SAN ANTONIO – Derrick White’s career night led the San Antonio Spurs to a 117–114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets (28-25) at the AT&T Center on Thursday night.
The win is the third on their four-game homestand and fourth straight win overall. The victory comes after the Silver and Black narrowly defeated the lowly Phoenix Suns and were called out by their coach postgame.
“We stuck with it and continued to compete,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “This is a game of mistakes and there were several of those both ways. But I’m glad we stuck with it.”
Here is what went good and bad as well as three standout players: White, LaMarcus Aldridge, and DeMar DeRozan.
The Good:
- The Spurs showed better focus and overall played a much better game.
- DeMar DeRozan returned from injury and while he struggled from the floor, he still found a way to make an impact.
- Derrick White is the real deal.
The Bad:
- Brooklyn’s zone really caused problems for the Spurs, particularly in that second quarter.
Three Standout Players:
Derrick White
The second-year guard has grown in his sophomore season due to the season-ending injury to Dejounte Murray. Thursday night, he showed just how much he has grown and how bright the Spurs’ future is.
White finished with a career-high 26 points to go along with eight assists. He hit from the outside and weaved his way through the paint for buckets. He found open teammates for buckets with passes that resembled the younger days of Tony Parker.
LaMarcus Aldridge
The All-Star forward was selected to his seventh All-Star game prior to Thursday night’s game and during the game, he showed why he deserved the honor.
Aldridge finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds on the night, including a three-point play in the final minute to put the Spurs up for good.
“I’m definitely thankful,” Aldridge said of his All-Star selection. “To go again, I don’t take it for granted. We’ve grinded as a team and I’m thankful for these guys. That’s why I’m going.”
DeMar DeRozan
The guard returned to the court after missing the past three games with a sore ankle. He was a bit rusty but yet he still managed to make a massive impact on the game and help out his teammates.
DeRozan posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds but shot just 31 percent from the floor.
UP NEXT:
The Spurs are now 31-22 on the season and will return to the court on Saturday when they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans (-) at 7:30 pm Central Time from the AT&T Center.