SBNation.com - Warriors vs. Spurs: San Antonio takes series with Game 6 victoryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2013-05-17T08:34:00-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/40702772013-05-17T08:34:00-04:002013-05-17T08:34:00-04:00Popovich benches Duncan down the stretch
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<p>The Spurs held off a late rally from the Warriors and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Gregg Popovich made a late-game adjustment by benching Tim Duncan down the stretch. Did it work out?</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a> eliminated the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> Thursday night and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors made a run in the fourth quarter and cut the lead down to two points. Spurs coach <span>Gregg Popovich</span> decided to make an adjustment by sitting <span>Tim Duncan</span> down the stretch and playing small ball.</p>
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<b>For more on the Spurs check out </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com">Pounding the Rock</a>
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<p>"I made that choice" Popovich said after the game. While he did not reveal his reasoning, it is adjustments like this that can change the outcome of the game. Duncan had been an efficient source of offense for the Spurs through the first three quarters of the game, scoring on seven of his 11 field goals:</p>
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<p>However, in the fourth quarter Duncan was no longer producing for San Antonio. Duncan took two field goals and missed each. The Warriors were attacking the paint and challenging the Spurs' bigs out of the pick and roll.</p>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2013/5/17/4339328/tim-duncan-benched-spurs-warriors-nba-playoffs">
<h2>Why Duncan was benched</h2>
<img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2640293/20130516_ter_st3_043.0_standard_730.0_w_400.jpg"></a> <span>Mike Prada explains Popovich's rationale in this picture-heavy breakdown.</span>
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<p>Suddenly, Golden State had pulled to within two points. Duncan scored zero points in the fourth quarter with one rebound and one turnover. In the fourth quarter, the Spurs scoring differential was -3 when Duncan was on the floor -- worst of any Spur.</p>
<p>Popovich elected to go small, playing <span>Tiago Splitter</span> as the only big man on the floor, and the Spurs closed out the Warriors riding <span>Tony Parker's</span> clutch shooting.</p>
<p>Perhaps the discussion would be different had the Warriors completed their comeback in the final minutes while Popovich sat Duncan, but the coaching adjustment he made helped the Spurs finish off the Warriors in Oakland, and they are now four wins away from advancing to the NBA Finals.</p>
<p>(Quote streamed from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/live1">NBA.com</a>)</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/17/4339304/gregg-popovich-benches-tim-duncan-in-fourth-quarterDrew Garrison2013-05-17T08:11:08-04:002013-05-17T08:11:08-04:00Barnes passed concussion test at halftime
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<p>Harrison Barnes took a big fall in the second quarter of the Warriors' loss to the Spurs and returned to play in the second half. He was taken out of the game after the third quarter, but was he cleared to play by team doctors during halftime?</p> <p><span>Harrison Barnes</span> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/16/4339138/harrison-barnes-injury-warriors-vs-spurs-nba-playoffs-2013" target="_blank">took a scary fall in the second quarter</a> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>' <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/17/4339154/nba-playoffs-2013-warriors-spurs-game-6-score-results#" target="_blank">94-82 loss</a> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a>, but he returned after halftime. Barnes appeared to fall face first onto the court and was on the floor for an extended period before going back to the locker room to be examined. After the game, <a href="https://twitter.com/jadande/status/335267126828994560" target="_blank">a team spokesman confirmed </a>that Barnes was cleared during halftime to return to the game.</p>
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<p>Barnes returned to play all 12 minutes in the third quarter but was taken out of the game after suffering from a headache. After taking such a hard fall, it was surprising to see Barnes play at all in the second half, let alone an entire quarter.</p>
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<div class="read-more">For more on the Warriors visit<b> </b><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com" target="_blank">Golden State of Mind</a>
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<p>When pressed with questions during his postgame press conference, Warriors' coach Mark Jackson said that he "wasn't sure whether it was a concussion or not" that Barnes had suffered after falling, and that to the "best of his knowledge" Barnes cleared all tests during halftime.</p>
<p>Jackson was adamant that the team has proven they do not put players in harms way and praised the "great staff of doctors and great staff of trainers" that they trust with their players.</p>
<p>When it came time to call it a night for Barnes, Jackson said he could tell that Barnes "wasn't feeling right." "He said he needed a minute," Jackson told media "but I saw it in his eyes. It wasn't worth it." With that, Barnes ended his night after putting up a valiant effort to play for a team that Jackson said he "couldn't be prouder of" and he wanted to thank them "from the bottom of his heart."</p>
<p>Barnes finished the game with eight points on 4-of-10 shooting and four rebounds in just over 30 minutes of playing time.</p>
<p>(Quotes taken from <a href="http://www.nba.com/live1" target="_blank">NBA.com</a>'s postgame stream)</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/17/4339314/harrison-barnes-concussions-cleared-warriors-spursDrew Garrison2013-05-17T08:05:16-04:002013-05-17T08:05:16-04:00Scores: Warriors eliminated, Knicks survive
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<p>The Golden State Warriors were eliminated from the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Thursday night, while the New York Knicks survived to fight another day. Here's a rundown of the latest playoff action.</p> <p>It was a strange night in the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Thursday. The <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Pacers</a> played without <span>George Hill</span> (concussion) and looked incompetent on offense for most of the evening, as <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> carried the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Knicks</a> to an ugly Game 5 win. <span>Gregg Popovich</span> benched <span>Tim Duncan</span> down the stretch, but the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a> still knocked off the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> and advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Memphis Grizzlies</a>. Here's a rundown of the action from Thursday night.</p>
<h4>Spurs 94, Warriors 82 | San Antonio clinched series, 4-2</h4>
<p>The Warriors and Spurs alternated wins in the series for the first five games, but the Spurs finally broke the trend in Game 6 and eliminated Golden State. San Antonio did a solid job of managing the pro-Warriors crowd at ORACLE Arena at the outset of the game. The Spurs outscored Golden State in each of the first two quarters and limited <span>Stephen Curry</span> (22 points for the game) and <span>Klay Thompson</span> (10 points) to a combined 8-for-20 shooting in the first half.</p>
<p>Tim Duncan started the game strong and scored 13 of his 19 points in the opening 24 minutes, even though Popovich elected to bench him in the final period due to defensive matchups. Harrison Barnes helped to keep the Warriors afloat in the first half as he scored eight of his nine points in 18 first-half minutes. He was never quite the same after taking this brutal fall in the second period:</p>
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<p>Barnes returned and played the entire third quarter, but he was eventually taken out of the game after suffering from a headache. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jadande/status/335267126828994560">A team spokesman confirmed </a>after the game that Barnes underwent concussion tests at halftime and was cleared to return to the game.</p>
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<div class="read-more">
<b>For more Game 6 reaction, visit</b>: <a target="new" href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State of Mind</a> <a target="new" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/">Pounding the Rock</a>
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<p>Nothing was easy for the Spurs in this series, so of course Golden State made a few runs in the second half. In fact, the Warriors started attacking Duncan in pick-and-roll situations, and Popovich was forced to play his star big man fewer han five minutes in the fourth period of a tight game. The comeback attempts from the Warriors were always <a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/5/17/4339416/nba-playoffs-game6-recap-spurs-warriors">met with a solid response</a>, as noted in the Pounding the Rock recap:</p>
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<p>With ten minutes to go on the fourth, the Warriors cut the lead to three with a Thompson three pointer and the momentum seemed to be swinging. But Splitter found Ginobili on a backdoor cut for an easy two when the team needed a bucket the most. Lee futilely tried to take over but kept firing blanks, and the Spurs started hitting jumpers as if they were the game one Warriors, while getting lucky bounces on their own rim. Nothing was easy in this series, so of course the Warriors cut the deficit to two once again with 4:52 to go. But Parker's shot picked the perfect moment to wake up, and with a three pointer from the right corner built a five point cushion. With Ginobili dishing the ball and Parker and Leonard hitting shots, it was evident the Spurs were going to prevail, and after both coaches emptied their benches in the final minute, they did.</p>
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<p>Popovich elected to go small and use <span>Tiago Splitter</span> as the team's only big man for most of the fourth quarter. <span>Tony Parker</span> made the decision pay off, as he scored 10 points in the final stanza and shot 2-of-5 from the field to salvage an otherwise rough night (13 points, 3-of-16 shooting).</p>
<p>Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Grizzlies is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in San Antonio.</p>
<h4>Knicks 85, Pacers 75 | Indiana leads series, 3-2</h4>
<p>Pacers point guard George Hill complained of a headache and failed concussion testing prior to Game 6, so Indiana was forced to roll with D.J. Augustin. Seth Rosenthal of Knicks blog Posting and Toasting summed up <a target="_blank" href="http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2013/5/17/4339156/knicks-85-pacers-75-were-alive">the effect of that move</a> nicely in his game recap:</p>
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<p>Just an hour or two before game time, the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a> revealed that <span>George Hill</span> had suffered a concussion in Game 4 and would not be available. His absence registered on both ends of the floor, with the rest of the Pacers collapsing into the void. The stubbier, far less menacing <span>D.J. Augustin</span> was left to guard the top of New York's pick-and-rolls, which resulted in far more breakdowns and far more Pacer teammates stranded out of position. Augustin and a gaggle of other under-qualified Pacers were asked to handle the ball, making them extra discombobulated and more susceptible to turnovers. <span>Paul George</span> torched the Knicks as the ball-handler on plenty of possessions, but also made his share of errors in that role. <span>Sam Young</span> played more than usual, too. That's always good. So, yeah, a relatively shallow opponent being down one of their most troublesome players helped the Knicks a bunch.</p>
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<div class="read-more">
<b>For more on this series, visit</b>: <a target="new" href="http://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Posting and Toasting</a> <a target="new" href="http://www.indycornrows.com/">Indy Cornrows</a>
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<p>Carmelo Anthony carried the Knicks offense and scored a game-high 28 points in 12-of-28 shooting, while <span>Chris Copeland</span> gave the Knicks a big boost off the bench with a very efficient night (13 points, 3-of-4 on threes). It wasn't a great game by New York, but Indiana did everything they could to help the Knicks extend the series.</p>
<p>The Pacers couldn't buy a bucket for most of the contest. They shot 36.2 percent from the field, committed 19 turnovers and received just 10 points from the bench players. The starting backcourt of Augustin and <span>Lance Stephenson</span> combined for 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Paul George (23 points) and <span>David West</span> (17 points) led the way for Indiana, but they needed 35 field goal attempts to pot 40 points. When Indiana did manage to get some easy chances at the free throw line, they squandered those opportunities and hit just 57.6 percent (19-of-33) of their freebies.</p>
<p>Game 6 in Indiana is scheduled for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/17/4339690/nba-playoff-scores-warriors-eliminated-knicks-pacersSteve von Horn2013-05-17T01:21:57-04:002013-05-17T01:21:57-04:00Spurs eliminate Warriors, advance to West finals
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<p>The Spurs have eliminated the Warriors and will advance to the Western Conference Finals. Tony Parker hit two big shots late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>, 94-82, and have eliminated the Warriors from the NBA Playoffs in six games. San Antonio has advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they will meet the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a>.</p>
<p>San Antonio held the lead for the majority of the game. The Warriors cut into the Spurs' lead in the fourth quarter, moving within two points of San Antonio after <span>Stephen Curry</span> nailed a mid-range jumper off a hand-off with 4:52 left in the game.</p>
<p>Tony Parker responded with a big three from the corner with only 3:36 left in regulation and pushed the Spurs' lead back up to five. The Warriors chipped back with a pair of free throws from <span>Jarrett Jack</span>, but <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> drained a three-point shot to push the lead back up to six. Both field goals were assisted by Manu Ginobili.</p>
<p>Parker then slammed the door on the Warriors with another three, pushing the lead to nine with under 1:30 left in the game. While he wasn't very efficient for San Antonio through the night, he made big shots down the stretch and put the Spurs over the top.</p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com" target="_blank">Golden State of Mind</a> <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com" target="_blank">Pounding the Rock</a>
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<p><span>Tim Duncan</span> scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. While<span> Ginobili</span> scored only five points and<span> Parker</span> shot 3-of-16 from the field, Duncan was the source of constant offense for San Antonio through the first three quarters. But Gregg Popovich sat Duncan down the stretch, playing Tiago Splitter as the only big man in a small lineup. Parker and Ginobili put the finishing touches on Golden State with their scoring and passing.</p>
<p>Curry had a solid game for the Warriors, ending the night with a game-high 22 points, but the Warriors' offense as a whole struggled to score, shooting 38 percent from the field. <span>Andrew Bogut</span> was a non-factor in the game, scoring only three points while grabbing seven rebounds. <span>Klay Thompson</span> was quiet through the night, scoring 10 points while shooting 4-of-12. It was the Warriors' bench scoring, combining for 36 points, that served as the secondary punch for Curry, but it wasn't enough.</p>
<p><span>Harrison Barnes</span> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/16/4339138/harrison-barnes-injury-warriors-vs-spurs-nba-playoffs-2013" target="_blank">took a hard fall towards the end of the second quarter</a> but did return to play the entire third quarter. But he left the game again after dealing with headaches and did not return for Golden State.</p>
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<p><iframe src="https://www.sbnation.com/videos/iframe?id=23621" frameborder="0" seamless="true" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" name="23621-chorus-video-iframe"></iframe></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/17/4339154/nba-playoffs-2013-warriors-spurs-game-6-score-resultsDrew Garrison2013-05-16T23:52:07-04:002013-05-16T23:52:07-04:00Spurs lead Warriors 47-40 going into half
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BDWf1UI6Bi1gptv19L_5fxkLkv4=/0x131:732x619/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13254187/gswwww.0.jpeg" />
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<p>The Spurs hold a seven point lead going into halftime and are two quarters away from eliminating the Warriors.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a> lead the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> 47-40 going into halftime. San Antonio is two quarters away from eliminating the Warriors and advancing to meet the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Memphis Grizzlies</a> in the Western Conference Finals. The crisp execution the Spurs showed in Game 5 carried into Game 6, and the Spurs had 16 assists on 18 made field goals.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="read-more">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com">Golden State of Mind</a><b> </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com">Pounding the Rock</a><b> </b>
</div>
<p>The Spurs pushed their lead as high as ten in the first half, and only a flurry of scoring from <span>Stephen Curry</span> in the middle of the second quarter kept the game within the Warriors' range. Curry also went coast-to-coast in the final eight seconds of the half and cut the lead to seven at the buzzer.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/16/4337494/nba-playoffs-2013-warriors-spurs-game-6-time-tv-schedule-odds/in/4102555#">Let's take a look at three keys</a> Kevin Zimmerman previewed going into the game.</p>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 1em; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; color: #292929;">Can San Antonio continue to harass Curry and <span>Klay Thompson</span>?</h2>
<p>Curry scored 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and provided the scoring push Golden State needed in the first half to keep pace with the Spurs. His backcourt mate Thompson, however, had a poor first half. He scored two points on one-of-six shooting and the Spurs have done a great job of closing out on Thompson and forcing him to handle the ball.</p>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 1em; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; color: #292929;">Does <span>Andrew Bogut</span> make the most of his time?</h2>
<p>Bogut was not impactful through the first half. He also had to go back to the locker room to have his ankle re-taped, forcing the Warriors to play <span>Andris Biedrins</span>. Bogut finished the half with two points and three rebounds.</p>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 1em; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; color: #292929;">Will Mark Jackson and the crowd push Golden State?</h2>
<p>Jackson made an immediate change in his team by starting <span>Festus Ezeli</span> alongside Bogut. Oracle Arena was rocking through the first half, making good use of the "Roaracle" nickname they've earned. The crowd was fully engaged with the game and were especially loud as the Warriors made a run in the second quarter. The Spurs hold the lead going into the half, though, and playing at home did not impact the game for the Warriors.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/16/4338974/spurs-vs-warriors-score-update-game-six-nba-playoffs-2013Drew Garrison2013-05-16T15:35:54-04:002013-05-16T15:35:54-04:00The Warriors' defensive breakdowns
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8ejlbK_RndrCs4ixSGX4_ac3JCI=/810x294:3663x2196/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13233593/20130508_ajl_ai1_349.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Warriors are one loss away from being eliminated by the Spurs, and if they want to force Game 7, they must avoid costly off-ball breakdowns on the defensive end.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> are one game away from advancing to the Western Conference finals to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a>. In Game 5, San Antonio's offense out-executed the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>' defense. The Spurs shot 51 percent overall from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc. The Warriors defense must raise their awareness and execution in order to extend the series to seven games.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="read-more">
<b>Golden State of Mind</b>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2013/5/15/4335886/golden-state-warriors-san-antonio-spurs-game-6-nba-playoffs">Warriors must give it all they've got</a>
</div>
<p><span>Tony Parker</span> grilled the Warriors' defense with pick-and-roll play, proving to be a mismatch for the Warriors' individual defenders. The Warriors need to help <span>Andrew Bogut</span> when he pushes up to challenge Parker out of the pick and roll.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635007/2_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="2_1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635007/2_1_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635023/2_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="2_2_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635023/2_2_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>If not, Parker will take Bogut off the dribble and finish at the rim unchallenged.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635047/park.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Park_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635047/park_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>In the following possession, the Spurs set a high ball screen for Parker again. This time, Bogut is pushes high enough to challenge Parker and has a help defender behind him. But Bogut shifts back into the paint anticipating Parker to drive to the rim, and Parker pulls up for the jumper. The space created from the screen, along with Bogut backing up, leaves Parker with an open look.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634967/1_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="1_1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634967/1_1_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634975/1_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="1_2_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634975/1_2_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>The Warriors' wings also need to do a better job of recognizing where the screen is coming from and fighting to get back to their man.</p>
<p>The tough thing is that the Warriors were <i>initially</i> in a good position. Bogut is in an area where he can defend Parker's pull-up jumper, and the help defender is under the rim to stop dribble penetration. But to make this work, Bogut needs to stay pushed up to challenge Parker, like so.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634989/1_3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="1_3_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2634989/1_3_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Sometimes, the breakdowns occurred with the secondary defenders. Here, <span>Carl Landry</span> does a good job of pushing up to prevent Parker from shooting and will also slide with Parker to prevent dribble penetration.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635055/4_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="4_1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635055/4_1_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>The problem: <span>Stephen Curry</span> is ball watching. When the initial play is shut off, <span>Danny Green</span> is alone on the perimeter and Parker will kick to him. Curry has shaded too far off Green, so he was not in position to help on the play. Green will drain an open three because of Curry's mistake. The Warriors cannot commit three defenders to account for one ball-handler.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635063/4_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="4_2_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635063/4_2_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635079/4_4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="4_4_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635079/4_4_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Overall, the Warriors' off-ball defenders have to do a better job of staying on their men. Curry was 4-of-14 from the field and made only one of his seven shots from beyond the arc while playing poor defense. In the 34 minutes that he played, the Warriors had a scoring differential of -21, the worst mark on the team. It was a rare off game for the breakout star.</p>
<p>Here, Curry is in the paint without a man to defend. Every other Warriors player is matched up with their men. <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> curls to the perimeter while Curry is out of position.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635335/3_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="3_1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635335/3_1_medium.jpg"></a> <br id="1368729349149"></p>
<p>Curry is caught by <span>Tim Duncan's</span> screen when he finally moves.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635103/3_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="3_2_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635103/3_2_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>By the time Curry recovers, it's too late, and Leonard hits <span class="sbn-auto-link">the open</span> shot.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635135/3_3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="3_3_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635135/3_3_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>I present to you, Steph "The Running Man" Curry:</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635143/omgsteph.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Omgsteph_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2635143/omgsteph_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Each of the two breakdowns ended in the same fashion, and they are both Curry's fault. The Spurs and Warriors are acclimated to one another after five playoff games, and the Spurs showed the execution of a team that knew how to attack on offense.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The Spurs' offense was crisp in Game 5 and gave them the series lead. The Warriors must step up their defensive execution to force Game 7. Containing Parker in the pick-and-roll is one area they must adjust, but their overall defensive awareness, especially from Curry, must be heightened.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/16/4337396/warriors-vs-spurs-warriors-nba-playoffs-2013-defenseDrew Garrison2013-05-15T19:36:15-04:002013-05-15T19:36:15-04:00Spurs wearing Curry down
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JL1809lUBuirs4sv4iXUplfpiPE=/86x0:1015x619/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13200433/warriors-spurs-gm5.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Coach Nick breaks down how the Spurs have the luxury of sending multiple defenders at Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, getting them completely out of rhythm and frustrating even their open looks.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/15/4335024/spurs-carousel-of-defenders-wearing-steph-curry-downSBN Studios2013-05-15T10:21:50-04:002013-05-15T10:21:50-04:00Spurs get easy looks in Game 5
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sFCLTV2abg9iC1gtsvRrux41OjI=/0x280:2660x2053/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13170211/168208757.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ronald Martinez</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Why did the Spurs win Game 5 in such convincing fashion? Simply put, they had easy looks. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> used a strong shooting performance to pull off a decisive win against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals on <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20130514/GSWSAS/gameinfo.html" target="_blank">Tuesday night;</a> it's the way they pulled off their 40-for-77, 51.9 percent shooting performance that stands out.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><i> For more on this story, visit <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com" target="_blank">Pounding the Rock</a></i></b></p>
<p>The Spurs scored 44 points in the paint and scored 23 points off 14 Warriors turnovers, 11 of which came in the dominant second half. They scored 12 fast break points and converted on 5-of-5 looks in transition. They won the offensive rebounding battle, 8-7.</p>
<p>San Antonio won this game by making things easy on themselves, taking care of the basketball and converting on high-percentage shots. Their shot chart shows it:</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2626885/shot_chart.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Shot_chart_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2626885/shot_chart_medium.png"></a></p>
<p>In terms of easy shots, 42 of their 77 looks came from short range. That was largely due to the dribble penetration of <span>Tony Parker</span>, who knifed through the defense to score 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while dishing out 10 assists. Speaking of ball movement, that's another factor that caused the Spurs to shoot so efficiently.</p>
<p>"In the first half, the ball movement was great," Parker told reporters after the game. "In the second, we were aggressive."</p>
<p>The result of said movement was the 30 assists the Spurs ended up with at the end of the game and a second half that saw them make things look easy as they outran the younger Warriors out of the building. Part of that was due to head coach <span>Gregg Popovich</span> being so frugal with his stars' minutes down the stretch in the regular season.</p>
<p>"I want to make sure that we have Timmy (Duncan), Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) down the stretch in games. So I've got to make sure I manage it."</p>
<p>(Quotes via <a href="http://www.nba.com/live1">NBA Live Streaming</a>)</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/15/4332480/nba-playoffs-2013-spurs-warriors-tony-parker-gregg-popovichMichael Jones