Spurs Make Statement in NBA's Toughest Division and Other Friday NBA Takeaways
Tim Duncan recorded his first triple-double since Nov. 30, 2010, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 107-101 victory over the 15-4 Memphis Grizzlies with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Friday night's contest was Memphis' first regular-season loss at home since hosting the Dallas Mavericks all the way back on Feb. 5. Having used that kind of dominance to claim the Western Conference's No. 2 seed, the Grizzlies have become one of the toughest outs in basketball.
The reigning champion Spurs didn't seem particularly concerned.
San Antonio proved it's just as dangerous as the other contenders crammed into the NBA's most competitive division. Besides the Spurs and Grizzlies, the Southwest also includes the Houston Rockets (15-4), Dallas Mavericks (15-6) and up-and-coming New Orleans Pelicans (8-9).
The Rockets have shined despite injuries to Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones. The Mavericks are only beginning to discover their potential with Chandler Parsons in the fold. And New Orleans is suddenly a real test thanks to the MVP-caliber season Anthony Davis is having.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are building upon their reputation as dark-horse contenders with a hot start that's been temporarily halted with a two-game skid at the hands of Houston and San Antonio.
While Memphis and San Antonio have both been defensive juggernauts so far this season, the Spurs made 14 of 25 three-point attempts and showed some flashes of the explosive offense that took the league by storm in May and June. Sixth man Manu Ginobili made all five of his three-point attempts despite entering the game with a career-low mark of 32.3 percent from long range.
But it was a characteristically collective effort in which five Spurs scored in double figures, including backup point guard Cory Joseph, who tallied 12 points in 23 minutes and answered the call when Tony Parker left the game in the second half with a mild hamstring strain.
Duncan became the second-oldest player to record a triple-double (Karl Malone did so at age 40), and his facilitation set the tone for a team that privileges ball movement and totaled 25 assists by game's end. Though opposing center Marc Gasol is the one averaging 3.6 assists per contest, The Big Fundamental has never been one to ignore open teammates.
"Just running our offense as usual," Duncan told reporters on Fox Sports Southwest's postgame coverage. "I don't think there was anything special or anything I did that different. Guys made shots. I found a couple guys for layups, and it just kind of added up."
Duncan and Co. won their ninth straight against the Grizzlies, padding their bragging rights and reasserting themselves in the tightly contested Southwest.
"It's just a very good game whenever we get together," Duncan added. "And we've been lucky. We've been lucky to come out on top, because I think every game we've played, it's not a blowout. It's not like we're running away from them. It's just a battle back and forth, and we've just made more shots than they have."
Showdowns between these two have become commonplace, especially when it matters. Memphis famously ousted the first-seeded Spurs from the opening round in 2011, while San Antonio got its revenge with a sweep in the 2013 conference finals.
It remains too soon to say which club will hold the edge come the playoffs this time, but the Spurs will certainly take any confidence boost they can get. They move to 14-5 this season, one of seven teams that has a winning percentage above .700 out West.
Having already tallied wins against the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers, head coach Gregg Popovich's squad appears anything but complacent in its pursuit of what would be the franchise's first repeat title.
Bringing the Grizzlies back down to earth is a small step toward that end and an encouraging sign for the Spurs.
Around the Association
Game Winners Abound in Three Nail-Biters
Point guard Kemba Walker used a buzzer-beating layup to secure a 103-102 victory for his Charlotte Hornets against the similarly struggling New York Knicks. It was the seventh consecutive loss for the now 4-17 Knicks, and it ended a 10-game skid for Charlotte.
Both of these clubs are in desperation mode, and Walker responded in the clutch with his second game-winner of the young season for the 5-15 Hornets.
Walker hardly had a monopoly on late heroics Friday night.
Backup forward Carl Landry scored a point-blank basket with 0.8 seconds remaining in overtime after grabbing an offensive rebound.
That propelled the Sacramento Kings to a 102-101 win over the Indiana Pacers. And rounding out the evening's last-second action, Nick Johnson laid the ball in with less than a second remaining to give the Houston Rockets a 114-112 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Better late than never.
Cavs Building Credibility With Six-Game Streak
The only thing more compelling than the Cleveland Cavaliers' six-game winning streak is that fact that No. 6 came against the 15-5 Toronto Raptors that currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. The 105-91 win comes just four games after the Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards by a 113-87 margin.
The writing is on the wall.
Regardless of what the win-loss column says—just 11-7 in Cleveland's case—LeBron James and Co. are well on their way to becoming the team we expected. The four-time MVP led the Cavs with 24 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists on Friday and appears poised to instill a winning culture in Cleveland sooner rather than later.
Heat Fall Below .500
Dwyane Wade’s 28 points and eight assists weren’t enough to avert a 109-85 loss to the suddenly relevant Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat’s third straight loss means they're below .500 at 9-10 and may be losing confidence.
With the two prior losses coming to the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks, the Heat are struggling to beat the very teams with whom they may well be competing for playoff position in March and April.
There’s still plenty of time to further adjust to LBJ’s absence, but the early returns haven’t been especially encouraging. Even with Wade and Chris Bosh carrying increased loads, Miami is nowhere close to its level of play from last year.
Rockets Survive in OT
James Harden scored 38 points and 37-year-old Jason Terry added another 19 in 43 minutes of action, but the Houston Rockets didn’t come by their 15th win easily. They prevailed in overtime despite Harden fouling out with one minute and 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
"I foul out, and they still go out there and win the game," Harden told reporters after the game. "Small things like that put it in our minds that we're building and we're growing as a team.”
Head coach Kevin McHale’s squad has certainly proved resilient. The Rockets are now tied for the second-best record in the West despite weathering injuries to Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones.
This Rivalry Has Seen Better Times
What was once the most iconic matchup in the game became an opportunity for Tyler Zeller to tally 24 points and 14 rebounds en route to the Boston Celtics' 113-96 win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant scored just 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting, and the Lakers' porous defense suffered another abysmal performance.
Los Angeles' two-game winning streak now seems like a distant memory—and likely an anomaly.
The Celtics, who are rebuilding in their own right, advanced to 6-11 this season thanks to an effort in which the entire starting five scored in double figures. Though floor general Rajon Rondo struggled from the floor on Friday, he nearly claimed a triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds and an unsurprisingly ridiculous 16 assists.
Suns Outgun NBA's Hottest Offense
The Dallas Mavericks led the league in offensive efficiency entering Friday night's contest, averaging 113.4 points per 100 possessions, according to Hollinger Stats. But it was the Phoenix Suns having all the fun in their 118-106 victory against Dallas.
Point guard Goran Dragic followed up a 34-point outing against the Indiana Pacers with another 28 points and 13 assists on Friday, leading six Suns who scored in double figures.
Quote of the Night
Kevin Durant scored just 10 points in his second game of the season, but the Oklahoma City Thunder got by with a little help from Russell Westbrook and his 27 points. OKC beat the Philadelphia 76ers 103-91, and KD was preaching patience after the game.
"I'm just trying to adjust," he told reporters. "Certain things I'm not used to. I'm just trying to adjust, be aggressive, play my game—attack at certain times but also play off my teammates and get them involved as well."
Still regaining his form after missing the Thunder's first 17 games, the reigning MVP only played 29 minutes against Philly.
