San Antonio Spurs: Brutal Back-to-Back Kicks Off Second Half

The long dormant week without real basketball is over. Both the All-Star Game and the trade deadline are in the rearview mirror as the NBA moves towards the stretch run.

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The San Antonio Spurs had a quiet All-Star weekend, with Tim Duncan playing only 15 minutes in the game, scoring two points and grabbing nine rebounds, and also had a quiet trade deadline, failing to make a move when it seemed like nearly everyone in the NBA was changing teams. Seriously, that was insane, but the Spurs elected to keep their core intact rather than shake things up with a risky trade.

That core that led them to the 2014 NBA championship is gearing up for potentially one last run at a title in the Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili era.

The Spurs start off the post All-Star break schedule with a brutal back-to-back. The Spurs first traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers before heading to Oracle Arena tonight to tangle with the NBA’s best team, the Golden State Warriors.

Their meeting with the Clippers did not go as planned. The Spurs lost a tightly contested battle against the Clips despite their hack-a-DeAndre Jordan strategy that made the fourth quarter seem endless.

The All-Star, Tim Duncan, was his usual consistent self. He was arguably the best player on the floor. Duncan led San Antonio with 30 points and 11 rebounds, but it would not be enough.

Another positive was the play of Tony Parker. He looked as healthy and confident as he’s looked all season, leading to a 21-point, 13-assist night for the Frenchman.

Leading scorer Kawhi Leonard struggled with his shot, especially early. Leonard started 0-for-8 from the floor, and 0-for-5 from outside, finishing with just four points. His struggles, along with the Clippers hot shooting and 15 turnovers would be their undoing.

A trip to the raucous home environment in Golden State is difficult enough, making the trip as the second end of a back-to-back against another Western Conference contender is cruel and unusual punishment (after a tough loss, no less).

The Warriors have stormed through the NBA this season, compiling a 42-9 record, giving them a four-game lead over the second place Memphis Grizzlies. They have Stephen Curry to thank for a large portion of that success, as well as new head coach Steve Kerr. Curry has thrived in Kerr’s up tempo system, putting up 23.6 points and 7.9 assists per game while knocking down 39.9 percent of his three-point attempts.

Golden State boasts the league’s best defensive rating (97.3), and the NBA’s second best offensive rating (109.6), per NBA.com. That impressive feat has led many to anoint the Warriors as the favorite to take home the 2015 NBA championship.

Friday’s matchup provides a chance for the reigning champion Spurs to show the world that they are not done yet. Despite injuries, the rise of new Western Conference contenders, and a dip in performance, San Antonio still has a 34-20 record.

Only 2.5 games separate them from three seed Portland, so they are by no means out of the championship hunt. That being said, they need to prove they can beat the Western Conference elite.

Whether or not they win tonight, it’s just one regular season game. There’s also the chance that Gregg Popovich elects to rest several key players, as he loves to do during the second game of a back-to-back.

One thing is certain. They still need to get a completely healthy and productive Tony Parker, a healthy Tiago Splitter, a productive Boris Diaw, and avoid injuries if they are going to take out the Warriors in a seven-game series.

June may seem far away, but there are just 38 games left for San Antonio this season. Will they have enough gas left in the tank for one more fairytale run?

Next: Should the Spurs Pursue Neal?

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