SPUR-EVER: Ten Titles

Westbrook's strong game was spoiled by the Spurs' fighting spirit. The Spurs pulled off the comeback of the season so far, just barely eclipsing the visitor Houstn Rockets by a single point, persevering past a 24-point deficit after being unable to hit the broadside of a barn in the first quarter, going 35% by halftime from the field. San Antonio would show tremendous heart on the defensive end, winning both the third and fourth quarters in the scoring column, even overcoming foul trouble for Brandon Ingram. Houston seemed to regain control, as less than five minutes remained in the fourth quarter, with Joe Harris and other sharpshooters of the Spurs not able to light up the scoreboard. This comeback would not have been possible without impressive, strong play by Ingram, J.R. Smith & Dejounte Murray (30 points, 9 assists, 2 steals, 10-16). Smith was the first half spark for San Antone, whereas Murray had the game winning basket and Brandon Ingram (21 points) was clutc...

Journeymen Michael Beasley (former #2 pick) and Sam Dekker are now members of the San Antonio Spurs organization. Both roster hopefuls will spend time initially with the Austin Spurs of the G-League, with Dekker's agreement being a two-day contract given only his four years of NBA experience. Beasley & Dekker had previously spent time overseas after not catching traction with a handful of NBA teams so far in their careers, despite each player's potential and athleticism. With the Spurs looking to always improve the athleticism of the team, this pair of moves makes sense, also when each player's shooting ability from 3PT range is taken into account. Neither is a sharpshooter by any stretch, but have shown flashes of being able to contribute in the open floor and on the scoreboard. Beasley being the better shooter between the two, it was only two seasons ago that he shot 39% for the Knicks from beyond the arc and 41% for the Bucks the year before. Dekker is most...

Brandon Ingram sent the Spurs back to Texas with a win. The referees may have missed a back-court violation on Derrick Rose for Detroit's final possession, which ultimately led to the put-back lay-in by Andre Drummond (24 points, 21 rebounds, 5 blocks), but nothing could stop Brandon Ingram from taking up the mantle and his place as alpha, fadeaway-jumper for the 1-PT victory at the buzzer, crushing the hearts of the Pistons fans inside Little Caesars Pizza Arena. The Spurs called timeout with 5.0 left on the clock after the controversial sequence, as Coach Popovich was livid on the sidelines. "I told him to take us home, come what may on that shot," Coach Popovich spoke after the game. "Brandon's come a long way with us so far, and I'm sure his game-winner is all over the web now. Brandon has been working hard on developing some go-to shots, so he deserves all the likes and tweets," Popovich joked and did not mention the blown call by officials. ...