Game 1: Brandon Ingram led the Spurs in Game 1, scoring 22 points. Evan Fournier scored 18 points. KCP was a perfect 3-3 from long range, scoring 15 points. JaVale McGee had a standout performance with 12 points, 9 rebounds. Andre Drummond corralled 17 rebounds. The Spurs played well, testing the waters against their eastern conference opponent, especially with a goose egg scoring night by Dejounte Murray (6 assists). For the Nets, Kyrie Irving scored 20 points. Kevin Durant's shot was a bit off, notching 18. Kevon Looney had 15 points, 10 rebounds in what amounted to a ten-point loss, 94-104. The Nets only made two threes, as the Spurs led by 25 points at one moment.
Game 2: With the first win in the books, the Spurs hit on all cylinders early in Game 2. They blew Brooklyn out of the water, 37-24 in the 1st Quarter. Brandon Ingram finished with 30 points, 6 assists, scoring double-figures in the opening period. Andre Drummond had 21 points, 22 rebounds with 7 assists. Dejounte Murray came out aggressive, scoring 20 points with 8 rebounds & 8 assists to go with 4 steals. Fred VanVleet scored 14 points, with 12 points by KCP. The Spurs kept the fire roaring in the 2nd Quarter, winning it 38-23, leading at halftime 47-75. To their credit, Brooklyn punched back big time in the 3rd Quarter, finally finding signs of life, 33-17, to cut the lead to 12 heading into the 4th Quarter. The Spurs won that 32-28 to pull out a 108-124 victory. Kyrie Irving scored 34 points with 9 assists, hitting six threes. KD had 17, but shot 8-19 and only 1-7 from range. Louisville draft pick, Samuel Williamson, scored 15 points. Kevon Looney had 10 rebounds. The Spurs scored 40 fast break points, also winning the interior battle unlike in Game 1, dishing 43 assists as a squad. San Antonio shot 65% in the first half.
Game 3: Bedstuy came alive in Game 3, making a thrilling resistance effort. The Nets devoured the paint with 73 points down low, but the Spurs stellar ball movement culminated in 39 assists once more. Brooklyn led by as much as 6 points, but the Spurs led by as high as 14, winning this one in the end, 120-109 despite the fiery home crowd. Brooklyn seized control in the 3rd, winning it 34-27, but San Antone closed the game out, 40-30 to claim the 3-0 dominating advantage in this series. Kevin Durant had a strong showing with 29 points & 8 rebounds with 2 steals & 2 blocks. Kyrie Irving, however, came up short with just 16 points (6-15, 10 assists, 7 turnovers). Kevon Looney had 13 points, 12 rebounds. For the Spurs, Brandon Ingram notched an impressive triple-double: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists with 3 steals. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points. Dejounte Murray played well again to score 18 points with 5 assists. Drummond had 19 boards with 12 points & 4 blocks.
Game 4: The closest affair of all four games, the Spurs pulled it out amid high adversity and home court pressure by the Nets, losing control at more than one point in the game, before admirably stepping up with championship mettle. They won the 4th Quarter, 37-23, after the score was notched at 76 (before Brooklyn went up 83-76, nearly toppling the Spurs). Brandon Ingram was sensational with 29 points, 3-3 from 3PT territory. He had 3 blocks with 2 steals. Down low, Andre Drummond had 19 points and 25 in a monstrous outing, swatting 7 blocks in the heat of high competition. KCP started out rocky, but hit clutch shots late for the Spurs, scoring 21 points and hitting six three-point daggers. Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, hitting six 3PTers of his own with 3 steals & 6 assists. Dejounte Murray dished 10 assists with 15 points, 3 steals. In the final defeat for the Nets, Kyrie Irving had 28 points & 11 assists (4 turnovers). Kevin Durant scored 20 points with 11 rebounds (9-19, 0-3 3PT). Kevon Looney had 16 points & 12 rebounds. Williamson scored 15 points. The Spurs closed the game on a 11-2 run.
Next up, the Spurs must best the Golden State Warriors.
