Tony Parker scores 29, Spurs beat Trail Blazers
Kawhi Leonard finished with 16 points and recorded 10 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, 118-103. The Spurs played an efficient game offensively, shooting 43-89 (48.3%) from the field and turning it over just seven times. The Conference Semifinals now stand at 3-0.
Leonard shot 4-10 from the field (1-3 on 3-pointers) and 7-7 from the free throw line. Other key players for San Antonio included Tony Parker with 29 points and six assists, and Tim Duncan with 19 points and seven rebounds. Wesley Matthews put up 22 points for Portland in the loss. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 21 points and 12 rebounds, Nicolas Batum finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, and Robin Lopez put up 13 points and seven rebounds.
In a matchup between elite defenses, San Antonio reigned supreme. They ranked third in the NBA in defensive efficiency this season (109.2), and held Portland to just 1.00 points per possession in Game 3. The Spurs posted a sterling assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.29 in this game. During the regular season, they were 10-2 when they exceeded 2.50 in this metric. Conversely, the Trail Blazers were 8-4 when allowing their opponents to achieve such a stellar ratio.
San Antonio carries a 3-0 lead into Game 4 with the opportunity to eliminate Portland on the road. Playing at home did not help the Trail Blazers in this game, something they will have to obviously have to change if they are to stay alive.
