Defense leads way in two-game win streak
Victory over Jazz shows gains in communication
Coach Gregg Popovich has his fingers crossed that the Spurs will continue to show the defensive improvement they exhibited in beating the Lakers and the Jazz the last two games.
In downing Los Angeles 133-120 on Friday, the Spurs held the Lakers to 21 points in the fourth quarter on 33.3 percent shooting from the field (8 of 24) and 10 percent from 3-point range (1 of 10).
On Sunday, they downed Utah 110-97 to snap a streak of 11 consecutive games in which they allowed 100 or more points.
“Communication (has improved), a little bit more understanding, guys getting used to playing with each other and understanding what the process is for the way we want to play,” Popovich said. “And I think it’s sinking in, so we’ll see if it continues. It’s about consistency, and we haven’t had that.”
The Spurs entered Sunday’s game ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories, including points per game (114.0), field goal percentage (48.5) and 3-point percentage (36.9). But while the effort against the Jazz didn’t exactly match the defense from the Big Three era, it was an improvement over how they’ve played much of this season.
“I think it’s the beginning of what we can be,” forward Rudy Gay said. “People forget we’re still learning.”
The biggest difference for the Spurs against Utah was that they followed the game plan, guard Patty Mills said.
“What we spoke about at the beginning of the game, (we did),” Mills said.
He also said it helped that the Spurs have played with a lot more aggressiveness offensively the last two games.
“I think there’s a correlation there in the way we are moving the ball offensively and being more aggressive physically and mentally,” Mills said.
In beating the Spurs by 34 points Tuesday, the Jazz hit 60.7 percent of their shots from the field (51 of 84), including 60.6 percent from 3-point range (20 of 33). On Sunday, the Spurs held them to 43.5 percent from the field (37 of 85) and 31 percent from beyond the arc (9 of 29).
“They didn’t shoot as well as they did last time against us, but that’s a credit to our defense and being able to scramble,” Mills said.
A simplified game plan Sunday also helped, Mills said.
“Tonight it was crystal clear all around,” he said. “We did a great job.”
Pressure to make an introduction: Although the sample size isn’t that large, DeMar DeRozan said playing for Popovich has been “great.”
“Being able to play for a guy like Pop, being respected the way he is, it’s definitely an honor,” DeRozan said.
DeRozan isn’t the only member of his family who is a big fan of Popovich, who with Sunday’s win moved into a tie with Pat Riley for fourth in career NBA wins with 1,210.
“It’s crazy,” DeRozan said. “I got cussed out by my mom this morning because she’s been dying to meet Pop. She told me today that I better make sure that she gets to meet him.”
Coach delivers shoes: Popovich is scheduled to give new shoes to all of the students enrolled at the San Antonio Independent School District’s Pershing Elementary on Monday through a donation to Shoes that Fit.
Shoes that Fit selected each pair of sneakers after measurements were taken from each student. More than 95 percent of the students at the East Side school are economically disadvantaged.
“You go to a school and you see those little kids going crazy over a new pair of gym shoes, you’ll know why it’s important,” Popovich said.
Shoes that Fit is a national nonprofit organization based in Claremont, Calif. Last year, it delivered new shoes to more than 120,000 children in 2,300 schools across 45 states.
“When a little boy or little girl comes up and has that box with their shoes in it and has their name on it and everything, it’s like gold to them,” Popovich said. ”You see their faces, and you know it’s a heck of a program.”
Two out for Spurs: The Spurs played without forwards Dante Cunningham and Davis Bertans.
Cunningham missed his first game after the Spurs downgraded him from questionable to out with abdominal soreness.
The Spurs said Bertans missed the game for personal reasons. He missed two games last season due to a concussion.