As at the end of the 2nd quarter, the Spurs lost each of those stints, but each bought Jakob enough rest to come back in ready to battle. The Spurs let the Rudy on Rudy crime resume for 2 minutes late in the 3rd quarter and once again for 3 more minutes in the middle of the 4th. But Rudy puts up enough fight that Patty Mills is able to swoop in for the steal. It’s difficult to describe both how difficult and how important a play like this is:Īs strong as Rudy is, Gobert is backing him right down into the paint. The visitors won those 4 minutes, shrinking the lead from 12 to 8, but for a Spurs’ team without another viable option at center, that’s a small victory. The Jazz got the shots that defense is prone to give up, but weren’t able to punish the Spurs inside enough to force a change. The Spurs used their zone defense to mask the size disadvantage and, for the most part, it worked. Still, it was a surprise when Rudy checked in for Jakob after a Jazz timeout with a little over 4 minutes to go in the 1st half and Gobert still on the floor. More importantly, with Rudy at center, the Spurs’ offense came alive, scoring 21 points in 6 minutes of game time bridging the 1st and 2nd quarters. Rudy didn’t have to fight with Gobert in his first stretch in the middle, though he anchored the Spurs’ defense well enough to earn that opportunity. On Chimezie’s very first defensive possession, he gave up an easy tip dunk by chasing a block, and both he and Trey struggled to keep Gobert off the boards. He also showed himself to be much more disciplined in executing the scheme. It’s a bit surprising that Chimezie and Trey didn’t get more run in the middle, but Rudy is a little heavier and appears to be significantly stronger than either of them, both key attributes when fighting a big man like Gobert for position. At that point Rudy shifted over to center, a position he would share with Jakob for all but 2 minutes of the rest of the game. Mezie played the 5 for the next 6 minutes until Gobert checked out of the game, but then never got back on the court. When Jakob Poeltl picked up his 2nd personal foul just 2:32 into the game, he was replaced with Chemezie Metu. But it may not have been the Spurs’ original plan. That Rudy was able to hold his own in what by all rights should have been a massive mismatch in the Jazz’ favor made him the home team’s most important player in this game (non-DeRozan division). After playing just 3 possessions at the 5 this season prior to Wednesday night’s game, per Cleaning the Glass, Rudy Gay was the Spurs’ biggest player on the floor for 18 minutes against the Jazz, including 8 and half minutes matched up with the 7’1” Gobert. Lyles agreed to a deal in Detroit, while Dieng is headed to Atlanta.It may seem odd to point to a defensive strategy in a game where the Spurs allowed 125.7 points per 100 possessions, but the interesting part of that strategy is that it allowed the Silver and Black to rely on extremely small lineups and still survive. Two lesser-used members of the Spurs’ rotation – Trey Lyles and Gorgui Dieng – will also have new homes. The team has not ruled out re-signing the four-time All-Star on a shorter-term deal.įranchise mainstay Patty Mills, who has been with the Spurs since 2012, has received interest from the L.A.
#SAN ANTONIO SPURS RUDY GAY FREE#
Gay might not be the only veteran name leaving San Antonio as free agency continues.ĭeMar DeRozan remains the biggest name on the free agent pile, with the Spurs investigating sign-and-trade options for him. The Jazz have made the postseason for five consecutive seasons and finished the 2020-21 campaign with the NBA’s top record at 52-20.
#SAN ANTONIO SPURS RUDY GAY SERIES#
By the end of last season, the 34-year-old Gay was the oldest player on the Spurs roster.įor Gay, who has appeared in three postseason series in his 15-year career, the move to Utah represents a chance to join a solid playoff team.