tinysands
2007-04-10, 01:37 PM
Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) fight off Blazers: Parker scores 30 to help defeat pesky Portland
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041007.01D.BKNspurs.blazers.gamer.3689eca.html
Web Posted: 04/10/2007 12:17 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) scored 30 points, and the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) beat another lottery-bound opponent, but that's not what made history Monday night at the AT&T Center.
Late in the first quarter of the Spurs' 112-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Matt Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) dunked. Twice.
When was the last time [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) had two dunks in a game, let alone 88 seconds apart?
"Probably high school," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "But that was in New Hampshire, so I was playing against 5-(foot)-10 kids. I don't know if that counts."
The Spurs' fourth consecutive victory did go in the books, keeping them within two games of Phoenix and the Western Conference's No. 2 playoff seed with just five left to play.
"No matter how you slice it, people are thinking about playoffs," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's hard not to."
Parker made sure the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) didn't slip against Portland. With Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) limited to 15 points and four rebounds in a bruising matchup with Jamaal Magloire, Parker scored 18 points in the third quarter as the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) tried to fight off the Trail Blazers.
Parker made 12 of 16 shots in just 30 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. He struggled at the foul line, making only half of his 12 free throws, but looked confident throughout the evening while shooting pull-up jumpers.
"That's the shot I'm going to need in the playoffs because there's going to be a lot of people in the paint," Parker said. "I try to find the midrange and make sure I find different ways to be aggressive."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) needed Parker's aggressiveness, along with that of Jacque Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) (six points, five assists) and Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) (12 points), who finally helped break open the game in the fourth quarter. Though the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) shot 59.1 percent, Portland was nearly as accurate (52.1 percent) and erased one 15-point deficit before fading in the final 12 minutes.
The Trail Blazers were making the third and final stop of the Texas Triangle and were missing two starters: forward Zach Randolph, who recently had season-ending surgery on his right hand; and center LaMarcus Aldridge, who underwent a minor corrective heart procedure Monday.
The absence of Aldridge and Randolph, however, opened up minutes for Magloire, who used Monday's game as another opportunity to show off his skills before he hits the free-agent market this summer. He and point guard Jarrett Jack (19 points, eight assists) helped lead Portland back from a 49-34 deficit with 5:19 left in the second quarter.
Magloire repeatedly bulled his way into post position. After not receiving a call he felt he deserved, Duncan was whistled for a three-seconds violation and an offensive foul on consecutive possessions. He curtly expressed his disappointment to official Eddie F. Rush on the way to the bench and was rewarded with a technical.
"He was definitely bringing his football-side of basketball out there," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said of Magloire. "I think we did a good job for the most part keeping our composure and just sticking to our defensive rules and principles, regardless of how physical it was."
That was hard to tell in the first half. Although the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) shot 60 percent in the first two quarters, they led only 54-48. That didn't make for a pleasant locker room at halftime.
Popovich started Fabricio Oberto (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/fabricio_oberto) in place of Francisco Elson in the second half, then burned a timeout 38 seconds into the third quarter after the Blazers scored on their first possession.
"He was pretty mad because we had a good lead, and we lost it pretty fast," Parker said. "In the third quarter, it was kind of happening again, so we had to wake up and make some stops, get some easy baskets, (stop) fighting with Magloire, stuff like that."
Parker helped steady the Spurs, who outscored the Blazers 12-1 over the next 21/2 minutes. In addition to the contributions of Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) and Ginobili, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) also received a lift from the other members of their bench, especially [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner), their high-energy forward.
[url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) scored all nine of his points in the final 2:23 of the first quarter to push the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 32-19 lead. He took a nice pass from Ginobili to throw down a two-handed dunk, then buried a 3-pointer. After Elson missed a hook shot in the lane, [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) was at the rim to flush the rebound.
"I surprised myself with that one," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "People sleep on my hops, but I break it out from time to time."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041007.01D.BKNspurs.blazers.gamer.3689eca.html
Web Posted: 04/10/2007 12:17 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) scored 30 points, and the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) beat another lottery-bound opponent, but that's not what made history Monday night at the AT&T Center.
Late in the first quarter of the Spurs' 112-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Matt Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) dunked. Twice.
When was the last time [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) had two dunks in a game, let alone 88 seconds apart?
"Probably high school," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "But that was in New Hampshire, so I was playing against 5-(foot)-10 kids. I don't know if that counts."
The Spurs' fourth consecutive victory did go in the books, keeping them within two games of Phoenix and the Western Conference's No. 2 playoff seed with just five left to play.
"No matter how you slice it, people are thinking about playoffs," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's hard not to."
Parker made sure the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) didn't slip against Portland. With Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) limited to 15 points and four rebounds in a bruising matchup with Jamaal Magloire, Parker scored 18 points in the third quarter as the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) tried to fight off the Trail Blazers.
Parker made 12 of 16 shots in just 30 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. He struggled at the foul line, making only half of his 12 free throws, but looked confident throughout the evening while shooting pull-up jumpers.
"That's the shot I'm going to need in the playoffs because there's going to be a lot of people in the paint," Parker said. "I try to find the midrange and make sure I find different ways to be aggressive."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) needed Parker's aggressiveness, along with that of Jacque Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) (six points, five assists) and Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) (12 points), who finally helped break open the game in the fourth quarter. Though the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) shot 59.1 percent, Portland was nearly as accurate (52.1 percent) and erased one 15-point deficit before fading in the final 12 minutes.
The Trail Blazers were making the third and final stop of the Texas Triangle and were missing two starters: forward Zach Randolph, who recently had season-ending surgery on his right hand; and center LaMarcus Aldridge, who underwent a minor corrective heart procedure Monday.
The absence of Aldridge and Randolph, however, opened up minutes for Magloire, who used Monday's game as another opportunity to show off his skills before he hits the free-agent market this summer. He and point guard Jarrett Jack (19 points, eight assists) helped lead Portland back from a 49-34 deficit with 5:19 left in the second quarter.
Magloire repeatedly bulled his way into post position. After not receiving a call he felt he deserved, Duncan was whistled for a three-seconds violation and an offensive foul on consecutive possessions. He curtly expressed his disappointment to official Eddie F. Rush on the way to the bench and was rewarded with a technical.
"He was definitely bringing his football-side of basketball out there," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said of Magloire. "I think we did a good job for the most part keeping our composure and just sticking to our defensive rules and principles, regardless of how physical it was."
That was hard to tell in the first half. Although the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) shot 60 percent in the first two quarters, they led only 54-48. That didn't make for a pleasant locker room at halftime.
Popovich started Fabricio Oberto (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/fabricio_oberto) in place of Francisco Elson in the second half, then burned a timeout 38 seconds into the third quarter after the Blazers scored on their first possession.
"He was pretty mad because we had a good lead, and we lost it pretty fast," Parker said. "In the third quarter, it was kind of happening again, so we had to wake up and make some stops, get some easy baskets, (stop) fighting with Magloire, stuff like that."
Parker helped steady the Spurs, who outscored the Blazers 12-1 over the next 21/2 minutes. In addition to the contributions of Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) and Ginobili, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) also received a lift from the other members of their bench, especially [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner), their high-energy forward.
[url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) scored all nine of his points in the final 2:23 of the first quarter to push the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 32-19 lead. He took a nice pass from Ginobili to throw down a two-handed dunk, then buried a 3-pointer. After Elson missed a hook shot in the lane, [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) was at the rim to flush the rebound.
"I surprised myself with that one," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "People sleep on my hops, but I break it out from time to time."