Tony Parker got all the early accolades, and Stephen Jackson is hitting all the three-pointers, but the catalyst to the Spurs’ first half is Tim Duncan. We talked a bit about Duncan’s impact before, and everything said there continues to hold true. Duncan has 13 points in the game, and he probably dribbled three times to get those 13 points. He’s been that decisive.
Duncan’s also done a subtle thing defensively to contain James Harden. He’s laid back on pick and rolls involving Harden, forcing him to shoot mid-range jumpers instead of giving him a lane to get to the basket. Harden has looked tentative all game and is just 2-6 from the field.