Spurs overtake Cavs with 4th quarter run, stay undefeated at home
The San Antonio Spurs entered Thursday night’s highly anticipated game against the Cleveland Cavaliers having trailed for just 54 seconds in the fourth quarters of their first 22 home games. The final period vs. Cleveland more than doubled that total while confirming that San Antonio is very, very difficult to beat at the AT&T Center.
[Follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
Down 75-72 with 11:30 remaining in regulation, the Spurs put together a dominant 13-0 run to take control of the contest on their way to a very impressive 99-95 victory. Their 10th-consecutive win ran their home record to 23-0 and ended the Cavs’ own eight-game unbeaten streak.
The game-changing run found the Spurs at their best, working their offense to get quality shots and frustrating the Cavs into rushed shots early in the shot clock or tough looks with time running out. It’s arguable that the run should have been even larger — Manu Ginobili missed a few open looks from deep and Cleveland looked so out of sorts that they managed only two LeBron free throws and shot over more than six minutes of game time. Put simply, the Spurs looked far more comfortable through crunch time and appeared in control even when the Cavaliers offense regained functionality in the final few minutes. The result wasn’t beyond doubt — the Cavs cut the deficit to four with 17 seconds remaining and unfortunately failed to get the rebound after two missed Tony Parker free throws — but it wasn’t exactly uncertain.
However, that’s not to say that the Cavs were out-classed over the full 48 minutes. They led 32-20 after the first quarter with a solid display of shot-making and disruptive athleticism. J.R. Smith started very hot in scoring 10 of his eventual 17 points in the opening period, while Tristan Thompson began what ended as a very impressive night (18 points and 14 rebounds) of active play around the rim at both ends. The Spurs have occasionally struggled with similarly athletic big men in the past (e.g. Serge Ibaka) and did so again in Thompson’s 35 minutes. With LeBron James pushing Kawhi Leonard to his (very spacious) limits, the Cavs created enough offense to challenge the league-best Spurs defense for much of the first half.
Yet San Antonio battled back from that early deficit behind excellent play from the still-spry Tony Parker. This incarnation of the Spurs lacks the outside shooting they had the past few years (they went 5-of-17 from deep in this one), but Parker ensured they carried a perimeter threat with his pull-up jumpers and quick drives to the rim. He scored 18 of his 24 in the first half and kept the Spurs close when they lacked much interior punch (Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for just 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting on the night). It feels increasingly likely that the Spurs will need Parker relatively healthy for a title run that goes through more athletic elite sides, and he showed why he matters so much on Thursday.
Beyond the specifics of each team’s strengths and weaknesses, this game unfolded in a playoff atmosphere that only served to create more excitement for a potential NBA Finals matchup between these squads. Unlike the somewhat torpid Christmas rematch between the Warriors and Cavaliers, this game exposed potential weaknesses for both teams and also pushed them to find new avenues to success. Other games this season have been more exciting, but it’s arguable that none have been so well played.
– – – – – – –
Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
