San Antone: Seeking Nine Rings

RC Buford fields question after trade announcements. A quarter through the season, the San Antonio Spurs organization had compiled enough analysis of the team's performance so far. In response, President of Basketball Operations, Coach Gregg Popovich, and General Manager (and former Executive of the Year) RC Buford delivered to the main league office a bevy of trades that sports critics and media mainstays already have dubbed as "brilliant" and "big time" moves. Heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers are Rudy Gay and Mike Muscala, with the former having an up-and-down season until this point, and the latter having a nice showing in the overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers but otherwise not seeing game action behind established big men, Joakim Noah and Kyle O'Quinn, respectively. This deal may raise some eyebrows, but taken as a whole one will see the sense in who was moved and why . Rudy Gay's tenure in Texas has ended. Heading to Texas

Eric Gordon's potential game-winner rattled out at the buzzer. The San Antonio crowd had reason to be concerned if they'd followed the win-less road trip, but immediately the Spurs looked to be back to form, making perimeter shots and looking energetic on the court. Joakim Noah especially looked strong, finishing with 13 points and 9 rebounds, to go with 4 blocks, proving to be vital in this fierce match-up. James Harden went supernova for 52 points, scoring 28 points in the first quarter because he simply can, despite Brandon Ingram's best efforts to slow him down. It would take a team, as Harden would occasionally miss a shot or get the ball swiped away from him by the likes of Avery Bradley and Rudy Gay. The Rockets led 34-33 after quarter one. In a hot exchange, Clint Capela (10 rebounds, 4 blocks) swatted Brandon Ingram and then Kyle O'Quinn swatted James Harden on the other end. Houston shot 68% on the game, with Austin Rivers (17 points in 15 minutes) cau

The Timberwolves bite was too hard tonight. The Spurs looked to be in recovery mode, bursting at the horn into a 10-0 run, but Karl-Anthony Towns swatting Brandon Ingram's layup attempt would prove to be a bad omen. Towns would make life miserable for Dejounte Murray tonight, as he went 4/11 on just 8 points and 5 assists, failing to score down low with the UK center at large. Brandon Ingram, however, had the worst game as a Spur, going 3-12 with 6 points and 2 turnovers. At halftime, Ingram had a goose egg on the scoreboard. While the going was good, Avery Bradley stole the ball and made it 18-8, and Murray had his lone highlight move with a nice spin in response to an equally nice pick set by Kyle O'Quinn--who had a career high 29 points, with 12 in the first quarter as the Spurs led 27-16. Spoiling O'Quinn's career high, the Timberwolves took control thanks to 27 points by Derrick Rose in the form of a 13-2 run. The Spurs started turning the ball over, and so

Zach LaVine wowed the Chicago crowd tonight. The Spurs simply came unscrewed in Chicago this evening, as the Bulls blitzed them 29-17 in the third quarter. San Antonio couldn't score like their normal selves in this road visit, going 41% overall and making only four 3PT shots, a polar opposite from the norm. Meanwhile, the Bulls shot 54% and dominated the glass, 44-28, causing 12 turnovers by the Spurs. Zach LaVine soared high for 22 points with multiple dunks that made the crowd cheer at the beat-down they were witnessing, as the Spurs failed to even eclipse 100 points. Khris Dunn looked nice with 18 points and 9 assists. Patty Mills looked arctic out there, going 2-12 from long range, and 2/15 overall. Brandon Ingram did his best with 24 points, but went 11-21 by the buzzer despite 3 steals. Dejounte Murray started strong with 20 points. Rudy Gay chipped in 13, but went 4/12. Robin Lopez commanded the rebounds tonight with 15 of them, and 10 points. Otto Porter Jr score

The Greek Freek's 36-PTS were not enough tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo powered his team at home, as the outcome was up in the air throughout, with the defending champions earning the road victory. It was the first meeting between the best two teams of last season, and it did not look good for the Spurs early: the first possession led to an interception that had The Greek Freek thundering the ball through the basket on a fierce jam. Brandon Ingram would have a career night, however, drawing the foul on a three-pointer and dunking the ball on the fast break. The former Duke star had 26 points before the halftime buzzer sounded, as the Spurs surged back into control with a 12-2 run, bolstered by a steal from Joakim Noah, leading to another stuff by Ingram. Mike Muscala showed off his range with a three, sparking what would become a 46-31 advantage for San Antonio. The Bucks would rally and make it just 59-57 at halftime, closing it out on an 11-3 burst, with Antetokounmpo fou

Addressing its need for more help on the wing, the San Antonio Spurs have signed 6'9" sharpshooter Omri Casspi to a minimum deal. Casspi, the league's only current player of Jewish descent, joins the Spurs after bouncing around a handful of teams that include the Kings, Warriors, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. Casspi is a respectable defender and his dead-eye has wowed fans, having engaged in a 2015 perimeter showdown with Steph Curry before joining the Warriors the next season, a night that saw Casspi record a career high nine 3PT shots for 36 points. An outspoken ambassador for Israel, Casspi has his own organization that arranges trips to the country to "show what Israel is really like" to outsiders. Omri joins a Spurs team comprised of international talent, with his marksmanship and diligent effort on defense looking to fit right in. "Oh, yeah? That's cool. Yeah, I know Omri. Nice to have another guy that can shoot, for sure," said Iman Shumpe