By Jeff McDonald
In the Internet age of ESPN and Twitter and smart phones and tablet apps, it is almost impossible for an NBA player to avoid the NBA standings. They are accessible to anybody, anywhere, via the simple click of a mouse.
So are scores from around the league, updated in real time, play-by-play and basket-by-basket.
Still, with all this inescapable information zipping through cyberspace at the speed of light, Spurs guard Danny Green admits he was unaware what was at stake in the Spurs’ 128-103 victory over New Orleans on Friday night at the ATT Center.
First place in the Western Conference?
“We knew we were close,” Green said. “But I didn’t know tonight would be the night.”
Combined with Oklahoma City’s loss at Indiana nearly an hour earlier, the Spurs’ unmerciful beatdown of the woeful Hornets moved them to the top of the West standings for the first time this season.
True, the lead the 39-14 Spurs hold over the Thunder is microscopic — a mere 9/100ths of a percentage point — and there is far too much season left to be popping champagne corks now. But for now, the Spurs will enjoy the view from the top while it lasts.
“It’s always good to hold your own destiny in your hands,” said guard Gary Neal, whose team owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Oklahoma City.
Against New Orleans, Tim Duncan scored 19 points to head a list of six players in double figures, and the Spurs raced to a 28-point lead in the first half before cruising to a 10th straight victory. The Spurs now own the two longest winning streaks in the NBA this season, having won 11 in a row from Jan. 30 to Feb. 20.
Win No. 10 came by way of the Spurs’ highest-scoring night of the season, surpassing a 125-90 victory in Cleveland four nights earlier.
If the Spurs appeared hyper-motivated to take advantage of Oklahoma City’s misfortune Friday, pin it on coincidence. Laser focused, many players were blissfully unaware of the various standings storylines heading into their game against New Orleans.
A game ahead of the Spurs to start the night, the Thunder fell into a 24-point hole early in Indiana before losing 103-98. By the time the Spurs took the floor against New Orleans, the West’s last-place team, first place was in play.
News of the Thunder’s struggles did not exactly spread like wildfire in the Spurs locker room before tipoff at the ATT Center.
“I think one of the ballboys came in and told us,” Manu Ginobili said.
At about the time the Pacers were finishing off the Thunder, the Spurs were putting the final polish on a season-best 72-point first half, making 30 of 45 shots and taking a 25-point lead into intermission.
With no starter logging more than Kawhi Leonard’s 21 minutes, five reserves scored in double figures for the Spurs, who recorded a season-best 31 assists.
Ginobili and Patrick Mills each produced 14 points off the bench, while all 13 members of the Spurs’ active roster scored. The Spurs’ reserves combined for 82 points, the most prolific night for an NBA bench since Jan. 3, 2000, when the Orlando subs also accounted for 82 against Detroit.
Already ahead by 10 heading into the second quarter, the Spurs reeled off a 23-5 run in the second quarter to transform the entire night into an exercise in scoreboard-watching.
New Orleans coach Monty Williams bemoaned his team’s defense after the Spurs shot a season-best 60.7 percent — “We couldn’t guard a bike if we were riding it” — but even he knew his hamstrung roster was no match for the one belonging to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“They look like they’re primed for a championship run,” said Williams, whose team fell to 14-41.
Friday, the Spurs took over first place in the West, then reacted as if they’d just found some spare change in a couch cushion.
“We don’t want to get crazy about it,” Ginobili said.
Indeed, the Spurs have been here before, winning 61 games for the West’s top-seed last season, then tumbling in the first round against Memphis. With 13 games still to play this season, the Spurs are guaranteed nothing.
The best course of action, they’ve decided, is to do what they’ve been doing: Keep playing, oblivious to vagaries of the standings, looking up only at the end of the regular season.
First place?
“It’s great, but there’s too many games left,” Duncan said. “We’re going to go through some ups and downs. We’re going to lose some games. They’re (the Thunder) going to lose some games. We’ll see how we come out the other end.”
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Spurs 128, Hornets 103: April 6, 2012
DeJuan Blair reaches in trying to foil Carl Landry on the blocks as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Tony Parker slides between Greiis Vasquez and Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
DeJuan Blair scores from the backdoor on Chris Kaman as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
DeJuan Blair jams one as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Kawhi Leonard jams it in the face of Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Manu Ginobili scores easily on Gustavo Ayon as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
SPORTS James Anderson moves inside of Al-Farouq Aminu as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
The Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Chris Kaman pivots on Tiago Splitter as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
SPORTS Manu Ginobili coordinates the team in the first half as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Manu Ginobili goes through the net trying to score and draws the foul against Trevor Ariza as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Tim Duncan takes it to the hoop against Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Stephen Jackson puts up a shot in the first half as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Tiago Splitter puts up a hook shot against Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
Chris Kaman pivots on Tiago Splitter as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)
jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN