The best parts of the Spurs’ second straight loss to the Clippers (first half edition)

There was hope of ending yesterday with a positive after a roller coaster ride of a day. It seemed Spurs fans were in for another empty trade deadline as 2:00 PM CT passed, as teams they had been rumored to be talking to made other deals while they stood pat. Then, about ten minutes after the deadline ended, it was announced that the San Antonio Spurs did in fact make a trade, and for a power forward no less, even as they were working on LaMarcus Aldridge’s buyout! But alas, Marquese Chriss is out for the season with a broken leg and a free agent this summer, so he may never actually play for the Spurs.

At least there was a game to look forward to, and despite the blowout loss to the same Los Angeles Clippers team the night before, their main assailants from that game — Kawhi Leonard (foot), Marcus Morris (calf), and Lou Williams (traded) — would not be playing, so maybe the good guys could get back on track? Nope.

Despite a good effort in the first half to spot themselves a six-point lead, the Spurs fizzled out in the second half as Pop stuck to a tired eight-man rotation despite being on a SEGABABA (ignoring three minutes a piece for Drew Eubanks and Luka Samanic) to lose their fourth straight. Still, this is the highlights post, and there were some enjoyable moments, especially in the first half.

DeMar DeRozan remained the Spurs’ only source of consistent scoring with 23 points. That included a couple of pretty moves as the Spurs went on a 13-2 run to close the half and take the lead.

Defenders can be slightly excused for sleeping on Jakob Poeltl on the offensive end when he’s not driving in for a dunk, but he successfully lulled his defender to sleep after an offensive rebound before spinning around for the lay-up (and maybe getting away with a little hook along the way, but he deserves a break).

The Spurs bench was almost nonexistent in this game — a big part of their struggles during this losing streak — but Devin Vassell continues to show why the future is bright with him.

Finally, Dejounte Murray tried to step up and take over in the second half as the Spurs started fizzing out, showing his improved leadership and something the Spurs can use so the pressure isn’t entirely on DeRozan’s shoulders.

The remaining six games of this nine-game homestand should be much more manageable, with another mini-series against the Kings, along with visits from the Bulls (who had a big trade deadline day), Hawks, Pacers and Cavs. The Spurs are going to have to play much better and find a level of consistency that has eluded them lately, especially at home, but it’s the perfect opportunity get back on track. Go Spurs Go!