Inside The Spurs

Turnovers Lead to San Antonio Spurs' Loss vs. Dallas Mavericks

"The 12 turnovers in the second half where we lost composure offensively, unforced turnovers, quick decisions, quick shots where we didn’t really make them guard," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the game.
Jeremy Brener|
Turnovers Lead to San Antonio Spurs' Loss vs. Dallas Mavericks
Turnovers Lead to San Antonio Spurs' Loss vs. Dallas Mavericks

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have some growing to do after their opening night loss against the Dallas Mavericks.

While the Spurs had a chance to win, their knack for coughing the ball up late in the game ultimately cost them from taking the opening-night victory.

"The 12 turnovers in the second half where we lost composure offensively, unforced turnovers, quick decisions, quick shots where we didn’t really make them guard," Popovich said after the game. "That is a tough combination. When they are scoring at the other end, we are going to have to score. Those turnovers and those kinds of dry possessions, I call them, really hurt us. But we hung in there the whole night. We were really there. I was really proud of their effort."

The Spurs ranked 26th in turnovers per game last season with 15.3, a number that will need to shrink if they want to win more games this year. But for a young team, especially with young ball handlers like Tre Jones, Malaki Branham and Jeremy Sochan, turnovers are an expectation ... limiting them is the key.

The Denver Nuggets, last year's champions, turned the ball over 14.5 times per game last year, just one under what the Spurs were churning out. The Spurs aren't far off, but every possession has meaning, especially in close games.

The Spurs will look to take care of the ball better tonight when the Houston Rockets come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Frost Bank Center.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News