NBA Playoffs 2012: Spurs' Game 1 Victory a Sign of Things to Come

The San Antonio Spurs looked all but defeated until the final quarter of their first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in these Western Conference Finals.

Despite the occasional signs of life from San Antonio, Scott Brooks' young contender were poised to pull away from their veteran opposition for the better part of that third frame—a period in which the Spurs mustered just 16 points.

Gregg Popovich's well-oiled machine more than doubled that output in the fourth with a 39-point explosion that was too much for even the high-octane Thunder.

The Thunder may be telling themselves that such a reversal of fortunes can't happen every night, and they're almost certainly correct about that—but nor will the Spurs continue to struggle like they did throughout the first 75 percent of this game.

San Antonio gave the ball away 14 times in the first half, and All-Star point guard Tony Parker looked helpless in the face of OKC's length and quickness.

Meanwhile, the club's sharpshooting role players were cold as ice from behind the arc. Danny Green and Matt Bonner finished the game a combined 0-7 from deep, a trend which this usually accurate supporting cast isn't especially accustomed to.

It should go without saying that the Spurs wouldn't have found themselves in such a late hole were it not for the ragged start.

The unfailingly focused squad looked to be rattled by pressure for the first time in a while.

With a compelling victory under their belts, though, those nerves shouldn't last long. After all, this team's leadership has been here before. It may be a new experience for Green, Kawhi Leonard or Tiago Splitter, but it's just another march to the NBA Finals for the still-potent trio that carries this team on its shoulders.

Manu Ginobili proved as much with one of his most classic postseason performances.

After a fade-away, buzzer-beating three to end the first quarter, Manu appeared to be locked in for a solid night. He went on to take over the game in key stretches of the fourth quarter, ultimately tallying 26 points on 9-14 shooting.

While the Spurs can count on an improved effort going forward, the Thunder may not be able to do the same.

Derek Fisher made his first six shots, and Oklahoma City's role players were overachieving by almost any measure. That's unlikely to continue over the course of what could be a drawn-out series.

And, even if it does, the Silver and Black have a few role-players of their own still waiting to show what they can do on the big stage. It may have been Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal making the difference tonight, but the way this team plays, there's no telling who it will be next time.