Harper's tantalizing performance overshadows true story of Spurs/Pelicans game

Now that we're a quarter into the season, we can take a grand view of the trends the Spurs have developed. The first one is that Dylan Harper has been a stud consistently. Tim Duncan was right on the money about the rookie from Rutgers.

He closed that game last night when San Antonio was sputtering to the finish line, and his career-high 22 points were impressive and necessary. However, as much praise as he's deservedly receiving, we also need to appreciate what Mitch Johnson just did.

Spurs' second half metrics are all over the place

This team does not like the third quarter. I don't know what is going on at halftime, but they lose their focus, giving up huge leads way too often. Thankfully, they're one of the best fourth-quarter teams in the league, challenging the notion that the third period is the most important.

It's often been referred to as the "championship quarter." When Golden State reigned terror on the league during their late 2010s run, they were famous for absolutely clowning guys in the third. They'd blow teams out of the water, emphatically ending their opponents' will to keep fighting with ungodly explosiveness on offense and boa constrictor-level defense.

It's the opposite for the Spurs. Despite having one of the top offenses in the league, overall, their offensive rating in the third quarter is 17th (114.4). Their defense is even worse, ranking 29th (124.3), and it drags their net rating to a -9.9. That's 24th in the NBA. It doesn't end there. The Silver and Black are 23rd in rebound percentage and 21st in assist/turnover ratio. It's all bad.

With numbers like this and the idea that the third quarter is the most important time to get a leg up on your opponent, you'd think they'd have a worse record. Much to the chagrin of every team that storms back, thinking they'll walk out with an amazing win, Coach Johnson has this team humming in the fourth quarter and in the clutch at an unreal level.

Mitch Johnson has made all the right moves to close games

San Antonio has the sixth-highest offensive rating in the final period (118.6), the ninth-best defensive rating (110.7), and their net rating ranks fourth (7.8). Interestingly enough, their defense drops to 16th in the clutch (112.6), but their offense skyrockets to second (131.9). They rebound better, turn the ball over less, and make better passes late in the game. It's a bit uncanny, but it works.

It's fair to wonder what's going on with those third quarters, but they deserve all the credit in the world for buckling down when they need it. That's Mitch pulling the right levers.

In this one, Fox had some struggles with ball security, and Stephon Castle wasn't getting the job done, either. He put the ball in the hands of his rookie, and his willingness to do that with veteran players on the court is notable. It also doesn't happen without selflessness from the guys on the floor, but the credit for manipulating the outcome at a cerebral level goes to the head coach.

Don't get too bent out of shape over the Pelicans game on a singular level. It was an early December game against a lowly opponent with a despondent, lackluster crowd right before an Emirates NBA Cup game against the Lakers after being on the road for the majority of the past two weeks. So, let's give the guys a bit of a break. Getting the win is what matters in games like that. They're going to happen.