CLEVELAND – DeMar DeRozan left the locker room of the Rocket Mortgage Field House after the loss of another Spurs on Sunday evening, stopping outside to take an orange sports drink in a cooler near the door.
He shot it in three long sips during a long, slow walk to the team bus, then dropped the empty bottle in a nearby trash can before disappearing into Cleveland night.
A few minutes earlier, he had spoken of the Spurs’ shorthanded 132-129 defeat to the Cavaliers, which included a 17-point return down, but which only led to a type of moral victory that failed not helping a struggling team to get in the NBA playoffs.
“It’s exhausting,” said DeRozan. “We respect him. We don’t hang our heads. If you remove these holes in the first quarter, we would have a better chance. “
Pay homage to DeRozan and the Spurs. They don’t give up, even if no one would blame them.
As for Sunday’s game against a Cleveland team that has now defeated them twice in OT this season – and in quizotic pursuit of the Spurs in the post-season in general – the Spurs have become quite adept at extending the ‘inevitable.
“A lot of people would have taken it because expectations were high this year after a very good year last year,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “So far we haven’t reached that level. It’s frustrating, but they don’t let that affect their efforts and their drive to win.”
No one can question the Spurs’ desire to win. Their ability to do so has become another story.
The Spurs have now been swept this season by each of the teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Cleveland and Atlanta. They don’t have the profile of a playoff team.
There was a lot of work against them on Sunday, starting with the casualty list. Lonnie Walker IV joined him after being kneeled at the bottom of his leg two nights earlier in Brooklyn.
The Spurs (26-36) were again without striker LaMarcus Aldridge, center Jakob Poeltl and goalkeeper Marco Belinelli. The two large injured men would have been particularly useful against a large team of Cavaliers at almost all positions.
“They had three big big ones and we didn’t have any,” said Spurs guard Derrick White, “We miss L.A. and Jakob for obvious reasons. We just have to fight. “
Andre Drummond beat the Spurs for 28 points and 17 rebounds. Kevin Love finished with 14 points and 18 boards despite a 0 to 8 start. Matthew Dellavedova added 14 points and 11 assists. Larry Nance Jr. recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds on the bench.
It was the first time that the Cavaliers had four players register a double-double in the same game since March 24, 1990 against the New Jersey Nets.
Collin Sexton scored 26 points to lead Cleveland in this department.
“The less body there is, the harder it is, no matter who you are in this league,” said DeRozan, who was 11 out of 12 on the foul line en route for 25 points. “It has been difficult for us in recent weeks.”
The Cavs took advantage of the missing bodies in the Spurs’ forward area, winning a rebound of 60-44. Fourteen of these boards ended up on the attacking side.
The frontline jumpsuit of Drew Eubanks, Trey Lyles and Rudy Gay was outdone in trying to keep the Cavs’ juggernauts away from the boards.
It was something of a recurring and explainable theme.
“We’ve had a big problem since L.A. and Jakob came out,” said Popovich.
Unable to stop Drummond from going into a porcelain bull cupboard, the Spurs hung out 26-10 to start the game.
This is an improvement from Friday in Brooklyn, when the Spurs started 20-6, eventually fell behind by 33 and lost 139-120.
At the end of the first quarter in Cleveland, the Spurs trailed 35-18. It was the sixth time in seven games they have faced a deficit of 15 points or more.
“We have a hard time winning games,” said White.
Behind DeRozan’s score, a solid second half for Dejounte Murray on the road to 17 points and six interceptions and a key shot from Rudy Gay in the fourth quarter to clinch 17 points, the Spurs – as has become their custom – income to make it a game.
When Murray buried a runner to give the Spurs a 63-62 lead with 9:07 to go in the third quarter, it marked their first lead since leaving Charlotte on Tuesday.
Against the Hornets, the Spurs also faced a 17-point hole before rallying to claim a one-point triumph. The Spurs return on Sunday gave way to a fourth quarter with three header changes and six ties.
Gay forged the final tie in the fourth by overturning a 21-footer with a second remaining in the rules to send the game to OT.
“We started off badly as if we were doing too much,” said Popovich. “It was still a great effort. I’m really proud of how they got on the road, got back into the game and had a chance to win. “
Cleveland has won 19 games in a season that has seen them change coaches from John Beilein to J.B Bickerstaff. The two won a victory over the Popovich Spurs.
In December, Cleveland sneaked out of San Antonio with a 117-109 win that also required an extra period.
On Sunday, the Spurs tied the game at 122 in overtime when Murray pilfered Sexton and took the ball for a dunk with 3:14 left.
This would mark the final Spurs basket until White scores a 3-point hello Marie to bring the Spurs in 131-129 with 1.8 seconds remaining.
The Spurs have continued to scratch in Cleveland, and there is some honor in that.
It was not enough to beat the Cavs. It may not be enough to save a season in which the Spurs are mired in 12th place in the West.
“All we can do is participate every night and try to collect victories,” said White.
Even if it means prolonging what seems inevitable.
Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN
