After losing a final second against the Thunder, the Spurs proved they can still win close games. To a large extent, thanks to a fantastic performance by DeMar DeRozan in his return, San Antonio beat the Pelicans at home 117-114 in another game that came down on the wire.
It did not look like the still short-lived Spurs would force an end even early in the game. Neither team played a good defense to start the night, but San Antonio simply had no answer for Brandon Ingram. The young All-Star winger dropped 15 points in the first frame to put his team ahead by as many as eight. Fortunately, San Antonio increased the defensive intensity on the perimeter while Zion Williamson was under control. After the second units kicked in, the Silver and Black took the lead to end up in it completely again, with plenty of credit due to LaMarcus Aldridge’s aggressive play off the bench.
While Aldridge and DeRozan were at the forefront of the attack and an inspired Dejounte Murray wreaking havoc on both sides, the Spurs showed more stance in the second quarter. Luck was also in their favor, to be honest, because they got hot from the outside at the right time while the Pelicans struggled with the long ball. If New Orleans could have taken advantage of the open look that San Antonio conceded by doubling Zion and packing the paint on chips, the score in the half might have been different. Unfortunately for the visitors, the Spurs did a good job of bothering some of their shooters with a strong shutdown, resulting in a quarter from 1 to 7 from outside the arc for the Pelicans. After a strong closing by San Antonio, the lead was six until halftime.
The Pelicans got their chance to regain control in the third quarter after some strong plays from Williamson, but they made mistakes that prevented them from profiting from the Spurs’ regular rest period after the rest period. After a chaotic first few minutes, San Antonio went back to limiting the impact of Zion and controlling the pace. In the attack, Trey Lyles played the role of X-factor that Lonnie Walker IV played in the second quarter, but the work of DeRozan, who organized the attack well, was really the biggest reason for their success. Both teams got cold from the outside, and each point was harder to reach, but based on a skilled half-time creator, the Spurs came out on top and extended their lead to nine in the final period.
The DeRozan dependency they helped early on haunted the Spurs again in the fourth quarter. After bleeding with an ISO heavy attack in the second and third frames, the offense dried up. The role players could not hit their shots, and unless DeRozan got himself on the line, nothing was easy. Luckily for the Spurs, the Pelicans simply could not make that last push. Zion had some amazing moments and the whole team deserves the honor of reducing the backlog several times in the last few minutes. But every time they came close, they could not narrow the gap by missing a shot, or enduring a defense.
Game notes
- DeMar DeRozan returned with a vengeance, scoring 32 points and 11 assists. It was a tremendous performance that carried the Spurs through the toughest pieces of the game. DeRozan will not be in Atlanta, but everyone should know by now that he is an All-Star player.
- LaMarcus Aldridge came off the bench again and did a good job of offending. After missing a few jumpers, he was more aggressive and ended up shooting 10 free throws. As a banker who can penalize second units, Aldridge can be quite productive going forward.
- Is anyone in the league asked for as many soft offensive offenses during selection as Jakob Poeltl? This is bizarre. Despite bad problems, Jak still managed to pull down 11 plates and block three shots in a win, so I’m sure he does not mind, but I can not wait until he gets the officials’ respect.
- Dejounte Murray filled the state and flowed with another triple double, while he also did Ingram well from his task after his initial barrage. Murray inflicted most of his damage in the first half, but still found ways to contribute if the ball was not in his hands after taking over from DeRozan. It’s great to see how reliable he becomes.
- Trey Lyles and Lonnie Walker IV were asked to refill as an appetizer. As mentioned, both had their moments, but they also simply helped in their areas of expertise. Lyles pulled down seven rebounds and kept the ball going while Lonnie threw in 17 points. These two are likely to get big minutes until everyone is back, so it was good to see how they play well, despite difficult defensive assignments.
- Patty Mills was hot in the first half but cold in the second half. He still played well on both sides, so it’s hard to complain.
- Luka Samanic came off the bench this time but had one of the most encouraging zero-point three-rebound games I can remember. He just looked like he belonged, and he mostly played a good defense. He also almost had a monster kickback dunk that unfortunately knocked out. We see progress from Luka.
- The Spurs’ entire game plan was to stop Simon Williamson, and he still got 23 points. Even if the defense forces him into a bad shot, Zion is so strong and he has such a big second jump that he can pick up his own offensive plate and get the setback. This is how he grabbed at least four of his eight offensive rebounds against the Spurs. Just an animal of a player.
Next game: Vs. the Nets on Monday
The Nets then visit the AT&T Center. The Spurs defenders will face another difficult challenge. If they can stop James Harden, Silver and Black will be able to secure their second consecutive win.