tinysands
2007-03-23, 03:55 PM
Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) again seek 'another level'
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032307.16D.BKNspurs.pistons.3b58a60.html
Web Posted: 03/23/2007 12:22 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) touched down in Detroit in the early morning of Valentine's Day, flying in on the heels of a winter storm that delayed their arrival until 3 a.m.
They had won in New Jersey the night before, but Jason Kidd hadn't played, and with four losses in the previous five games, even the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) had begun to wonder if their championship intentions were all bluster. The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile, were riding a seven-game winning streak, having emerged as the strength of the Eastern Conference.
"Probably none of us expected to win," Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) said, "because of the way we were playing."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) did win, 90-81, finding their legs and their defense. They caught the Pistons likely looking ahead to the All-Star break, but they also didn't consider their first regular-season victory in Detroit in nearly four years hollow.
"It really gave us something to start from," Ginobili said.
Including that game, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have since won 13 of 15 games. And with the Pistons visiting the AT&T Center tonight, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) are eager to again see how they measure up.
"We need to get in playoff mode and these are the kind of teams we want to play to do that," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) forward Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) said. "They'll push us to another level and we need to play on that level consistently."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) will get a bump in competition over the next week. In addition to tonight's meeting with Detroit, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) visit Golden State, which has won six of its past eight games, and host Utah, a team they're trying to hold off for the Western Conference's No. 3 playoff seed.
Of the Spurs' previous 10 opponents, only one — Houston — was seeded higher than seventh in its respective conference. And the Rockets were missing Yao Ming when the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) beat them March 3.
The Pistons lost 91-85 in Houston Thursday, but the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) also lost Saturday to a Boston team that was playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
"We have sometimes fallen into the position where we play good against good teams and bad against bad teams," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) guard Michael Finley said. "But at this time, when we're going against playoff teams, that shouldn't be an excuse that we weren't ready mentally going into the game."
The Spurs' Feb. 14 victory over the Pistons bolstered their confidence at a time when coach Gregg Popovich had just questioned the team's toughness.
After opening the second leg of their rodeo trip with a convincing victory in Washington, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) talked of being on the verge of "turning the corner." But losses in Orlando and Miami followed and a victory over the Nets didn't do much to improve the team's spirits. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) arrived in Detroit in need of a pick-me-up.
"I just think it was something that we went into and played loose and whatever happened, happened," Finley said. "From a mental standpoint, we just built upon that feeling we had, and from there we just kept going."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) held the Pistons to 31.6 percent shooting in the first half of that game, and their defense, for the most part, has remained solid since. In 10 of their past 16 games, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have limited their opponent to 84 or fewer points.
Last week's losses to Milwaukee and Boston tempered any overconfidence that might have been setting in. They also gave the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) reason to gauge the progress they made from five weeks ago.
"We still have a little room for improvement," Finley said. "We're not peaking right now, which is good, but we're going in the right direction."
Parker OK: Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) was wearing a sleeve over his calf during practice Thursday. He was kicked in the leg during Wednesday's victory over Indiana, but said he should be fine for tonight's game.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032307.16D.BKNspurs.pistons.3b58a60.html
Web Posted: 03/23/2007 12:22 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) touched down in Detroit in the early morning of Valentine's Day, flying in on the heels of a winter storm that delayed their arrival until 3 a.m.
They had won in New Jersey the night before, but Jason Kidd hadn't played, and with four losses in the previous five games, even the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) had begun to wonder if their championship intentions were all bluster. The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile, were riding a seven-game winning streak, having emerged as the strength of the Eastern Conference.
"Probably none of us expected to win," Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) said, "because of the way we were playing."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) did win, 90-81, finding their legs and their defense. They caught the Pistons likely looking ahead to the All-Star break, but they also didn't consider their first regular-season victory in Detroit in nearly four years hollow.
"It really gave us something to start from," Ginobili said.
Including that game, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have since won 13 of 15 games. And with the Pistons visiting the AT&T Center tonight, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) are eager to again see how they measure up.
"We need to get in playoff mode and these are the kind of teams we want to play to do that," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) forward Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) said. "They'll push us to another level and we need to play on that level consistently."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) will get a bump in competition over the next week. In addition to tonight's meeting with Detroit, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) visit Golden State, which has won six of its past eight games, and host Utah, a team they're trying to hold off for the Western Conference's No. 3 playoff seed.
Of the Spurs' previous 10 opponents, only one — Houston — was seeded higher than seventh in its respective conference. And the Rockets were missing Yao Ming when the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) beat them March 3.
The Pistons lost 91-85 in Houston Thursday, but the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) also lost Saturday to a Boston team that was playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
"We have sometimes fallen into the position where we play good against good teams and bad against bad teams," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) guard Michael Finley said. "But at this time, when we're going against playoff teams, that shouldn't be an excuse that we weren't ready mentally going into the game."
The Spurs' Feb. 14 victory over the Pistons bolstered their confidence at a time when coach Gregg Popovich had just questioned the team's toughness.
After opening the second leg of their rodeo trip with a convincing victory in Washington, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) talked of being on the verge of "turning the corner." But losses in Orlando and Miami followed and a victory over the Nets didn't do much to improve the team's spirits. The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) arrived in Detroit in need of a pick-me-up.
"I just think it was something that we went into and played loose and whatever happened, happened," Finley said. "From a mental standpoint, we just built upon that feeling we had, and from there we just kept going."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) held the Pistons to 31.6 percent shooting in the first half of that game, and their defense, for the most part, has remained solid since. In 10 of their past 16 games, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) have limited their opponent to 84 or fewer points.
Last week's losses to Milwaukee and Boston tempered any overconfidence that might have been setting in. They also gave the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) reason to gauge the progress they made from five weeks ago.
"We still have a little room for improvement," Finley said. "We're not peaking right now, which is good, but we're going in the right direction."
Parker OK: Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) was wearing a sleeve over his calf during practice Thursday. He was kicked in the leg during Wednesday's victory over Indiana, but said he should be fine for tonight's game.