Sir Charles Barkley screams his name in admiration mocking arena announcers. Manu has game.
Manu Ginobili scored the final nine points including seven straight free throws willing the San Antonio Spurs past a young but fast and talented Memphis Grizzly team 104 - 101 in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday night.
Down the stretch, the San Antonio Spurs showed why they are the NBA champions, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a team with some growing to do. When his tired team needed a lift on the second night of a back-to-back, Ginobili had the legs to provide it, scoring 30 points to help the Spurs fend of####rizzlies team looking to fend off a bit of its own bad history.
Manu saved his best for when the Spurs needed him most. His driving, twirling, twisting layup over Darko Milicic, spun with the English of a pool shark, broke a 95-95 tie with 32.4 seconds remaining. Ginobili charged into a thicket of opposing players, slid his body between two of them, and — while nearly directly under the backboard — flipped the ball backward and rimward. It rolled around the iron before dropping through, giving the Spurs the last lead they would need. Ginobili could rest on the plane ride home.
"The difference in the game was that Manu Ginobili willed it," Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. "He just willed it. He saved the day for us."
Ginobili made five of the Spurs' 12 3-pointers, hit 13 of 14 free throws and had seven assists. Ginobili added drawing a late charge from Grizzlies forward Rudy #### to preserve the Spurs' lead.
In Miami last week, Ginobili checked in about halfway through the first quarter. Before long you could hear oohs and aahs coming from the Heat fans, as Ginobili basically took over the game. His aggressive drives to the basket resulted in seven free throws....he hit every one. Before departing the game for good early in the fourth quarter, the lefty from Bahia Blanca scored 22 points in under 19 minutes of play. Ginobili joked with reporters that he doesn't have any bruises on his body just yet, so he may not exactly be in mid season form.
After putting an extra dash of wear and tear on Ginobili's battered body last season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had two offseason orders for his human bruise of an off-guard. Take it easy. And call me in September.
For Ginobili, who scored 16 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, his offseason conditioning program where he did little during August and started training in September is providing early dividends.
"I feel great right now. It seems to be paying off,'' Ginobili said. "I don't know what that means a few months from now, but right now I feel really fresh.''
The San Antonio Spurs have traditionally done well during their annual "rodeo" road trip, but their struggles this month have added extra importance to the next eight games. With a rodeo being held at the A####mp;T Center, San Antonio begins its longest road trip of the season today against the Los Angeles Lakers. This is the fifth season the Spurs (31-14) have gone on the trip. The team has gone 25-6 the previous four seasons, including 6-2 last year.
Manu Ginobili is reasonably concerned, "January hasn't been very good for us, so going on a long road trip is either going to pull us together or apart. Hopefully it is together. Usually it is the part of the season where we make the biggest step forward."
The team begins the road trip coming off a 112-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlieson Friday. The Spurs made 60.8 percent from the floor - their second-best shooting effort of the season - and received another impressive performance from Tim Duncan. Duncan was 10-of-16 from the field for 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and had a career-high nine blocked shots. He's averaged 22.9 points, 12.6 boards and 3.9 blocks over the past seven games. "He's just playing great basketball," coach Gregg Popovich said. "Hopefully the rest of us will follow."
The first three games of San Antonio's road trip will arguably the toughest. After facing the Lakers (27-16), owners of the league's fifth-best record, the Spurs play on back-to-back nights against division leaders the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. The team also faces the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons during the trip before returning home Feb. 20 to face the Denver Nuggets. "It's always been a situation where our guys look at it as an opportunity to pull together and do their things in a hostile environment," Popovich said. "It helps with their toughness, confidence and focus."
The Spurs are 15-6 on the road and have won four of their last five away from San Antonio.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson and former Lakers Head Coach – now Miami Head Coach – Pat Riley are the only active coaches with multiple NBA Championships … Jackson has won nine, Riley has won five and Popovich has won three
Spurs forward Robert Horry won three of his six career championships while donning the Lakers Purple and Gold
The Spurs have met the Lakers in the playoffs 10 times, more than any other team in the league.
This is a crucial time for the San Antonio Spurs. It is now time for the annual "rodeo road trip". Yes, in San Antonio the rodeo is big, bigger than the Spurs in fact. Sad but true. Every year the Spurs have to stay away from the A####mp;T Center until the rodeo is over.
In past years with tough teams, it hasn't been that big of a problem, if it was a problem. But this year, with the team not performing up to usual San Antonio expectations, the rodeo road trip may be bothersome to say the least. The Spurs don't have another home game until Feb. 20. They visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
The Spurs are using a strategy that has worked for them in the past, hang in the game, keep the defensive pressure up, and put it away in the fourth quarter. But this season they have let the opposition get leads that are too big on occasions. It happened last week against the Lakers and this week against the Houston Rockets. The results have been combacks that fell short and losses that are unacceptable to Spurs fans.
Duncan, Spurs Best Grizzlies
Tim Duncan had his second outstanding game this week. This time, his team managed to win. Duncan had 26 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best nine blocked shots as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzlies 112-96 on Friday night. "He's just playing great basketball,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Hopefully the rest of us will follow.'' Five of Duncan's blocks came in the first quarter alone.
The Spurs led 62-47 at halftime, but the Grizzlies needed less than six minutes to erase all but two points of their deficit thanks to three 3-pointers from Eddie Jones, another from Mike Miller and a three-point play by Hakim Warrick. Chucky Atkins tied the game at 74 with another 3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third quarter. A pair of free throws by Warrick on the opening possession of the fourth quarter gave Memphis its first lead. But the Spurs were able to recover going on a game-clinching 19-3 run to win improving to 31-14. The win was big for San Antonio as the game was their last at home before their three-week road trip.
"We had a great fourth quarter,'' said Duncan, selected to his ninth All-Star team on Thursday. "I thought we moved the ball really well, guys got open shots and knocked them down, and we took care of the ball.''
Tony Parker added 18 points and Manu Ginobili 17 for the Spurs, who won for the eighth time in 11 games. The Spurs also received a boost from their bench – something that has been lacking all too often this season. Michael Finley had 15 points and Brent Barry 13. Field goal shooting and fourth quarters had been a problem for the Spurs lately, but not on Friday night. They shot 60% from the field (45/74) and in the fourth quarter they hit 11 of their 18 attempts while outscoring the Grizzlies 31-15.
Memphis was missing Pau Gasol, who was a late scratch from the lineup because of a left hamstring strain.
Spurs' Popovich Stoic
If the Spurs are going to emerge from their current funk in time to make a serious run at another title, they're going to do so with their current roster. That, according to players, is what coach Gregg Popovich told the team after Wednesday's loss to Houston. The question now is whether that holds true. "He made a statement last night that he wasn't trading anybody, that we were going to do it together, that this group of guys is going to do it as a team," Robert Horry said. "But you know how that is.
Robert Horry isn't stupid. He's not like everybody that believed a certain Miami coach that said he was staying there. Robert Horry is a veteran. He knows how to read between the lines. He's been around the block a time or two and has the rings to prove it.
I'm not saying he won't do that, but it's the nature of the business. "If somebody came up and said, 'We'll give you Tracy McGrady,' he would be foolish not to do that." The Spurs don't expect McGrady to fall into their laps. But Popovich's comments to the team were somewhat surprising considering the Spurs have aggressively looked to upgrade their athleticism on the perimeter and probably will continue to do so. And the Feb. 22 trade deadline is nearly a month away.
Duncan Scores Spurs Lose
Duncan scored a season-high 37 points against the Rockets on Wednesday, but the Spurs lost 90-85. Wednesday's loss to the Rockets appeared nearly identical to that of a week earlier when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Both games were at home and both opponents were missing their second-best player. In each, the Spurs fell behind big in the fourth quarter before starting an energetic comeback that came up short.
"I think we have to understand that we're not playing with the same physicality and focus for as many minutes of the game as we have in the past," Popovich said. "Along with that, there are some individuals who just have to pick their games up — some starters and some people off the bench." The Spurs have increasingly looked tense, which isn't much of a surprise considering they're 7-6 this month. Parker, in particular, has had a difficult time, saying Popovich has asked him to focus less on scoring and more on setting up his teammates.
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 9 (AP) -- It was a decidedly routine night for the San Antonio Spurs at home on Tuesday. But after some of their recent games, no news was good news. "Point-wise we're doing a pretty good job. Tonight we did a pretty good job,'' said Spur Tim Duncan, who had 16 points in their 98-84 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. But, he added: "I still can't say we're where we want to be.''
San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) and guard Michael Finley (4) defend Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph (50) as he shoots during the first quarter of their NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. San Antonio won 98-84. (AP Photo/Eric ####) http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=1400 564&gameId=270109024
"We shot the ball well tonight and that helped us keep our lead,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Overall, pretty good team defense to hold them to 84. Just go on to the next game tomorrow.'' Bruce Bowen scored 12 - all on 3-pointers - for the Spurs.
"We didn't look like we belonged here,'' Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "We made a lot of mistakes with the ball.'' Portland made 19 turnovers that San Antonio turned into 28 points. "But I like the fact that we were aggressive,'' McMillan continued. "If we keep doing that, winning will find its way into that locker room.'' Zach Randolph led the Blazers with 25 points.
Tony Parker guards LaMarcus Aldridge
Tony Parker was back Tuesday and played 21 minutes after sitting out Sunday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a strained hip. "We had a good win. We played pretty good defense and shot the ball well,'' Parker said. "Overall, it was a good win.''
Bowen said every night the Spurs' defense learns a new lesson. "It's important for us to get things the right way. Even if they score, if we're doing it the right way it means we have progress. That's what it's about right now,'' Bowen said.
Likewise, LaMarcus Aldridge said he's learned from the Spurs. "Being a veteran team, even when things got tough for them, they stay together,'' he said. "When things get tough for us, we tend to separate and do things on our own.''
The Blazers took a 21-18 lead into the second quarter as San Antonio struggled in the first half with making layups. Duh!
But the Spurs were ahead 51-44 at halftime. Parker had 10 points in the half and Duncan added nine. Randolph led the Blazers at the half with 14 points, followed by Jarrett Jack with 11. Both teams went 18-of-37, just under 50 percent, in the first half, but San Antonio shot 90 percent from the foul line to Portland's 67 percent.
The Spurs opened the third quarter with an 15-4 run that included a fast-break 3-pointer from Bowen and four free throws from Manu Ginobili. San Antonio was up by as many as 19 points, but Portland answered with a 12-2 run led largely by Brandon Roy to put them back within nine with just under two minutes to go in the quarter. Randolph had 10 in the period.
The Spurs took a 77-68 lead into the final 12 minutes. They opened the quarter with a 10-3 run and at one point had an 18-point lead.
San Antonio improved to 25-11; Portland fell to 14-22.
The Silver Dancers perform during a recent San Antonio Spurs home game. (D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty)
Thanks for looking. Now that I have your attention, here is the latest on the San Antonio Spurs.
Spurs Sitting Fourth in the West
"We are now almost in the fifth position," Manu Ginobili said. "Even if we don't care about the fifth position right now, we're not used to seeing ourselves there."
Ginobili is Back
Manu Ginobili scored 34 points in the Spurs' 110-96 win at Memphis over the Grizzlies. It was Ginobili's third consecutive game scoring 25 or more points, the longest such streak by a Spurs guard since 1986, when Alvin Robertson posted a three-game streak. "I think he's (Ginobili) definitely getting back to the form he had two years ago when he was an All-Star," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His body's feeling good, and he has a pretty good rhythm. Hopefully, that will just continue for him."
Ginobili, who averaged 25.5 points in the previous two games, was 10-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. His career-best six 3-pointers were among San Antonio's season-high 14 baskets from behind the arc.
Horry Performs for Mom
As soon as Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich sent Matt Bonner to the scorer's table early in the second quarter on Sunday, Robert Horry buried a turnaround jumper. He followed with consecutive 3-pointers. Horry said he didn't see Bonner waiting to check in for him. But he did know who was watching from the stands: His mother — along with his brother, his aunt and his brother's family — who drove from Alabama to see him play. "We're going to take her on our flights the rest of the season," Popovich said.
Horry had 18 points, a season high.
The Leather Ball.
"There's a lot of things I can do now that I couldn't do with the other ball," Horry said. "Just putting it on the floor, I'm a lot more comfortable. The ball bounces up better. I can grip it better. "To me, it's a huge, huge difference." Horry had been the team's most vocal critic of the league's microfiber basketball, saying, among other things, it was too light.
Including his 6-for-9 performance Sunday, Horry is 9 of 18, 4 of 8 from the 3-point line, in the four games since the league switched back to leather.
San Antonio Spurs' Jacque Vaughn (11) looks for an opening over Memphis Grizzlies' Damon Stoudamire during the second quarter of NBA basketball action Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007, in Memphis,
It's a Team Game
"They just play good team basketball," Grizzlies guard Chucky Atkins said. "They are a very unselfish team, a team you want to pattern yourself after."
Defense wins Championships
"As many possessions as there were in the game," Popovich said, "I thought that was a pretty good (defensive) effort on our part." "(We) held them to 24 points under what they've been averaging."
It was part of the Spurs' strategy to force Memphis to be more deliberate on offense. Grizzlies reserve point guard Atkins said San Antonio doubled him on breaks to get the ball out of his hands or used one of its frontline players to stop penetration. "(The Spurs) kind of throw you off your rhythm offensively. That's all you really need to do. It's not about blocking shots or getting steals. If they can throw you off your rhythm offensively, they can make you miss shots."
Three Losses in a Row Sucks
"We couldn't allow ourselves to get another loss," Ginobili said. "Three in a row is already too much."
Tony Parker Injured
Tony Parker missed his first game this season when he was unable to play Sunday because of a right hip strain. Parker worked out before the game, then told Spurs officials his hip was too tight. His teammates were surprised when they found out he wasn't playing. Parker said he hurt himself at some point during Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but doesn't think the injury is severe.
"I think I just did a bad move, like when I penetrate," Parker said. "It's a little bit like last year in the playoffs against Sacramento (when he was slowed by a hip strain). "It makes no sense to take a risk for one game. I'd be mad at myself if I did it worse and missed like five games." Parker thinks he'll be able to play Tuesday against the Portland Trailblazers — provided the Spurs want him to play.
Elson Still Out
Spurs officials don't expect Francisco Elson to return this week. Elson has missed the past six games after suffering a small tear in his right rotator cuff in the Dec. 26 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Tony Parker guards LaMarcus Aldridge
