tinysands
2007-03-31, 03:01 PM
Spurs' Duncan plays quarterback role
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA033107.06C.BKNspurs.duncan.196f6b28.html
Web Posted: 03/31/2007 01:24 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Give Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) this much: His loyalty knows no limitations.
Praised by his coach for “quarterbacking” the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 102-93 victory Friday over the Utah Jazz at AT&T Center, Duncan stuck by his favorite NFL team's quarterback, and that had to be difficult.
You see, Duncan may be San Antonio's No. 1 fan of the Chicago Bears.
“I was like Rex Grossman,” the Spurs' All-Star power forward said of the Bears quarterback whose performance in Super Bowl XLI was subpar to say the least.
Wincing slightly, Duncan added, “but maybe a little better than Rex.”
Duncan might have completed more key passes during the fourth quarter of an important Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) victory than Grossman did during Chicago's Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
With the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) using a small lineup for the final 7:14 of the game, the Jazz chose to aggressively double team Duncan every time he caught the ball in the low post.
Point guards Jacque Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) and Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker), big guard Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) and small forward Michael Finley joined Duncan on the court down the stretch.
Duncan found open teammates with enough regularity to create plenty of open shots, making the small lineup work well for a second consecutive game.
“They were coming even before I took a dribble, and I knew I would have people wide open,” Duncan said.
“With the shooters we have, why not be a quarterback? I'm going to make them pay for it.”
Popovich's matchup of a small lineup against a physical Utah team made him look as smart as Colts coach Tony Dungy.
Maybe because Duncan read defenses a lot like Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did on Super Bowl Sunday.
“It was tough for him to score too much,” Popovich said, “because they were coming at him so hard, doubling him most of the time. But he found people every place on the court, got people open shots. He was a huge part of that small lineup working tonight because he is so unselfish.”
Duncan also was the primary reason the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) outrebounded the Jazz, the NBA's best rebounding team, 40-34. With Duncan getting six of his game-high 14 rebounds in the first half, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) had a 21-14 rebounding edge that established their aggression on the boards.
“They're the best rebounding team in the league,” Duncan said of the Jazz, “and they live on that. Their execution is so good and when they get extra possessions, it kills us. So that was something that we concentrated on, and I thought we did a pretty good job of keeping them off the offensive glass.”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA033107.06C.BKNspurs.duncan.196f6b28.html
Web Posted: 03/31/2007 01:24 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Give Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) this much: His loyalty knows no limitations.
Praised by his coach for “quarterbacking” the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) to a 102-93 victory Friday over the Utah Jazz at AT&T Center, Duncan stuck by his favorite NFL team's quarterback, and that had to be difficult.
You see, Duncan may be San Antonio's No. 1 fan of the Chicago Bears.
“I was like Rex Grossman,” the Spurs' All-Star power forward said of the Bears quarterback whose performance in Super Bowl XLI was subpar to say the least.
Wincing slightly, Duncan added, “but maybe a little better than Rex.”
Duncan might have completed more key passes during the fourth quarter of an important Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) victory than Grossman did during Chicago's Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
With the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) using a small lineup for the final 7:14 of the game, the Jazz chose to aggressively double team Duncan every time he caught the ball in the low post.
Point guards Jacque Vaughn (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/jacque_vaughn) and Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker), big guard Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) and small forward Michael Finley joined Duncan on the court down the stretch.
Duncan found open teammates with enough regularity to create plenty of open shots, making the small lineup work well for a second consecutive game.
“They were coming even before I took a dribble, and I knew I would have people wide open,” Duncan said.
“With the shooters we have, why not be a quarterback? I'm going to make them pay for it.”
Popovich's matchup of a small lineup against a physical Utah team made him look as smart as Colts coach Tony Dungy.
Maybe because Duncan read defenses a lot like Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did on Super Bowl Sunday.
“It was tough for him to score too much,” Popovich said, “because they were coming at him so hard, doubling him most of the time. But he found people every place on the court, got people open shots. He was a huge part of that small lineup working tonight because he is so unselfish.”
Duncan also was the primary reason the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) outrebounded the Jazz, the NBA's best rebounding team, 40-34. With Duncan getting six of his game-high 14 rebounds in the first half, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) had a 21-14 rebounding edge that established their aggression on the boards.
“They're the best rebounding team in the league,” Duncan said of the Jazz, “and they live on that. Their execution is so good and when they get extra possessions, it kills us. So that was something that we concentrated on, and I thought we did a pretty good job of keeping them off the offensive glass.”