Spurs Update

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The Spurs begin the 2012 playoffs against the Utah Jazz. We have the home court advantage against every team except the Chicago Bulls, who lost reigning MVP Derrick Rose to a torn ACL yesterday. I learned today that we hadn't won a series opener in 6 straight series. Gulp!

It was the usual starters for the Spurs, except Boris Diaw started at center - rather than DeJuan Blair or Tiago Splitter. It didn't matter because Diaw had 5 early points. Jack and Manu had 4 each off the bench as 8 different Spurs players scored in the quarter. Both teams appeared a little rusty after 1-Q: 28-22, Spurs.

Having a highlight dunk already, Manu came out and did it again, but after building an 8-pt. lead, the Spurs allowed the Jazz 6-straight to come within 2, 32-30. Jack would then nail a three, and it was now that we would finally see Tony get going. He would have 12 2nd-Q points to lead us to a 54-47 halftime lead.

Both defenses were tighter as the 3rd-Q began, but the 7-pt. halftime lead was quickly extended to 11 about halfway through the 3rd, as Tony, Timmy, and Kawhi all earned it at the line. Gordon Hayward, Al Jefferson, and Paul Millsap were really the only ones scoring for Utah, so Pop was in the process of changing his focus well away from Devin
It's what he does - Image Source (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Harris, who seemed non-existent. For the next four minutes, we would see some serious brilliance out of the Spurs' big three. Pick 'n' rolls galore, and all three continuing to create scoring opportunities in the paint, including this beautiful Manu assist to Timmy. Then with a 74-66 lead, Neal, Jackson, and Bonner would all hit threes, and along with a super lay-up by DeJuan Blair in his limited minutes, the lead became 15! Bonner's aforementioned three happened late enough that it was a GIGANTIC crowd boost as the quarter wound down.

Leading 85-70 through 3 quarters, Tinsley, Carroll, and Burks were the guys scoring for the Jazz. Then Jefferson & Tinsley made 5-straight to pull within 8 at 89-81 with 7:31 left. For the next 6 minutes, Tony, Manu, Bonner, & Jackson would outscore the Jazz 15-6 with a few
MVP Tony Parker, again - Image Source (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

key steals, and bad shooting by Devin Harris. Tony would follow-up his 12-point 2nd-Q with 12 more in the 2nd-half, leading the team with 28 pts., 8 assts., and 4 reb. on 10 of 19 shooting in 37 minutes. Time ran out on the Jazz, and the Spurs grabbed the 106-91 WIN, and while it wasn't our best, I'm not worried. We were out-rebounded 45-39, we shot only 35% from three (6 of 17), and we missed 8 FTs (20 of 28). But with only 10 turnovers compared to Jazz's 16, and their 6 more fouls, we were able to pull out a game that wasn't our best - by 15. Here's ESPN's boxscore.. Spurs lead 1-0.

Game 2 is Wednesday at 6 CDT, again in San Antonio.

Highlights of the first weekend were Durant's game-winner against Dallas, and an incredible Clippers comeback from 27 down in Memphis.