The highly anticipated matchup between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs tipped off at Oracle Arena Sunday afternoon and did not disappoint. In what was a thrilling come-from-behind victory, the Warriors took a 1-0 lead over the Spurs in the series.
Spurs’ flawless first half
Following a flawless Game 6 against the Houston Rockets, the Spurs came into Oakland with the same level of play, moving the ball around to find quality shots and suffocating the Warriors on defense. The Spurs miraculously held the Warriors to 16 points in the first quarter and under 30 percent shooting.
Midway through the second, San Antonio built a 25-point lead. They were forcing the Warriors into plenty of turnovers and highly contested shots. The closest Golden State ever got in the second quarter was 14. The Spurs thoroughly dominated the first half, and had a 20-point lead at halftime.
Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge each took turns imposing their will in the first half. Aldridge had a solid first quarter, while Leonard had a monster second quarter. Manu Ginobili, Jonathon Simmons, and Danny Green also provided extra help.
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were basically the only scorers. The two combined for 28 of Golden State’s 42 first half points. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson was struggling with his shot, and the bench didn’t provide much.
Kawhi Leonard’s injury
Spurs star Kawhi Leonard suffered an unfortunate ankle injury again. He rolled the same ankle that he hurt in Game 5 against the Rockets, accidentally stepping on a teammate’s foot. Leonard was able to return to the game but a couple possessions later, he rolled the same ankle on Zaza Pachuia’s foot after being fouled.
Leonard shot his free throws, checked out of the game, and headed straight to the locker room. After further examination, the Spurs confirmed that he would not return to the game.
Warriors go on huge run
When Leonard checked out, the Spurs were ahead by 23 points, 78-55. Sadly, his teammates could not sustain the lead, as the Warriors instantly went on an 18-0 run to cut the deficit to five.
The Spurs managed to take a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, but lost the momentum.
In the final period, the Warriors made one last push, ultimately taking the lead for the first time since early in the first period. But, the Spurs kept responding, retaking a three-point lead with 2:12 remaining in the game. On the ensuing possession, San Antonio was unable to gather a defensive rebound, allowing the Warriors to pick up extra opportunities, which ultimately resulted in a Curry three-point basket to tie the game.
Down five with 38 seconds left, Ginobili took it in the paint for a monstrous one-handed jam. Immediately after, the Spurs pressured Klay Thompson, stole the ball from him, and Patty Mills drew a foul, cutting the lead to one with 31 seconds remaining.
However, Curry responded with a clutch 13-foot driving floater, leaving nine seconds on the clock. The Spurs didn’t have a timeout to advance, so they ran it down the court and found Aldridge for a corner three, but he missed. Fortunately for San Antonio, the Warriors committed a loose-ball foul on Mills with half a second to go. Mills made the first and purposely missed the second, but the Warriors came up with the win in the end, 113-111.
Box score
Stephen Curry finished with a game-high 40 points, along with eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Kevin Durant added 34 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Despite leaving the game in the third, Leonard had 26 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Aldridge led the Spurs with 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Meanwhile, Ginobili contributed 17 points and three steals.
Leonard’s status update
The Spurs blew a 25-point lead, but perhaps they would have been able to hold off the Warriors if Leonard didn’t get injured. Fortunately, Leonard was seen walking without a limp, but he had tape and ice on his ankle and called the injury “very painful.” He will have an MRI on the ankle, which should determine his status for Game 2.
