Quotes, Notes, and Links: San Antonio Spurs 108 Atlanta Hawks 92

Recap

Gameflow

Highlights

Al Horford takes his share of responsibility for the loss:

"We put ourselves in a good position to win the game. It’s just the fact that I was being a little careless with the ball. I felt like we controlled the tempo of the game and we were right there. It’s just those few turnovers that really just changed the game completely."

Josh Smith follows a somewhat different path:

"...a couple of blown coverages when I went out of the game."

Smith on the playing the Spurs:

"They’ve been together for a long time so they know what it takes to win down the stretch. They’ve been in so many close games together. It’s kind of unfair to play against a team like that."

Fair enough on Tony Parker (a Spur for his entire career) and Matt Bonner (5 years in San Antonio) but George Hill and DeJuan Blair are a season-and-a-quarter into their NBA careers and Richard Jefferson has been with the Spurs for just a season-and-a-quarter.

Larry Drew:

"It’s frustrating. That’s kind of been our case. We were the same way in Miami, going down the stretch in the fourth quarter and we had an opportunity. Tonight we had an opportunity as well. We just didn’t get the job done."

Gregg Popovich:

"I just thought the team that was on the court was doing the job, so Manu and Timmy stayed in the bench. Sometimes there’s a certain flow going on in a game and a group is doing well, so there’s no reason to change it."

Manu Ginobili:

"In the fourth quarter we found so many open 3s. It's something so basic, and so important on every team, because it makes everyone happy and feel involved in the offense."

Jesse Blanchard of 48 Minutes of Hell on the difference between the two teams:

All things being equal, and looking through last night’s stats (in total rebounds, steals, turnovers, and assists) they were equal, what separated the Spurs from the Hawks was the proficiency in which Spurs guards ran the pick an roll, and the Hawks inability to do anything in such situations at either end of the court. Parker was able to blow by Bibby and the rest of his teammates were able to find open three-pointers against a scrambling defense.

Jason Walker beats me to the punch:

DeJuan Blair: 26 minutes, 16 points on 7-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, a block, and no knee injury.

Jeff Teague: DNP-CD

Yet another difference between the franchises.