Pat Spencer receives his flowers for stepping up in Stephen Curry’s absence for the Golden State Warriors.
Ahead of the second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, most NBA experts picked the Golden State Warriors to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
It may come as a shock to fans. After all, the Dubs barely defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round. On the other hand, the T-Wolves had no trouble in dealing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, the Warriors proved their talent in Game 1 of the conference semifinals as they registered a gritty 99-88 win over the Timberwolves.
Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesFestus Ezeli on Pat Spencer
Over the course of his career, Stephen Curry has saved the Warriors numerous times in the playoffs. But there is only so much an injured Curry can do.
In fact, in Game 1, Curry played just 13 minutes before being forced to exit due to a hamstring injury. With Curry out of the game, Pat Spencer earned some extra minutes in head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.
Although Spencer played just 11 minutes, it was enough for him to leave a big impression on ex-Warrior Festus Ezeli.
“I got to give Pat Spencer a lot of love. He was attacking, downhill, going into the paint, give the Warriors a big boost,” Ezeli said.
Aside from Spencer, Ezeli also praised what veteran center Kevon Looney did on the floor, stating: “Kevon Looney, big offensive rebounds… I think he did a great job putting pressure on the rim.”
He concluded: “This is a gritty win you can build on for rest of the series.”
Pat Spencer’s Game 1 performance and what’s next
As mentioned earlier, coach Kerr gave Spencer 11 minutes in Game 1. In this limited time, Spencer finished the night with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.
He also shot 2-of-4 from the field while committing two personal fouls and one turnover. Despite that, fans loved Spencer’s hustle on the court.
As for what’s next for the 28-year-old, he may be required to consistently show up for 15-plus minutes if Steph Curry misses a couple of games in the series.
While Curry is listed as day-to-day, a clearer picture will surface once he goes through an MRI scan.