SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 46: SPURS VS. WOLVES, 27-1-2024, 7:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

Wemby block.

Wemby D board.

[G R E Y]

BAH! We had a chance to tie with the transition 3 but Cedi missed it.

Now Keldon hits a second chance 3 to bring it to within 2 and force their timeout!

[G R E Y]

10-2 start to the 4TH Q!

KEEP PUSHING IT AT THEM, SPURS!

[G R E Y]

Tre across the arc to left side Doug 3! For the lead!

[G R E Y]

Wemby stripped. He has to learn to not keep the ball so low that it's right in the area for opponent hands.

[G R E Y]

Wemby tried to thread the needle down the middle in transition but it goes off their heel. He had Devin on the right side. Make the right play.

[G R E Y]

We inbound. Sochan paint J puts us ahead.

They miss. We D board.

We push in transition.

Sochan fakes in the paint. Spins. Paint J.

Their timeout.

[G R E Y]

Sochan ANOTHER straight line drive into the paint, space creating spin, hook in the paint.

[G R E Y]

I think Devin shoots contested shots better.

[G R E Y]

Devin contested step back 3.

[G R E Y]

Dom lefty hook off glass

[G R E Y]

Tre to a cutting Devin who splits two defenders for a crafty layup.

[G R E Y]

Wemby flat shot off back of his hand miss.

Wemby D board.

Wemby Devin two man game for the Wemby 3 and Spurs 5-point lead.

[G R E Y]

Aaaaaaand we get caught on a top of arc 3 and don't contest that make damn...

[G R E Y]

KELDON FINDS THE O BOARD AND GETS FOULED. WELL DONE, WILDER!

[G R E Y]

Wemby misses two FTs.

Keldon makes 1-2FTs.

Both teams are 8-15FTs.

Damn...

[G R E Y]

PROTECT THE ARC PROTECT THE RIM, SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G R E Y]

GREAT MAN D, GREAT HELP DOUBLE UP HIGH BY KELDON WITH SOCHAN, GREAT SWITCH OVER BY WEMBY, GREAT STEP UP BY KELDON TO CONTEST THEIR FINAL 3 MISS!!!!!!!!!!

SPURS WIN!

WOOT! WOOT! WOOT!

GSG

[imagump1313]

I couldn't watch the last 2 games. Are you saying its me???? 2 GAMES IN A ROW?

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 113 WOLVES 112

Slow start. Strong finish. With a buildup along the way that raised eyebrows but couldn’t hope for hope. And yet... We pushed through! A 15-point deficit to a one-point win.

After the game Pop and some players interviewed called it our best win of the season, and for good reason. In the second of a back-to-back, facing a top West contender, we didn’t wilt in a double-digit deficit, and made pressure defensive stops and clutch shots.

We won the middle two Qs for a combined three points but these were just enough of a slither of light to keep going. Down 10 coming into the 4TH, we got rolling with a 10-2 start to take the lead at just under the 9 minute mark. The lead switched back and forth within three points all the way to just under five minutes when we led by 5 – and we needed every single point. Even as they went on a 5-0 run, and we made only one of our final four FTs (!), that edged us ahead.

And so, fittingly, we had to rely on our defense on their final possession. We doubled up high, switched well, forced the ball out of one of their best shooters, and made another take a contested miss. Physical, disciplined, quick, smart. We looked good, locked it, determined.

It was another messy start – something to amend, 6TOs in the 1ST Q, and Wemby with two quick fouls made for less aggressive, cohesive play. This was an almost exact opposite to how we finished which in terms of chancing patterns, was a big positive. The connecting line was Wemby’s strong play to start and strong team play to finish. He was 4-4, 2-2, 2-3FTs for 12 points with 2 boards and 1 assist in the 1ST Q alone. In the 4TH Q, Wemby made a clutch 3 while Keldon was 2-2 (a 3, a drive, 1-2FTs for 6 points), Sochan 3-4 (three paint buckets and 1-2FTs for 7 points), Devin 3-4 (a drive, a middy, a 3 for 7 points), and Doug 2-4 from 3 as well.

Our initial 13-point deficit was also in part from allowing too many open 3s of which they made 4-7 in the 1ST. And we finished the game on contesting their 3 miss tightly.

Keldon was really terrific on man and help D. He’s been much maligned for his defensive deficiencies so full credit for his effort and awareness to make the right play quickly and be in the right spots (much better over occupying empty space without purpose earlier even in many games this season). He held his own versus their big PF’s drive, kept his balance, and stripped him of the ball. This stood out all the more because we got pushed around quite a bit down low throughout a physical game. They’re a bigger team but we stayed resilient.

He may have struggled with inefficiency this game (bench high 14 on 6-14), but he also grabbed a bench high 7 boards and an incredible game-high 5 O boards, including two clutch ones in the 4TH Q. One resulted in a second chance Keldon 3. And after Sochan got blocked with less than 10 seconds left, it was Keldon who leapt after the ball and wrestled it away from defenders, held onto it, and got fouled. His 1-2FTs put us ahead the final time for good. Add to that his final double trap and switch to contest the final shot and, well, we couldn’t have won it without Keldon on both ends. All-out intelligent and gritty effort. There was a time that wouldn’t have been said about him, so full credit to Keldon for the great – wait for it – two-way, game saving plays!

Devin led us with 25 on a strong 11-17, 3-6 from 3, with 4 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals. He drove to the rim in every Q, and used his speed, physicality, and crafty finishes to good effect. He was using his full toolkit with those quick, D splitting drives, mid range Js off screens, and 3s. His synergy, reads, and set ups with Wemby are growing, too. Good to see their burgeoning two-man game. Good energy, and two-way contribution from start to finish.

Sochan. He is spreading his wings in a way that Pop likened to Manu in terms of how instinctual and brave he is. He may not (yet) have Manu’s experience, but he’s showing some new moves in more games now with a couple of curl drives into the paint and finishes off of spins, while adding a fake and finishing off a spin variation. Creating on the fly, varying patterns, better finishing touch. Lots of guts, physicality on both ends, willingness to risk stepping up to make key plays on O, all the while guarding multiple positions, including picking up the O initiator on their final play. He finished with 13 on 5-9, 0-1 from 3, 3-4FTs, with 4 boards (2 on O), 2 assists, 1 block. Clutch.

In 30 minutes, Wemby had 23 (9-17, 3-6 from 3, 2-5FTs) and 10, along with 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, but also 6TOs (that’s 13 in the last two games. Oof. Needs to clean that up). The clutch gene is strong, as is showing something new each game. In this one, it was the Shamgod move. Sweet. And he’s now imposing his game early. We’re doing a better job both finding him in alley oops in half court and in transition, passing to him in the post, and running P&Rs and pick and pops. In the 4TH Q we also did better holding our own in the Wemby rest minutes which were crucial in staying within striking distance.

Tre had our other double double with 12 (5-7, 2-3 from 3!), 11 assists, and 3 O boards. Great to have him back running point, running ahead in transition, and making corner 3s! We look our most cohesive best with him playing.

Blake was his back up and in 20 minutes was only 1-2 but got 3 assists, used his speed to good effect, and was vocal and confident in telling guys where to set up for our sets.

Branham: ANOTHER DNP-CD. I wonder if it’s sinking in?

With Zach out, Dom stepped in and contributed 9 on efficient 4-5, 1-2FTs, with 4 boards (2 on O), 1 assist and 1 block. Yes he was -18 but he is an undersized combo big facing more experienced behemoths. But he was physical and active, didn’t back down, and showed a nice touch, making all of his shots in the paint. He was efficient, didn’t turn the ball over, and held his own.

Julian, like Dom, played 18 minutes and was a good off ball mover, kept the ball moving, and made a 3. It’s great he has twins Doug (3-5 from 3) and Cedi (bench high 4 assists) as off-ball moving, quick read and decision-making examples for as long as we have them. In a game in which we couldn’t spare a single point, each contribution meant all the more.

We could have given ourselves a bigger cushion by making more than 8-15FTs(!), by protecting the ball better than 15TOs which cost us 14 points (we broke even here).

Although we lost the PITP 60-52, we used our pace to get a 12-7 fast break edge. Rebounding was once again a welcomed strength, winning the overall battle 39-32 and an impressive 14-7 on O boards, where we made the most of our second chances for a 17-9 advantage.

Of course, there is room for improvement, but the resilient spirit, the coming together in the most important times, and the steady fight to position ourselves for a win were impressive. We made passes and shots, executed plays, and got defensive stops that relied on team effort in ways that we had not put together as well in key moments before. It’s big for us to have played together and pushed through in a pressure situations. Feels good. Bottle it. Use it again.