The San Antonio Spurs ended their four-game losing streak to defending champion Milwaukee Bucks defensively.
The Spurs kept the Bucks' scoring to their opponent's season-low 93 points, and in the fourth and final quarter, the big problem for the team, it was De Joante Murray who led the team to victory at a crucial moment.
Let's analyze the Spurs' victory over Milwaukee.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > best defensive game of the season</h1>
While the Bucks are missing several key players, such as Juju Holliday, Brooke Lopez and Bobby Portis, they are still favored by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Middleton.
For a full 48 minutes, the Spurs' defense remained very active, keeping Milwaukee's scoring under 30 points in each quarter.
The San Antonio Spurs' dense defense gave them 12 steals, setting a new season high. Murray led the team with 3 steals, with the other 7 players making at least 1 steal.
The Spurs were responsible for 57 percent of the steals for the Bucks' 21 turnovers that night. The Spurs turned those steals into points, scoring 19 points with a turnover.
In particular, in one game, Brin Forbes grabbed a pass and scored on a layup at the other end.
The Bucks' three-point shooting percentage is also low, with only 26 percent shooting, which is also a new low for the Spurs this season.
With the exception of Brother Alphabet, none of the bucks players scored more than 8 points on the inside as the Spurs used the inside to control the game.
With Jacob Portle in foul trouble in the first half, different Spurs players have the opportunity to defend alphabet brothers. Thaddeus Young, who has been recording "no play", played a 16-minute substitute.
With sample size early in the season going to dramatically change a team's rankings, it would be interesting to see if Sunday's game could put spurs in the top 10 defensively.
"We ended up turning it into a win," Spurs coach Popovich said after the game. Popovich said, "We could have come back a few more times." The Spurs have defended well lately, giving them a chance every time they lose.
"It's fantastic," Murray said after the game. "We dug deeper for 48 minutes."
"I think we played well, especially on the defensive end," Forbes said after the game. "We got a much-needed victory, and it was a huge victory."
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="27" > enough score to stick</h1>
While the Spurs struggled with jumpers throughout the night, 60 of their 102 points came from the inside. The Spurs continued to attack the Bucks' defense, with Murray on the inside with 14 of 23 points, Forbes on the inside with 10 of the 16 points and Young on the inside with 10.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Spurs led the Bucks by 18 points on the inside, while the Bucks won the mid-range and three-point shooting battle.
The more efficient shot, the basket, won the night because the basket score was easier for the Spurs to maintain when the Bucks jump shot wasn't hot. After the game, Yang said: "Every team can score, the key is who can easily score?"
Derek White scored nine points across the team, including 21 on 3 points, and 17 all the way. Kelden Johnson scored 12 points and, despite his poor performance on the perimeter, he scored a crucial corner three-pointer late in the game.
The Spurs had a problem with this game was executing and scoring in a game that was evenly matched. That's where Murray is key tonight.
Murray scored 16 of the Spurs' 33 points in the fourth quarter, including 6-of-8 shooting, and hit a crucial 3-pointer in the final quarter and made 3-of-4 free throws on the free throw line.
After the game, he said he liked to hold the ball in his hand in the final moments of the game, whether it was scoring for his team or preparing for his teammates.
The Spurs have a 2-4 record this season, a 1-2 away record and a 2-1 road record. Their next game will be held in Indiana on Tuesday.