My final submit was written the day earlier than the tenth anniversary of the Spurs’ 2014 playoff run started on April 20, 2014. Immediately’s submit is the day earlier than the tenth anniversary of the top of the primary spherical of these playoffs — Might 4, 2014.
The 2014 Western Convention was a beast. Seven groups received 50 or extra video games, The Spurs first spherical opponent, the eighth place Dallas Mavericks, received 49 and had received the NBA championship solely three years earlier. Not surprisingly, the primary spherical of the Western Convention playoffs produced 4 battles between evenly matched, wonderful groups. Three of the 4 collection went to seven video games, and the opposite went six video games. Though every collection was shut, the upper seeded group prevailed in every.
Within the collection we care most about, the Dallas Mavericks gave the Spurs all they might deal with, and extra. As beforehand talked about in my final submit, the groups cut up the primary two video games in San Antonio, which means the groups headed to Dallas for Sport Three:
“Within the second sport, the Mavs blew out the Spurs 113-92, tying the collection at one sport apiece. This defeat meant that the Spurs, who had spent the season working to garner home-court benefit within the playoffs, misplaced that benefit after solely two video games. The Spurs’ highway to an NBA Championship for 2014 was something however inevitable, particularly in April of 2024, because the group climbed onto their bus to journey to Dallas for Sport Three of the opening spherical, not sure of what was in retailer.”
If they’d identified what was in retailer in Sport Three, the Spurs might haven’t gotten on that bus. Sport Three was the “Vince Carter Sport”. The 37-year previous Carter, who not began for the Mavs, drilled a nook jumper on the buzzer for a 109-108 Mavs win. The shot got here off an in-bounds play with just one.7 seconds left. For these of you courageous sufficient to re-live that second — and I don’t blame you if you wish to skip it — right here is Carter’s shot:
That shot put the Mavs up 2-1 within the collection, and Pounding the Rock writers have been NOT happy. Michael Erler’s abstract included these nuggets:
“Diaw has been a catastrophe defensively. He offers up an excessive amount of room to Nowitzki on jumpers, like he’s afraid he’s gonna get blown by on drives. He doesn’t have almost Splitter’s size. He doesn’t rebound or contest something on the rim.”
”The protection as a complete was atrocious all sport, permitting 53 % capturing and 39 % from three. The Spurs got here away with a cease and a board simply 4 occasions in the entire quarter.”
”However my single largest concern is with Tony Parker, who was a flat out catastrophe within the second half. The offense merely went right into a darkish cave and hid whereas he was in there.”
“If something is gonna derail the Spurs season, it’s Parker. I ponder if he has the stamina to place two good halves collectively, not to mention two good video games. He simply can’t be wholesome — or he’s turned the nook in age the place he simply can’t be what we wish him to be anymore.”
As a reminder, Parker led the Spurs in scoring and assists in the course of the season, the protection was sixth finest within the league, and (spoiler alert) Boris Diaw wound up taking part in a key position later within the playoffs.
Sport 4 was additionally in Dallas, with the Spurs at risk of happening 3-1. Fortunately, the Spurs pulled out the win in one other defensive sport, prevailing 93-89. That win was keyed by a 32-13 second quarter. The protection was significantly better, because the Spurs held the Mavs to 38% capturing total, 29% from three — and crucially, 18-28 on free throws. There should have been numerous coughing and burping by the Spurs “defenders” on these Dallas free throws. Put one other manner, if the Mavs had missed solely 5 free throws as an alternative of 10, I may not be scripting this piece in the present day.
Sport 5 was one other Spurs win, 109-103, with 5 Spurs in double-figures, led by Parker with 23. Carter had an unbelievable sport for the Mavs, scoring 28 factors on 7 for 9 from three. Tiago Splitter had a double-double for the Spurs with 17 factors and 12 boards.
With the win, the Spurs recovered home-court benefit, and all appeared proper with the world — till Sport Six in Dallas, which the Mavs received 113-111 in one other shut sport. Monta Ellis led the Mavs with 29 factors, and ex-Spur DeJuan Blair harm the Spurs with 10 factors and 14 rebounds, together with 5 offensive boards. For the sport, the Mavs had 13 offensive boards to the Spurs 6, most likely the important thing to the win.
With the Spurs on the point of elimination, they performed their finest sport of the collection in Sport Seven. The Spurs primarily ended the sport within the first half, going up 68-46 at halftime, capturing a surprising 68% for the half. The sport by no means bought nearer than 14 factors within the second half, with the Spurs finally profitable 119-96. Parker didn’t derail the Spurs season, scoring 32 factors. DannyGreen!! performed like 2013 Finals DG, going 5 for 7 from three, whereas My Man Manu Ginobili had an ideal all-around sport, properly summarized by PtR author Fred Silva:
“Manu Ginobili had arguably his finest sport in years. He scored 20 factors on simply seven photographs, had six steals, 5 assists and two rebounds in 24 minutes. So, per 48 minutes, he was on tempo for 40 factors, 12 steals and 10 assists, simply to place his efficiency in perspective.”
With the win, the Spurs superior to play the LaMarcus Aldridge/ Damian Lillard Path Blazers in spherical two. The Blazers prevailed of their 4-5 match-up over the Houston Rockets in six video games — the one first spherical collection within the Western Convention that didn’t go to seven video games. Portland’s wins have been all shut — by 2 factors, 5 factors, 3 factors and 1 level. For these of you, like me, who neglect how good Dwight Howard was in his prime, he averaged 26 factors, 14 rebounds and three blocks per sport for the Rockets. For the Blazers, Aldridge averaged 29.8 factors and 11 boards within the collection, whereas Dame averaged 25.5 factors and nearly 7 assists.
By profitable in six video games, the Blazers had the benefit of extra relaxation than the Spurs, who must play Sport One towards the Blazers with solely someday off after ending off the Mavs. It seemed like spherical two of the 2014 NBA Playoffs could be one more robust match-up for the Spurs. Keep tuned.
