The San Antonio Spurs were a bit rusty after two days of rest, and they failed to escape the Phoenix Suns, starting their four-game road trip 0-1.
The Spurs only led by five through the opening quarter
because their offense got sloppy in the latter stage, while they committed four turnovers and conceded five offensive rebounds that led to Phoenix’s seven second-chance points. Those issues persisted early in the next frame, but De’Aaron Fox kept them afloat, getting to the line and setting up Luke Kornet, who also cleaned up the backline, forcing misses when the Suns got extra looks.
Jeremy Sochan and rookie Carter Bryant gave them some juice off the bench, yet their 3-point attempts weren’t falling. They also had eight turnovers when they went to halftime ahead by seven. Fox was their only double-digit scorer (13) up to that point, and they unsuccessfully force-fed him in the next quarter. He was so frustrated when he took his first rest that he earned a technical foul, and the Suns took their first lead since a few minutes into the game.
Devin Vassell’s 3-point shooting kept them from falling apart as the turnovers continued mounting. Then Fox checked back in late in the period, yet they still went into the fourth down six. The Spurs fell behind by as many as 13, and couldn’t stop the bleeding before time ran out. Two of the main culprits were Collin Gillespie and Dillon Brooks.
Observations
- The Suns committed 13 fewer turnovers than the Spurs. On top of that, Phoenix’s long-range attack was nonexistent in the first half, making only 24 percent of attempts, yet it came back with a vengeance after intermission, making 47.6 percent of shots.
- Brooks started the game shooting 14 percent, and then emerged as the Spurs killer, making turnaround jumpers and two second-half 3-pointers. Devin Booker also had an atrocious start, but got stronger as the game went along to finally get the Kentucky matchup with Fox going. The two Kentucky guards didn’t defend each other most of the game.
- Fox attacking the lane and embracing contact got him to the line for eight of the team 19 first-half free throws. Disrupting the flow of the game with so many attempts is like when a boxer throws a solid strike and clinches to burn time. He had a solid fourth quarter, getting to the line and breaking inside the lane.
- Despite the Suns having a slightly below-average paint defense, the Spurs struggled to score at close range, making only 52 percent of attempts, which is 14.6 percent below the league average. Their awful 3-point shooting in combination with that was a fatal dose.
- Keldon Johnson put up some decent numbers, but his impact wasn’t as pronounced before the Spurs found themselves in a crater.
- The Spurs’ big man rotation had a tough night. They allowed Phoenix only three second-half offensive rebounds, but that turned into seven points. Luke Kornet is solid, but the Phoenix’s actions exposed them after too much time.
