Game 5: San Antonio Spurs 91-99 Golden State Warriors - 5 Talking Points
The Golden State Warriors held off a late surge by the San Antonio Spurs to win Game 5 at the Oracle Arena and take the first-round series 4-1.
It was quite a competitive ballgame, with both teams defending sturdily for the most part. Points were allowed at a premium, and neither team was afforded too many open looks or fast break points. The Spurs, as a matter of fact, finished the game with 0 fast break points, which was one of the mitigating factors for their loss on the night.
Their role players did not punch above their weight as they did in game 4, which allowed the Warriors' top stars to make their impression on the game.
The game got interesting after a 12-4 run by the Spurs late in the 4th quarter, which took them to 89-91 and in striking distance of victory on the night. The Warriors held their nerve, however, and opened up a 2-possession gap, which widened as the game clock winded down.
The following are 5 talking points from the game:
#5 Exemplary 2nd quarter by Golden State
The game was pretty close for the first quarter, and the teams went into the quarter break with the scoreline at 22-20 in favor of the Warriors. They then pumped the brakes on the Spurs' offense in the second quarter, allowing just 18 points during the period, out of which only 7 were field goals.
On the offensive end, they shared the ball well and were able to put up 27 points while facing a sturdy, well-drilled Spurs defensive scheme. Many of the shots they missed from downtown were wide open looks that were generated by excellent ball movement and would've gone down on another day.
The quarter was capped off by a buzzer-beating jump shot by Klay Thompson to take their halftime lead to 9 points at 47-38, and this window was a well-deserved lead for the superior team of the half.