DeMar DeRozan continues to make a strong case for the All-Star game

In case you were wondering “just how many close games have the Spurs been involved in this season,” this graphic popped up on the Jazz telecast:

Jazz analyst Matt Harpring lamented at the end of the fourth quarter “San Antonio made all their midrange shots tonight. He (Gregg Popovich) gets the most out of his talent.” Here’s Harpring’s evidence:

DeMar DeRozan — The deserving all-star did his best Kobe impression in the clutch shooting area in LaMarcus Aldridge’s absence. This move notched him his 16,000 career point:

This shot gave him DeRozan his 35th points on the night and helped salt away the game against the Jazz:

In what might be DeMar’s best, if not most efficient season, he continues to share the marquee with other notable players in accomplishments:

Derrick White — Though not quite playing at an all-star level, the unsung contributor is helping space the floor for DeRozan to work with his shooting and passing:

Let’s hope to see more of these connections from White to Lonnie Walker IV in the upcoming games and seasons:

Jakob Poeltl — Though much time is spent on his defensive attributes, he has scored more comfortably in recent games:

His ability to catch and credibly finish around the hoop may net him more playing time:

On the other hand, this type of stuff is what brings all the cool nicknames:

Dejounte Murray — Murray made life difficult for Rudy Gobert tonight on both ends, which may bode well in the teams’ next three meetings:

Rudy Gay — Rudy found minutes as an erstwhile ‘5’ and showed off his interior passing:

On the topic of DeRozan’s late missed free throw in Chicago, Gay acted as off-court support as well: “I’m not saying I’m taking credit, but after the game, I said, ‘You know, that’s just a foul shot. We move on. We’ve got way more games.’ And he came out and played his tail off. Actually, I will take the credit.’”

Marco Belinelli — When his shot has connected this season, it’s often made a difference to the outcome:

Finally, here is a nice compilation of last night’s great plays by the Spurs:

See you all Saturday evening for our final home game against the Hornets before the Rodeo Road Trip!