Pounding The Rock - Full Coverage: San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City ThunderFor all your Manu Ginobili loving and San Antonio Spurs newshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/12497/ptr-fv.jpg2013-04-05T09:05:04-05:00http://www.poundingtherock.com/rss/stream/39489572013-04-05T09:05:04-05:002013-04-05T09:05:04-05:00Morning Rehash: Missed Chances
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The San Antonio Spurs lost a crucial late-season game with important playoff implications last night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the Spurs fought their way back into the game after getting blitzkrieged in the 1st quarter, lost opportunities eventually killed any real chance of pulling out a win in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.</p> <h4>Opening Hash</h4>
<p><i>Note: Numbers/metrics used prior to 4/4/13 game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a>.</i></p>
<p><span>Kevin Durant</span> is finishing up his sixth NBA season and likely fourth straight season as the leading scorer in the league. While the scoring is impressive, it's some the contributing and accompanying numbers that truly sell the greatness of Durant. Kevin has continued to steadily improve year-to-year in all areas of his shooting percentages, shooting career highs in overall percentage (55.5%) and from the charity stripe (90.8%). The overall percentage is not surprising when glancing at Kevin's seasonal shot chart. <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Roughly 42% of Durant's shot attempts this season have been taken inside the lane (where he is shooting 60%). The attempts from the outside have slightly dropped this season but Durant is still shooting 4-plus attempts at a 41% clip (his second highest season percentage).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">While Durant may not be scoring as much this season as he did in 2009-10, he is contributing more to the team's scoring through distribution. Whenever on the court, Durant essentially assists on every fifth possession (a high number for a forward). In </span><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">offensive win shares, the estimate of wins contributed by a player due to his offense, Kevin Durant is only one of two players that contribute in double-digits (12.2 - <span>LeBron James</span> is 13.6).</span></p>
<p>Defensively, Durant's per game numbers in rebounds and blocks (without an increase in fouls) have also continued to improve season to season. This season, Durant allows 100 points per 100 opponent possessions but in Thunder victories the number is down to 96.8 per 100 possessions. Outside of 5 feet from the rim, the season shooting average for Durant's opponents is at a paltry 36.2%. Kevin's numbers in steals have remained idle since his rookie year but his defensive focus is based more on suffocation than it is risk.</p>
<p><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2422899/Durant_Stats.jpg" class="photo" alt="Durant_stats"><br id="1365123022365"></p>
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Keep in mind that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> have the 6'9" forward under contract through the 2015-16 season and that Durant will still only be 27 years old when that contract expires. The Thunder fans are in good hands for a <i>very long time.</i>
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<h4>Pop vs Sager</h4>
<blockquote>
<p>Manu's not here.</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">- Popovich responding to Craig Sager on who needs to step up in Manu's absence.</p>
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<h4>Quickie Game Hash</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/5/4185832/oklahoma-city-thunder-vs-san-antonio-spurs-recap" target="_blank"><i>Be sure to check out Cameron Archer's recap of last night's game.</i></a></p>
<p>When the dust had settled, the Oklahoma City Thunder had 19 fast break points on 15 attempts down the floor. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9myYc8Pn8o" target="_blank">San Antonio Spurs had 3 points</a> on not even half as many fast break attempts. Despite the lack of bursts down the floor, the Spurs left easy points on the floor that could have easily changed the dynamic of the game, as well as the outcome. Rushed shots and poor decisions caused the Spurs to go 1 of 7 on their fast break runs. San Antonio was also unable to capitalize on the 12 turnovers (a relatively low number for the Thunder), averaging just over a point per opportunity (13 points total). Although San Antonio had less turnovers (10), the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to make the most of it by scoring 21 points.</p>
<p>Efficiency. Only one team had it last night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8hORfF9BKH4?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br id="1365166863108"></p>
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<h4>My Game Boss</h4>
<p> </p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"><tbody>
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<td valign="top" rowspan="3" width="71">
<img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2424007/ibaka.jpg" class="photo" alt="Ibaka"><br id="1365137266836">
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" colspan="8" width="567"><b>SERGE IBAKA</b></td>
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>PTS</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>FGM</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>FGA</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>REB</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>BLK</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>AST</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>TO</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>MIN</b></td>
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">11</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">5</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">9</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">11</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">3</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">1</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">0</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">34<br><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>I've called <span>Serge Ibaka</span> a "glory defender" for most of his career due to the immense number of blocks the man has tallied on help defense. This isn't the truth since Ibaka's quickness, length, and athleticism make him so much more on various spots on the floor. Serge did an excellent job last night keeping Splitter off the glass on both ends (collected three offensive boards) and played tenacious defense on both Duncan and Splitter (and any ball handler that strolled into his area).</p>
<p>Offensively... the man's range game is still expanding. And that's just ridiculous.</p>
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<h4>My Game Runt</h4>
<p> </p>
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" colspan="8" width="567"><b>DANNY GREEN</b></td>
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>PTS</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>FGM</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>FGA</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>REB</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>AST</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>STL</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>TO</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71"><b>MIN</b></td>
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<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">6</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">2</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">7</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">2</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">2</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">2</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">2</td>
<td style="text-align: center; " valign="top" width="71">30<br><br>
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<p><span>Danny Green</span> was a mess on defense for the most part, getting lost on rotations and transitions, and was an even bigger disaster on offense. Green made two terrible passes in the second half that both led to three-point baskets by Oklahoma City. The second turnover allowed the Thunder to push the lead back up to 8 with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game.</p>
<p>I'll be honest - I wanted to type this section by just punching the keyboard.</p>
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<h4>By the Numbers</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">2 - Number of times the Spurs offense has produced more than one 100 points in last 7 games.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">24 - Average number of three-point attempts by San Antonio over the last four games.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">13 - Total blocks by the Thunder.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">2 - Number of games <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> has scored less than 10 points since March 1st (14 games played).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">3 - Spurs players off the bench that played in last night's game.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">0 - Number of Spurs players who shot better than 50% last night. Leonard and Diaw both shot 50%.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">6 - Offensive boards by the Thunder that were grabbed by a back court player.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">14 - Rebounds by Kawhi Leonard.</span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">8 - The difference in points scored off turnovers. The Spurs just could not </span><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.984375px;">capitalize on easy opportunities.</span><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;"> </span> </li>
</ul>
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<h4>Odds & Ends</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;"><span>Tony Parker</span> only put up 6 shots before leaving the game with multiple injuries. Most of those shots were at a much higher grade/altitude than normal.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">This game would have been a 20-plus blowout if it weren't for Kawhi's aggressiveness leading the team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">I enjoy watching other teams play and I'd enjoy the Thunder much more if Westbrook wasn't on the team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">What is it going to take for the Spurs to finally put a body on <span>Derek Fisher</span>? It's only been 236 years.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">Danny Green makes me cringe whenever the ball is in his hands for longer than a second.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">Green is a hustle guy but he sometimes counter-balances that with empty-headed decisions on offense. Green's turnover with 3:30 to go may have well been his worst turnover ever.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">Much like the 2011-12 playoffs, <span>Tiago Splitter</span> was getting roughed up and taken out of his game. My hope for a positive impact in a series against the Thunder has dropped significantly. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">Speaking of Splitter - Tiago was a terrible 1 of 6 when the Spurs decided to go down low to him in the final minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 15.989583969116211px;">Hopefully, the Spurs can use the first round of the playoffs to build some consistency because I'm certain they won't have any by the end of the regular season.</span></li>
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<h4>Bird is the Word</h4>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Kawhi Leonard trending. Get familiar with him. He's the future.</p>
— Zach Rogacion (@ZachRogacion) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachRogacion/status/320007123985649664">April 5, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Kawhi Leonard is a vacuum cleaner. But these failed fast-break opportunities are killer.</p>
— Matthew R Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matthew_Tynan/status/320019801324019713">April 5, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Tony Parker: Missing</p>
— josh banda (@joshbanda) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshbanda/status/320013464779231232">April 5, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>If you don’t think there are serious problems on this Spurs team beyond injuries I think you’re completely delusional.</p>
— TortiousTroll (@TortiousTroll) <a href="https://twitter.com/TortiousTroll/status/320025319572656128">April 5, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
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<h4>Going into the Next Game, the Spurs Need to...</h4>
<p>...get rest, stay healthy, and win the easy games. With the Spurs' injury woes and four games still remaining against playoff caliber teams (three of those on the road), the top seed in the Western Conference basically belongs to the Thunder. San Antonio plays the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> at home tomorrow and will likely be without the services of Tony Parker, <span>Stephen Jackson</span>, and (of course) Manu Ginobili. Kawhi Leonard is playing great but needs to back off due to the lingering tendinitis in his left quadriceps. And <span>Tim Duncan</span> just needs rest for his old bones.</p>
<p>It's not a major threat but the Spurs just need to win the easy games, something that has been rather difficult of late, to keep the surging <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> (only 4 games back) from possibly taking the second seed.</p>
https://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/5/4178232/morning-rehash-missed-chancesHirschof2013-04-05T03:04:40-05:002013-04-05T03:04:40-05:00Spurs fight hard in loss to Thunder
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<img alt="Behold, oh Spurs fans, your destroyer" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tZQTfDpz5zD523YO2lq4G8FzLJM=/0x252:2662x2027/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10992917/20130404_kkt_ax3_301.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Behold, oh Spurs fans, your destroyer | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Spurs fell to the Thunder in a game filled with scoring runs from both sides, potentially giving up the West's top seed in the process.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> arrived at "The Peake" on Thursday evening at the end of a brutal stretch of 6 games including matchups against the league's 5 best teams (and one of the worst). Thursday night's game, a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#SEGABABA">SEGABABA </a>and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#FOGAFINI">FOGAFINI </a>to match the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder's</a> 4 days of rest, had the makings of a blowout win for the bad guys. Despite a severely limited <span>Tony Parker</span> who was <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#tonydominatefisher" target="_blank">unable to dominate</a> a predictably yet uncharacteristically hot <span>Derek Fisher</span>, the Spurs managed to stay in the fight deep into the fourth quarter before inevitably falling to Kevin Durant, <span>Russell Westbrook</span>, and Co.</p>
<h4>The Rundown</h4>
<p>The Spurs started this game rather sloppily, committing 3 earlier turnovers which the Thunder converted into 6 easy points. Tony Parker continued to settle for jumpshots instead of attacking the rim, a sign that he is still having trouble trusting that ankle. Additionally, Scotty Brooks went to some early 1-3 switches pitting Parker against Durant, and the Thunder were able to maintain a slim lead despite a good start from Duncan in the post.</p>
<p>With Parker lagging recently, the Spurs have chosen to run the first unit offense through <span>Tim Duncan</span> in the low block. Not surprisingly, considering Duncan's physical resurgence this season, the results have been pretty good. Tim kept the game close earlier by working the low-block through a series of layups, vintage glass jumpers, and a trip to the line.</p>
<p>Then the bench came in and systematically blew the 1st quarter. The Spurs missed several rotations, and Scotty Brooks pulled a Skywalker and rescued Derek Fisher from carbonite. Spurred (ironically) by two Fisher triples, the Thunder went on an 8-0 run in the final two minutes of the first to take a 29-18 lead into the second quarter.</p>
<p>To start the second, the Spurs chose to go small along with the Thunder, surrounding <span>Tiago Splitter</span> with <span>Kawhi Leonard</span>, <span>Gary Neal</span>, <span>Danny Green</span>, and Nando de Colo. The end of the first and the start of the second is where the Spurs lost this game. The bench continued to struggle as Derek Fisher stayed hot, and the Thunder stretched the lead to 20 with just under 8 minutes remaining in the period.</p>
<p>Tim Duncan returned to the action around the 7 minute mark, and the Spurs began chipping away. Gary Neal continued his recent streak of aggressiveness and was able to carry the Spurs with 12 second quarter points. The Spurs finished the quarter strong on the backs of Neal and Leonard, and managed to enter halftime at only a 6 point deficit.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the Spurs continued the theme of the night, surrendering an early third quarter run as the Thunder reinflated the lead to 19 on a Durant jumper. Again the Spurs fought back, urged on by Leonard's aggressiveness plus two quick triples from De Colo. Neal hit an improbable buzzer beating jumper to bring the third quarter to a draw, and the Spurs again trailed by only 6.</p>
<p>In the 4th, Pop chose to remain with Nando for all but about 2 minutes. Parker headed back to the locker room at some point during the 4th quarter, favoring what appeared to be a sore neck and ankle. He scored only 2 points on 1-6 shooting. The Spurs played tough in the 4th, rallying to cut the deficit to 3 on a dunk by the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#GOATPUFF">GOATPUFF</a>. The Spurs made several hustle plays, including a couple of steals and a fantastic block by Danny Green on what was about to be an easy dunk for <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> following a scrum for a loose ball. Despite a tough fight and great performances by Duncan and Leonard, the Spurs couldn't match the Thunder's final run, losing 100-88.</p>
<h4>Encouraging thoughts...</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Kawhi Leonard is on beast-mode cruise control. Tonight, he scored 24 points on 50% shooting with 14 rebounds, 6 assists, and a steal in 42 minutes. He helped force <span>Kevin Durant</span> into 6 (!) turnovers. Over his last 9 games he has averaged 15.3 points, 8.6 rebs, and 2.4 assists per game, all WELL above his season averages. If he can maintain this elevated play in the playoffs, he will be a huge boon for the Spurs' success.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Gary Neal remained aggressive tonight, with 14 points on 5-11 shooting. He isn't "back", but he is certainly headed in the right direction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Tim Duncan continued his stellar play, scoring 24 points with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. At times last year when the Spurs perimeter attack was struggling (which did not happen frequently), Tim Duncan was relied upon to generate offense. The results were mediocre at best. The same cannot be said for this recent stretch of games without Manu or a fully healthy Tony. That's four straight double-doubles for Timmy (not included his brief showing against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Magic</a>) and his longest streak of double-digit scoring efforts (17) since the start of the season.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Nando de Colo looked much more comfortable on the floor, even as Parker's replacement late in the game. He committed only 1 turnover.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Following the three turnovers in the first 3 minutes of play, the Spurs committed only 7 more.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The Spurs committed only 10 personal fouls, and the Thunder shot only 13 free throws.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Kevin Durant had 6 turnovers. The Spurs have done a good job of turning him over this season.</span></li>
</ul>
<h4>Discouraging thoughts...</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Tony is banged up. He may have come back from injury too early, and his recovery was not aided by heavy minutes in those first few games back. It can't be stressed enough how important a healthy, confident, attacking Tony Parker will be during the playoffs, especially with Manu's health being a gigantic red question mark. Tonight was not a good sign for Tony. Hopefully a home game on Saturday followed by three days of rest can return his game to form.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Danny Green is still making defensive errors. He has missed several rotations, and was responsible for no less than two wide open triples by the Thunder. I actually found myself hoping Pop would replace him with Neal late in the game.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Those 10 Spurs turnovers? The Thunder turned them into 21 points. The Spurs scored only 13 points on 12 Thunder turnovers, and two botched fast breaks in the fourth quarter effectively dashed all hope of any comeback victory.</span></li>
</ul>
<h4>Final remarks</h4>
<p>It would be very easy to be discouraged by this loss. The Spurs have lost to three of the best teams in the league in their last four games, and may have just ceded home court advantage to the Thunder. Sure, I really wanted to see a win in this game, but I refuse to mourn this loss, as I was especially encouraged by the play from Kawhi, Gary, and Timmy. We played the Thunder in their arena. Our players were running on low tanks despite Pop's best efforts, and the Thunder were well rested, hitting all manner of jumpers and contested threes. We were never supposed to win this game, and our guys fought very hard all the way to the end. Tonight made me proud to be a fan of the Spurs, even in defeat. 6 more games until Round 1. We will play who we will play. I'd like to see the team just stay healthy and approach the playoffs with focus, determination, and just a touch of nasty. Go Spurs Go.</p>
<p> </p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/5/4185832/oklahoma-city-thunder-vs-san-antonio-spurs-recapCameron Archer2013-04-04T23:11:44-05:002013-04-04T23:11:44-05:00QuickCap: Spurs drop one in OKC, 100-88
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>[roll call broken]</p>
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<p><i><b>Jesus Gomez (Edg5):</b></i> The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> started the game terribly, letting the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> get a 20 point lead. Somehow they rallied back and made it a game, mostly relying on <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> and a scorching hot <span>Gary Neal</span> for scoring. <span>Tony Parker</span> was vastly outplayed by <span>Russell Westbrook</span> and none other than our old friend <span>Derek Fisher</span> hit four of five first half three pointers. The Thunder went into the break up eight, 52-44.</p>
<p>The second half started similarly to the first, with Parker being ineffective and Leonard and Duncan carrying the offense. But Westbrook's 17 second half points were too much to overcome for a Spurs team that was nowhere near their peak form. The transition defense in particular was a disaster, as OKC scored 19 fast break points. With this win the Thunder are now only half a game behind the Spurs in the race for the top seed.</p>
<p>Cameron Archer will have the recap up soon.</p>
<p><b>Update: </b>Apparently Parker has <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/320036435635892224">some sort of shin injury.</a> There's no more information available at the time. We'll keep you posted as the story develops.</p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/4/4185830/quickcap-spurs-drop-one-in-okc-100-88Josh Guyer (completely deck)2013-04-04T03:00:05-05:002013-04-04T03:00:05-05:00Spurs look to win against the Thunder
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<img alt="You know what you need to do, Tony." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j2672wkR2aT9RvnaZIQjZ8rs4Yg=/0x113:493x442/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10933107/gyi0062906268.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>You know what you need to do, Tony. | Ronald Martinez</figcaption>
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<p>The Spurs head to OKC looking for a win and a little distance in the standings.</p> <div id="preview-wrapper">
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder<br></b></h3>
Chesapeake Energy Center, Oklahoma City, OK<br>April 4, 2013, 8:30 PM Spurs Time<br> TV: TNT - RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI</div>
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<p>After taking a teeny-tiny little break against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> (did anyone seriously think that was going to be a close game?), the San Antonio Spurs are now slated to go up against a powerhouse of a basketball team in the Oklahoma City Thunder. This game is just the latest in what has proven to be a gauntlet of a schedule for the Spurs, where they will have gone up against five of the six best teams in the league in five of their last six games. So far in that stretch, the Spurs are 3-2, with all of the games against good teams (e.g. Not the Magic) being decided by two points or less. Oh yeah, this game is also a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#SEGABABA">SEGABABA</a> and a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#FOGAFINI">FOGAFINI</a>. Awesome.</p>
<p>In addition to being part of arguably the toughest stretch of the Spurs season, this is the final regular season matchup against the Thunder, and a possible tiebreaker for the number one seed in the Western Conference is on the line. Currently the series stands at 2-1, in San Antonio's favor. If the Spurs win tonight, then the tiebreaker would be won outright by them. However, if Oklahoma City wins the game, then it ties the series up for good, and that means the tiebreaker would have to be decided in another fashion. According to the handy-dandy NBA Rulebook, in an event where two teams split the season series, a tiebreaker is decided by <s>a duel to the death between the two teams' coaches</s> amount of conference wins. According to their records as of now, the Thunder currently have the better conference record (34-13, to the Spurs record of 32-14). So, basically, the Spurs have to win tonight to properly secure a potential tiebreaker for the number one seed. Considering how well both teams play at home in the Playoffs, it's kind of a big deal.</p>
<p>The Thunder have come under a little bit of scrutiny lately. They've been called out for not being as joyous as they were last year around this time, which is probably fair to say. Every team goes through its own ebbs and flows over the course of a season, and right now there's been bit more ebb than flow in Oklahoma City. I'm not sure it's a huge deal, but one thing that's been interesting to watch is how they've become less of a passing team in the second half of the season. Early on it was easy to marvel at how they shared the ball so well, and now they're down to 21st in the league in assists.</p>
<p>Something that can be counted as a good sign for the Spurs tonight is that <span>Derek Fisher</span> gets a significant amount of playing time for the Thunder. Since signing with Oklahoma City, Fisher has somehow worked his way into the rotation, getting 14.3 minutes per night. Now, the reason that's good for San Antonio is that Derek Fisher has been mind-numbingly bad this year. He's shooting .316 from the field, and .290 from beyond the arc, and is somehow still taking away minutes from an amazing scorer in Reggie Jackson. The only thing Fisher really brings to the table is "veteran leadership", which I think is Mayan for "terrible defense and missing 21 shots in a row."</p>
<p>Of course, the Spurs have a couple worries of their own, mainly that since <span>Manu Ginobili</span> is out for the game, there's no one other than Tony Parker to create plays for others. Ginobili has had a rough stretch scoring the ball, but he is still a great distributor whose abilities are sorely missed. We saw this a good amount in the Miami game, as Parker had his pick-and-roll game taken away from him, and he couldn't swing it over to anyone else on the perimeter to really get a play going. Oklahoma City has a nice, athletic defense, and you can expect them to try and trap Parker and force him to pass quickly. Somebody else will need to take on that second distributor role, whether it's <span>Nando De Colo</span> off the bench or Kawhi Leonard running side pick-and-rolls.</p>
<p>Barring Popovich making any last-minute switches, this is what I expect the starting lineups to be:</p>
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<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 12px;"><center><img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/gameinfo/teamlogos/SAS.gif"></center></td>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 12px;"><center><img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/gameinfo/teamlogos/OKC.gif"></center></td>
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<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 12px;"><b>Lineups</b></div>
<p><b>Starters</b><br><b>PG:</b> <span>Tony Parker</span><br><b> SG:</b> <span>Danny Green</span><br><b> SF:</b> <span>Kawhi Leonard</span><br><b>PF:</b> <span>Tim Duncan</span><br><b>C:</b> <span>Tiago Splitter</span><br><br><b>Key Bench Players</b><br><span>Gary Neal</span><br><span>Boris Diaw</span><br><span class="sbn-auto-link">Nando de Colo</span><br><br><b>Head Coach</b><br><span>Gregg Popovich</span></p>
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<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 12px;"><b>Lineups</b></div>
<p><b>Starters</b><br><b>PG:</b> <span>Russell Westbrook</span><span class="sbn-auto-link"></span><br><b>SG:</b> <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span><span class="sbn-auto-link"></span><br><b>SF:</b> <span>Kevin Durant</span><br><b>PF:</b> <span>Serge Ibaka</span><br><b>C:</b> <span>Kendrick Perkins</span><br><br><b>Key Bench Players</b><br><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Kevin Martin</span></span><br><span>Nick Collison</span><br><span class="sbn-auto-link">Derek Fisher</span></p>
<b>Head Coach</b><br><p>Scotty Brooks</p>
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<p>Thunder perspective can be found here: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Welcome to Loud City</a></p>
<p>Game prediction: Keeping up with the way the past few games have gone, Spurs by 2.</p>
<p>As always <b>Tony must dominate Fisher</b>, and NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate.</p>
https://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/4/4181374/game-preview-san-antonio-spurs-oklahoma-city-thunderIan Dougherty