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Spurs 112, Thunder 77
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
SAN ANTONIO — They come at opponents in waves, future Hall of Famers and adept role players comprising the NBA’s deepest roster.
Guard Tony Parker, one of the stars, scored 22 points. Guard Danny Green, part of the supporting cast, made seven 3-point baskets and scored 21. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-77 Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were limited to 15 point apiece, converting just 13 of 40 shots between them. Their 30 points together were 26.6 fewer than they have averaged during the playoffs.
The Spurs, leading by 14 at halftime, outscored the Thunder 33-18 in the third quarter. They converted 12 of 16 shots (75 percent) in the process.
Oklahoma City is playing without injured shot-blocking forward Serge Ibaka, who has a strained calf and will miss the rest of the playoffs, according to coach Scott Brooks.
The Spurs took advantage by scoring 54 points in the paint. They pummeled the Thunder with Green’s 3-point baskets. They outshot Oklahoma City 50 percent to 39.3 overall.
Forward Tim Duncan contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds. Center Tiago Splitter grabbed 10 rebounds and made three blocks.
San Antonio made an 11-2 push during the final 2:18 of the first half to take a 58-44 lead.
The Spurs made three 3-point baskets during the run, two by Green, the other by Manu Ginobili.
Green hit four 3-pointers in the half. On one, Ginobili made one of those passes that only he seems to make, flinging the ball from the left corner across the baseline to the right corner.
Ginobili’s 3-pointer came from 27 feet after he secured an offensive rebound.
Oklahoma City contributed to the strong finish by San Antonio by committing three turnovers during the final 1:31 of the half.
Parker produced 14 points and five assists in the half. Durant and Westbrook scored 11 each for Oklahoma City, but they combined to make just nine of 26 shots.
Oklahoma City had another issue — too much fouling. The Spurs hit 15 of 17 free throws in the first half. The Thunder made four of nine.
NOTES: F Nick Collison went scoreless Monday in Game 1 in his first start of the season, missing three shots in 15:32 of playing time. But coach Scott Brooks left Collison in the starting lineup on Wednesday as the replacement for injured F Serge Ibaka. “With Nick, he does so many of the little things that sometimes Nick forgets that he has a wide-open shot,” Brooks said. “He’s a good shooter. We want him to take those shots.” … Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said F Boris Diaw is “fine” after getting poked in the right eye by Thunder C Steven Adams in the first half of Game 1. … The Spurs had the best record in the NBA this season — and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs — despite F Kawhi Leonard having missed 16 games, and guards Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green 14 apiece. … Collison made a 12-foot shot in the first half by batting a pass from Derek Fisher into the basket. With .01 seconds left on the shot clock, there was no time to catch the pass and get a shot off.
