Week in Review: Shorthanded Spurs show off their depth with surprising undefeated week
11/25/2024 02:13 PM
Unsung heroes showed up in each game to help the Spurs to in improbable 3-0 week against stiff competition.
Welcome to the Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!
Week 4: The Spurs found new life on offense thanks to a three-game explosion from three from Victor Wembanyama and the emergence of Stephon Castle as a scoring threat.
Week 5: 3-0 (9-8, 10th in West)
110-104 win vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA Cup)
Recap: Despite missing their top three scorers to injury, the Spurs built an improbable lead against the then West-leading Thunder on the back of a first-half explosion from Keldon Johnson. They managed to get the lead as high as 21 before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a Thunder charge back, but the Spurs held on for the win, sealed by a clutch Castle block of the MVP candidate to get their first ever Cup win.
126-118 win vs. Utah Jazz (NBA Cup)
Recap: Still missing their top three scorers and perhaps riding the high of their previous win, the Spurs came out slow and sloppy against the cellar-dwelling Utah Jazz, getting down by as much as 20 in the first half. After likely receiving an earful in the locker room, they came out more focused on the defensive end in the second half, led by 6 blocks of the bench from Charles Bassey (the most off the bench for a Spurs player since 1984), and the Spurs roared back for their second straight win.
104-94 win vs. Golden State Warriors
Recap: With Victor Wembanyama back, the Spurs faced the best team in the West for a second time this week. They again got out to a slow start, getting behind by double digits early, but once again they woke up in the second half, biding their time until the Warriors (who were on the second night of a back-to-back) wore out. Overall, the Spurs outscored their opponent 40-13 in the final 13 minutes of the games, getting big contributions from everyone while holding Steph Curry to just 14 points in the game and getting on the winning side of .500 for the first time this season.
Power Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com— 13 (last week: 19)
OffRtg: 110.8 (21) DefRtg: 110.6 (8) NetRtg: +0.2 (15) Pace: 98.9 (17)
The Spurs have won three straight games, with wins over the two best teams in the Western Conference, to climb over .500 for the first time.
Three takeaways
1. The first two wins came without Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs held the Thunder and Jazz to just 106.7 points per 100 possessions. This winning streak has also come with Harrison Barnes' three highest-scoring games of the season, and Barnes had a pair of big buckets down the stretch against the Warriors on Saturday, helping the Spurs complete a crazy comeback against his former team.
2. The Spurs have trailed each of their last four games by double-digits, but now have four wins (they're 4-7) after trailing by 10 points or more. Last season, they won only two of the first 33 games that they trailed by 10 or more (finishing 8-53). They were down 17 late in the third quarter on Saturday before outscoring the Warriors, 40-13, over the final 13 minutes.
3. The Spurs' total point differential over their last four games is just plus-7. But they're a plus-38 (89-51) at the free throw line over that stretch, with their opponents attempting just 16.5 free throws per 100 shots from the field. With that, they're a hair ahead of the Celtics for the lowest opponent free throw rate (20.4 per 100) for the season.
The top two teams in free throw rate (on offense) are the Lakers and Jazz, who the Spurs will face this week. Two of the three times they've been outscored at the line are losses to Utah (by one point, minus-8 at the line) and L.A. (by five points, minus-6 at the line) in the last 16 days.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 13 (last week: 23)
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are the biggest winners of this past week. The Spurs find themselves on a three-game win streak, which has been held together with staple victories over the Thunder and Warriors. Better yet, this win against the Thunder came without Wemby on the court. What makes San Antonio a dangerous team is their belief and ability to comeback in games. This young team is beginning to find their confidence, and Chris Paul continues to prove why he is one of the best leaders in the entire league.
Coming up: Tues. 11/26 @ Utah Jazz (yes, again); Wed. 11/27 vs. Los Angeles Lakers; Sun. 12/1 @ Sacramento Kings
Prediction: 2-1 — My 1-2 prediction from last week certainly got blown out of the water in surprising fashion, and while this week's schedule isn't nearly as daunting from an opponent standpoint, the one thing preventing me from going all in is the Spurs' road record. They are relatively untested, sitting at just 1-5 and yet to show they can bring the same level of intensity without the home crowd behind them. Show me they can bring it on the road, and I'll be a true believer.
