tinysands
2007-03-20, 12:08 PM
Opportunity slips by Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031907.06D.Spurs.notes.2e5aa59.html
Web Posted: 03/18/2007 07:12 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
And they call this the best of the West?
Over the previous seven days, Dallas lost to Golden State and Phoenix; the Suns followed their double-overtime victory over the Mavericks with losses to Detroit and Denver; the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost consecutive games to probable lottery entrants Milwaukee and Boston; and Utah went 0-4 on a trip through the Eastern Conference.
If the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) are glass-is-half-full types, then there was no better time for them to endure their current losing streak than on a week when the rest of the Western Conference's high-rent district also went slumming.
More likely, however, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) see last week's struggles as a wasted opportunity to significantly strengthen their grip on the conference's No. 3 playoff seed and possibly even position themselves to overtake the Suns for second place. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) still have a three-game lead over the Jazz, but that advantage would have swelled to five had they beaten the Bucks and Celtics.
What frustrates the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) most is that they didn't make any progress on the court last week, let alone in the standings. After winning 13 consecutive games, they're now coping with their first losing streak in more than a month.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) took Sunday off but will have two days of practice to regroup before facing Indiana on Wednesday at the AT&T Center. With only 16 games left before the playoffs, they don't want to lose the sharpness and consistency they worked so long to develop.
"We'll get a couple good practices, talk and realize we are making too many mistakes, especially in the last three games," Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) said. "We've got to work hard because playing one quarter is not enough to beat anybody in this league."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) realized as much Saturday when they trailed by 19 points late in the third quarter, overtook the Celtics, then lost after committing three turnovers in the final 69 seconds.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) missed seven shots at the rim in the fourth quarter in addition to making just one of their 17 3-point attempts.
Had the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) not looked so listless to start the first and third quarters, they wouldn't have had to dig themselves out of such a large hole.
"It's just in our head," Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) said. "We just have to come more prepared or motivated, or something."
Home cookin' burns: If the AT&T Center doesn't seem nearly as formidable to opponents, that's because it hasn't been.
While Boston ended its 17-year losing streak in San Antonio on Saturday, that was far from the only one to fall this season.
Houston, which had suffered 17 consecutive losses in San Antonio since April 20, 1997, beat the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) in both trips to the AT&T Center.
Cleveland captured its first victory in San Antonio since Dec. 8, 1988, ending a 16-game streak.
Dallas swept both its games here for the first time in 11 years.
The Spurs' nine home losses are their most since they lost nine during the 2001-02 season.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031907.06D.Spurs.notes.2e5aa59.html
Web Posted: 03/18/2007 07:12 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
And they call this the best of the West?
Over the previous seven days, Dallas lost to Golden State and Phoenix; the Suns followed their double-overtime victory over the Mavericks with losses to Detroit and Denver; the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) lost consecutive games to probable lottery entrants Milwaukee and Boston; and Utah went 0-4 on a trip through the Eastern Conference.
If the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) are glass-is-half-full types, then there was no better time for them to endure their current losing streak than on a week when the rest of the Western Conference's high-rent district also went slumming.
More likely, however, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) see last week's struggles as a wasted opportunity to significantly strengthen their grip on the conference's No. 3 playoff seed and possibly even position themselves to overtake the Suns for second place. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) still have a three-game lead over the Jazz, but that advantage would have swelled to five had they beaten the Bucks and Celtics.
What frustrates the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) most is that they didn't make any progress on the court last week, let alone in the standings. After winning 13 consecutive games, they're now coping with their first losing streak in more than a month.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) took Sunday off but will have two days of practice to regroup before facing Indiana on Wednesday at the AT&T Center. With only 16 games left before the playoffs, they don't want to lose the sharpness and consistency they worked so long to develop.
"We'll get a couple good practices, talk and realize we are making too many mistakes, especially in the last three games," Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) said. "We've got to work hard because playing one quarter is not enough to beat anybody in this league."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) realized as much Saturday when they trailed by 19 points late in the third quarter, overtook the Celtics, then lost after committing three turnovers in the final 69 seconds.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) missed seven shots at the rim in the fourth quarter in addition to making just one of their 17 3-point attempts.
Had the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) not looked so listless to start the first and third quarters, they wouldn't have had to dig themselves out of such a large hole.
"It's just in our head," Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) said. "We just have to come more prepared or motivated, or something."
Home cookin' burns: If the AT&T Center doesn't seem nearly as formidable to opponents, that's because it hasn't been.
While Boston ended its 17-year losing streak in San Antonio on Saturday, that was far from the only one to fall this season.
Houston, which had suffered 17 consecutive losses in San Antonio since April 20, 1997, beat the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) in both trips to the AT&T Center.
Cleveland captured its first victory in San Antonio since Dec. 8, 1988, ending a 16-game streak.
Dallas swept both its games here for the first time in 11 years.
The Spurs' nine home losses are their most since they lost nine during the 2001-02 season.