Takeaways from the Spurs’ huge Game 2 victory vs Houston

After being embarrassed on their home court in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the San Antonio Spurs blew out the Houston Rockets and reminded everyone why they are legitimate championship contenders

It was one hell of a night in San Antonio. In what was considered a “must-win” game for Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs, the black and grey came out of the gates on fire, scoring 33 first quarter points.

They did allow the Houston Rockets to drop 30 of their own in the opening period, but a focal point for the home team was to keep up with the offensive juggernaut that is Mike D’Antoni’s Houston club. Throughout the game, the pace was controlled by the Rockets. However, San Antonio was ready to get out of their comfort zone and match the up-tempo style of their opponents.

After totaling just 19 assists in all of Game 1, the Spurs thrived while making the extra passes – they had 11 dimes in the first in Game 2.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

• Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
• NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
• Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
• Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
• NBA Power Rankings: Tiering all 30 projected starting point guards for 2023-24

The first quarter was an offensive clinic, which was made obvious by the combined 63 points. Houston shot 52 percent from the field in the first -a number that just edged out their 50 percent three-point shooting. The Spurs impressively outmatched the Rockets field goal percentage by draining 58 percent of their own shots, but only made 43 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

San Antonio extended its lead in the second quarter, and held a 10-point lead going into the locker room at halftime. They held Houston to only 15 – they shot 50 in Game 1 – first-half three-point field goal attempts. Pop’s team was shooting 56 percent from the field and 46 percent from outside the arc at the half.

The 19 assists totaled in Game 1 was matched by the half. It was a fantastic half for the Spurs and a disappointing half for Houston, but the game was still close.

Ryan Anderson had 15 points and five rebounds at halftime, but the most impressive stat of his was his 6-for-6 shooting. Ryno’s knockdown shooting was key to keeping the game in striking distance, especially because of MVP-candidate James Harden’s struggles. The Beard was 1-for-9 in the first half and scored only three points. Perhaps even more surprisingly, he attempted no free throws through the half.

Danny Green was a part of Anderson’s “Never Miss a Shot” club in the first half of the contest, as he shot 5-for-5 in the first half, scoring 12 points. Tony Parker scored 11 first half points, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who hasn’t seemed like himself in recent weeks, dropped nine of his own through the first 24 minutes.

Leonard didn’t let his teammates do all the work, however, as he totaled 20 points of his own through the break.

Somebody must have woken James Harden up in the locker room at halftime, because he showed glimpses of himself after the break. His 10 points in the 3rd quarter led the Rockets in cutting the San Antonio lead to five points heading into the final period. In fact, until a last-second jumpshot by Jonathon Simmons at the end of the quarter, we had a three point game on our hands.

The 3rd was met with some controversy, as the NBA’s flopping issue was made evident after shows were put on by Harden and Patty Mills.

James, who was behind the three-point line, initiated contact with a defender and drew the foul, which bought him three free throws. But we’ve all seen that before, and maybe the NBA will look to actually enforce their anti-flopping rules after seeing this act on display.

Live Feed

Air Alamo

Mills retaliated to the Harden theatrics by falling wildly after being clipped in the shoulder by Harden, who was driving past him into the lane. This one was much worse than Harden’s, and the offensive foul got San Antonio the ball back.

I don’t know where Tony Parker got his time machine, but Game 2 convinced me that he brought his 2007 self back to play Game 2. The six-time all-star was carried off the court in the 4th quarter with what looked like a nasty leg injury, but he was cooking before taking the hard fall. Parker had 18 points through three quarters, and led the Spurs on an 11-0 run between the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th that put San Antonio into the driver’s seat for the remainder of the contest.

Kawhi Leonard was given a rest to start the 4th quarter. The lineup while he was on the bench included Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Pau Gasol. Watching those three lead a team to a victory brought my 18-year-old self back to the good ol’ days of the 2000’s, admiring those three players in their primes.

Manu finished with six points, three assists, and five rebounds. The only remaining Gasol brother in this postseason dropped six points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and swatted four shots. Popovich called upon him to replace the struggling David Lee in the San Antonio starting lineup, and Pau rose to the challenge in a significant way. Who would’ve thought that Gasol would be providing a larger defensive spark than offensive in the playoffs?

The Spurs outscored Houston by 20 points in the 4th quarter, and won the game by an incredible 25 points. The Rockets were plagued both by an awful game by the standards of James Harden, who still finished with a 13-10-7 line, and a remarkable performance by Leonard (34 points-8 assists-7 rebounds), who David Fizdale might have been right about.

Some random thoughts about the game:

• Despite the 15 points and eight rebounds he had in Game 3, LaMarcus Aldridge still does not look like himself. The mid-range jump shots that were once so automatic aren’t falling, and the Spurs need him to get back to form to beat the Rockets (and maybe Warriors), who will come back strong.
• Tony Parker is out for the remainder of this series (and the season), so San Antonio is in big trouble. Rookie Dejounte Murray will receive big minutes in the worst case scenario, and Houston’s depth may be too much for an unexperienced player to handle on such a huge stage.
• Houston’s bench unit, which has been so dominant all season (especially after the addition of Lou Williams), may have finally met a worthy opponent. If Simmons, Mills, and Ginobili continue to play as they did in Game 2, this series could lean heavily in favor of Pop and company.

Must Read: Why Trouble Awaits The Spurs In Houston

• Although the first two games of the series have gotten out of control (in favor of each team), the games will be much closer in Houston. Each has had an off game to shake off the rust, and now everybody will be ready to grind out the rest of the series.