Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says Warriors are for real

Sam Amick | USA TODAY Sports

SAN ANTONIO – The big-time billing of this Western Conference bout was gone before tipoff.

Golden State Warriors highlight machine Stephen Curry made the gametime decision to not play against the San Antonio Spurs because of the bone bruise in his left ankle, thereby eliminating most of the intrigue and turning this Western Conference Semifinals rematch into one of the uglier games of this early NBA season. By the time it was over, after Toney Douglas' surprising 21-point outing for the Warriors wasn't enough and the Spurs' 39.2% shooting outing somehow was, the reigning Western Conference champion Spurs would improve to a conference-best 5-1 by outlasting a plucky Warriors group that fell 76-74 at the AT&T Center and, in doing so, fell to 4-2.

And in the end, the real meaning of the evening was there to be extracted before the game had even begun. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who would surely rather reminisce about the Spurs' six-game win over the Warriors in the playoffs rather than their seven-game heartbreaker to the Miami Heat in the Finals, made it clear that the Warriors are to be taken seriously.

As coach-speak goes, this was relevant because Popovich is the man who suffers no fools. Say what you will about his legendary interview style and edgy ways, but the most priceless part of his personality is the fact that he simply won't lob compliments just for the sake of filling someone else's air time. There is a genuineness to almost everything he says, and this was a genuine endorsement of a team that won't be going away anytime soon.

"Well they're for real," Popovich said of the Warriors. "They're really good offensively, (and) obviously they're very talented. They've got an inside and outside game, and they're really capable of scoring. If that was just it, then you'd call them a dangerous team where on any given night they can do you in. But they're beyond that, because (Warriors coach) Mark (Jackson) has done a hell of a job in giving them a mentality, an aggressive, physical mentality defensively.

"He's been demanding in that regard, and fortunately he's got a group of character guys who want to do it right and get to the next level, and that's what it takes. He initiated that last year. That takes them from a dangerous team to a solid, competitive team that can play with anybody. That's who they are. Now it's just a matter of being persistent and consistent about that, and reducing mistakes and understanding that it's a long season. They're definitely on the right path."

Popovich is right about Jackson. As he embarks on his third season at the Golden State helm, his imprint on this group is more obvious than ever. This game showed that much on its own, this gritty way that the Warriors nearly downed the Spurs on their home floor even without Curry. There is a never-quit requirement to Warriors basketball these days, one that nearly ended a string of 29 consecutive Warriors losses during the regular season at the AT&T Center.

It's a mostly-meaningless streak, of course, considering how Golden State showed in Game 2 of their playoff series in San Antonio that there wasn't a hex on them in this building after all (they won 100-91 then after falling in overtime during Game 1). But it said something that they nearly pulled this off, never mind how the Spurs locked down sharpshooting Klay Thompson (five of 16 shooting for 11 points) and the others who should have stepped up offensively – Andre Iguodala, David Lee and Harrison Barnes – were a combined 11 of 26 shooting for 27 points in all.

They did it by forcing a few rough nights of their own – Tim Duncan had a pedestrian eight-point, four-rebound outing, while Manu Ginobili had six points and only Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard provided any punch (combined 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists). Before long – perhaps as soon as Saturday night in Memphis – Curry will be back and the Warriors will be on their way again.

"A game like tonight will go a long way," said Iguodala, who signed on as a free agent in July. "It'll go further than a bad win."

Popovich, it's safe to assume, was as impressed afterward as he had been before.