Here’s a look at how the Spurs escaped with a 101-95 victory over Golden State Wednesday night.
Game analysis: The Spurs employed a scoring-by-committee rotation to help overcome their first game without scoring leader Manu Ginobili. It looked ugly at times, but the Spurs caught fire in the fourth quarter when they needed to win the game.
Where the game was won: Golden State was ahead 88-84 with 5:53 left when Gregg Popovich inserted Tony Parker into the lineup to play with T.J. Ford in the same backcourt. The two guards helped spark the Spurs on an immediate 11-2 run, finishing by hitting all six of their shots in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Golden State guard Monta Ellis erupted for a season-high 38 points and added seven assists in a losing cause. He eventually wore down at the end of the game after chasing Parker across the court and playing 44 minutes for the Warriors.
Player of the game II: Parker came up big at the end, scoring 10 points in the final 5:53 to lead the Spurs’ comeback. Parker finished with a team-high 21 points and eight assists.
Player of the game III: Tim Duncan filled the statistic sheet with his strongest all-around game of the season. Duncan had 15 points and 11 rebounds, including six caroms in six minutes in the fourth quarter. He also was a disruptive force defensively with three steals and three blocked shots.
Most unsung: Danny Green. For the second straight game, Green provided the team with a defensive lift. He shackled Ellis in the fourth quarter, forcing him to miss five of his final seven shots after a blistering start.
Most glum looking person in the ATT Center: Ginobili. As his team trailed for most of the game, Ginobili looked like he would rather have been anywhere but sitting on the bench in his street clothes. Or maybe he might have been a little worried about his impending visit to the surgeon Thursday morning.
Stat of the game: The Spurs shot 70.6 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, while the Warriors shot 35.0 percent in the fourth quarter.
Stat of the game II: Through the first three quarters, Golden State shot 50 percent from the field. The Spurs shot 41 percent after three quarters.
Stat of the game III: The Spurs are now 4-0 at home. That mark ties them with Denver and Orlando for the most home victories without a loss.
Weird stat of the game: After trailing in fast break points 12-4 after three quarters, the Spurs outraced the Warriors 10-3 in the fourth quarter to take control of the game.
Quote of the game: ”Luckily, Steph Curry got hurt. When those guys were shooting like that, we were in for a long night,” Spurs guard Danny Green, describing the difficulties of trying to contain Curry and Ellis in the Golden State backcourt.
How the schedule stacked up: The Spurs will play a rare home back-to-back when defending NBA champion Dallas visits Thursday night. It will be the second game in the middle of an arduous stretch of four games in five days. The Warriors started three games in four nights with an upcoming back-to-back Friday night at the Lakers and Saturday night at home against Utah.
Injuries: Ginobili missed his first game with a fractured fifth left metacarpal. Gary Neal returned to the lineup after missing the first five games of the season with an appendectomy. Golden State guard Stephen Curry sustained a sprained right ankle with 2:49 left in the third quarter and did not return. Golden State forward David Lee returned to the lineup after missing Monday’s game with a bout of food poisioning. He produced 13 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes of play.