Turnovers haunt Spurs in loss to Thunder
Two days after blowing out the upstart Knicks, the Spurs failed to maintain their momentum against Oklahoma City, resulting in a 107-102 loss to close out the first half of the season. The result might be disappointing given the large lead that San Antonio had, but the game shouldn’t be a cause for worry given the team’s current depleted state.
Right from tip-off, the Spurs played sloppy defense, giving Oklahoma City some wide-open looks from three. San Antonio’s defensive lapses seemed to be a product of miscommunication rather than a lack of effort, which was an issue that popped up later in the game as well. Thankfully, the team had no such problems on the offensive end. The high pick and roll involving Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl was especially effective, generating good mid-range looks for the guard while opening up passing lanes for other teammates.
After the opening minutes of the game, the Spurs began to find their footing on both sides of the court, leading to a 10-2 run to start the second quarter. San Antonio moved the ball efficiently and some well-timed cuts helped generate easy looks at the basket. Even when the offense stagnated somewhat, Murray continued to hit his mid-ranger jumper which fueled the Spurs’ run, allowing the team to outscore the Thunder 37-23 in the second and enter halftime up 11.
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