There’s a reason the Spurs haven’t lost a game since before you sent your taxes in (19 in a row now) — they can adapt and take what you give them. Gregg Popovich is the master of adjustments and this roster is a huge toolbox of options for him to choose from.
He and the Spurs found the right combination in the fourth — they went small which led to an 18-3 run early in the quarter to take the lead. Follow that up with 11 points fourth quarter points from Manu Ginobili to lead the Spurs to 39 fourth quarter points, and the Spurs picked up a 101-98 win to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
One game — especially the first game in a series — is not something fans should overreact to. Still, the way the Spurs have adjusted and adapted to teams over the course of playoff series, it has to be concerning for the Thunder that their opponent is only going to get better.
The first half of Game 1 felt like two boxers trying to feel each other out in the first round. Actually, that may be kind. It kind of felt more like Celtics/Sixers. The Spurs had 14 turnovers in the first half. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined to go 9-22 shooting, James Harden was 1-9. The whole game felt wrong.
Oklahoma City’s length and athleticism seemed to take a while for the Spurs to adjust to, especially in the first half when the Spurs seemed rushed trying to push the pace, but in the fourth quarter Popovich found a group that worked by going small (Boris Diaw never re-entered the game, Splitter played just a couple minutes at the start).
“We thought that (small) group gave us the best chance defensively and offensively at the other end for shooting, to get back in the game” Popovich said after the game. “We went down by nine, we thought we needed to generate a little bit of offense.”
That group did give them shooting — the Spurs shot 75 percent in the fourth quarter. More importantly, after the ugly first half the Spurs turned the ball over just three times in the second half. Part of those stats may have to do with Thunder coach Scott Brooks oddly sitting Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka — his two best defenders — for most of the fourth.
The Thunder would not roll over and when it got tight late San Antonio had Ginobili driving the lane and picking up key baskets.
“That’s Manu’s game, he’s a scorer, we depend on him to create and make things happen, whether it’s shooting or driving or assisting for somebody else,” Popovich said after the game. “It’s very important for us.”
The adjustments are on the Thunder now. San Antonio packed the paint when Westbrook or Durant drove the lane, the Thunder have to do what the Spurs do so well and it the open man on kickouts. Then knock down the shot. OKC didn’t play poorly and it’s easy to note all the good looks they seemed to miss. Oklahoma City got 27 points from Durant and 19 from Harden. Derek Fisher stepped up and added 13 points from the bench for the Thunder.
The Thunder only shot 42 percent as a team and didn’t finish well in the paint. They can play better.
But so can the Spurs. To a man they talked about it took them a while to find themselves, that they didn’t shoot well to open the game. And they will adjust. They will come back Tuesday with a better plan. Then they will see what works, Popovich will reach into his toolbox, and the Spurs will adjust.
And it will not be easy for the Thunder to keep up.
