SAN ANTONIO – End of 3rd quarter update: Spurs hanging onto 88-83 lead. San Antonio was up by as many as 14 points, but Houston battled back to get within five points. Kawhi has 26 points and Tony Parker has added 18 points. This quarter could decide series.
End of 2nd quarter update: Spurs lead Rockets 65-55. The pace of the game has not slowed down as the Spurs shot 57 percent and Houston 50 percent in the first half.
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Kawhi Leonard leads the Spurs with 20 points while Danny Green has 12 points. LaMarcus Aldridge has been solid with 9 points. Can the Spurs keep this pace? We'll find out.
End of 1st quarter update: Fast start to Game 2 as Spurs lead Rockets 33-30. Kawhi Leonard has 8 points and Danny Green has stepped up early with 9 points. Spurs shooting 56 percent from floor, but Houston has not slowed down, shooting 52 percent.
UPDATE: The Spurs will start Pau Gasol in place of David Lee as they attempt to tie the series versus Houston.
Original Preview Story:
Over a long playoff series the winning team is the one that usually makes the most effective adjustments as the series unfolds.
This series has unfolded and the Spurs will need to make some big time adjustments if they are not going to fold their tent and call it a season.
The Spurs lost Game One to the Rockets 126-99, giving up 22 three pointers and only shooting 37 percent.
"Especially after a loss like the you just want to get back out there, one of those times where you just regroup and get your thoughts and plans together and go back out again," said Patty Mills.
"You want to redeem yourself as quick as possible," said Danny Green.
When the Spurs get back out there to try and redeem themsleves, their first objective is to make some shots.
That would help them control the pace slow down the Rockets.
"It would help if we made some shots," Green said, they were only 31 for 84 in game one Monday. "Offensively move the ball more and get it inside a little more," Green said.
That is where the big men need to step and take advantage of their size.
LaMarcus Aldridge had four points, David Lee had four points, Pau Gasol had six points and Dewayne Dedmon hd six points in the game.
The Spurs bigs only scored a combined 20 points and that is not enough to get it done.
"After a loss like that you are pretty dissapointed, pretty angry," Lee said. He added that he likes to take a day to clear his head and find out what adjustments the coaching staff has in store.
"Keep the game as simple as possible, I like to just here waht adjustments they want us to make and then you just do your best to make those adjustments," Lee said.
The Spurs also have to shore up that defense. Allowing the Rockets to hit 22 three's, they shot 50, but they also got inside outscoring the Spurs in the paint 36-32.
Making shots wil help their defense, one thing they Spurs have to do is slow things down.
"I think everybody played a little to fast so we need to go back to what we do and play at our pace and make sure we put the ball inside all that kind of stuff," said Tony Parker.
"All we are thinking about is playing our best playing harder and smarter than them and to win the ballgame and tie the series up," said Pau Gasol.
Notes:
Nene was fined $15,000 for his confrontation with Dewayne Dedmon in the 3rd quarter of game one. He was assessed a technical and ejected.