The San Antonio Spurs are trying to hand the New Orleans Hornets their second consecutive loss and extend a seven-game winning streak against the Hornets in New Orleans tonight. New Orleans matched last season's start for the best in franchise history with four straight wins before falling 93-90 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. The Spurs, meanwhile, bounced back from their first loss with an 88-78 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Peter Finney, a writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune paid great tribute to the Spurs today. What a good sport.
Finney wrote, "Let's all stand and applaud. How about a Big Easy welcome to the Invisible Dynasty that goes by the name of the San Antonio Spurs? The Spurs win by making plays that don't show up on "SportsCenter." They win with defense, by getting the ball to the open man, by wearing you down with basic fundamentals. Whatever happens tonight, win or lose, the Hornets will learn from the experience."
What a great article from the oposition's press? WOW! Do you think maybe, just maybe, Katrina changed the paradigm on how things are viewed in the Crescent City?
Imagine, remembering that sports are for fun. What a display of sportsmanship that is far to lacking these days. Thanks Peter.
The Hornets have one of the Western Conference's most potent backcourts. Third-year point guard Chris Paul dropped 21 assists on the Los Angeles Lakers in New Orleans' Tuesday night victory. Shooting guard Morris Peterson, signed as a free agent this summer, is finding his comfort zone. Backups Bobby Jackson and Rasual Butler are solid and consistent.
As a result of the San Antonio Spurs' deep bench, shooting guard Michael Finley has barely had to play. Finley, the Spurs' second-oldest starter at age 34, has only logged 20 minutes per game so far. That should go a ways toward keeping him fresh for later in the year.
So far this season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been able to successfully limit the minutes of Finley. As he often does this time of year, Popovich has been utilizing an expanded rotation, playing with various pieces as he attempts to evaluate who can do what. As a result, Finley has been averaging 8.3 fewer minutes per game, than his backup, Manu Ginobili, if you concede that Ginobili actually backs up Finley, and one fewer than Matt Bonner. Effectively massaging Finley's minutes has been a pastime of Popovich's since the guard joined the Spurs two seasons ago. Finley averaged just 22 minutes per game last year, not much more time than he is receiving now.
"It's good for all the guys who are a little bit older to make sure we don't overplay them," Popovich said.
The Spurs, whose last action was a victory against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, don't face the Houston Rockets until tommorrow night. After taking Saturday off, they commenced preparations with a 21/2—hour workout Sunday morning.
Matt Bonner bounced out of his sideline chair and onto the court when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich unexpectedly called on him in the third quarter of Thursday's game in Sacramento. His enthusiasm carried over when, seconds later, he cut the wrong way and nearly ran into Jacque Vaughn. As Popovich turned around to light into the young forward, Vaughn already was clutching Bonner around the hip, calmly explaining what he had done wrong.
The play didn't show up in the box score of the Spurs' 100-93 victory, but credit Vaughn with another assist. If nothing else, he saved Bonner from a potentially embarrassing blistering. "That's my job," Vaughn said later, laughing. The Spurs have benefited from Vaughn's steady hand on more than a few occasions during their 11-game winning streak. He more than capably filled in for injured starter Tony Parker for two games, sparking victories over Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers with his energy and hustle. On Tuesday, he helped direct the Spurs' comeback in Portland as Parker watched from the bench.
"He steps on the court and he takes over in the sense that everybody knows where they're supposed to be," Popovich said. "He'll help other people with what defense we are in, with the play call. "His aggressiveness defensively — all those things just ups the level of competitiveness when he's on the court."
A 10-year veteran who has played for five franchises, Vaughn credits some of his leadership abilities to a point guard he'll see tonight. Before signing with the Spurs, Vaughn spent two seasons playing behind — and sometimes alongside — New Jersey's Jason Kidd. "I learned a lot from Jason," Vaughn said. "I think the things that stand out were the fact that he could lead a team by example, the simple things like being at practice, being the first guy to do drills."
Vaughn also benefited from having a locker next to Utah's John Stockton for four seasons. As a rookie, Vaughn learned the value of day-to-day preparation from Stockton, who taught him how to be a professional.
The Spurs recognized as much when they went looking last summer for a veteran point guard to help mentor Beno Udrih and Parker. "We signed him like two minutes after the signing (period) opened up," Popovich said. "It was the first thing we did. We locked him up right off the bat."
The ball did move well against the Rockets. And as everyone knows it can sometimes stick when it’s in Tony’s hands. But I’m going to have to see a lot more evidence before I join the Bench-TP-For-Jacque campaign. T he less time Tony’s on the floor, the less of those transition layups the Spurs get. And, at least from where I sit, those sure seem like easy baskets any team would appreciate.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manu Ginobili pulled up on the right baseline, released his shot then watched it clang hard off the rim. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, standing on the sideline, looked up at the rafters and let out a long sigh. Popovich didn't have to fret for long. Once Friday's third quarter gave way to fourth, Ginobili resumed his normal role as the Spurs' designated closer. Or, some might say, savior.
Playing again as a reserve, Ginobili scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs finally pushed past the Sacramento Kings 100-93 to extend their winning streak to 11 games. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Tony Parker scored 15 points and Matt Bonner provided some steady second-half minutes as the Spurs swept their four-game trip. After returning home today, the team will play 13 of its 20 final games at the A####mp;T Center. Led by Kevin Martin's 26 points, Sacramento shot 48 percent, but the Spurs found their defense in the closing minutes.
After trailing since the midpoint of the opening quarter, the Kings went ahead 73-72 on Francisco Garcia's 3-pointer with 9:16 left. The Spurs called timeout to regroup then Ginobili stepped back onto the floor and promptly drilled his own 3-pointer. He followed with a runner and another 3-pointer. Sacramento, however, continued to carve up the Spurs' defense on the other end of the floor, making eight of their first 10 shots in the quarter. Mike Bibby's 26-foot 3-pointer put Sacramento ahead 86-85 with 3:35 left.
Parker followed with a layup. After Brad Miller missed an open jump shot, Parker drove into the lane, took a bump and foul from Corliss Williamson, threw up a wild moonball then watched from the seat of his shorts as the shot bounced off the front of the rim then the back before dropping through the net. Parker missed the free throw, leaving the Spurs with an 89-86 lead. Ginobili and Duncan combined to make five free throws — even though the team went just 22 for 33 from the foul line — to extend the lead to 94-86 with 1:03 left. Ginobili helped close out the victory with a steal in the final seconds.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, who, at times, seems to be missing only a giant foam finger for charter membership in the Spurs' fan club, had a message late last week for anyone still dismissing his rival as a legitimate championship contender. "I find it humorous to hear about the supposed decline of the Spurs by so many who don't have to compete against them," Van Gundy said. "You know you've reached a good spot when people are saying it's a bad year when you're 41-18." The Spurs have since improved to 43-18 and, for now at least, the eulogies will have to wait. Criticized by coach Gregg Popovich for a couple of "soft performances" less than four weeks ago, the team has strung together 10 consecutive victories — its most since it won 11 in a row at the end of the 2003-04 season — heading into tonight's meeting with the Sacramento Kings.
As the Spurs' victory total has swelled, so has their self-esteem. Down seven points with a little more than two minutes left Tuesday night in Portland, the Spurs made four consecutive 3-pointers to stun the Rose Garden crowd and escape with a 99-94 victory. "Your confidence grows as you go through adversity and still find ways to win," Tim Duncan said. "So every step we take we're believing in each other a little more. We're understanding what to do and we're understanding not to panic. "We took a big step in that direction (Tuesday)."
With the possible exception of Tuesday's victory, Popovich credits the Spurs' winning streak to the same thing he previously thought was holding them back. "Defense," Popovich said. "We're getting stops now."
Manu Ginobili led the San Antonio Spurs with 19 points in their 93 - 80 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday and found himself in the middle of an outburst by Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. With 5:25 left in the third, Ginobili stripped Wizard Gilbert Arenas of the ball. Spur Tony Parker got hold of it, then passed it back to Ginobili, who took it down court for a fast-break dunk. Washington's coaches came out onto the court yelling at the officials, apparently because no foul was called. Jordan charged way out onto the floor, pushing through a couple of his own players who were trying to hold him back arguing — rather colorfully — that Arenas had been unable to get a call, despite being repeatedly fouled.
He was quickly given two technicals and ejected from the game. Jordan acknowledged that he lost his cool Saturday night. To say the least. "I lost my composure, and I probably shouldn't have,'' Jordan said. "And that's the way it is."
Said Arenas, "He blew up. ... But Eddie, he got so far in the lane, I thought he was going to shoot free throws."
With or without Jordan, the Wizards weren't showing much of the form that led them to victories in 11 of their previous 15 games. They shot just 27-of-87 (31 percent) from the field and had only eight assists while tying their season low in points. Arenas led the Wizards with 17 points, well below his average of 30 per game, as he went 6-of-20 from the field.
"I thought we did a pretty good job to control him. He's having an unbelievable season,'' said Spur Tony Parker. When he did shoot, Parker tried to keep a hand in his face. "All the tapes I was watching of him, he was taking jump shots, like, by himself," Parker said. "But it's just one game. We'll see him again in Washington."
"I think for the last two or three weeks we've become the defensive team, or we're on the road to becoming the defensive team we've been the last six or eight years,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. It was a little less than three weeks ago that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich questioned his team's commitment to playing defense. He wondered if the Spurs had become bored or too satisfied. He called them the franchise's worst defensive squad in "four or five years," then quickly downgraded that assessment to "six to eight years." The team, he said, had two options: improve or face a long summer vacation.
"I think the team has focused more and taken (defending) more seriously in the group sense, reacting to each other, being responsible to each other and trying to be on the same page," Popovich said. "Five guys instead of three or four. "He said some good stuff," Parker said. "But then he came back and said, 'No, that's not enough. You need to do this and that ... '"
"Offensively we couldn't get any flow. We got to the paint, missed layups, missed jump shots," Washington's Caron Butler said. "The shots we usually make. So we've just got to tip our hat to them and get ready for the next challenge."
"We came out and it was just bad possession after possession, we couldn't find that rim," Arenas said. "Our target was off." Arenas' right shoulder has been bothering him, and then there was a game the night before in Oklahoma City. Give him some rest, and he'll be putting another 60 points on somebody, and talking about his swagger, which the Wizards call "swag." "Tonight," he said, "there was no 'g' in the swag."
The Spurs won for the fourth consecutive game because they defended much like they did in the previous three. They have won seven straight at home against the Wizards.
Tim Duncan totaled 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Ginobili didn't have the best of nights. After three quarters, he had 11 points and three turnovers. Much like Parker, he had struggled on the offensive end. "I thought he was really forcing the issue a lot, trying to drive, trying to beat everybody," Popovich said. "His effort was great, but he was just driven in the wrong direction.
When he came back in, we talked to him about letting it come to him." "I was a little frustrated because I didn't like the way I was playing," Ginobili said. "Pop told me to calm down." Ginobili finished with 19 points. "I was very happy they went in," Ginobili said, "because I didn't like the way I was playing."
The Wizards made another run midway through the fourth quarter, closing to eight as Duncan headed to the bench with his fifth foul. But Ginobili answered with back-to-back 3-pointers.
With 10:05 left in the fourth, officials called a technical on the Spurs' Robert Horry just after he'd been called for a foul. Horry, who has been sitting out the second game of back-to-backs, probably will see his playing time increase. It is becoming imperative that Horry perform at levels he has in the past despite the legitimacy of his tired aging body. Either he can go or he can not. Popovich will have to make some tough decisions regarding playing Horry in coming weeks.
The Spurs' latest victory came at a cost when they suffered their worst injury of the season with over eight minutes left in the third. Matt Bonner, whose playing time had increased in recent weeks, tore his left medial collateral ligament. Team officials said Bonner might have landed awkwardly after leaping for a rebound. Afterward, he immediately clutched his left knee.
Unable to put any weight on the leg, he had to be carried off the court and to the locker room. The Spurs said he will undergo an MRI Sunday. According to the team's doctors, the injury can heal itself without surgery, depending on the severity. The initial projection is for Bonner to be out anywhere from two to six weeks, but coach Gregg Popovich says he is bracing for "several weeks."
"I didn't see it," Bruce Bowen said. "It just happened. It was in transition with Butler. Ginobili took a charge and next thing you know and Matt is kind of gimpy." "It's hard because Matt was playing very well and finding his spot in the rotation," Parker said. Bonner had two points Saturday.
The Spurs led by as many as 17 in the second quarter, then watched their advantage dwindle to six by halftime thanks to some sloppy play.
The Spurs took a 29-15 lead into the second quarter. The Wizards tied their season-low total for a first quarter.
Spur Francisco Elson is scheduled to see his shoulder specialist Monday. He's optimistic the doctor will clear him for contact, which could allow him to return within the week. Elson has missed the past nine games since injuring his right shoulder in the Dec. 26 loss to Milwaukee. He suffered a slight tear to his right rotator cuff that left his arm numb after the game.
"It's been tough," Elson said. "I've never been out this long — ever. But I feel a lot better now." Elson has attended the Spurs' games at home, but watched on television when the team has been on the road, trying to guess the calls for the team's plays.
In spite of the layoff, he doesn't think it will take long to get back in shape. "They've had me do so much conditioning (work), it's been crazy, nuts," Elson said. "But I've done all of it."
Saturday's game was "Spurs Military Appreciation Night.'' At halftime, former Spur David Robinson, who spent two years in the Navy, presented Purple Hearts to several wounded service members. USAA donated 500 tickets to military personnel for the game.
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