One Up

And we're back. After a short stay as a .500 team, we've now once again moved to above the half-water mark with a win over the Spurs. And what a win that was. The story of the game was, in my opinion, the discrepancy between our starters' production and theirs. While three of the five Spurs who began the game didn't score, we had three starters pour in at least 30 points. So while the absence of our bench tonight might be a little disconcerting (we let the Spurs get too close in the fourth and the starting five had to stay in), we should still appreciate the brilliant performances from Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks and Luis "The Argentine Machine" Scola. So without further ado, I bring to you, the recap. 

The Good

-We were able to get to the free throw line 38 times to the Spurs' 30, for free throw rates of 48.1 and 35.3, respectively. We also shot nearly 90 percent from the stripe while they only made 73 percent of their attempts, meaning we were +12 at the line. In a game this tight, that's the difference. Not only did Martin get to the line at will, as he is accustomed to, he was also able to get us into the bonus, allowing other Rockets to get free throws for the Spurs'...foul play. Yeah, you see what I did there. 

-Kevin Martin finally had a coming out party of sorts, netting 33 points on 24 shots. His shooting percentage wasn't ideal, but he more than made up for it with a perfect 14-14 night from the free throw line, which, incidentally, Luis Scola matched. That last addition doesn't really mean much, I just wanted to extend the previous sentence. And now the paragraph.

-This may seem like a Cop Out (in theaters now, starring Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis), but getting the win was definitely a big part of yesterday, as we had been in a bit of a slide of lately and a win over the rival Spurs could do wonders for our confidence. 

The Bad 

-I don't want to pick nits after an uplifting win like yesterday, but the fourth quarter still bothered me, if only slightly. We struggled to create and finish and allowed a potential blowout to become a tight game, and against better (read: not already decomposing) teams, that could be dangerous. 

-We also struggled on the offensive glass, a trait very uncharacteristic of this team. It's not really a worry, as I'm sure we'll right the ship sooner rather than later, but offensive rebounding has been a substantial part of our success this season and we've been out-rebounded on that two games in a row. Yet, since one of those games was against Dwight Howard, I think we get a pass.

The Ugly

-The Spurs in the first half looked slow, out of sorts, aging and, quite frankly, decrepit. I'm not complaining though, as this allowed us to build up a (needed) 18-point lead in the first half. We're in Utah tonight, so remember to tune in to give the good guys some much needed support from back home. And, as always, go Rockets.