Weary Warriors Attacked by Well-Rested Spurs, Fall 104-93

Mar 20, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) reacts after being called for an offensive foul during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

There are a lot of negatives to draw upon for this game, but there are also positives. In the big picture, the Warriors finished a crucial road-trip 2-1, and this is the last muli-game road trip of the year. The Warriors will see another 5 game homestand which opens up in Washington, and the Utah Jazz are going to see this same Spurs team in San Antonio on Friday. Tonight, however, the Warriors were bested by the Spurs down the stretch, who capitalized on every single error, resulting not in a blowout, but in a decisive victory.

In the first quarter of this game, the Warriors started slow defensively and offensively, but were able to pull off a nice quarter. Each starter played well, but it was the bench unit of the Warriors who really got the offense flowing. At the end of the first, the Warriors and the Spurs were tied 22-22. Although it was so close, the Warriors were shooting bricks, and turning the ball over carelessly.

In the second quarter, the Warriors and the Spurs were both shooting horribly from the three point line, something that the Warriors did better in the previous two games of the road trip. Despite Carl Landry opening up 5/5, and on fire, the Warriors were still at the mercy of the Spurs, who made their attack right before the end of the first half. They lead 60-47 at the break.

The third quarter of this game wasn’t so disastrous. The Spurs were still playing well and trying to keep their distance, but the Warriors cut the lead to less than 10 multiple times. When it was down to 8, the Warriors had the chance to go on a run, but failed to convert on the most open looks they could get. The worst offensive rebounding team in the league was getting on the glass and getting second chance points. At the end of the quarter, it was 79-70 Spurs.

The fourth quarter was more of the same for the most part. The Warriors had it down to as many as 4 points, but failure to execute came back to haunt them. The most hurtful stat tonight were the Spurs points off of turnovers. They had so many fastbreaks, and converted on every Warrior turnover. The Spurs were relentless down the stretch with Duncan scoring 6 straight, and then Leonard and Ginobli each hitting three pointers. It was a tough game for the Warriors, but they’re glad to be going home to start a 5 game home stand.