San Antonio Spurs win their fourth straight; romp to a 111-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors
The San Antonio Spurs entered the game with the best record in the NBA at 43-8 and were the odds on favourites to cruise past the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors however gave the Spurs a run for their money in the first three quarters
and were within three points entering the fourth quarter.
However, the Spurs returned to their sizzling own in the last twelve minutes and uprooted the Toronto defence to script a 111-100 win.
The Spurs were led by a balanced attack, as five players scored in double-figures. The shortest centre in the league, DeJuan Blair had a brilliant individual performance as he tied a career high with 28 points and also pulled down
team-high 11 rebounds.
Spurs guard George Hill, who chipped in with 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds on the night, was all praise for Blair after the game, "Laying it on the line every play. He is the type that is going to lay it on the line,
rebound, and do some dirty work. Do all of the things so we do not worry about his size, we all know that he can make up for that with his strength. He just bullies people."
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan each had 16 points in the victory. The duo also showcased some efficient defence on the perimeter. Manu Ginobili finished the night with 12 points, nine assists, and four assists for San Antonio, who
extended their winning-streak to four games.
Andrea Bargnani top scored for the Raps with a game-high 29 points while DeMar DeRozan had 25 points. Guard Leandro Barbosa also racked up 20 points for the Raptors, who are now 14-39 during this season.
Game Story
Both teams played the opening quarter with more or less same intensity. The Spurs made 13-of-20 shots in the frame. However, they could not tame the Raptors’ offence in doing so and led by only 31-29, going into the second.
The second quarter was more of the same, with San Antonio leading 60-56 at halftime.
The Raptors upped their ante in the third and led by seven at one point. However, the Spurs responded late in the period and managed to take an 84-81 advantage into the fourth.
The Spurs looked a completely different team in the fourth period and they blew the Raps with a 21-9 run to expand the lead to 105-90, with 3:37 left in the game.
Barbosa made some quick baskets in the next two minutes, but only managed to bring the deficit to 96-105, with 01:56 remaining.
After the game, Toronto’s guard Jose Calderon rued the cold shooting of his team in the fourth quarter.
"We started missing our shots," "When you're playing the best team in the NBA, if you make mistakes, they will take advantage of it and they will beat you. When you're playing a tough team you have to do it for the full 48 minutes,"
Jose Calderon stated.
The win further enhances the current NBA record of San Antonio as they move to 44-8 on the current season.
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