San Antonio vs. Golden State, Final Score: Warriors rout sputtering Spurs, 91-114

The Golden State Warriors blew out the Spurs, 91-114, dominating the second half convincingly and ending San Antonio’s three-game winning streak.

Rudy Gay paced the Silver and Black with 17 points and six rebounds. And a scorching Steph Curry led the Dubs to a victory, notching 32 points in 32 minutes.

Observations

• Despite the blowout, the Spurs are now 67-201 all-time when hosting the Warriors, including winning 39 of their last 43 home games versus Golden State. San Antonio is also one of two teams (Boston Celtics) with a winning record against head coach Steve Kerr. It’s somewhat surprising San Antonio has maintained their overwhelming home-court advantage despite their so-so record in recent seasons.
• Steph Curry bricked two free throws in the first frame, making it just his ninth and tenth misses from the charity stripe all season. At first, I thought the Spurs were getting lucky, but perhaps those misfires were a tribute that granted him extra touch from all over the floor. The two-time MVP found nothing but the bottom of the net on a trifecta with Dejounte draped all over him and then flipped up a prayer off the glass for an impressive and-one finish a few possessions later. Few teams find a way to stop Steph once he gets going, and San Antonio was no different as Curry ended the evening with 32 points.
• The Fiesta-inspired city edition jerseys and the corresponding court are just *chef’s kiss*. The vibrant color palette and unique tribal patterns perfectly represent a city like San Antonio that is home to such a rich and diverse cultural background. While I wish the Spurs would make these threads a nightly staple of their game-day wardrobe, it only makes it that much more special when they break out the hints of teal, pink, and orange. It’s a shame a lackluster offense didn’t do the snappy uniforms any justice.
• Devin Vassell got the first start of his NBA career in place of the sidelined Derrick White. It was an uneventful occurrence, as the rookie recorded six points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. The Spurs lost by a wide margin, but that shouldn’t stop Vassell from seeing plenty of starts in his promising career.
• Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl came together for rare back-to-back backboard blocks mid-way through the first quarter. And in a league where prolific scorers rule the roost, sometimes celebrating an exciting defensive sequence is a nice change of pace. Other teams may live and die by the three-ball, the Spurs are happy to stay true to the fundamentals of the sport.
• While blaming the officials for anything is usually a surefire way to get eyes rolling, it’s difficult not to feel like Jakob Poeltl gets called for more ticky-tack fouls than anyone on San Antonio’s roster. The refs whistled the fifth-year center for his third personal on minimal contact with about five minutes remaining in the first half, and that has been the story of the season on a majority of nights. Some of my Spurs bias might be in effect, but I’d be willing to put what little reputation I have on the line to argue this point.
• Trey Lyles provided the Spurs with a much-needed scoring punch off the bench after recording consecutive DNPs (Coach’s Decision) designation in San Antonio’s previous two contests. The 25-year-old stretch-four had nine points by halftime and finished with a season-high 15 points. He even threw down a thunderous slam over Eric Paschall. Drew Eubanks has been a solid second-unit contributor while LaMarcus Aldridge has nursed a hip injury, though Lyles should probably see more minutes once the four-time All-Star returns to the lineup.
• Golden State went on a 16-0 run in the third quarter, and things continued to go downhill from there for San Antonio. Keldon momentarily stopped the bleeding with a strong and-one at the tin. Unfortunately, no one could keep the Warriors from tearing the Spurs apart beyond the arc and in transition. And it certainly didn’t help that they were able to convert 14 Spurs turnovers into 19 points.
• Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan fell well short of recapturing their effectiveness in the SEGABABA versus the Warriors. San Antonio’s go-to guys combined for just 20 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists on 38% shooting one night after going for 48 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists in a hard-fought victory. It was a frustrating display from the duo, and there isn’t much else to say about their performance.
• It felt like the Spurs were playing four on five on offense when Lonnie Walker IV was on the hardwood. The third-year two-guard was a virtual non-factor in his 18-minute return from a two-game absence. He went 0-of-5 from the floor and scoreless for the first time since December of 2019. Hopefully, this was just an outlier outing brought on by the lingering effects of his stomach illness.
• Keldon Johnson indiscriminately attacked the rim and jacked up jumpers in the first quarter as though he would never see another shot again. His effort and enthusiasm were applaudable, though he couldn’t buy a bucket, going 1-of-7 from the floor in the opening period. Although the second-year finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists, his three turnovers, and subpar shooting hurt San Antonio.
• It would be a waste of time to single out an individual to blame for this loss. This embarrassing defeat was a byproduct of poor team execution, and it would be misleading to suggest otherwise. Here’s to hoping the Spurs don’t carry this play with them when they hit the road for an extended excursion away from the AT&T Center.

For the Warriors fan’s’ perspective, visit Golden State of Mind.

The San Antonio Spurs return to action this Friday against the Atlanta Hawks to kick off what would usually be their annual Rodeo Road Trip.