San Antonio vs. Washington, Final Score: Spurs run away from Wizards, 129-112

Hey look! The Spurs dominated a game they should!

It happened! The Spurs won a road game they were supposed to win in convincing fashion, leading by 20 points for most of the 2^nd half in a 129-112 victory over the Wizards. The Spurs were so dominant that Bryn Forbes was their only starter to play over 30 minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way, pouring in 24 points while 7 other Spurs scored in double digits. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 25 points and 5 assists and Thomas Bryant added 19 points and 7 rebounds.

Observations:

Jakob Poeltl caught 2 quick fouls and had to check out with 10:05 still left in the first. Both came on Bradley Beal drives, a sign of the problems the Spurs would have all night trying to keep Beal away from the basket.
Neither team brought much defensive intensity early, and their 69 combined first quarter points were a testament to how very easily both were able to score. The Wizards got to the rim at will, and the Spurs, true to form, killed it from the mid-range.
In what was maybe the least surprising turn of events in this game, a role player on the Wizards started off hot and seemed destined to set a new career high in scoring.

And tonight’s Rando Who Goes HAM on the Spurs is… https://t.co/GlQBkb7qIw

— Pounding the Rock (@poundingtherock) April 5, 2019

With Marco Belinelli out, and the Spurs playing matador defense, again, Dante Cunningham got some first quarter playing time, checking in with 1:22 left. The Spurs made a little run, taking a 5 point lead on a Patty Mills 3 just before the quarter ended. Dante stayed in to start the 2^nd, but his presence did nothing for the defense, and the initial run that created separation between the two teams actually started right after Dante checked out.
The Spurs’ offense was incredibly efficient, hitting 75% of their shots in the 1^st half and putting up 77 points, tying a franchise record for road games. The defense finally put together some stops midway through the 2^nd when the Spurs used a 12-0 run to take a commanding 17 point lead.
Bradley Beal was a problem. Though the Spurs were able to make him work for his points, he repeatedly broke down the defense and got where ever he wanted on the court.
But so was LaMarcus, and his dominance down low was a sight to behold. He drove for layup and dunks, hit step backs and turnarounds, and generally had his way with whoever had the unfortunate task of trying to stop him.
Apparently, the Spurs horrible shooting from 2 nights ago was contagious. The Wizards made just 9 of their 32 attempts from deep.
In a happy reversal, the Spurs offense was so good in this game, their opponent had to resort to zone. Much like when the silver and black try it, though, it had little impact on the Spurs’ ability to score.
The Spurs brand new acquisition, Donatas Motiejunas, got on the court with a little over 4 minutes to go. For some reason, the Spurs paired him with Jakob initially, then Drew Eubanks in extra-large lineups that included Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Lonnie Walker IV. He recovered for a block on his first defensive possession, showing some pretty good agility for a 7-footer.