The Spurs began their Rodeo Road Trip in style this year with an easy win over the Hawks. Trae Young made a bit of a noise in the first quarter, but the defense increased it and after that he did not hear much, while the Spurs attack ran on all cylinders (and a few more) while making a ridiculous 53% shot. [which should have been much higher] for the game, and scored 100 points against the center of the third quarter. The final quarter was extended junk time, which was great so Spurs fans could see players like Quinndary Weatherspoon and Keita Bates-Diop for the Spurs and Skylar Mays and Brandon Goodwin for the Hawks. The only bad note of the night was the poor performance of the Spurs’ end of the bench, which outscored 36-13 in the final quarter when Quinndary Weatherspoon darkened in ten minutes of play and the Falcons beat the Spurs 41-15 in the last term.
Observations
- I sometimes refer to Trae Young and ‘Dollar store Steph Curry.’ This is common, but not entirely inaccurate. He’s amazing at scoring the ball and improving the other aspects of his game, so it’s probably unfair to him as he’s still developing.
- Jakob Poeltl is not a big scorer, but he does a lot for the offense with his screens. Something like half of the Spurs open shots are due to Jacob when he was in the game.
- Patty Mills has a lot more in his game than when he joined the Spurs. He’s a great shooter, but he can also pull it off in the lane for a driver or a comprehensive layup.
- There is nothing more enjoyable to watch than the Spurs when they are really on the roll. The first half was a brilliant basketball from the Spurs and not quite the defense of the Hawks.
- The poor play at the end of the bench players was the worst part of the match. The Falcons players involved in the game were really motivated and the Spurs just looked awful. There was never a chance the Spurs would lose this lead, but the guys at the end of the bench need to be more ready when they play. Quinndary Weatherspoon in particular was very bad, scoring 2 points and doubling within ten minutes.
Game Flow
The Spurs started well, but things got a little sharp when DeMar DeRozan and John Collins started the fight early and got the dreaded double technology, one on Dejounte and one on Collins. The Spur increased their lead to double figures halfway through the quarter, but when the bench of the Spurs game entered the game, Trae Young came loose and 17 of the Falcons scored 29 points in the quarter.
The Spurs picked up their defense against Young in the second quarter, keeping him up to 2 in the frame. The Silver and Black increased the lead with Jakob Poeltl forming an almost impenetrable barrier at the edge for the Hawk adults. The Spur hit almost everything they looked for in the second quarter, led by as many as 30, with a ridiculous score of 77-48 at the half.
The avalanche continued as the second half began as the Spurs led by as many as 39 points early in the quarter. But after two quick pickups from the Hawks, a nervous Popovich eliminated time with a 35-point lead. The Spurs regrouped and reached the century halfway through the quarter, leading 100-61 with plenty of time to play. Lloyd Pierce can read a scoreboard, and he starts clearing the bench, and a Summer League game breaks out when the Spurs lead 110-72 to three on a four-point game from Patty Mills to end the quarter.
The quality of the game was not so great in the last quarter, as both teams emptied their benches, and although the Falcons bench made a bit of a move, it was not nearly enough, although it gave many opportunities for Pop has to track. on the young guys because they cut the Hawks bench players’ lead from a high of 42 to 11, as time was short. It will appear in the books as an 11-point win for the Spurs, but it has never been this close.
Music break
Atlanta, the hometown of Blind Willie McTell. . .
What’s next. . .
Visit Peachtree Hoops for the Falcons fans.
The Spurs will continue their Eastern Conference conference with their game against the Hornets on Sunday night at 6:00, while trying to stay unbeaten on this year’s Rodeo Road Trip. See you there!