Spurs close trip with bounce back win over Kings: Three Standout Players

It was the story of the bigs as LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol led the San Antonio Spurs to a 108-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings (11-21) at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday night.

The victory saw the Silver and Black close out their three game road trip with a 2-1 record. San Antonio shot 50 percent for the game and had just eight turnovers, putting together a solid 48 minute performance.

Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: Gasol, Aldridge, and Dejounte Murray.

The Good:

• San Antonio cut down their sloppy play as they committed just eight turnovers on the night.
• Dejounte Murray continues to show why he is the future leader of the Spurs at the point guard position.
• The Spurs shot 50 percent on the road, something very difficult to do most nights.

The Bad:

• Davis Bertans went scoreless on the night, going 0-for-3 from the field.

Three Standout Players: 

   Pau Gasol: In a league dominated by three-pointers and fast paced games, Pau Gasol showed that old school basketball can still dominate on any given night. The veteran NBA center recorded a triple-double, posting 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Gasol worked well with LaMarcus Aldridge in the post, showing how important it is to have two big men who can not only play well defensively, but pass the ball as well. Gasol’s ten assists were a season high as he found Aldridge in the paint for the score on more than one occasion. The Spurs will need more solid play from Gasol as they continue to work Kawhi Leonard back into the rotations.

    LaMarcus Aldridge: While Leonard was out with a quad injury, LaMarcus Aldridge was the leader of the Spurs. Now that Leonard is slowly getting back into the rotation, LaMarcus is still showing his leadership. The Spurs forward finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds on the night, not allowing Zach Randolph to rattle him on the defensive end.

Gasol and Aldridge combined for 43 of San Antonio’s 108 points and 21 of the team’s 44 rebounds. With the Spurs getting solid contributions from their two big men, it will free up Leonard once he fully gets back into form. It just goes to show that despite the league changing to a new era of play, old school can still win games.

    Dejounte Murray: The second year guard continues to show why he is the point guard of the future for the Silver and Black. Murray quietly had a nice game with 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

Murray’s aggressive play earned praise from Coach Pop earlier in the week as he applauded his effort on the court. Since then, Murray has been relentless and showed his ability to fight for every play. He plays with the same passion as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and that is something the Silver and Black can look forward to now and for season’s to come.

Up next:

The Spurs are now 23-11 on the season and will have a few days off for the Christmas holiday. The team will return to the court on December 26 at the AT&T Center against the Brooklyn Nets. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.