The Early 17-4 Run that Sunk the San Antonio Spurs (Film Breakdown)

There are two methods within the NBA to realize further possessions over your opponent – grabbing offensive rebounds and forcing turnovers. The inverse, then, can be limiting opponents’ further possessions by not turning the ball over or giving up offensive rebounds. 

The San Antonio Spurs had been main the Los Angeles Clippers 3-2 early of their matchup on Monday night time, however an 18-5 Clippers run, fueled by the Spurs giving the Clippers a beneficiant handful of additional possessions, abruptly put them in a 13 level, 20-7 gap. Whereas they reduce this result in 6 by the top of the first quarter, they by no means totally recovered and in the end misplaced the sport by 40 factors.

Right here, we’ll look at how that run got here to be and take a look at how the Spurs can stop related stretches sooner or later. 

San Antonio Spurs Movie Breakdown

1st Quarter, 9:02 remaining. Spurs 3-2 Clippers

The possession that began the run for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard began with the ball on the left slot, threw an entry move to Paul George within the submit, after which reduce in the direction of the basket and continued in the direction of the correct nook. George spun over his proper shoulder, giving Keldon Johnson a powerful bump, and rose up for a contested one-handed midrange shot. 

This was good first-shot protection and can be seen as a profitable possession for the staff on that finish in the event that they had been capable of seize the rebound. 

Sadly, Johnson and Zach Collins didn’t preserve box-outs till the rebound was secured, leaving each George and Ivica Zubac free to seize the offensive board.

George grabbed the rebound and tried one other robust shot, albeit a few ft nearer, knocked it down, and drew a foul.

1st Quarter, 8:26 remaining. Spurs 3-5 Clippers

On the Clippers subsequent journey down the courtroom, they had been capable of reap the benefits of some crossing-matching. As a result of Collins was on the perimeter guarding Robert Covington, Devin Vassell matched up with Zubac inside. To stop a straightforward post-up for Zubac, Vassell fronted him within the submit. 

Sochan stayed with Russell Westbrook and compelled a tricky shot on the correct aspect of the rim, however as a result of Vassell needed to entrance Zubac, nobody was between Zubac and the basket, giving him inside place for a straightforward offensive rebound. 

Zubac was affected person and didn’t drive a second try. He kicked it out to George who made the additional move with the closeout coming for an open search for Leonard.

1st Quarter, 8:06 remaining. Spurs 3-10 Clippers

Jeremy Sochan ran a pick-and-roll with Victor Wembanyama because the screener, however Covington did an excellent job of containing the display. Sochan picked up his dribble and regarded for Vassell, who has shared fairly a little bit of the burden of offense initiating with Sochan this season. George intercepted the move to Vassell and transformed the turnover into a straightforward dunk in transition.

1st Quarter, 7:20 remaining. Spurs 5-10 Clippers

Vassell got here off of a Collins flare display to obtain the ball from Sochan up high, however George utilized heavy strain and compelled the steal. It regarded like Vassell by no means fairly had management of the move, nevertheless it’s exhausting to say how a lot of that was because of the move, the catch, or the strain George was placing on Vassell.

This gave George one other straightforward dunk in transition.

1st Quarter, 6:17 remaining. Spurs 7-14 Clippers

Just a few possessions later, Collins faked a dribble handoff to Johnson who curled round him in the direction of the basket. Collins tried to seek out him on this transfer, however handed a few foot forward of him. It’s exhausting to inform from the angle we have now if Collins overshot Johnson or if Bones Hyland was capable of get a hand on the move. 

George got here away with the ball and no Spur defended the rim in transition, leading to a straightforward move to Zubac for a dunk.

1st Quarter, 6:17 remaining. Spurs 7-18 Clippers

Within the ultimate possession of the run, the Clippers each drive a turnover and seize an offensive rebound to develop their result in 13. 

George was defending a Collins’ post-up and obtained his hand on the ball, disrupting Collins’ dribble. Collins misplaced the ball, George picked it up, and rans in transition once more. 

Nobody picked up George in transition, giving him an open look from 3. Though George missed this shot, Collins was out of the play attributable to diving for the ball, permitting Zubac to impose his dimension on the rim and tip it in. 

Lack of Execution for the San Antonio Spurs

In complete, the Spurs gave up 8 factors off of offensive rebounds and eight factors off of steals (with 2 of these factors being shared on the identical possession) in a 4 minute stretch. They surrendered 3 offensive rebounds and 4 turnovers within the Clippers run that they in the end by no means recovered from.

Coach Gregg Popovich emphasizes execution, and this younger Spurs staff has not protected the ball like earlier groups coached by the Corridor of Famer. Coach Pop additionally made a degree to emphasise defensive rebounding in pre-season interviews. 

Finally, the Spurs’ document will likely be largely decided by how they can clear up their turnovers and defensive rebounding all through the season. In the event that they proceed to lose the possession battle as badly as they did through the Clippers’ 1st quarter-run, it is going to be a tough season for the debut of this iteration of the San Antonio Spurs.