Going into game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, San Antonio Spurs’ Coach Gregg Popovich knew what he would get out of his best players, but not what he would get out of his bench.
And Popovich, Coach of the Year, had reason to be skeptical. The young Spurs players do not have a ton of playoff experience. Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, and Gary Neal combined have played in as many playoff games as the Thunder’s Kevin Durant (32).
As the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 1, 101-98, Popovich found out what his bench and young players are made of. While the Spurs were led by Manu Ginobili (26 points), Tim Duncan (16), and Tony Parker (18); the Spurs’ bench outplayed the Thunder’s bench.
Ginobili’s buzzer beater:
The big differences in the game were the bench scoring—52 Spurs, 37 Thunder and rebounding, 50 to 43, Spurs.
While the Thunder’s bench featured the exploits of Derek Fisher (13) and James Harden (19), the Spurs’ youth and bench players provided a balanced attack. Splitter had 9 points and 6 rebounds; Neal scored 12; and Leonard 7 points and 7 rebounds.
What was most amazing about the Spurs win was that down 9 in the 4th quarter, it wasn’t Duncan, Ginobili or even Parker who made the difference. Down by 9, the Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (5 points in 4th quarter) and Gary Neal (7 points in 4th) went to work. The first time a Spur not named Splitter or Neal scored in the 4th was when Parker made a jumper to tie the game at 73.
So, while the Spurs veterans carried them home at the very end of the game, it was the unlikely and inexperienced young Spurs who got them in a position to win.
Rob S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition living in Los Angeles. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. De France has played, coached, and officiated competitive high school basketball in California for many years. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.
