tinysands
2007-04-06, 02:36 PM
Spurs' defense keeps Suns running on empty
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040607.04D.BKNspurs.defense.3e50ed0.html
Web Posted: 04/06/2007 01:11 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
The Phoenix Suns believe they can beat even the NBA's elite defensive units by outrunning them.
But the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) brought the Suns' running game to a halt on Thursday night at AT&T Center, securing a 92-85 victory and tightening the race for second place in the Western Conference.
Before Thursday's game tipped off, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said his club had to play the game at its pace to have a chance to win.
"They can play whatever they want to in the half court," D'Antoni said, "but we're going to do whatever we want to do as soon as the ball changes possession. That's the whole thing — whether we get it in quick enough or whether we run it.
"We've got to attack them before they get their defense set up. When they do, teams like them, Detroit and Dallas are very good defensively. You get them spread out and they're almost like everybody else."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) weren't an ordinary NBA defensive team Thursday.
They kept the Suns from setting the pace more thoroughly than any team has this season. Phoenix scored only eight points off its fast break and was held to its second-lowest score of the season and its worst field goal percentage.
"That's not the only element that wins or loses a game," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said of stymieing the Suns on fast breaks, "but it's certainly an element that puts you behind the 8 ball if you allow them to get behind your defense in transition. We did a good job in defensive transition. That's important, because those points add up pretty quickly for those guys."
The most artistic fast breaks of the game belonged to the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) on consecutive end-to-end runs late in the third quarter that resulted in a pair of three-point plays.
Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) triggered the first break when he blocked a shot by Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa and saved the ball from going out of bounds by tipping it to Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker). With Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) on the right wing, Parker dribbled to half court and executed an extended give-and-go with Ginobili, finishing the break with a layin and a foul.
On the Suns' next possession, Parker grabbed an errant pass by Steve Nash before it went out of bounds under Phoenix's basket, then raced all the way to the foul line at the Spurs' end before pitching it out to Michael Finley, who was wide open at the 3-point line. Finley nailed his fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) their first double-digit lead at 60-50.
Phoenix made a late run, but not by beating the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) downcourt. The Suns had only two fast-break points in the entire fourth quarter.
"We played good defense for 48 minutes," Popovich said.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040607.04D.BKNspurs.defense.3e50ed0.html
Web Posted: 04/06/2007 01:11 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
The Phoenix Suns believe they can beat even the NBA's elite defensive units by outrunning them.
But the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) brought the Suns' running game to a halt on Thursday night at AT&T Center, securing a 92-85 victory and tightening the race for second place in the Western Conference.
Before Thursday's game tipped off, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said his club had to play the game at its pace to have a chance to win.
"They can play whatever they want to in the half court," D'Antoni said, "but we're going to do whatever we want to do as soon as the ball changes possession. That's the whole thing — whether we get it in quick enough or whether we run it.
"We've got to attack them before they get their defense set up. When they do, teams like them, Detroit and Dallas are very good defensively. You get them spread out and they're almost like everybody else."
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) weren't an ordinary NBA defensive team Thursday.
They kept the Suns from setting the pace more thoroughly than any team has this season. Phoenix scored only eight points off its fast break and was held to its second-lowest score of the season and its worst field goal percentage.
"That's not the only element that wins or loses a game," Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) coach Gregg Popovich said of stymieing the Suns on fast breaks, "but it's certainly an element that puts you behind the 8 ball if you allow them to get behind your defense in transition. We did a good job in defensive transition. That's important, because those points add up pretty quickly for those guys."
The most artistic fast breaks of the game belonged to the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) on consecutive end-to-end runs late in the third quarter that resulted in a pair of three-point plays.
Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) triggered the first break when he blocked a shot by Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa and saved the ball from going out of bounds by tipping it to Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker). With Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) on the right wing, Parker dribbled to half court and executed an extended give-and-go with Ginobili, finishing the break with a layin and a foul.
On the Suns' next possession, Parker grabbed an errant pass by Steve Nash before it went out of bounds under Phoenix's basket, then raced all the way to the foul line at the Spurs' end before pitching it out to Michael Finley, who was wide open at the 3-point line. Finley nailed his fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) their first double-digit lead at 60-50.
Phoenix made a late run, but not by beating the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) downcourt. The Suns had only two fast-break points in the entire fourth quarter.
"We played good defense for 48 minutes," Popovich said.