The San Antonio Spurs used a balanced attack to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies (7-14) 95-79 at the FedEx Forum on Friday night, opening a quick two-game road trip.
The victory was the fourth straight for San Antonio, a season-high. The Spurs used a nice balanced attack from their bench, led by Rudy Gay. Patty Mills got out of his funk as he posted 10 points and went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs on Friday, as well as three standout players: Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Manu Ginobili.
The Good:
- LaMarcus Aldridge still found a way to score 20-plus points, despite Memphis getting aggressive on him defensively.
- Patty Mills found his shot, a positive sign.
- Manu Ginobili does not play like he’s 40 years old, so he’s a robot.
The Bad:
- Danny Green was icy cold as he went scoreless, shooting 0-for-7 from the field in 28 minutes of action.
- San Antonio turned the ball over 13 times in the win, marking the first time they have committed over 10 turnovers in their four game win streak.
- The Spurs struggled from the free throw line, going 22-of-32 for 68 percent.
Three Standout Players:
LaMarcus Aldridge: After his 41 point performance on Wednesday night, everyone expected the Grizzlies to make adjustments and double LaMarcus Aldridge on Friday. That’s exactly what they did early and often, but as the game went on, Aldridge proved to still be dominate with the ball.
Aldridge found the open man when doubled, but took his time in the post. He posted 22 points and six rebounds on Friday night and did so in impressive fashion. The Spurs forward connected on back-to-back corner three-pointers in the third quarter, pushing San Antonio’s lead to 15. With Aldridge playing at a high level, even against heavy defensive pressure, one can only imagine how it’ll be when Kawhi Leonard returns.
Rudy Gay: After a rough few outings, Rudy Gay seemed to get back into form on Friday. Gay led the Spurs’ second unit off the bench with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting. What was so impressive is how he remained aggressive throughout the game.
He drove the lane to draw fouls, converted lay ups, and fought for rebounds. It is expected that Gay would take some time to fully add his skills to a difficult San Antonio system, but it seems with a few more games under his belt that we may see that sooner rather than later.
Manu Ginobili: The Spurs legend and fan favorite showed his still can play like a 23 year old despite being 40 years old. Ginobili finished with 11 points on 50 percent shooting in 24 minutes.
Manu hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and took a few charges on the defensive end of the ball. With Manu, Rudy, and LMA playing at a high level and with Tony Parker getting back into the fold, Gregg Popovich has to be happy with his club…well, maybe not *happy*..
Up next: The Spurs are now 15-7 on the season and will return to the court on Sunday night when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 6 p.m. to close out their two game trip.
