SPUR-EVER: Ten Titles

The Lakers rallied, but fell short in Game 1. Brandon Ingram got two clutch blocks on LeBron James, spoiling the King's triple-double. A quick flurry by the Lakers nearly buckled the Spurs out of contention early, but they withstood the powerful scoring salvo to come back and seize control with a 52-49 halftime yield. Dejounte Murray blocked Danny Green's 3PT attempt, dishing the ball smartly all game long to P.J. Tucker, J.R. Smith & Avery Bradley for clutch makes from beyond, nearly earning a double-digit lead to begin the fourth quarter, 82-73. The Lakers fired up the comeback effort, but the Spurs clamped down on D highlighted by Mosgov swatting LeBron's jump hook attempt. Despite the loss, the Lakers dominated the glass overall and nearly blew out San Antonio in quarter one, a worry that will definitely linger into Game 2. This game was won by strong performances by Brandon Ingram & Dejounte Murray. The biggest takeaway is San Antonio finally defeating the ...

It was like deja vu for Spurs fans tonight, as they witnessed Brandon Ingram will the Spurs to a victory in Game 5, as he had done in Game 7 v. Utah before spraining his elbow. There were worries about Ingram's return disrupting chemistry, given the promising contributions by Prince & Tucker in his absence. The compromise was Ingram coming off the bench and unleashing the scoring power the Spurs had missed for the first four games of this series v. Los Angeles. Always exciting, Ingram was tasked with guarding Kawhi Leonard for spells. He came into the game after a 13-25 opening by the home team, as it became clear that LA was struggling to make shots. Taurean Prince had made two threes, and Tucker one. Joe Harris got going next, making it 23-40, then 31-50 at halftime. Ingram's first points came off a fierce fast-break throw-down, 50-67 after the third quarter. The Clippers, especially Kawhi Leonard, defied the end to their season and championship aspirations, sur...

Kawhi did his best, but P.J. Tucker's 3PTer did in LA. The Spurs led 20-17 after one, but Lou Williams kept the Clippers in the mix early. Still, San Antonio clutched a 9-PT spread, as Derrick White dove for the loose ball to spark a 14-4 run that included two 3PTers by Joe Harris. Timofey Mosgov swatted the ball, leading to a 3PTer by Taurean Prince, and soon the Spurs were up 62-47, then 70-57 after the third. In dramatic fashion, Kawhi Leonard put the Clippers on his back and tied the game with a couple minutes to spare, queuing P.J. Tucker to get a slick pass from Dejounte Murray on the right wing, splashing the clutch 3PTer for a three-point lead once more. Patrick Beverley hit a layup, and Murray missed one of two. The Spurs smartly fouled Beverley next, not risking a 3PT chance, and Patrick hit 1-of-2. Redeeming himself, Murray made both free throws. Having a cold series, Paul George missed the corner 3PT tie attempt as the buzzer sounded, sending the series back to ...

Leonard shot 3-11, scoring only 6 points. The Clippers couldn't make a shot at home, losing badly after a 15-3 early deficit. Dejounte Murray hit a layup, Avery Bradley splashed a 3, then Tucker hit one, and the Spurs were up 43-22. LA began to lose the ball, going down 56-34 at halftime. Bradley stole it, Murray dunked it, then Bradley hit another 3. Nik Stauskas got the green light next, burying LA with four threes. Once the outcome was certain, the Spurs rested the stars. Murray had 14 points, 5 assists & 3 steals. Taurean Prince got the start at SF, finishign with 13 points & 2 steals. Jarrett Allen continues to be a problematic force in the paint, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds & 4 blocks. Avery Bradley had 11 points, 5 rebounds & 5 assists. P.J. Tucker continued to frustrate Paul George (19 points, 7-16) for 10 points, 6 rebounds & 5 assists. J.R. Smith chipped in 10 points. The Quarters 1st: 27-16, Spurs 2nd: 29-18, Spurs 3rd: 26-16, Spurs 4t...

Lou Williams won it for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard had 22 points, 7 rebounds & 6 assists as the Clippers broke even in Game 2, despite a 6-23 showing by Paul George (14 points) and a fifteen point advantage early by the Spurs at home. Dejounte Murray came up small in crunch time, going 6-16 overall for 19 points, with 3 turnovers. J.R. Smith tied the game late after LA finally took the lead, making it 98-98, only for Sweet Lou Williams to nail the clutch floater. The Spurs missed on the next possession, but after Patrick Beverley made both free throws, Jarrett Allen hit two also. With the game in contention, Montrez Harrell (who had missed some earlier in the game) hit both free throws, prompting a desperate 3PT attempt by Nik Stauskas (0-5 FG%) to misfire. In some redeeming quality, Taurean Prince dropped 20 points, but P.J. Tucker also went 0-5. Joe Harris had 17 points, but couldn't hit from long range in the second half when the lead dwindled. Jarrett Allen had 15 ...

The Jazz have acquired Jordan Clarkson. Fresh off a narrow defeat in a seven-game series with the defending dynastic champions, the Utah Jazz have already begun chasing higher aspirations for next season. Going to the Cavaliers is Dante Exum, who had one nice performance out of seven for the Jazz against San Antonio, and in his wake arrives Jordan Clarkson, the former Lakers prospect. Exum has the longer contract, with spotty injury history, so it's a win-win for both teams. Cleveland acquires another prospect with not too long of a deal, and Utah gets a shorter contract with more consistent contribution. Clarkson has one year left on his deal, with two for Exum, who is three years younger than Clarkson.

Leonard dropped 30, but LA lost by 20. Feeling some semblance of unity and vision with Ingram on the sidelines, the Spurs were burdened further by an awful start despite Avery Bradley's first-possession steal and layup. Two things paid off for them: defense and patience. Spur-fection eventually got going, with Harris & Stauskas splashing threes, holding close in the first by 12 (27-15). Tucker stuck with George all game long (15 points, 6-22), with P.J. scoring 7 points and 5 boards. The bench came on strong, sparked by the fight from J.R. Smith in the first quarter, getting the veteran start at the 3 slot, tasked with being a consistent presence for Leonard to acknowledge. Smith would go on to score 18 points, with player of the game honors, hitting 4-6 from long range with 3 steals. Dejounte Murray's touch was off this game, but he managed 3 points (3-13, 2-2 3PT) and showed some perimeter promise. Timofey Mosgov was a force down low, with 14 rebounds and 7 points...

The Spurs found a way to win Game 7. Game 7 -- something that has only happened now three times over the course of nine championship runs for a total of 37 playoff rounds. It'd been four seasons since the Jazz were ousted by the Spurs 4-1, most undeniably taking a pound of flesh from the champions in this series, becoming only the third team to push the dynasty to a final four quarters. Before tonight, the Spurs had only gone seven games with the Mavericks & Trailblazers in years past, with the Pelicans stretching them to six games four seasons ago. "They scared the crap out of us. We did win, right? You're sure? No, in all seriousness, I want to congratulate Coach Snyder on a tremendous season with the Jazz, and boy did he ever light a fire in those guys. They gave us their best, and brought something close to ours just for us to make it out of this round in seven great games of basketball. We have got to do better, but I'm proud of our resilience tonight an...

Brandon Ingram put the Spurs on his back. The Spurs would not relinquish the championship in Utah tonight, somehow overcoming the raucous crowd and a 23-30 hole after one. Brandon Ingram became the spearhead of survival for San Antone, scoring 36 points in a stellar 15-24 showcase. Dejounte Murray woke up for the grim undertaking, dropping 27 points wih 10 assists. P.J. Tucker had 10 points; Taurean Prince scored 8 points. Avery Bradley managed two steals for 7 points. Nik Stauskas hit two clutch threes, with Timofey Mosgov revealing his worth down low for 14 rebounds 7 3 blocs. Jarrett Allen was the greatest defender tonight with 7 blocks & 9 rebounds! There were whispers of blowing up the roster had the Spurs gone down in flames tonight, seeing its roster struggle to score and being unable to find the perfect starting five all season long. Tonight, they earned more time to figure it out. Yet Game 7 awaits and Coach Popovich will have to answer. Donovan Mitchell went 9/2...

The Spurs find themselves on the verge of elimination, losing Game 5 at home, trailing 64-50 at halftime and unable to overcome it reaching within five points late in the fourth. Brandon Ingram had 31 points, 10 rebounds. J.R. Smith stepped up for 23 points, hitting five threes. Murray had 16 points, 6 assists. Joe Harris chipped in 15 points, with Bradley & Stauskas combining for 23 points. Timofey Mosgov had 12 rebounds, but Gobert devoured the paint with 28 points, 28 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell had just enough in 20 points to pull off this downer of a night, with Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds. Conley had 16 points, 9 assists. San Antonio will travel to Utah, facing elimination, a new reality it hasn't dealt with in years.

Donovan Mitchell spear-headed a comeback with 39 points, 15-33, for the Jazz in a game that had the Spurs up by twelve-point advantage in the second half. The Jazz won the 4th Quarter, 36-25 to pull the upset, evening the series at two wins each. Luka Samanic made his playoff debut as the Spurs led 47-45 at halftime, finishing with 8 points. The Spurs were led by Ingram's 16 points, going 6-20, 1/6 from three, despite 8 rebounds & 4 blocks. Mike Conley had a solid 15 and 8. Murray had a bad game of 11 points, 7 assists, unable to score down low. Allen & Mosgov did their best for 19 rebounds, but Joe Harris went 3-11 tonight. Rudy Gobert had 21 rebounds with 14 points, 4 blocks.

The Spurs came out hungry, sour after a Game 2 upset, going up 31-19 in the first. The bench wavered, but the stars recuperated control to lead 56-47 at halftime. Joe Harris lit up for 18 points on six threes, showing his clutch abilities on a team that has otherwise lost its shooting prowess. Brandon Ingram covered Mitchell in this game, holding him to 21 points on a putrid 8-27, 2-8 3PT. For Utah, Joe Ingles had 15 with Conley only notching 12&7. Gobert was again a dominant interior presence for 34 rebounds, despite the loss. Ingram led with 27 points, 8 rebounds & 3 steals. Murray had 21 & 8. J.R. Smith surprised for 16 points with 2 steals; Allen & Mosgov contended with Gobert for 23 rebounds & six blocks.

The Jazz hit a 3PTer late, spoiling the later-than-never rally by the home team with a bad shooting stroke on the night, as Brandon Ingram (22 points, 8/19, 5 fouls) could not answer the call. Murray had 22 points with 9 assists, sparking the run late, with Joe Harris stepping up for 20 on six threes. Prince & Stauskas sadly went 3-18. 1st Qtr: 17-20, SA 2nd Qtr: 32-21, UT 3rd Qtr: 38-36, SA 4th Qtr: 34-32, UT Donovan Mitchell scored the Spurs for 36 points, bombing six from deep territory. Conley had 20 with 11 assists. Rudy Gobert devoured the glass with 26 rebounds.

Brandon Ingram sparked the playoffs with a dunk, then Avery Bradley stole the ball and buried a 3PTer in transition, but the Jazz would fight back in the next quarter despite trailing 50-61 at halftime. Mike Conley & Donovan Mitchell matched Ingram's output with 20 points. Something possessed Utah in the third quarter, seizing a three-point lead, before Bradley saved the day with a clutch 3PTer late in the fourth. The Jazz had two chances to score in the closing seconds, but the game went to extra minutes. San Antonio woke up, seeing Rudy Gobert (7 points, 19 rebounds) foul out quickly on the first possession, demoralizing the road team. Ingram finished with 33 points; Murray had 28 points with 6 assists. J.R. Smith scored 12; Jarrett Allen had 11, 11 & 4 blocks. Timofey Mosgov dominated with 15 rebounds. In the loss, Conley reached 26 points with 13 assists (9-22 FG%) with Mitchell's 20 on a 7-16 night. Uncharacteristically, the Spurs made only seven deep shots...

Zion had a meager 8 points, 9 rebounds. After losing to the Pelicans last time around, the Spurs got revenge tonight, downing New Orleans 89-135, with Nik Stauskas piercing an exclamation point on a 3PTer at the buzzer. The marksman had 35 points, making nine long balls. San Antonio led 43-25 after one quarter, and 73-45 by halftime, then 104-64 after three. The Pelicans bumbled 26 turnovers. Avery Bradley had five steals, seven assists for 14 points. Ingram scored 22 & 8. Taurean Prince scored 18. San Antone dished 36 assists, making 19 threes.

  Dejounte Murray scored 23 points in the first quarter in a shutout display in Denver as the Spurs won by 55 points, hitting 21 three-pointers with 42 assists & 67 rebounds. The Nuggets were trumped in the third quarter, 33-8. Joe Harris contributed eight of the 21 threes, scoring 24 points, with Nik Stauskas splashing in five of his own for 17 points. Jarrett Allen had 14 points, 12 rebounds with 5 blocks. Dragan Bender delighted with 8 points & 12 rebounds. Denver's stars had nothing to offer, going 3-21 overall (Jokic & Murray). The Spurs led 41-19 after one, as the Nuggets shot 27% overall.

D'Angelo Russell had 21 points & 12 assists in the loss. After some wins by the Spurs second unit in which Luka Somanic showed flashes of promise, the Spurs reactivated its stars led by Brandon Ingram's 31 points to top the rival Warriors, with Steph Curry scoring 31 points. Dejounte Murray kept his team in the running for the first half, finishing with 27 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. The Spurs had a trademark 3rd Quarter burst, winning the period 37-26 and the fourth quarter 36-29 also. J.R. Smith scored 14 points, whereas Jarrett Allen & Timofey Mosgov combined for 19 rebounds. San Antonio made seventeen 3PT shots.