Warriors Beat Spurs In Overtime Thriller
The Warriors, who haven’t beaten the Spurs since 2008, rode Jarrett Jack’s 30-point, 10-assist performance to snap that streak, beating the Spurs 107-101.
The key for Golden State was staying close. The Spurs had the firepower to break loose from an inexperienced Warriors’ squad, but they didn’t have the luxury of a big lead. The scored was knotted at 25 at the end of the first quarter, the Spurs won the second quarter by one point, they tied in the third quarter, the Spurs won the fourth quarter and the Warriors won the overtime period by six points.
Feb 22, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward Carl Landry (7) celebrates with point guard Jarrett Jack (2) after the play against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
San Antonio nearly broke lose to start the fourth quarter. Fueled by Manu Ginóbili’s knack of getting to the rim, they ran off 12 unanswered points to build a comfortable 13-point lead.
A 13-point lead is hard to overcome regardless of the opponent, but against the Spurs, such a hefty deficit is even harder to overcome with their experienced veterans—Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili— generally securing victories.
But the Warriors, who never seem to quit, erased the Spurs’ 13-point lead immediately The catch: on free throws. Golden State is generally known to be a “soft” team given the amount of three-pointers they take per game.
Instead, they challenged Duncan, Tiago Spilliter and the rest of the Spurs’ front-line. A 13-0 run to tie the score was fueled by 6-of-7 free throwing shooting and Stephen Curry’s five straight points.
In the fourth quarter, alone, the Warriors shot 11 free throws and made 10 of them. What’s interesting about that tidbit is the fact that they shot only 11 free throws through the first three quarters combined.
But, the Warriors live and die by the three-point shot. And this time, Jarrett Jack kept them alive, nailing a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining. I guess you could say that Jack bailed Golden State out. Curry found himself pinned on the baseline, but he found Jack out of the corner of his eye to set-up a three-pointer that gave them a two-point lead.
However, the Spurs crafted a beautiful play on the spot. They inbounded the ball to Duncan who drew a couple Warriors defenders, which left a clear lane where Ginóbili put himself in, and Duncan nonetheless found him for an easy two points.
In overtime, the Warriors again followed the lead of Jack, who had seven points in the bonus period. Free throws once again played a huge part in securing the Warriors victory.
Golden State went on an 11-3 run to secure the victory.
Notes: David Lee had 25 points and 22 rebounds…All five Spurs’ starters scored in double-digits…As a team, the Warriors shot 80 percent from the foul ine