San Antonio vs. Phoenix, Final Score: Spurs turn tables on Raptors and complete comeback, 125-120

Spurs end supremely difficult season 12 games better than last season’s result.

After San Antonio fiercely fought back from a 20 point halftime deficit to close the third quarter, the Spurs – without their four of their top players – answered the bell every time in crunchtime, and behind Keldon Johnson’s key offensive rebounds and countless heroic buckets from Blake Wesley, Sandro Mamukelashivili, Malaki Branham, Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, Harrison Barnes, and Johnson himself, successfully completed their comeback. The final Spurs field goal of the season fittingly was an alley-oop from the 39-year old Paul to the longest tenured Spur (Johnson) [with Castle ceding the airpsace to Keldon] to secure a 125-118 victory.

San Antonio’s presumptive Rookie of the Year Castle (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) had a fine game to close out the first of many better campaigns. Harrison Barnes continued out his recent string of productive games with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Johnson (23 points and 9 rebounds), Mamukelashivili (12 points), and Branham (11 points) figured most prominently in the second half comeback alongside Paul (15 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) to provide the fans and viewers a memorable finale.

Toronto’s former rookie of the year Scottie Barnes (35 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists) put up impressive numbers that were eclipsed in the first quarter-plus by rookie Jamison Battle (25 points and 9 rebounds). A.J. Lawson chipped in 14 points off the bench.

Battle was the second straight rookie to put up an impressive amount of shot attempts from the tip, but unlike Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, he made 6-for-7 from distance to put up 18 stunning points for Toronto. Harrison Barnes continued his torrid shooting pace to help keep San Antonio afloat. Castle and Julian Champagnie were the only other starters to score as the bench chipped in 11 points. The free-flowing 12 minutes of play yielded a 37-32 lead for the Raptors.

Toronto was rewarded for its higher energy level and seeking out better shots to leap ahead by as much as 12. Jamal Shead and Scottie Barnes, in particular, were crucial in making that second quarter push. Johnson and Mamukelashvili gamely tried to match the Raptors’ pace and effort, but their shooting touch betrayed them over the remaining minutes. Scottie Barnes caught fire late in the half to put the Raptors up 20.

Paul and Champagnie supplied the Spurs’ firepower for the first half of the third period, and they were able to get as close as eight. San Antonio put together its best two-way play to close out the frame and made what looked like a Raptor blowout into a hotly contested second half. Johnson had an acrobatic lay-up and, after Blake Wesley stole the ensuing inbounds pass, gathered Wesley’s pass to score and tie things at 91-91. Scottie Barnes single-handedly prevented the Raptors from squandering their big lead entirely. Undeterred, San Antonio’s 39-21 third brought them within two.

Observations

• It’s always my pleasure to contribute to this site and am forever grateful to J.R. Wilco for the chance to be PTR’s Blake Wesley.
• Loved that the telecast brought in the Bill Schoening feed midway through the first.
• Paul played all 82 games!?
• Harrison Barnes and Scottie Barnes – first time I’m truly enjoying typing out the full names for multiple players that share a last name in a Final Score.
• Squint hard enough and Toronto’s Jonathan Mogbo looks a little like 2012-2013 Kawhi.
• I never thought Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ would get used in a commercial, but I’m happy that it’s not Wingstop!
• Sequence of the Game #1: Late in the first quarter, Wesley floated baseline and lofted a pretty dime to a cutting Malaki Branham for a lay-up.
• Sequence of the Game #2: Partway through the second, Harrison Barnes and Paul combined to strip Scottie Barnes, and Mamukelashvili streaked down the court for a solo slam.
• Sequence of the Game #3: During the third quarter comeback, Malaki Branham knocked down a wing three, and immediately followed it by swiping the ball from Scottie Barnes and converting a tough transition lay-up.

Game Rundown

In an opening quarter with noticeably few breaks outside of timeouts, Toronto’s Battle hit two early threes to give his team a slight lead, while Harrison Barnes put up a quick eight of his own. Battle unofficially had more than half of the Raptors’ points throughout the entirety of the period. Keldon Johnson came in and made an immediate impact, but Battle continued to… battle from behind the arc with his fourth, fifth, and sixth threes! After an impressive lay-up, Branham fell awkwardly into former Spur Garrett Temple’s knee and he went down in major pain. The Raptors’ eight threes in the stanza, along with a clumsy last second foul by Jordan McLaughlin on a three attempt, allowed them to leave the frame up five.

San Antonio held possession for almost a minute to start the second quarter, but could not will a shot home. A pair of scores by Scottie Barnes followed by rookie Jamal Shead hustling his way into a couple of scores made the lead swell. Battle’s 20th point put Toronto up a dozen. Castle’s first hit from three and a transition dunk by Mamukelashvili stopped the bleeding temporarily. Since the Spurs’ outside shots fell astray, Castle and Johnson attacked the rim to mixed results. Paul missed a trio of makeable jumpers, while Toronto continued to inch further ahead. The teams traded baskets until Scottie Barnes asserted himself from different spots on the floor to put the Raptors up 74-54 at the break.

Champagnie encouragingly connected on two threes to start the third, and Paul’s first field goal came two minutes later. Paul’s second and third makes helped galvanize San Antonio over the middle minutes of the frame. Paul then followed a Harrison Barnes floater with his patented baseline jumper to trim the deficit to eight. It helped that the Spurs were able to get consistent stops compared to the sieve-like first half results. Branham and Mamukelashvili had several invigorating plays late in the third to help get the Toronto advantage down to four. Johnson followed suit with a set of manly baskets to tie the game briefly. The Raptors went to the fourth up a scant two points.

For the Raptors fan’s perspective, please visit Raptors HQ.

I look forward to doing playoff Final Scores for Pounders these upcoming weeks!