SAN ANTONIO – A big night from LaMarcus Aldridge lifted the San Antonio Spurs to a 117-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves (40-30) at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.
The game was the third straight win for San Antonio and the third of a six-game homestand for the Silver and Black. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich used the same small ball lineup of Aldridge, Kyle Anderson, Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Dejounte Murray to start the contest for the second straight night.
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs as well as three standout players: Aldridge, Rudy Gay, and Manu Ginobili.
The Good:
- With the victory, San Antonio won the season series and hold the tiebreaker over Minnesota.
- Combined with New Orlean Pelicans’ loss to Houston, the Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Pelicans all own the same 40-30 record. However, the Silver and Black still sit 7th in the Western Conference.
- LaMarcus Aldridge was the Portland Aldridge.
- Manu Ginobili took his ‘grandpa juice.’
The Bad:
- Dejounte Murray struggled, going 2-for-8 for five points and three turnovers. File this as another learning experience for the youngster.
- Danny Green started off the game going 0-for-5 and finished with 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting. He did have solid contributions on the defensive end, but still can’t find the range.
Three Standout Players:
LaMarcus Aldridge: This week has been one of tough challenges for Aldridge. He passed his first one with Anthony Davis and did that once again on Saturday with Karl Anthony-Towns.
Aldridge finished with 39 points and 10 rebounds. He did it by being his usual aggressive self. He banged down low, fought for boards, and he scored 16 of his 39 points in the second quarter alone. On the defensive side, he held Towns to just nine rebounds for the game.
Manu Ginobili: What else can you say about Manu Ginobili? He proves night in and night out that he is the heart and soul of this Spurs team.
He did that once again on Saturday as he finished with 10 points off the bench, including scoring three straight times down the floor. He spread the floor well and kept the Minnesota defense honest all night long.
Rudy Gay: The Spurs continue to get big games out of Rudy Gay and he delivered once again when called upon.
He finished with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Gay moved well and did his best to control Andrew Wiggins. On the offensive end, he sliced and diced his way to the basket. He would also help out Aldridge and Pau Gasol in the paint against Taj Gibson.
UP NEXT:
The Spurs are now 40-30 on the season and will return to the court on Monday night when they welcome the defending champion, the Golden State Warriors to the AT&T Center at 8:30 p.m. CST.