Aldridge Finally Showed Heart In Game Six

3) Scoring:

• The Spurs offense needed him to be involved and while his efficiency (41%) could have been better he did contribute with 17 points. Aldridge has struggled with his shot all series long but made a couple timely jumpers in this game. He also decided to crash the boards and had some solid put-back baskets. His pure activity was what helped the Spurs as well ,because he was fighting for position every possession and not just settling for long fade-away jumpers.

2) Rebounding:

• The series’ games have been won and lost on the boards. The Spurs came into Game Six with this on their minds and Aldridge helped lead the way. He had a game-high 12 rebounds, including some timely offensive rebounds. He crashed the boards to score and to give his team extra possessions--finishing the game with 5 offensive boards overall. But again it was his activity in the paint that was the most impressive, tipping balls and fighting for position, making the Grizz front line work for their rebounds.

1) Demeanor:

• Aldridge did something that will not show on the stat sheet and that is he played like a man with something to prove. He spent most of the night with the demeanor of someone determined to help his team win, determined to crash the boards, determined to win. He didn’t do a lot of smiling and talking, he played the game with a true chip on his shoulder. He took losing personally and it elevated his game. If Aldridge can tap into this demeanor for the rest of the playoffs, the Spurs will likely return to the NBA Finals.