SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs snapped out of their mini-funk as they earned a 104-92 victory over the depleted Golden State Warriors (12-6) at the AT&T Center on Sunday night.
The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Spurs, who began a tough five games in seven night stretch with their game on Sunday. San Antonio’s defense was key down the stretch as they held Golden State to under 100 points.
Spurs fans were eager to wager on the game at betting-universe.com as the Warriors were missing several key players, and the Spurs were able to execute on defense, which had been a major issue all season.
“We worked as hard as we could defensively,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Their competitiveness kept them in the game and we got a good win.”
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, and DeMar DeRozan.
The Good:
- The ‘Big 3′ trio of Aldridge/Gay/DeRozan combined for 63 of the Spurs’ 104 points on the night.
- Aldridge broke out of his mini shooting slump in a big way.
- Rudy Gay got the start in place of Derrick White, who moved to the bench with the second unit.
- Dante Cunningham did a solid job on defending Kevin Durant. Despite KD scoring 26 points, he shot just 32 percent and shot 8-for-25 from the floor.
- Golden State shot 5-for-26 from three-point range, credit San Antonio’s defense but also a hectic schedule for the Warriors.
The Bad:
- White struggled to come off the bench, shooting just 20 percent and got lost on several defensive switches.
Three Standout Players:
LaMarcus Aldridge:
After going through a shooting slump the past few outings, LaMarcus Aldridge came up big in a huge game that his team needed to win.
Aldridge scored 24 points as he went 10 for 16 from the floor while adding 18 rebounds. Unlike games past, the All-Star forward was aggressive as he drove to the basket and banged down low and rarely settled for the mid-range shot.
“I trust my work ethic to get better,” Aldridge said. “I trust that I am going to try to put myself in the best positions to be better every night, and you just got to stay with it.”
DeMar DeRozan:
The guard struggled shooting to start off the game but in the late stages, he showed why he’s earned the nickname “The Closer”.
DeRozan had 20 points and nine assists on the night as he went to work as the Warriors doubled Aldridge down the stretch. He attacked the rim, drew fouls, and sliced his way through the Warriors defense.
Rudy Gay:
After dealing with a heel injury, Pop elected to give Rudy Gay the start and boy, he made the most of it.
Gay scored 12 points in the opening quarter, including a thunderous slam that got the crowd roaring. He finished with 19 points on 60 percent shooting and went a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
“We’re all figuring things out,” he said. “It’s a learning experience for coaches and players and we’re getting better. We haven’t reached our peak yet because of that but by the time we get into the thick of things we should be straight.”
UP NEXT:
The Spurs are now 8-7 on the season and will return to the court on Monday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans (9-7) at the Smoothie King Center at 7 pm Central Time. The Pelicans have won their last two games at home.
