tinysands
2007-03-12, 12:17 PM
Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) stuck in neutral despite winning streak
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031207.03D.BKN.spurs.advance.302fb3a.html
Web Posted: 03/11/2007 08:55 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
After the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost at Miami on Feb. 11 to fall nine games behind Dallas, Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) didn't need long to deduce what it would take to catch the Mavericks for the Southwest Division title:
"Magic."
If the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) intended on trying to track down Dallas, they would have been better off signing Harry Potter. In the Western Conference this season, dozen-game winning streaks apparently don't count much in the wizardry department.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) won their 12th consecutive game by beating New Jersey 93-77 on Saturday, but their recent success hasn't translated into a surge in the standings. They entered Sunday still trailing the Mavericks by nine games in the loss column, the same gap between the teams as a month ago when the Spurs' winning streak began.
Dallas had won 16 consecutive games going into their meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. Including the Spurs' current run, there have been six winning streaks of at least 12 games in the West this season with Dallas owning three and Phoenix the other two.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) might find all of this frustrating had they not already stopped measuring themselves against the Mavericks.
"I turned that off a long time ago," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's about improving every day, it's about getting better. It's not about what anybody else's records are.
"If we're not playing our best ball at playoff time and we're not healthy, we're not going to get it done. If we're healthy and we're playing our best basketball, we have a shot along with three, four, five other teams every year.
"We didn't know we were going to win (the championship) the three times we did. So we're just trying to get better, and we can. Everybody can. Dallas can get better. Well, jeez, I hope not. That would be scary."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have made up modest ground on Phoenix in recent weeks, moving within four games in the loss column. With 12 of their final 19 games at home, including an April 5 date with the Suns that will determine the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have an outside chance of landing the conference's No. 2 playoff seed.
Phoenix also has two games each against Dallas, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers and one more with Utah left on its schedule. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) play the Jazz and Mavericks once each, and their game against Dallas isn't until the season's final week, which could come after the Mavericks already have secured homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
"But we have to be more concerned about Utah than Phoenix at this point," Ginobili said. "They are just one (loss) behind."
As well as the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have played the past month, the Jazz have been almost as good. Utah has gone 10-2 during the course of the Spurs' winning streak, leaving them only a game back in the loss column.
Holding off the Jazz, who have already beaten the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) twice in three meetings, is important. Whoever lands the No. 3 seed probably would avoid a first-round matchup with Houston and also likely not have to face Dallas until the conference finals.
For now, though, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) seem more intent on letting their fans track the standings and possible playoff matchups.
"It totally sounds cliché, but we don't talk about what's going on," Brent Barry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/brent_barry) said. "We just know that after the All-Star break it was an opportunity for guys to recollect their thoughts and ... everybody dedicate themselves to putting our best foot forward.
"We're not there yet, which is a good thing."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031207.03D.BKN.spurs.advance.302fb3a.html
Web Posted: 03/11/2007 08:55 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
After the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost at Miami on Feb. 11 to fall nine games behind Dallas, Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) didn't need long to deduce what it would take to catch the Mavericks for the Southwest Division title:
"Magic."
If the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) intended on trying to track down Dallas, they would have been better off signing Harry Potter. In the Western Conference this season, dozen-game winning streaks apparently don't count much in the wizardry department.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) won their 12th consecutive game by beating New Jersey 93-77 on Saturday, but their recent success hasn't translated into a surge in the standings. They entered Sunday still trailing the Mavericks by nine games in the loss column, the same gap between the teams as a month ago when the Spurs' winning streak began.
Dallas had won 16 consecutive games going into their meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. Including the Spurs' current run, there have been six winning streaks of at least 12 games in the West this season with Dallas owning three and Phoenix the other two.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) might find all of this frustrating had they not already stopped measuring themselves against the Mavericks.
"I turned that off a long time ago," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's about improving every day, it's about getting better. It's not about what anybody else's records are.
"If we're not playing our best ball at playoff time and we're not healthy, we're not going to get it done. If we're healthy and we're playing our best basketball, we have a shot along with three, four, five other teams every year.
"We didn't know we were going to win (the championship) the three times we did. So we're just trying to get better, and we can. Everybody can. Dallas can get better. Well, jeez, I hope not. That would be scary."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have made up modest ground on Phoenix in recent weeks, moving within four games in the loss column. With 12 of their final 19 games at home, including an April 5 date with the Suns that will determine the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have an outside chance of landing the conference's No. 2 playoff seed.
Phoenix also has two games each against Dallas, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers and one more with Utah left on its schedule. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) play the Jazz and Mavericks once each, and their game against Dallas isn't until the season's final week, which could come after the Mavericks already have secured homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
"But we have to be more concerned about Utah than Phoenix at this point," Ginobili said. "They are just one (loss) behind."
As well as the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have played the past month, the Jazz have been almost as good. Utah has gone 10-2 during the course of the Spurs' winning streak, leaving them only a game back in the loss column.
Holding off the Jazz, who have already beaten the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) twice in three meetings, is important. Whoever lands the No. 3 seed probably would avoid a first-round matchup with Houston and also likely not have to face Dallas until the conference finals.
For now, though, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) seem more intent on letting their fans track the standings and possible playoff matchups.
"It totally sounds cliché, but we don't talk about what's going on," Brent Barry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/brent_barry) said. "We just know that after the All-Star break it was an opportunity for guys to recollect their thoughts and ... everybody dedicate themselves to putting our best foot forward.
"We're not there yet, which is a good thing."