Series a defensive duel

Spurs, Warriors among best at limiting opponents.

“Defense” and “physicality” were the key words as the Austin Spurs finished up practice Thursday.

And that will be put to the test when Austin hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA D-League Western Conference Finals on Friday at the Cedar Park Center.

“Both teams take very good pride in their defense, and I expect it to be a battle,” Spurs guard Orlando Johnson said. “I expect the team that can make the little plays — the 50 /50 plays, get on the ground, grab up loose balls, and stop the other team in transition — will win this series.”

In the D-League, highpaced offensive basketball is the norm. During the regular season, 218.86 points were scored per game, and of the 18 teams in the league, only the Westchester Knicks didn’t average at least 100 points.

Santa Cruz and Austin reached the postseason by limiting offensive outputs.

The Warriors, who had league’s best record at 35-15, led the D-League in defensive efficiency.

The Spurs’ numbers took a hit after a late-season skid, but they rebounded in the first round of the playoffs, limiting the Bakersfield Jam to 88 and 86 points in Games 2 and 3.

“We got back to what we needed in the past couple games,” Spurs coach Ken McDonald said. “We’re a better team when we build on our defense. If you look at us from early on in the season and now, that’s what’s carried us to where we are.”

Santa Cruz’s swarming defense is led by point guard Aaron Craft, who was recently named the NBA’s D-League defensive player of the year. Craft is joined in the backcourt by Elliott Williams, an NBA first-round pick in 2010.

The Spurs’ defense has improved since 6-11 center Mouhamed Sene joined the team with seven games left in the regular season and became acclimated in the lineup. Sene averaged 10 rebounds a game against Bakersfield and blocked a league-high 10 shots in the first round.

“I’ve been a defensive player since I started playing basketball,” Sene said. “That’s what I love when I’m running up the court, being able to play defense.”

Defending their home court is also a key for Game 1. Austin will have to win the series at Santa Cruz’s Kaiser Permanente Arena, where the home team posted a league-best 19-7 record.