San Antonio Spurs vs. Toronto Raptors: Takeaways and Star Performer

The San Antonio Spurs (18-5) fell short against the Toronto Raptors 97-94 on Wednesday night. Toronto held the lead for most of the contest. The Raptors began the game as good as one can imagine, holding a 17-6 lead in the first few minutes. A 32-24 fourth quarter for San Antonio brought them back in the contest.
The Spurs allowed the Raptors to shoot 58 percent from the field. San Antonio hadn’t allowed an opponent to even shoot 50 percent all season.
San Antonio snapped its four-game win streak and is now 7-5 on the road.
Key Takeaways
–Manu Ginobili terrific
After missing Monday night’s game against Philadelphia with rest, Manu Ginobili looked fresh against the Raptors. The 38-year-old guard had a team-high 17 points. Ginobili also had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
-What happened to the starters?
The San Antonio Spurs starting lineup consists of terrific scoring options in LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. In Wednesday’s game they didn’t show up as a whole. Aldridge (13 points) was the only starter to score in double-figures. Tony Parker and Danny Green shot a combined 5-of-17 from the floor. Leonard and Duncan scored 17 points combined on a respectable 8-of-17 shooting. If the Spurs want to have any chance of being great teams, these type of nights can’t happen. The bench was terrific with 52 points.
-No Perimeter Defense
I already mentioned the Raptors shot 58 percent from the floor, but their backcourt was tremendous. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting. DeRozan also had six assists and six turnovers. Star point guard Kyle Lowry scored 19 points and dished out eight assists.
-Notes:
–David West scored 10 points in 17 minutes.
-10 Spurs steals
-17 team turnovers
Star Performer
Ginobili was terrific off the bench as he provided a much needed spark for the Spurs. Jonathon Simmons performance can’t go unnoticed. The rookie wing scored eight points in 15 minutes. It appears his role is expanding.
Next: Popovich Believes Leonard Can Be Dominate on Both Ends