The Spurs made a run in the middle of the third quarter fueled by tightened defense, cutting a 14-point deficit to just three points, but the Pelicans immediately answered with an 11-0 run to spoil the comeback effort. Pop wasn't impressed.
But wait! We still have the fourth quarter! And we have Tony Parker!
Tony, as has been customary this season, took control in the final stanza, finishing with 32 points and 9 assists. He was clearly agitated by inconsistent officiating and repeatedly drove into the lane. Timmy found his way out of his first-half rut to finish with 21 points and 6(!) blocks, and Patty Mills, Matt Bonner, and Danny Green all hit huge timely threes in the quarter to help cement the comeback.
Next up, the Spurs play the Washington Wizards who are coming off impressive back-to-back wins versus the Thunder and Blazers, two teams our Spurs have yet to beat. We need Kawhi back.
