The San Antonio Spurs snapped a two-game losing streak with a 121-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (3-5) at the AT&T Center on Thursday night.
The game kicked off a three-game homestand for San Antonio, who will have dates with Boston and Memphis over the next four days.
Here’s what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: LaMarcus Aldridge, Dejounte Murray, and Trey Lyles.
The Good:
- The Spurs broke out of their slump and got things going offensively, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.
- Speaking of slumps, LaMarcus Aldridge broke out of his in a big way.
- Bryn Forbes and Dejounte Murray rebounded from a poor outing in Atlanta.
- DeMar DeRozan had a quiet night with 16 points on 53 percent shooting but he didn’t need to have a big game on this night.
The Bad:
- Marco Belinelli went 1-for-10 from the floor in 19 minutes.
- San Antonio’s defense was not up to par on Thursday, allowing 112 points and over 30 points in the first quarter.
Three Standout Players
LaMarcus Aldridge
The Spurs forward silenced his critics in a big way on Thursday night as he rebounded from a bad week to lead the Spurs to a win and snap their losing streak.
Aldridge finished with a season-high 39 points on 19-for-23 shooting to go along with six rebounds and four assists. The All-Star forward hit from the post, from the top of the key, and his signature midrange shot as his teammates found him early and often.
“LaMarcus was a beast,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “He shot quickly, he was aggressive and made quick decisions. He played a really smart game offensively.”
Dejounte Murray
The young point guard was two rebounds shy of his first-ever triple-double on Thursday night, playing a much better game than he did on Tuesday.
Murray finished with 17 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Yes, that’s five minutes more than his 20-minute limit but he provided a preview of just how good he can be once that restriction is lifted.
“He’s a work in progress,” Popovich said. “If that work in progress can do what he did tonight, then that is pretty good.”
Trey Lyles
One of the big spots in the Spurs’ starting five has been the play of newcomer Trey Lyles. He had his best game in a Spurs uniform on Thursday and that may be just what he needed as a confidence boost.
Lyles had eight points, going a perfect 2-for-2 from three. He rebounded well and made the big hustle plays to keep OKC off the glass.
“That’s the one last element, Popovich said. “To get that confidence if you’re open shoot it. Because he’s a good shooter. He’s been playing really solid basketball.”
UP NEXT:
The Spurs are now 5-3 on the season and will return to the court on Saturday when they welcome the Boston Celtics (6-1) to the AT&T Center at 4 p.m.
