San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns: Takeaways and Star

The San Antonio Spurs (47-9) beat the Phoenix Suns (14-42), 118-111 on Sunday afternoon. Manu Ginobili missed the contest with a groin injury and Kawhi Leonard missed with a left calf injury. The Spurs are 19-9 on the road this season.

Many people believed this contest would get ugly from the tip in favor of the Spurs. That wasn’t the case as the Suns hung around all night. Nevertheless, the Spurs did what they do best, find a way to win. San Antonio shot 52 percent and Phoenix shot 46 percent. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Alex Len went for 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns.

Key Takeaways

-Tony Parker continues to roll

With Leonard out, Parker has stepped up his play the last few games. On Sunday night, he went for 22 points in 27 minutes. In the last three games, he is averaging 20.3 points and 4.7 assists. The 33-year-old must play at a high level if the Spurs want to beat the elite teams like Oklahoma City and Golden State.

-Patty Mills remains hot

Just like Parker with Leonard out, Mills has stepped up in the absence of Ginobili. Mills wound up with 21 points on 6-of-9 from 3-point range on Sunday. In the last five games, he is averaging 14 points on 50 percent from downtown. He is also averaging 4.4 assists in that stretch.

-Defense must step up

The Spurs have the best defense in the league as they allow 92.7 points. They have given up at least 105 points in the last three games. Maybe it has to do with the absence of Leonard, either way, they must step it up immediately.

Star Performer: Patty Mills

Mills came in and lit it up in a hurry. Not only did he got for 21 points, he also dished out six assists and only one turnover.

Notes:

–LaMarcus Aldridge: 19 points and 10 rebounds

–Danny Green: 11 points and seven rebounds

–Rasual Butler: 12 points, six rebounds, and three steals

-10-of-16 3-pointers

Next: Top Five 3-Point Shooters in Spurs History