SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs used a solid fourth quarter to pull away and defeat the Atlanta Hawks 96-85 at the AT&T Center on Monday night.
The victory was the 20th straight against Atlanta for San Antonio. It was a late surge from the Silver and Black that sent them to their second straight win and have won two of their last three games.
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, and Manu Ginobili.
The Good:
- The Spurs dug deep and got the win after a less than impressive game on the offensive end of the basketball.
- Manu Ginobili is ol’ reliable
- LaMarcus Aldridge had an early Thanksgiving feast in the paint.
The Bad:
- San Antonio committed 18 turnovers, which kept Atlanta in the game until seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Three Standout Players:
LaMarcus Aldridge: The Spurs power forward showed his aggressiveness and toughness, willing the Silver and Black to victory. Aldridge posted 22 points and 11 rebounds on 11-of-24 shooting.
Despite not having the best shooting night, Aldridge scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half. He delivered when he needed to and constantly found the open man for shots. He rebounded well and kept Atlanta off the glass.
Danny Green: Despite not having a good shooting night, Danny Green showed he can still fire on all cylinders when Pop calls his number. Green finished with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting for the night.
However, he was 4-for-8 from three-point range, including back-to-back three balls. The quick six points would be enough to push the Spurs lead to 12 points, ending any hope for Atlanta to get the upset win.
Manu Ginobili: For awhile in Monday night’s game, 40-year-old Manu Ginobili was the best player for the Silver and Black. Despite committing three turnovers, Mr. Grandpa Juice played with the same passion and hunger he’s had since entering the league back in 2003.
Ginobili finished with 16 points off the bench to pace San Antonio’s second unit. He found Aldridge for a bucket to collect the assist and even drew some of Atlanta’s men out of the paint to free up the big man down in the post.
Up next: The Spurs are now 11-6 on the season and will return to the court on Wednesday night for a Thanksgiving Eve matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. from the Smoothie King Center.
