The champs then got revenge on the Memphis Grizzlies, highhandedly defeating them 112-97 on the road, but it was not without loss: Dejounte Murray will miss 2-3 weeks with a right elbow sprain. Against the Pistons, Fred VanVleet--given starting point guard duty in Murray's absence--shined and scored 30 points, a season-high, in a comfortable 78-101 home win for the Spurs.
Rolling into Texas next was the red-hot Golden State Warriors, who've made a fantastic turnaround winning seventeen games in a row, climbing from beneath the 8th seed all the way up to #2 in the western conference standings. The Spurs had won 9 straight heading into this home defense.
Tonight, though, he would have to deal with Steph Curry (26 points, 11 assists, 6-11 3PT) and Curry hit 3-3 from Curry-land in the 1st Quarter, as the Warriors led largely, 40-24. The Spurs fought back valiantly, trimming the halftime score to 67-59. If it weren't for Giannis Antetokounmpo (19 points, 9 rebounds) & DeAndre Jordan (9 rebounds) fouling out of the game, the Spurs would've had zero chance to come back and win.
It still was not easy, far from it as the Warriors kept regaining the lead. The scoring columns went: 39-34, SA & 36-25 in the 4th Quarter for the Spurs to pull off the stunning comeback home victory. Bradley Beal was on fire, scoring 24 points & 8 assists. Rudy Gay, the ex-Spur, scored 12 points & 8 rebounds. Kevin Knox, III, hit two clutch threes that nearly kept the Warriors on the winning path late in crunch time.
The comeback hopes stayed afloat when VanVleet hit a clutch 3PT bomb at the buzzer to end the 3rd Quarter, cutting the deficit to three, 101-98, sparking a last-minute run that stifled a huge 16-3 run by the Warriors that had regained control. San Antonio benefited highly from its shooters, owing them a tremendous credit. The late 3rd Quarter swing came after a second brush with the injury bug, as Brandon Ingram (who'd taken charge for the Spurs) went down with a shoulder ailment, unintentionally sparking a fire inside the Spurs. The Spurs had cut it to 91-87 at that point, after the Warriors had gone up 84-77 prior.
Midway through the 4th Quarter, JaVale McGee (7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) got some burn and hit an uncontested 3PTer to give the Spurs its first lead of the game, 103-106. The Greek Freak fouled out with 3:42 on the clock, as Coach Pop instructed his guys to keep attacking the paint. KCP buried a clutch 3PTer as the Spurs trailed 121-114 with 3 minutes remaining, and he was simply amazing in this game with 27 points, hitting five threes with 1 steal. On the next play, Fournier & KCP faked a double-team, which led to VanVleet sneaking the ball away from Curry, but Freddy V would miss a 3PT chance. Both teams exchanged turnovers, and the collective breath left the arena when Knox, III, hit a 3PT bomb to make it 124-117 with 1:53 to go.
The inbound play F.V.V. a layup at the rim, and Andre Drummond (26 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks) stole the ball down low after a Golden State timeout, with KCP being fouled and hitting both shots. Drummond swatted Curry at the basket too in a momentous play down the stretch, coming alive after a poor 1st half performance down low.
Down by three, VanVleet heroically got another steal on Curry and the ball rattled in on the fast-break 3PT attempt this time, knotting the game once again at 124. Curry missed his 3PT shot on the other end, and the Spurs finally took the lead and closed the game out, courtesy of VanVleet at the line: 126-134, ultimately erasing a 17-PT deficit. The Spurs were more aggressive, earning 36-40 from the free throw line, spoiling a perfect 21-21 showing by the Warriors at the charity stripe.
With the #1 seed firmly in hand after a huge moral victory, San Antonio must hunker down now for its next slew of games without its two star players available, with the onus falling to Andre Drummond, its third star and repeat MVP candiate, as VanVleet will continue to lead the offense. Freddy V. had a huge 26 points & career-high 18 assists, hitting 6 three-pointers with 4 impressive steals. Evan Fournier scored 19 points, as did Ingram before his injury. Marc Gasol was great from the mid-range in the 2nd Quarter, trimming the lead, and finishing with 9 points. This victory defined the heart of a champion.