The San Antonio Spurs battled it out in a now-defunct game, defeating the Thunder 112-102 and returning to the AT&T Center with a winning record after a grueling West Conference five-run.
Lonnie Walker IV led the Silver and Black with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting while chopping down three boards, two assistants and a block. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City.
Observations
- LaMarcus Aldridge needed just five points to beat Hall of Famer John Stockton for 47th place on the all-time standings, and he alone exceeded that point in the first quarter. The fifteen-year-old veteran is now 280 points to become the 47th player in NBA history to score 20,000 points. Aldridge will join George Gervin, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Pau Gasol and Dominique Wilkins as the sixth player to hit the career mark in franchise history.
- Jakob Poeltl was a blockless dry period of seven games when the evening began, the longest stretch of his NBA career of five years. And although the Austrian center did not look like himself this season, it was nice to see him swing two shots in a Spurs victory. Hopefully this is a turning point for the recent signer of the contract extension.
- Lonnie Walker IV scored more than 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his NBA career. The third-year swing showed its three-point scoring potential, attacking the edge, reaching the line, pulling up from midfield and hitting shots outside the arc. The high-flying two-face ended the evening with 24 points and Spurs fans will not complain if it becomes the new norm.
- Patty Mills moved up to 90th place in three-pointers made in NBA history, tying up former All-Star Mo Williams to a stunning trifecta that found nothing but the bottom of the net halfway through the third quarter . His 3-out-10 line from downtown will drop him a few pins on the standings, though that probably won’t bother Patty after San Antonio got away with the doubles.
- Rudy Gay almost always seems to shoot better with a defender draped, and that’s honestly one of the most frustrating things to watch when you kick in a Spurs game. I was wondering if I would go insane, and I dug half on the official NBA website, and the stats definitely support the theory. As awake as it may sound, the combo forward shoots more than ten percentage points worse on wide-open (defender beyond ten feet) shots than controversial attempts (defender within two feet).
- Popovich and his company flourished in the second quarter, surpassing their opponent by 3.5 points (6th in the NBA). They continued the trend, faring better than the Thunder and opening an eight-point cushion at halftime. Fortunately, San Antonio did not follow their trend of doing a full 180 in the third quarter. The Spurs have the third-worst margin in the third quarter in the league (-4.0 points), and Oklahoma City only narrowed the gap to seven points.
- Dejounte Murray seems to have taken a turn after finishing at an elite rate early this season. Old demons, however, haunted the fourth-year general over his last few outings, and he had no success in painting against the Thunder. He looked scared to attack the interior, and when he did, his frustrations boiled over, making a technical mistake by the referees. The alum of Washington recovered in the subsequent offensive possession, but never legally built up a lasting momentum.
- Alexei Pokusevski has a rare combination of fluidity and skill from someone of his stature, and these were just a few of the many reasons why I considered him the ninth best prospect on my Big Board in 2020. I also said that the 19-year-old had been away from NBA readiness for several years, although Oklahoma City apparently believes this is the best way to throw him into the fire. And while his flashes of shooting and playing potential appear on tape, the 195-pound frame stands like a sore thumb for the inexperienced seven-footer.
- The Thunder led the NBA in three-point attempts per game, and San Antonio allowed the highest three-point percentage in the league to get into that game. It felt like the perfect storm for Oklahoma City to get an outburst from outside the arc, but the Spurs stuck it out from end to end. Their opponent came up with only 26 outside shots and fired only seven of them. This performance was an encouraging step in the right direction for a previously faint three-point defense.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most groovy players in the league, and his intelligent use of corners and his God-given length is a pleasure to watch. While the third-year guard collected points with a series of arrhythmic, unbalanced and incorrect foot finishes, the Spurs put the emphasis on him in the second half. A small part of me wish he had a harder outing at San Antonio’s expense, but nothing makes me happier than a Silver and Black win.
- Dan Weiss took some time to mention that tonight was just the 30th NBA appearance for Keldon Johnson, which is remarkable in light of the confidence and position that emanates from the sophomore wing. Keldon is far from perfect, and he made beginner mistakes on both sides, even though it was almost impossible to stop once he went downhill. His 18 points and seven rebounds were both the second highest in the team, and his tireless car remains one of the most entertaining aspects of this Spurs team.
Visit Welcome to Loud City for the perspective of the Thunder fan.
The San Antonio Spurs will eventually return to the AT&T Center after a five-day five-day return while playing host to interstate rival Houston Rockets on Thursday night.