SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs continued their hot play at home as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 103-89 at the AT&T Center on Friday night.
The win was the 13th straight inside the friendly confines for the Spurs, who have not lost at the AT&T Center since November 10. San Antonio played without Danny Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay; so it would be up to the veterans to get the victory.
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, and Bryn Forbes.
The Good:
- Manu Ginobili’s grandpa juice sparked the Spurs in the third quarter.
- Kawhi Leonard continues to look like the Kawhi Leonard of old. More on that in a moment.
- Pau Gasol played well in the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Bad:
- The Spurs played loose, almost too loose in Friday’s game. The ball was flying through the air and not in a good way. Some bad passes and mistakes on the offensive end caused the Silver and Black to turn the ball over 14 times.
- Davis Bertans finished with 12 points, but he shot 5-of-12.
Three Standout Players:
Kawhi Leonard: Kawhi Leonard continues to look like the old Kawhi the Spurs fans are used to. He finished with 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals in 28 minutes.
Leonard’s minutes not only increased slightly, but he is starting to be the Kawhi we all know. He became even ore aggressive on defense in the recent weeks and on Friday it was another step in the right direction for Leonard. His four steals were classic Kawhi Leonard as three of those were on the breakaway and one he got into the play to literally take the ball away from Devin Booker. Kawhi Leonard is going to arrive before anyone knows it. And when he does, watch out.
Manu Ginobili: Manu Ginobili took another dose of grandpa juice and it sparked the Spurs in the second half. With the Spurs up five, the 40-year-old Ginobili hit back-to-back three pointers to put the Silver and Black up 11.
Ginobili scored 15 of his 21 points in the third quarter alone. He was typical Manu as he weaved his way in and out of the paint and found several of his teammates for baskets. His play this late of his career makes the Spurs second unit something to watch because Ginobili does not play like a 40-year-old.
Bryn Forbes: Someone else who makes the Spurs’ bench something to watch is Bryn Forbes. He finished with 16 points and is a very capable player when Danny Green is injured on the sidelines.
Bottom line, the Spurs are deep.
Up next:
The Spurs are now 27-13 on the season and will return to the court on Sunday when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers (19-18) at 8 p.m. at the Moda Center as they open another three game road trip.
