Tag Archives: Spurs

Technology

Google Chrome incognito mode spurs a lawsuit

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The world’s most popular browser, Google Chrome, is the source is a lawsuit that Google will soon face. A judge recently ruled that Google will have to face a lawsuit from plaintiffs who accuse the Chrome browser of tracking users while they use incognito mode.

A class action lawsuit filed in the United States alleges that Google Chrome still allows websites to collect personal information on users The complaint, originally filed in June 2020, says:

Google knows who your friends are, what your hobbies are, what you like to eat, what movies you watch, where and when you like to shop, what your favorite vacation destinations are, what your favorite color is, and even the most intimate and potentially embarrassing things you browse on the internet — regardless of whether you follow Google’s advice to keep your activities ‘private.”

The class action lawsuit seeks damages to the tune of at least $5 billion as The Verge points out.

Bloomberg reports that a federal US judge denied Alphabet’s motion to throw out this case on Friday, ruling that “Google did not notify users that Google engages in the alleged data collection while the user is in private browsing mode.”

Of course, it’s important to note that Google Chrome incognito mode has never been designed to make a user “invisible” to the web. A Google spokesperson said that the company would “defend ourselves vigorously” in the lawsuit, adding “as we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session.” After all, Chrome incognito is only meant to allow users to browse the internet without that activity being saved to the device natively.

Backing up Google’s response, Chrome does indeed give clear warning of this to users launching a new incognito window, as pictured below. It notifies users that Chrome won’t save their browsing information or data, but that a user’s activity may still be visible to websites, ISPs, and network managers such as a school or employer. This notice appears on Chrome for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux — every platform that supports the browser.

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Sports

Spurs follow a familiar trend in clobbering of the Magic

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Maybe it was jitters from this being the first game with fans in the AT&T Center in over a year. Or maybe it was getting used to yet another jumbled rotation, with Trey Lyles starting in place of DeMar DeRozan, who was away from the team to attend his father’s private funeral. Whatever the reason, the loyal fans who showed up expecting the San Antonio Spurs to come out on fire and give them a treat right off the bat were just going to have to wait a bit because that’s how this team rolls.

The final score may not indicate it, but that first quarter was really rough. With the Spurs returning home on a two-game losing streak, things didn’t look promising at the start. Despite facing a severely short-handed Orlando Magic team, the Spurs spent the first quarter looking jittery, unsure of themselves, and just not ready to play. Derrick White had two fouls in the first two minutes. Dejounte Murray had another cold start, going 1-6 from the field during his first stint on the floor. The defense was horrible, the shot selection left much to be desired, and just like that the Spurs were down 29-16 at the end of the quarter (and frankly fortunate it wasn’t more after a late Magic three was removed between quarters once video review ruled it a shot clock violation).

However, if this squad has taught us anything this season, it’s not to judge a book by its cover — or in this case, a game by its first quarter. It’s gotten to the point that you almost expect this team to get down in the first, and as the previous games showed, if they don’t something will go wrong later. If it’s a typical Spurs win, the game goes something like this: bad first quarter, world-beating second, meh third, and a good/great fourth, and that’s exactly how this one played out.

The Spurs finally started fighting back once the clock was reset to 12 minutes, and that was pretty much the ball game. White — who as mentioned two nights ago typically needs a game or so to find his footing after long layoffs — was desperate to see something fall, and it finally did in the form of two straight threes as part of 10-0 run to tie things back. Murray came out of his funk with 10 straight points and 13 overall in the quarter. The defense tightened up, forcing 6 turnovers, and overall they outscored Orlando 31-10 to take a 47-39 halftime lead.

Then comes the “meh” third quarter. The Spurs stayed hot to start the second half and stretched their lead to as much as 14, but a SIX-point play (you read that right) swung the momentum back in the Magic’s favor, and they got within three points on a 22-7 run. But the Spurs bench did what they do, thanks to two threes from Devin Vassell and one a piece from Rudy Gay and Patty Mills, and the Spurs stretched the lead back to 74-64 leading into heading into fourth.

And now the good/great fourth quarter. The Spurs opened things up on a 9-0 run, including seven straight from Gay, and they never looked back or needed any crunch time miracles as they outscored the Magic 30-13 for the comfortable blowout and allowed Gregg Popovich to empty his bench relatively early. Here’s how the four quarter splits came out, and although the 2nd and 4th quarter differences are a pretty extreme, it still follows that classic trend of a Spurs win this season:

  • 1st: 16-29 (-13)
  • 2nd: 31-10 (+21)
  • 3rd: 27-25 (+2)
  • 4th: 30-13 (+17)

They’re going to have to keep performing like this against inferior opponents, especially with the daunting schedule to come. That’s especially true this upcoming week, when starting on Sunday in Philadelphia, the Spurs will have five games in seven nights, all on the road and with travel in between each game. They’re all against East Coast teams, and at least three of them should be very winnable (Pistons, Bulls, and Cavaliers sandwiched between the 76ers — who may be without Joel Embiid — and Bucks), but it will require all hands on deck and putting teams away early so they don’t have to spend a lot of energy playing catch-up or staving off runs.

DeRozan should rejoin the team for the road trip, and the roster should be as complete as it’s been possibly at all this season (sans LaMarcus Aldridge). The gauntlet begins now, and they’ll need more team efforts on both ends of the court like tonight’s to keep pace. And if that requires waiting through a classic bad first quarter before they work their second quarter magic, then so be it. Just win, and don’t take too long to get there.

Game Notes

  • The aforementioned six-point play started when Keldon Johnson got called for a flagrant foul early in the third quarter after Chuma Okeke landed on his foot on a three-point attempt. The contact was extremely minimal — if anything Okeke sensed it and pulled his heel up after barely touching Johnson’s foot but made sure to fall to show there was contact — but as Spurs fans know all too well, defenders just can’t impede a player’s ability to safely land, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Okeke hit all three technical free throws, and then another three on the ensuing possession to achieve the six-point play. (That has to be rare enough, but I’d love to know how many players have actually accomplished one of those on their own, not through a “team” effort where one player shoots the FTs and another scores the bucket).
  • Second-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic was the only bright spot for the extremely shorthanded Magic, scoring 26 points on 12-18 shooting and 2-2 from three. It’s like he was out to show everyone who says he’d be a repetitive talent to Aldridge wrong. He could also be seen chatting with Pop after the game. Is there anything to that, considering the Spurs have been rumored to be interested in him? Probably not, but it’s fun to speculate since that’s all we have.
  • Vassell was the last Spur to return from COVID 19 protocols, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a month since he last played: on Valentine’s Day against the Charlotte Hornets. (There was something else going on that night — oh yes, that was when the White Walkers arrived at Texasfell and brought winter with them, and just like Game of Thrones itself, everything went bad from there. Wait, I’ve gotten way off topic, back to Vassell.) Interestingly, Vassell’s three field goals in this game marked his first made shot in exactly a month since he didn’t score in that Charlotte game, so you have to go back to Atlanta on February 12 for the last time he hit a bucket.

Next up: Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, March 14. Tip-off will be a 5:30 PM CT on FSSW and NBA TV.

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Sports

Shorthanded Spurs persevere to squeak past Pelicans

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After a last-second loss to the Thunder, the Spurs proved that they can still win close games. In large part thanks to a fantastic performance by DeMar DeRozan in his return, San Antonio beat the Pelicans 117-114 at home in another matchup that came down to the wire.

It didn’t look like the still severely shorthanded Spurs were even going to force a close ending early in the game. Neither team was playing good defense to start the night, but San Antonio simply had no answer for Brandon Ingram. The young All-Star wing dropped 15 points in the first frame to push his team ahead by as many as eight. Fortunately San Antonio ramped up the defensive intensity on the perimeter while keeping Zion Williamson under control. Once the second units checked in, the Silver and Black found the edge they needed to fully get back into it, with a lot of credit due to LaMarcus Aldridge’s aggressive play off the bench.

With Aldridge and DeRozan leading the way on offense and an inspired Dejounte Murray wreaking havoc on both ends, the Spurs showed more poise in the second quarter. Luck was also in their favor, to be fair, as they got hot from outside at the right time while the Pelicans struggled with the long ball. Had new Orleans been able to capitalize on the open looks San Antonio was conceding by doubling Zion and packing the paint on drives, the score at the half might have been different. Unfortunately for the visitors, the Spurs did a good job of bothering some of their shooters with strong closeouts, which resulted in a 1-for-7 quarter from beyond the arc for the Pelicans. After a strong closing stretch by San Antonio, the lead was six going into the break.

The Pelicans had their chance to regain control in the third quarter after some strong plays from Williamson, but they made mistakes that prevented them from capitalizing from the usual post-halftime lull by the Spurs. After a chaotic first couple of minutes, San Antonio went back to limiting Zion’s impact and controlling the pace. On offense they had Trey Lyles fill the role of X-factor that Lonnie Walker IV played in the second quarter, but the work of DeRozan, who did a good job of orchestrating the attack, was really the biggest reason for their success. Both teams got cold from outside and every point was harder to come by, but by virtue of having an accomplished half-court creator the Spurs came out on top and extended their lead to nine going into the final period.

The DeRozan dependency that helped them early on came back to haunt the Spurs in the fourth quarter. After thriving with an ISO-heavy attack in the second and third frames, the offense dried up. The role players couldn’t hit their shots and unless DeRozan got himself to the line, there was nothing easy. Fortunately for the Spurs, the Pelicans simply couldn’t make that final push. Zion had some terrific moments and the entire team deserves credit for cutting the deficit to three several times in the last few minutes. But every time they got close, they either couldn’t close the gap by missing a shot or having a breakdown on defense.

Game notes

  • DeMar DeRozan returned with a vengeance, logging 32 points and 11 assists. It was a tremendous performance that carried the Spurs through the toughest stretches of the game. DeRozan won’t be in Atlanta, but everyone should know by now that he’s an All-Star level player.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge once again came off the bench and did a good job of providing offense. After missing a couple of jumpers he was more aggressive and ended up shooting 10 free throws. As a bench scorer that can punish second units, Aldridge could be quite productive going forward.
  • Does anyone in the league get called for so many soft offensive fouls while screening as Jakob Poeltl? It’s bizarre. Despite foul trouble Jak managed to still pull down 11 boards and block three shots in a win, so I’m sure he’s not too bothered by it, but I can’t wait until he gets the officials’ respect.
  • Dejounte Murray filled the stat sheet, flirting with another triple-double, while also doing a good job of containing Ingram after his initial barrage. Murray did most of his damage in the first half, but still found ways to contribute when the ball wasn’t in his hands after the DeRozan takeover. It’s great to see how dependable he’s becoming.
  • Trey Lyles and Lonnie Walker IV were asked to fill in as starters once again. As mentioned, both had their moments, but they also simply helped out in their areas of expertise. Lyles pulled down seven rebounds and kept the ball moving while Lonnie poured in 17 points. Those two will likely continue to get big minutes until everyone is back, so it was good to see them play well despite having tough defensive assignments.
  • Patty Mills was hot in the first half but cold in the second. He still played well on both ends, so it’s hard to complain.
  • Luka Samanic came off the bench this time, but had one of the most encouraging zero-point, three-rebound games I can remember. He simply looked like he belonged, and played good defense, for the most part. He also almost had a monster putback dunk that unfortunately rimmed out. We are seeing progress from Luka.
  • The Spurs’ entire game plan was centered around stopping Zion Williamson, and he still got 23 points. Even if the defense forces him into a bad shot, Zion is so strong and has such a great second jump that he can snag his own offensive board and get the putback. That’s how he grabbed at least four of his eight offensive rebounds against the Spurs. Just a beast of a player.

Next game: Vs. the Nets on Monday

The Nets will visit the AT&T Center next. The Spurs’ perimeter defenders will face another tough challenge. If they can stop James Harden, the Silver and Black should be able to get their second win in a row.

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Sports

What Gregg Popovich told Steve Kerr after Spurs’ loss

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Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry may have just affected his Olympic Team candidacy after dismantling Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Curry has previously expressed his interest about playing for the 2020 Olympics, the quadrennial even that has since been rescheduled to 2021. Popovich is set to man the sidelines of Team USA, along with Steve Kerr as his assistant. However, following the Warriors’ blowout 114-91 victory against the Spurs, Coach Pop has seemingly changed his mind.

After the Dubs’ win, Kerr said in his postgame presser that Pop jokingly told him  he’s no longer considering Steph for Team USA after embarrassing him.

“He told me after the game that he had been considering Steph for the Olympic team, but he said after the way Steph embarrassed him tonight he’s no longer in consideration,” Kerr said while chuckling, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

Jokes aside, it’s not hard to understand Gregg Popovich’s statement. After all, Stephen Curry exploded for 32 points on an efficient 11-of-20 shooting against the Spurs–finishing as the only player to score over 20 in the game. The Warriors superstar also recorded four rebounds and two assists to help Golden State lead by as much as24 points at one point.

The Spurs’ latest performance is a vast contrast to their previous outing against the Warriors that saw them take the W, 105-100. While Curry also scored 32 in the said showdown, Pop and Co. were able to respond offensively behind DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray.

For what it’s worth, Coach pop might want to reconsider Steph for Team USA in the Olympics, as the All-Star shooter is clearly having one of the best seasons of his career in an individual standpoint, per Kerr.

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