The San Antonio Spurs are hoping a change of scenery and good old home cooking back in the Alamo City will allow them to extend the NBA Finals to a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden in New York. In order for that to happen they’ll need to handle business tonight in Game 5 at Frost Bank Arena on the banks of the scenic San Antonio Riverwalk.
Heading into Game 5 the biggest question has to be the mental state of Spurs starting point guard De’Aron Fox whose attempted layup on a break with the team up by one point with approximately 11 seconds left was blocked by New York Knicks star OG Anunoby, leading to Anunoby’s game-winning tip in that cemented the largest comeback in NBA Finals history (29 points). The issue is Fox didn’t need to score. All he needed to do was hold the basketball and make the Knicks foul him and step up to the line and make his free throws, instead his play led to OG’s huge tip in that won it and sent MSG into a frenzy.
Fox Gets Support From Unlikely Source
In the midst of prepping for Game 5, social media has been a buzz since Fox’s mental blunder played a huge role in his team losing a game they dominated for three quarters. So instead of taking two in Manhattan as the Knicks did in San Antonio in Games 1 and 2 the Spurs are clinging to life.
Speaking on NBA Today on Friday, Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff, who led the team to the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference this past season had this to say about Fox and how his team needs to handle him and the aftermath of the situation.
“We love you, and we need you. We understand what his talents are, and how good he’s been as an All-Star before as a floor leader, as a floor general,” Bickerstaff said. “So, all we need you to do is be who you are, and who you are is good enough. The outside noise doesn’t matter. The outside noise has no impact on the job that he has to do — what his teammates think of him, what his coaching staff thinks of him. You’re hoping for three more games.”
Mitch Johnson Says Nothing Will Change His Strong Opinion Of His Point Guard
During Friday’s media session, Fox’s head coach Mitch Johnson let it be known that they will not deviate from Fox having the basketball in his hands because he and Fox’s teammates have the utmost trust in him. Johnson petty much said the opinions of outsiders don’t matter.
“I don’t get into social media,” Johnson said. “I think I’ve been fired 212 times, and we’ve traded Fox 72 times. People have their opinions. I don’t care. I care what the people that matter in our building, our organization, in that locker room, that they know how I feel. De’Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he’s going to deliver like he’s done countless times for us.”
Swipa Da Fox Still Confident In Self
Fox’s struggles at times during the playoffs and in the NBA Finals have been well documented. The former All-Star guard is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered in the second round against the Timberwolves. And while he’s pushed through you can see he’s still limited in some of the things he usually does with ease on the court.
On Friday Fox sounded undaunted by the critics.
“It’s not like people have my phone number and can call me,” Fox said smiling. “I don’t watch those shows. It doesn’t matter. It is what it is. Can’t change it now. It is what it is. We’re trying to move on from that, continue to learn from the mistakes we made, how we lost the lead, finished the game poorly. We think about the next game.”
Series Is Far From Over
Despite being down 3-1 the Spurs can take solace in knowing they’ve held a double-digit lead in every game. A few plays go their way and they could have been on the precipice of a sixth franchise championship and first since 2014, their longest drought since their first win in 1999.
In fact, the Spurs were better than the Knicks in both games at MSG and kept the mostly bandwagon celebrity row crowd in the arena at bay, until they didn’t. But, one for sure and two things for certain, the Spurs have no fear of playing at MSG and they’ll look to play at least one more game there this season and series.
