NBA Playoffs - Spurs seize Game 2, go up 2-0 over Blazers
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 10 May 2014
CHICAGO -- After a tight 7-game series against the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs are having a much easier time with the Portland TrailBlazers in their Western Conference semifinals.
Kawhi Leonard led seven Spurs players with double figures in points as San Antonio took a commanding 2-0 series lead following a 114-97 rout of the Blazers in Game 2 Thursday night at the AT&T Center.
Leonard sank 8-of-9 field goals and 4-of-4 threes for 20 points, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had 16 each, and Marco Belinelli added 13. Boris Diaw registered 12 more while big men Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter combined for 20 points and 16 boards.
"The whole team was playing great. The ball movement was great. Kawhi and Marco (Belinelli) were making shots. We did our job. We won the first two games at home," Parker, who also finished with 10 assists, told NBA.com.
Just like the Game 1 defeat, The Blazers shot poorly in Game 2, making only 40 of 93 field goals for 43 percent. Portland made all 10 of their free throws but they went just 7-for-18 from 3-point country.
After a narrow 29-26 advantage to end the opening quarter, the Spurs blew Game 2 wide open with a 41-points second quarter. They led by as many as 20 and converted 48 of 90 field goals overall (53.3 percent), including 12 of 20 from 3-point range (60 percent).
"It happened pretty quickly. They're one of the best in the league in coming at you. they come at you in waves, and it really happened there in the second quarter," Portland head coach Terry Stotts said.
Nicolas Batum finished with 21 points and 9 boards for the Blazers while Damian Lillard had 19 and 5 dimes. But the Blazers' main weapon -- LaMarcus Aldridge -- only had 16 points on 6-for-32 shooting.
Game 3 is set at the Moda Center in Portland on Saturday night (Sunday AM in Manila). (Homer D. Sayson)
Photo: Kawhi Leonard was unstoppable Thursday night, making 8-of-9 field goals for 20 points as the Spurs took a 2-0 series lead over the Blazers after capturing Game 2, 114-97.
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