Driving excessive on their second three-game profitable streak of the season, the San Antonio Spurs got here into to Detroit to face a vastly improved Pistons squad that beat them fairly soundly in Austin a month in the past. It appeared like they’d have an opportunity with no Cade Cunningham and if their league-leading March offense continued to shine, however sadly, they got here again right down to earth with a horrible second quarter through which they solely hit two discipline targets, and that ended up being too large of a gap to dig out of on the best way to a 96-122 loss.
The Pistons hit their first three photographs, however the Spurs saved tempo early due to Devin Vassell hitting three early threes. Actually, the Spurs first 4 discipline targets have been threes as they led 12-11 5 minutes in. General, he had 11 of their first 14 factors, however everybody else struggled to attain, and the Spurs discovered themselves behind 20-14 a couple of minutes later whereas struggling to maintain the Pistons off the free throw line. Blake Wesley got here in off the bench to briefly break the ice with 5 straight factors, however in any other case they simply couldn’t sustain and have been down 22-30 on the finish of the primary quarter.
Sandro Mamukelashvili hit a 3 to open the second quarter, however that will be the Spurs’ solely discipline aim for the subsequent 11 minutes till a Vassell lay-up with 31 seconds left within the half, largely as a consequence of struggling to seek out attractiveness towards the Pistons’ smothering protection and infrequently having to accept desperation threes on the finish of the shot clock. Their solely different factors in between got here from the free throw line (six for Harrison Barnes, one from Stephon Fort), they usually discovered themselves down 34-60 after a nightmarish first half.
Detroit scored the primary 4 factors of the second half to stretch the result in 30 earlier than the Spurs’ offense lastly wakened, led by 15 factors from Fort within the quarter after he didn’t hit a shot within the first half. His effort and lack of concern attacking the Pistons’ inside protection helped raise up the remainder of the staff’s effort on each ends. They saved on chipping away, getting as shut as 15, however the Pistons, particularly Marcus Sasser, all the time had simply sufficient of a solution to forestall any large runs, and the Spurs have been nonetheless down by 19, 69-88 heading into the ultimate body.
For maybe the primary time all evening, each groups have been totally engaged on the similar time to start out the fourth quarter, however in fact that meant they principally performed even, so the Spurs couldn’t put any extra of dent within the Pistons’ result in really threaten a comeback. It was a way more bodily quarter with each groups within the bonus by halfway via. With each groups principally buying and selling factors, Coach Johnson waved the white flag on the four-minute Mark and commenced emptying the bench. The Spurs offense was sure to return again to earth sometime, and Detroit had the protection to make it occur.
Recreation Notes
Often if a staff has extra made threes than twos, that will imply they’re purple sizzling and could be a very good factor, however not when it’s the alternative. The Spurs solely hit 10-45 photographs (22.2%) within the first half, 6-25 of which have been from three. As beforehand talked about, numerous that was credit score to the Pistons’ stiffing protection, however the Spurs themselves allowed them to get of their heads and truly handed up some first rate possibilities within the paint for three-pointers. The Spurs have been higher within the second half however nonetheless completed the sport with putrid capturing percentages of 36.3% from the sphere, 31.8% from three.
Bench manufacturing was one other large distinction on this recreation. Sasser was the Pistons’ main scorer with 27 factors off the bench, and general, Detroit bought 60 factors from its second unit. In the meantime, the Spurs solely bought 37 factors from the bench, led by Mamu’s 11 and Keldon Johnson’s 10. Jeremy Sochan solely had 2 factors in simply quarter-hour, and it’s not clear if his ineffectiveness is that this recreation is why his minutes have been so low, if it was one in every of Coach Johnson’s rotation quirks that simply occurs generally, or if he was going with extra dimension by enjoying Mamu and Bismack Biyombo extra. Regardless, nothing labored nicely for a often sturdy second unit tonight.
The starters weren’t significantly better than the bench. Nobody outdoors of Vassell (26 factors, 6-12 from three) and Fort (19 factors, 7-15 from the sphere) had something going all evening. Chris Paul was mainly a no-show with 3 factors and three assists in 21 minutes, and the surface stroke simply wasn’t there for Barnes as he completed simply 1-9 from the sphere (however nonetheless had 9 factors due to these six free throws that helped save the Spurs from a a fair greater catastrophe within the second quarter). Considerably surprisingly, Barnes truly appeared a bit intimidated on the market, passing up a number of driving lay-up makes an attempt again out for threes as a substitute of ending the play. He simply wasn’t his typical self on this one.
Play of the Recreation
Vassell and Fort (and to a lesser extent, Mamu) have been the one Spurs who performed nicely tonight, so right here’s the previous feeding the latter in transition as they tried to make it a recreation within the third quarter.
Up subsequent: Thursday at Cleveland Cavaliers
The Spurs will finish their Japanese Convention street journey towards a Cavs staff that has struggled a bit in current weeks however remains to be main their convention by a virtually insurmountable 5 video games this late within the season,
