The previous night it looked like a game the San Antonio Spurs were ready to throw away when they announced that they would rest DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and Patty Mills against the second best team in the West. Unfortunately for the Phoenix Suns, who were perhaps a little complacent, the ‘quiet’ Spurs came from earlier to control the game, from the middle of the first quarter, and with a full team effort for the 111- win. 85.
Rudy Gay led six Spurs in double figures with 19 points, while Devin Vassell scored a career high of 18 points. The Spurs kept Chris Paul and Devin Booker in check with just 21 points at 9-28.
Observations
- Gregg Popovich gave a very Popovichian answer before the game when asked why Vassell had not played the last two games: ‘We played other people’. Thank you, Pop, would never have guessed it, although ‘person’ would make more sense, because it was basically Lonnie Walker who replaced him once he returned from injury, not multiple people. In all seriousness, Pop has never been one to give away what he thinks when it comes to his team, and sometimes frustrating too, so I think we should expect nothing else.
- On the other hand, Pop eventually conceded that some of his players had hit a wall thanks to the schedule, hence his reasoning to rest players tonight. It looks like the first two of the group did not hit a wall, but Mills has definitely driven to one over the past few weeks, and his goose victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday was the collision. Hopefully the extra day will get him going again, as the Spurs need his three-point shooting and the score from the bench.
- Drew Eubanks and Luka Samanic replaced the two entrees, and neither of them looked forward because they had a high level of energy and provided a certain degree of switchability in the defense that is sometimes lacking. (Eubanks had another excellent game this week with its second double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.) However, it was the bench that stole the show in the first quarter. Gorgui Dieng made his return from a shoulder injury and immediately made his presence felt on both sides with five quick points, and Devin Vassell also contributed five points and his usual superior defense. (Maybe Pop should play with him instead of just ‘other people’ more?) The Spurs bench surpassed the Suns counterpart 14-4 in the quarter to put the team ahead 28-19.
- The Spurs remained red-hot in the second quarter and rose by as many as 23 thanks to three-point shooting. In fact, they hit eight of them before the Suns even hit their first (and only) three of the half halfway through the second quarter. They also had a distinctive lead on the second chances, 12-3, despite the Suns having significantly more offensive setbacks. Phoenix eventually became more aggressive, with Chris Paul hitting a few buckets to wake up their offense, but they never got closer than 17 in the quarter, and the Spurs would take a 64-45 halftime break.
- This is closer to the kind of performance that brought the Spurs to success in the first half of the season: the beginners play quite evenly (if not a little below their opponent) to open the game, and then the bench comes in and lay it with the other team, which led to the dominant second quarter team we got to know. The cushion they created often left just enough room for the Spurs to absorb a slow game in the second half and still be able to win.
- Luka Samanic did not do much in the striker – he was the only Spurs who did not pass except Kieta Bates-Diop – but he continued to show good signs when he gave the minutes. He took the shots given to him, forced nothing and was mostly strong on defense. Once he showed that he was still learning, he was in the same possession twice during the third term, but he was forced to trespass on Jae Crowder after closing hard against the arc so Crowder could easily sidestep him and go to a open edge could drive. The funny part is that the Spurs had to get three total errors on that one possession, but the Suns still could not score points.
- The Spurs may have become a little complacent after gaining the lead of as high as 27 in the third quarter when the Suns stretched to a 12-0 run that stretched over the third and fourth quarters as the tries shortly before they started falling, which gave Monty Williams enough reason. to bring in Chris Paul again. The Spurs responded quickly with five quick points and later a 9-0 run to clear things out and avoid a collapse against a Suns team that is especially dangerous in attack.
- Not to mention this, but Vassell (who admittedly was well rested) had a career night, which included 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals with 18 points. Referring to Pop’s forecast comments, it will be interesting to see if he continues to ‘play other people’ and not his emerging rookie the rest of the season.
- It’s extremely satisfying to beat the Suns on ‘rest’ games. After two incidents in the past, where Phoenix owner Robert Sarver clawed like a chicken at Pop from the sidelines for resting players, and another time threatened to repay the fans – and the Spurs won both times – it’s just nice to lay it on that guy, especially when they’re looking at potential championship aspirations while the Spurs are fighting just to stay in the game.
- On the way to the Spurs’ toughest week of the season, fans would probably have accepted a 3-2 result with open arms based on the schedule. The process of getting there was unexpected (beating the Mavs and Suns on the road but losing to the Raptors), and it’s easy to look back and say it should have been 5-0 if they had not been the double-digit lead in the two losses, but again, considering the FIGASENI, they will take what they can get.
Visit Bright Side of the Sun for the perspective of Suns fans.
The Spurs are now on their way to Indianapolis to tackle the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Tip will take place at 19:00 CT on BSSW.