We may have just seen the most frustrating and exciting game of the season, all in one. Most of the night, the Spurs played without energy and seemed discouraged on both sides of the floor. Luckily, they turned the switch and turned on when it mattered most, with a furious return to win 106-99 against the Bulls.
Right from the point, the San Antonio offense splashed, shots that were wide open, and threw wild passes that were hard to correlate at best, or at worst went straight to the Bulls defenders. Jakob Poeltl was the only player to retain the good men in the game, as he scored the first six points for the Spurs while defending the team. As the Bulls went on to play five of six from outside the arc to start the game, San Antonio quickly found themselves with double figures. Some unforced turnover also gave Chicago some easy baskets, one of which led to a wide open dunk for Zach Lavine.
Dejounte Murray had a very rough start, he missed his first five shots and coughed the ball on several possessions. The Spurs looked like a team playing together for the first time as they got into each other’s lanes and apparently did not know where to pass. On the defensive side, the good guys were being carved out by Chicago’s offense, which yielded a beautiful ball move that often resulted in wide-open shots of three. Through the first two quarters, the Spurs made just two of their 16 three-point attempts and were lucky that the Bulls were only 6-19 from outside the arc, given the look they had.
The start of the third quarter was not much better as San Antonio trailed by 20 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Luckily, they got some impressive plays from Lonnie Walker IV. With his shot not falling, Walker instead decided to drive more, resulting in several beautiful finishes around the basket. Patty Mills also provided his usual spark from the bench, forcing Chicago to chase him every time he walked past the halfway line.
The turning point of the match came late in the third time when Pop let the team use a full court press. The extra pressure on the Bulls’ ball handlers led to a 12-0 run that continued into the final quarter, and the Spurs reduced Chicago’s lead to one with less than 10 minutes left. It looked like the basketball gods were pulling a Freaky Friday on the teams. San Antonio clicked on the attack as they moved the ball efficiently and generated a good appearance for open shooters, while the Bulls suddenly forgot how to pass, and gave the ball away several times while the clock was ticking.
In the absence of Demar DeRozan, Murray became the alpha dog on both sides as he made life difficult for Lavine, while also swinging from one middle-distance jumper to another to extend San Antonio’s lead. The Spurs’ discipline also played a big role in the return; their first error of the fourth comes with just over two minutes of playing time left, and by that point the victory was beyond guaranteed. Lavine made things somewhat interesting by hitting a few tries as time went on, but the Spurs completed the return with a timely play by Derrick White, eventually outscoring Chicago 39-19 in the final frame.
Wednesday’s game showed the resilience of this team, which is especially impressive given the number of youths in the rankings. Like all young teams, the Spurs can work on their consistency, and it’s clear they’re missing DeRozan’s calming presence and playing ability. San Antonio has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league, and they will have to play more like in the second half if they hope to make the playoffs.
Game notes
- DeRozan missed his fourth game in a row as he is still taking some time off due to the death of his father. As much as I want him to return to court, it’s good that he’s taking the time he needs, because everyone remembers that there are things bigger than basketball.
- Poeltl shares skyrocket! The big man had one of the best games of his career, and he finished the night with 20 points and 16 rebounds. He was the only player to keep San Antonio within shouting distance of Chicago in the first half and made nine of his 11 shots in the game.
- As I mentioned earlier, Lonnie Walker had some impressive finishes around the basket, which is a good sign as it was one of the biggest weaknesses in his game. With his explosive first step and unusual body control, Walker could become one of the harder players to keep up with as his finishing continues to improve.
- After a cold first half, Murray took the government straight by slowing down Lavine while creating offensive. With DeRozan out, it was clear that Murray was the leading man for San Antonio, and he did not disappoint.
- Derrick White played more than 30 minutes for the first time since returning from COVID protocols. He struggled strongly with his shot, 4-14 off the field, but still contributed by hoisting on defense while creating points for his teammates. It’s only a matter of time before we see Maximum Derrick again.
Next game: Vs. Cavaliers Friday
The Spurs want to build on their momentum when they face the Cavaliers on Friday. With a cruel remaining schedule, San Antonio must take on a struggling Cleveland team and earn another win on the road.