San Antonio vs. Philadelphia: Spurs Dominate the Paint, Defeat the Sixers

The San Antonio Spurs handily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 100-90 tonight because they dominated the paint.

The Sixers had no answer for the Spurs' center tandem of Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter, who totaled 31 points. Tony Parker also gave Jrue Holiday a lesson on how to play point guard and how to drive toward the basket. Because Parker was so aggressive in his drives, he had 13 foul shots and made them all; he finished with 37 points and a dozen came from layups.

I always look for key data that might explain why one team dominates another. In the deciding third quarter, the Spurs pounded in the paint while the Sixers shot from the periphery; the Spurs made eight shots in the paint, while the Sixers made four.

And, as a result of driving the hoop, the Spurs had 10 free throws and made eight. The Sixers had no foul shots in the third quarter.

This data pretty much explains the outcome of the game.

Lou Williams scored 22 points on his bobblehead doll night, and Elton Brand returned to the lineup, posting a double-double with 13 rebounds and 11 points. However, Lavoy Allen was clearly intimidated by the Spurs' centers and went 1-for-7 from the field.

Now in this seven-game stretch of playing all winning teams, the Sixers stand at 4-2, with the Los Angeles Clippers up next on Friday night.