SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs got out of their funk thanks to a 108-72 blowout victory over the lowly Orlando Magic (20-48) at the AT&T Center on Tuesday night.
The win snaps a three-game losing streak for San Antonio, who had lost 11 of their last 14 games coming into Tuesday’s contest. The Silver and Black got LaMarcus Aldridge back in the lineup after he missed Monday’s game with a sore knee.
The game would be the kickoff of a six-game homestand for the Silver and Black, who will need every win that can at this point.
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: Aldridge, Patty Mills, and Dejounte Murray.
The Good:
- With 15 games remaining and San Antonio playing for their postseason lives, the Spurs picked the right time to break out of their losing streak.
- LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a nagging knee injury and lifted the Spurs to a blowout win.
- Dejounte Murray and Patty Mills broke out of their shooting funk.
- Former Spur Jonathan Simmons did not have the juice in his return. He had just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
The Bad:
- Earlier in the day, it was reported that Kawhi Leonard would not play on Thursday night like originally thought. Pop later revealed it would be up to Leonard’s doctors to clear him, meaning San Antonio has little say if he returns at this point.
- Despite the win, the Silver and Black still have a lot of work to do if they want to get into the postseason.
Three Standout Players:
LaMarcus Aldridge: The Spurs’ leading scorer returned and in a big way to help the struggling San Antonio squad get back into the playoff race. He finished with a team-high 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting to go along with seven rebounds.
Aldridge hit from the inside, outside, and banged down low in the post. He made life easier for Mills and Murray as Orlando struggled to contain all the moving San Antonio guards.
Patty Mills: One Spur who has struggled is fan favorite Patty Mills. On Tuesday, he also broke out of his shooting slump and picked the right time to do so.
Mills finished with 13 points on 50 percent shooting, including hitting 2 three-pointers. San Antonio will need Mills to play more consistent if they want a chance to make a run at a playoff spot. Monday was a solid start for what will hopefully be a good homestand.
Dejounte Murray: The second-year Spurs guard took another step in the right direction as he put up solid numbers on Monday.
Murray’s stat line was 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Obviously, the 21-year-old Murray has a way to go to match Tony Parker’s level but he clearly is on the right track to greatness.
UP NEXT:
The Spurs are now 38-30 on the season and will return to the court on Thursday when they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans (39-28) at 7:30 p.m. CT at the AT&T Center.
Aldridge come back is good, but hope that he will show better game next time
Mills was definitely a star of the match!