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 2006-04-01 16:17  #61
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Scraggly situation in West for Spurs

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040106.1C.BKNspurs.wizards.bc59fff.html

Web Posted: 04/01/2006 12:01 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

The Spurs returned from their longest trip in 13 years Friday, touching down at San Antonio International Airport a little after 4a.m. and looking considerably more scraggly than when they departed more than nine days earlier.

Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan sported beards. The only thing missing from Brent Barry's goatee-and-shaggy-haired look was Scooby Doo. Beno Udrih's chin had even sprouted a tuft of brown fuzz.

While the redeye flight had contributed to the hirsuteness, so had purposeful neglect. For the past month, most of the players, along with some of the team's support staff, have joined in a bet to see who could allow their facial hair to grow unkempt — no trimmings or touch-ups allowed — until the final day of the regular season.

"Guys bearded, long sideburns — there (could be) all sorts of things in a team photo," Barry said. "But by the end of year, there will probably be only a few standing, so you'll know who's in the running."

The Spurs' other race of interest, in contrast, could prove to be less hairy than expected.

With Dallas losing in Orlando on Friday, the Spurs (56-16) own a 2 1/2-game lead atop the Western Conference. With seven of their final 10 games at the AT&T Center, including next Friday's meeting with the Mavericks, they have put themselves in good position to secure the conference's top playoff seed.

"We're where we want to be record-wise. Physically, we're healthy, and we're playing pretty well," Duncan said. "So we're right where we want to be."

The Spurs begin their stretch run tonight against Washington, one of only three teams with a winning record left on their schedule. Entering Friday, the collective winning percentage of the Spurs' final 10 opponents was .496. The combined winning percentage of the Mavericks' nine remaining opponents was .563.

Friday's final regular-season meeting between the Spurs and Dallas figures to be, in Ginobili's words, "huge" in determining who finishes first in the Southwest Division and who enters the playoffs seeded fourth. But even if the Spurs lose that game, which would split the teams' season series, they likely would still have a good chance of claiming the head-to-head tiebreaker because they currently have four fewer conference losses.

Catching Detroit for the NBA's best record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs will be difficult. Swept by the Pistons in the regular season, the Spurs essentially have to make up three games in the standings.

"I think if we play the way we're playing right now, we can finish first (in the West)," Tony Parker said. "We need to take care of the Western Conference, and we'll see what happens."

After allowing a victory in Seattle to slip away in the final 40 seconds Sunday, the Spurs regained their poise when they arrived in Los Angeles. In the games against the Clippers and Lakers, the former of which they played without Parker, they overwhelmed their opponent in the second half.

On Thursday, the Spurs found themselves trailing the Lakers 49-43 early in the third quarter when coach Gregg Popovich called a timeout and advised the team to start playing as if it wanted the West's top seed. The Spurs responded by outscoring Los Angeles 33-9 over the remainder of the quarter.

"We still have sections where we go through lulls and don't play as well as we can," Duncan said. "But that's going to happen in a basketball game. It's about recovering, making adjustments on the fly and playing the game straight through."

Said Barry: "You can see we want to get going in these last (three) weeks and start to fire on all cylinders."

Getting healthy has helped. The bruise on Parker's right shin hasn't completely healed, but he scored 19 points against the Lakers and intends to keep playing. Udrih's sprained left ankle isn't considered serious, and Duncan and Ginobili seem to finally be settling into a rhythm.

Slowed much of the season by plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Duncan has scored at least 20 points in five of the past six games. He averaged 14.3 points on 38.6 percent shooting in February.

"In the last maybe three weeks, he says he's been feeling better than he has all year," Popovich said. "And we've played less back-to-backs — maybe that has something to do with it."

The Spurs still have two back-to-backs remaining, including one in which they lose an hour switching time zones. Given that nine of the Spurs' losses have come when they haven't had a day of rest, Dallas could have an opportunity to make up ground.

The Mavericks' own health also is beginning to improve: Josh Howard returned Friday, and Devin Harris and Adrian Griffin aren't expected to be out much longer. So, despite their lead, the Spurs aren't ready to feel comfortable just yet.

"We don't even think about the lead we have now," Ginobili said. "As soon as we relax a little bit, it can be a bad thing."
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-01 16:19  #62
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Buck Harvey: The soul of LSU connected once as a Spur, too

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040106.1C.COL.BKCharvey.lsu.b4d6ce5.html

Web Posted: 04/01/2006 12:00 AM CST


San Antonio Express-News

INDIANAPOLIS — He will be here tonight, rooting for both his son and those who have seen him as a father. Collis Temple Jr., the first black man to play basketball at LSU, comes to this Final Four with a dramatic impact on both the past and the present.

What happened in between says something, too. The Spurs drafted Temple out of LSU in 1974, in the ABA years, and Temple lasted only 24 games. He scored a grand total of 42 points before being cut.

But he didn't go away. About once a month, he gets together with his onetime Spurs' roommate, sometimes in Baton Rouge, sometimes in San Antonio and sometimes in places such as Miami. They usually play golf, and they always enjoy each other.

Of all the former teammates, of all the players he knew over many more seasons, isn't it odd that Temple is one who George Gervin still keeps up with?

"Not if you know him," Gervin said.

Gervin was beginning his first full season in San Antonio then. Before fame entered his life, a rookie from LSU did. "Short arms, little bitty hands," Gervin cackled when asked to describe Temple as a player.

Temple remembers where he stayed (a hotel across from the old HemisFair Arena), and he remembers what ended his career in San Antonio (Bob Bass replaced Tom Nissalke as the coach). Years later, when Temple hoped his oldest son, Collis III, would catch on with the New Orleans Hornets, who arrived to run that franchise?

Bass.

"I think he's following us," kidded Temple.

Gervin remembers Temple as a rebounder, as well as someone who could score inside. "He had the opportunity to make a career of it," Gervin said. "But basketball wasn't his thing."

Temple felt the same. He followed Nissalke to another city, then quit for good.

"I probably should have played eight or nine years," Temple said this week by phone. "But my dad told me I needed to get my behind home, and he was right. If you are not a main player, you beat your body up chasing what they call a dream, and you don't allow your mind to be exposed to productive things. By the time you are 30, you don't know what to do. The earlier you start to be a responsible person, the greater chances of becoming one."

While Gervin continued as a main player, Temple went home to Louisiana to build a business. He says he has about 700 employees operating 30 group homes for foster children, as well as nursing homes. He's also served as the director of parks in Baton Rouge, and in his free time, he spent a lot of time with area youth.

Gervin says he feels his friend's influence every time he visits Baton Rouge.

"It's amazing being around him there," Gervin said. "The numbers of people he's helping, the numbers of people working for him. Everybody seems to know him, and he knows everybody. He's calling out kids' names, knowing each of their circumstances. And we're talking hundreds of kids."

This week, Temple is better known for a handful. Garrett, his son, starts for LSU as a freshman guard, but this goes far deeper. Temple coached about half of this Final Four team in AAU competition.

Temple first met Tyrus Thomas, LSU's emerging talent, when Thomas was 5 years old. Glen Davis, LSU's "Big Baby," first came around when he was about 8, and Temple did more than coach Davis. With his mother fighting drug addiction — he had never known his father then — Davis lived with the Temples for several years when he was in high school.

Was it tough to feed a kid who would grow to 310 pounds?

"Sometimes," said Temple. And he said it in a way that suggested it's always hard to feed Big Baby.

Temple gave him more than food. "Most guys who went through what (Davis) went through hardly live to talk about it," Garrett Temple told reporters recently. "He didn't have a father figure in his life at that time, so my father was that man, to help him out and get him on his feet."

Just as his own father told him to quit pro basketball, Temple was there for his son and their friends. He told them about his vision of responsibility, as well as his life as a pioneer at LSU.

It's another version of the movie "Glory Road," which Temple saw this spring and identified with. He says he never interacted with a white person until a summer science camp after ninth grade. Yet he agreed to be the one to integrate the LSU basketball program.

A memorable moment: While his team warmed up in Nashville before a game against Vanderbilt, Temple remained in the visiting locker room — protected by armed soldiers because of death threats. Security ushered him to the floor before the game.

The same man who thinks he was "lucky" to get away from pro basketball thinks breaking the color barrier at LSU was "a matter of timing and luck on my part. There were tough times when it was happening, but I enjoyed most of the experience."

Gervin says none of it surprises him. "He was just that kind of guy," he said. "Great personality, great way of viewing things."

This Final Four is in part a celebration of that. This man found his true calling, and the Spurs were part of that. Cutting him worked out best for everyone.

Big Baby knows that. As he left the floor in Atlanta last week, having just beaten Texas, Davis hugged Temple.

"For you," Davis said. "This is for you."
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此帖于 2006-04-02 13:00 被 tinysands 编辑.
tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-02 12:59  #63
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Manu Interview

http://www.clarin.com/diario/2006/03/31/conexiones/t-01168202.htm

"Extreme punctuality", the gentile NBA press agent, Saskia Sorrosa, demands in a begging tone. 15.45, Buenos Aires time, is the time scheduled for the heavily sought after conversation that Emanuel Ginóbili will engage Clarin.com via telephone. Relaxed, witty, the main star of Argentine sports transparently opens up from Los Angeles.

What is your analysis of the current NBA season?
It's very positive. With 10 games to go in the regular season, we're at the top of our Conference, and with a better record than last year. We can't complain. The thing is, other teams such as Detroit and Dallas also enjoyed a better season than the previous one, and that makes ours pale a bit.

What team would you like to avoid in the playoffs?
I really don't care. We have to reach the final and win the championship, and for that you need to beat everybody and, when the time comes, we'll be ready to take on anyone.

How are you physically?
I'm much better. It's true, I had a physically difficult season, but lately I've been feeling healthier. The energy is coming back, the legs are coming back, and that's important because the playoffs are around the corner and that's when you want to be at your best.

How do injuries affect you, being as competitive as you are?
They affect me because you know you can't do the same things you do when you're OK, so you take different decisions, you attack the rim less because you can't be as decisive as you are usually. You just have to be more patient, and wait for the right time.

Do you think that the playoffs' intensity can take a toll on you considering the schedule with the National Team later on?
Really, I'm not even thinking about the National Team right now. We have ten games left, we're fighting for the first seed, and then the playoffs will come. So for the time being, I do and give everything for my team.

How do you feel about Argentina getting to the World Championship as a favorite?
There's no doubt we're amongst the favorites. We were runner-ups the last WC, and champions in the Olympic Games, so that's pretty much a given. We'll see what happens when the time comes.

Your brother, Sebastian, is a star in Libertad de Sunchales. Can you imagine having him as a teammate in the WC?
That possibility was made up by the media. I honestly don't think Sepo has a realistic chance to go to the WC. Obviously, I'd love it.

How do you deal with fame?
I do not feel super famous. I am popular, yes, but it doesn't keep me from leading a normal life and enjoying the things I've always liked to do, so to me being famous is not a problem.

Maradona, for instance, has said more than once that he wouldn't lend his fame for a second. Could you live without it?
I think so. Now I enjoy it because I earned it with hard work and playing well, but I do not think that it's for life in my case, so I take advantage of it while it lasts.

Can you imagine your retirement?
It will surely be tough, since I'm used to the pressure, the traveling, living this way. It will be hard the day that's gone. Despite, I'll have to get used to it.

30 years have gone by since the military take of power. How did you feel, being so far away from the country?
I follow closely what goes on in Argentine because my loved ones are there, and I like to be informed. As far as the 30 years since the military take of power, I thought the remembrance and everything they did was great. Maybe it was a little overshadowed by the reading in 'Plaza de Mayo' -literally, May Square-, but it's very good for people to remember and demonstrate as done.

-Translation Note: 1976 signed the start of, in all likelihood, the most tragic of times for us Argentines. That military dictatorship would subsequently take the life of tens of thousands of our countrymen, and plunge us into economic and social chaos. We regained democracy in 1983.-

How do you feel about politics, can you see yourself in the public office in the future?
Honestly I don't see myself in the public office, but you never know. Regardless, I'm more and more into politics. I suppose it happens to everyone. As the years go by, I'm more into the issues.

Do you feel the "role model" tag as a burden?
Sometimes there is pressure, but I try to disregard it. For instance, the statements I make respond to who I am and not some conscious effort -I took a little license in the translation to further clarify a somewhat messy wording-. I'm a very quiet guy, family oriented, and I say what I feel, so many kids take me as role model.

Are you adjusted to the NBA pace for good?
Yes, this is my fourth year, so now this is normal to me. I got used to the life style here, and it no longer surprises me. It's a little difficult going back to the Argentine reality, but I lived for 25 years between our culture and the European, which is very similar to ours, so it's not like I've forgotten it and it would be tough to go back.

In San Antonio you're worshipped. How do they treat you in the rest of the American cities?
They treat me well. Here everything is more relaxed; I can walk the streets quietly. In other places maybe they recognize me, or I catch their eye because of my height. There are no major issues, I'm just another guy.

Do you feel that in Argentina they recognize you for everything that being a star in the NBA implies, or do they appreciate you more in America?
I think that here they appreciate more the accomplishments earned in the NBA. It makes sense because there's a larger tradition, and because in Argentina you can only watch 10 games a year -Note: actually it's closer to 50 than it is to 10, but the point remains.-. Still, I feel that in my country they're aware of what I've achieved.
Did you ever feel discriminated in the NBA, as your role increased?
Not at all. I never felt discriminated. What did happen was that, logically, at first it was hard for me to adjust, and things were tough. I now understand that happened because I was inexperienced.

What do you like the most and the least about the NBA?
The best is the comfort. They take care of the players to the largest possible extent. Almost spoiling them. The worst? The pace. Sometimes you have 5 games in a week and you end up exhausted.

Will you watch the Argentine NT in the Soccer World Cup?
The truth is I'm not much into soccer. Here they do not televise the games, and the competition pace doesn't leave me much free time. However, I think the World Cup is an event that exceeds all that, and for that I'll try to follow it. I hope Argentina wins, because in the last couple of World Cups we didn't do too well, let's say.

What do you know about Messi?
I didn't watch him play and here there isn’t much soccer news. They did tell me that he is phenomenal. I hope he does great, but I ask that he not be pressured. He's just 19 -Note: he's 18-. And he plays for Barcelona, let's not forget that.

Did it happen to you that, as a child, that they tried to push your development?
No, my career developed slowly, but I figure it must be tough being that young and tagged the next world superstar.

Can Argentina have another Ginóbili within 10 years?
I don't know. I do not follow Argentina's basketball because they don't televise the games here. I watched a few of the U21 World Championship, and I saw some good prospects, but I can't tell if there is a successor in place.

What makes you proud about your career, what would you like to change?
Obviously, the titles earned. I think I gave my best everywhere I played, and now I can enjoy many accomplishments. I have no regrets. Luckily I've done very well and I've always been at the right place, so I have nothing to reproach myself for.

附原文:
[HTML]Por Facundo Quiroga y Mariano Cordoni. De la Redacción de Clarín.com
conexiones@claringlobal.com.ar

“Puntualidad extrema”, exige a modo de ruego la gentil agente de prensa de la NBA, Saskia Sorrosa. 15.45, hora de Buenos Aires, está programada la tan buscada charla que Emanuel Ginóbili entablará vía telefónica con Clarín.com. Distendido, ocurrente, la principal figura del deporte argentino se ofrece transparente desde Los Angeles.

¿Qué balance hacés de la temporada actual en la NBA?
Es muy positivo. A 10 juegos de terminar la temporada estamos primeros en nuestra Conferencia y con mejor récord que el año pasado. No nos podemos quejar. El tema es que otros equipos como Detroit y Dallas también tuvieron una mejor campaña que la anterior y eso hace que se desluzca un poco lo nuestro.

¿A qué equipo no te gustaría enfrentar en playoffs?
Realmente me da lo mismo. Nosotros tenemos que llegar hasta el final y ganar el campeonato y para eso hay que ganarle a todos y, cuando llegue el momento, estaremos preparados para ganarle a cualquiera.

¿Cómo estás físicamente?
Estoy mucho mejor. Es cierto, tuve una temporada rara físicamente, pero últimamente me estoy sintiendo más sano. La energía está volviendo, las piernas están volviendo y eso es importante porque ya llegan los playoffs y es cuando uno mejor quiere estar.

¿Cómo te afectan las lesiones siendo alguien tan competitivo?
Me afecta porque sabés que no podés hacer lo mismo que cuando estás bien así que tomás otras decisiones, atacás menos el aro ya que no podés ser tan determinante como en otras oportunidades. Simplemente hay que ser más paciente y esperar que llegue el momento.

¿Pensás que la intensidad de los playoffs te puede jugar en contra para el calendario que después tendrás con la Selección?
Realmente, la Selección ni se me pasa por la cabeza en este momento. Me faltan diez partidos, estamos peleando por el número 1 y después vendrán los playoffs. Así que hoy por hoy hago todo y dejo todo por mi equipo.

¿Cómo vivís el hecho de que Argentina llegue como candidata al Mundial?
No hay dudas de que somos candidatos. Salimos segundos en el último Mundial y primeros en los Juegos Olímpicos así que es bastante automático. Vamos a ver qué pasa cuando llegue el momento.

Tu hermano, Sebastián, es figura en Libertad de Sunchales. ¿Te imaginás tenerlo como compañero en el Mundial?
Es una posibilidad que inventaron los periodistas. Yo sinceramente no creo que “Sepo” tenga posibilidades reales de ir al Mundial. Obviamente, me encantaría que se diera.

¿Cómo te llevás con la fama?
No me siento un tipo famosísimo. Sí soy popular, pero eso no me impide hacer una vida normal y disfrutar las cosas que siempre disfruté así que para mí ser famoso no es un problema.

Maradona, por ejemplo, dijo más de una vez que no presta la fama ni por un segundo. ¿Vos podrías vivir sin ella?
Creo que sí. Ahora la disfruto porque es algo que me gané con laburo y jugando bien, pero no creo que en mi caso sea algo que dure de por vida, así que la aprovecho mientras esté.

¿Imaginás cómo puede llegar a ser tu retiro?
Seguramente va a ser muy complicado ya que estoy acostumbrado a la presión, a los viajes y a vivir de esta manera. Va a ser duro el día que esto no está más. Igual, tendré que acostumbrarme a ello.

Hace pocos días se cumplieron los 30 años del Golpe. ¿Qué sentiste estando tan lejos del país?
Sigo muy a fondo las cosas que pasan en Argentina porque tengo a mis seres queridos ahí y me gusta estar conectado. En cuanto a los 30 años del Golpe, me pareció genial que se recordara y todo lo que se hizo al respecto. Creo que quizás se opacó un poco todo por la lectura que se hizo de lo que pasó en Plaza de Mayo, pero es muy bueno que la gente recuerde y haga una demostración como la que se hizo.

¿Qué te produce la política, te imaginás en el futuro desempeñando algún cargo público?
La verdad que no me veo ocupando un cargo, pero nunca se sabe. Igual, la política cada vez me interesa más. Supongo que a todo el mundo le pasa. A medida que pasan los años, me meto más en los temas.

¿Te pesa el rótulo de “modelo a imitar”?
A veces hay presión, pero trato de no tenerlo tan en cuenta. Las declaraciones que hago, por ejemplo, no las hago pensando en eso sino porque soy así. Soy un tipo muy tranquilo, muy casero y digo lo que siento, así que muchos chicos me toman como ejemplo.

¿Te sentís definitivamente adaptado al ritmo de la NBA?
Sí, este es mi cuarto año así que esto es ahora lo normal para mí. Me acostumbré al ritmo de vida que te dan acá y ya no me sorprende. Es un poco duro volver a la realidad argentina, pero yo viví 25 años entre nuestra cultura y la europea, que es bastante similar a la nuestra, así que tampoco es que me olvidé y me costaría volver.

En San Antonio, te veneran. Ahora, ¿cómo te tratan en las demás ciudades estadounidenses?
Me tratan bien. Acá es todo muy tranquilo, puedo caminar tranquilo por la calle. En otros lados quizás me reconocen, o les llamo la atención por la altura. No tengo mayores problemas, soy uno más.

¿Sentís que en la Argentina te reconocen todo lo que significa ser una figura de la NBA o se te valora más en los Estados Unidos?
Creo que acá se valora un poco más los logros obtenidos en la NBA. Es lógico porque hay más tradición y porque a Argentina llegan sólo 10 partidos por año. Igual siento que en mi país también se dan cuenta de lo que hice.

¿En la NBA, te sentiste discriminado mientras ganabas protagonismo?
Para nada. Nunca me sentí discriminado. Lo que sí me pasó fue que, lógicamente, me costó adaptarme al principio y se me hacía difícil. Eso pasaba, lo entiendo ahora, porque era nuevo.

¿Qué es lo que más y lo que menos te gusta de la NBA?
Lo mejor son las comodidades. Cuidan al máximo a los jugadores. Como que los miman. ¿Lo peor? El ritmo con el que se juega. A veces tenés 5 partidos en una semana y terminás muerto.

¿Vas a ver los partidos de la Selección en el Mundial de fútbol?
La verdad es que no sigo mucho al fútbol. Acá no dan partidos y el ritmo de competencia no me deja mucho tiempo libre. Sin embargo, creo que el Mundial es un acontecimiento que excede todo eso y por eso voy a tratar de seguirlo. Espero que Argentina salga campeón, ya que en los dos últimos mundiales no nos fue muy bien que digamos.

¿Qué sabés de Messi?
No lo vi jugar y acá no llegan muchas noticias de fútbol. Sí me comentaron que es un fenómeno. Ojalá que le vaya bien, pero yo pido que no le metan presión. Tiene sólo 19 años. Y juega en el Barcelona, no nos olvidemos.

¿Te pasó, de chico, que quisieran acelerar tu formación?
No, yo hice mi carrera tranquilo, pero me imagino que debe ser complicado ser tan joven y que te rotulen como la próxima gran figura mundial.

¿La Argentina puede tener otro Ginóbili de acá a 10 años?
No lo sé. No sigo mucho al básquet de Argentina porque acá no llegan esos partidos. Miré algunos partidos del Mundial Sub 21 que se jugó en nuestro país y vi algunos buenos proyectos, pero no puedo saber si hay en vista algún sucesor.

¿Qué te enorgullece de tu carrera, qué te gustaría cambiar?
Obviamente, los títulos logrados. Creo que di lo mejor en todos los equipos para los que jugué y ahora puedo disfrutar de muchos logros. No me arrepiento de nada. Por suerte me fue muy bien y siempre estuve en el lugar indicado, así que no tengo nada para reprocharme.[/HTML]
__________________
Blessing in Disguise

Heaven in Hell
tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-02 16:38  #64
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Ginobili leads late charge to win as Spurs beat Wizards

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040206.1C.BKNspurs.wizards.gamer.30ffacd.html

Web Posted: 04/02/2006 12:16 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

The Washington Wizards scored 39 points in the third quarter on the NBA's top-ranked defensive team Saturday night, took a five-point lead into the fourth, shot 71.4 percent the rest of the way and ... lost.

All of which left one question: Just how did the Spurs walk out of the AT&T Center with a 106-99 victory?

"Our three stars," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "took us home."

Manu Ginobili scored the team's final 14 points. Tony Parker totaled 28 while nearly matching his Washington rival, Gilbert Arenas, shot for shot. Tim Duncan contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds despite almost being too sick to play.

Together, they helped the Spurs overcome a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter and push their Western Conference lead to three games over Dallas with nine left to play.

"I think this is the biggest lead any of the teams have taken the whole season," said Ginobili, who finished with 22 points. "But as we all know, if you blink, you can lose it."

The Mavericks would have had a better opportunity to pull closer Saturday had Duncan not been in uniform.

After the Spurs returned from their longest trip in 13 years around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Duncan began to feel sick. He didn't sleep much and missed the team's morning shootaround.

The Spurs didn't know whether he would play until after he warmed up about an hour before tipoff.

"His face wasn't the best," Ginobili said. "In the warmup and when we were in the locker room, he looked very tired and without energy."

Popovich subbed for Duncan less than five minutes into the game and continued to play him for shorter stretches than usual. Still, Duncan had enough energy to total 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks in the first half.

"Timmy Duncan was an unbelievable competitor and leader," Popovich said. "He was sicker than a dog. His effort and the foundation he gave us was really, really impressive."

Duncan helped the Spurs to a 40-33 halftime lead, but Arenas (31 points), Antawn Jamison (26) and Caron Butler (21) didn't need long to erase it. The Wizards scored 39 points in the third quarter — the most the Spurs have given up all season — and opened a 72-62 advantage with less than a minute to play.

"Sometimes when your offense is coming easy, you relax a little bit on defense," Michael Finley said. "We got caught in that for a while. As a result, with them being such a high-scoring team, eventually it was up to us to get a few stops and just keep scoring."

With Finley and Brent Barry helping off the bench, the Spurs went small. By the end of the third quarter, Parker had cut Washington's lead in half, driving for a layup, finding Barry for a dunk and adding a free throw of his own.

After picking up two quick fouls and spending much of the first half on the bench, Parker scored 24 points and handed out four assists in the final two quarters.

"I figured I had to have a nice third quarter because, if not, it was going to be a long game for me," Parker said. "My first two, three years, if I (got into foul trouble), I'd be done for the game.

"But I just said, it doesn't matter. I'm going to come back strong in the second half."

Ginobili did the same. He missed 5 of 7 shots — most of which came on drives to the rim — and 4 of 6 free throws in the first three quarters. He opened the fourth quarter by driving in from the right wing for a dunk.

"The whole game," Ginobili said, "changed for me in those couple minutes."

Ginobili went back to work in the final 21/2 minutes. With the Spurs clinging to a 92-91 lead, he drove into the lane, drew a foul and made both free throws. The next time down the floor, he buried a 3-pointer and punched his fist into the air.

After Butler banked in a shot to bring Washington within 97-94 with 1:11 left, Ginobili threw in a short runner as he was fouled. When he was done, he had scored the Spurs' last 14 points while going a perfect 9 for 9 at the foul line.

"He didn't start out as well as he would have liked, but he didn't hurry his game," Popovich said. "He stuck with it and down the stretch showed great toughness ... and showed why he's such a great basketball player."

With the Wizards helping by missing eight of their 14 free throws in the fourth quarter — the teams combined to take a combined 70 foul shots — it was enough for the Spurs to take command of the race for the West's top playoff seed.

"It's not all about the record," Ginobili said. "We want to just keep improving and keep getting better."


Spurs notebook: Bowen's rare defensive lapse aids Wizards' quarter

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040206.8C.BKNspurs.notebook.368f4e9.html

Web Posted: 04/02/2006 12:16 AM CST

Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

The Spurs' halftime lead of seven points had been wiped away by the Washington Wizards through the first eight minutes of the third quarter, so when Washington's Antawn Jamison nailed his second 3-point basket in a span of 30 seconds, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had seen enough.

Popovich spent the first 10 seconds of a 20-second timeout forcefully reminding Bruce Bowen that staying with Jamison at the 3-point line had been a point of emphasis in the team's game plan, then told Manu Ginobili to replace Bowen in the lineup.

Bowen, a leading candidate for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award, exited the huddle and walked to a lonely seat on the bench to contemplate a rare defensive mistake, one that contributed to the Wizards' 39-point quarter — a season high for any Spurs' opponent in any period.

"We had a plan, which was to limit their 3-point shooters," said Bowen, "and we didn't do a good job of that at all. I was included in that failure. There was that one that Antawn got in the corner that I was supposed to be out on him. That's why Pop had to call that timeout."

Bowen's momentary defensive deficiency was offset by his 11 rebounds, which matched his career high.

"Honestly," Bowen said, "this year I've made a concentrated effort to get more boards, especially when the alternative is just to stand out there, watching everything go on, and then say, 'Oh, I should have gotten that.'"

Udrih out again: Beno Udrih didn't play against Washington, missing his second game with a sprained left ankle.

However, he is moving better and could play Tuesday in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz. After he was injured Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, Udrih said he probably wouldn't be out more than a week.

Keeping up with coach: Former Spurs guard Antonio Daniels had special interest in the outcome of Saturday's Final Four semifinal between George Mason and Florida.

George Mason's coach, Jim Larranaga, coached Daniels at Bowling Green.

After signing with Washington last summer, Daniels worked out with the Patriots before the Wizards' formal workouts began. He attended a couple of George Mason's games during the season and has occasionally left tickets for "Coach L" to watch Washington play.

"Good things happen to good people," said Daniels, who spoke by phone with Larranaga before Saturday's game. "It was always a matter of time before something like this happened to such a good man."

George Mason lost 73-58 to Florida.

Daniels improves: After playing the previous two seasons in Seattle, Daniels seems to have found his niche in Washington.

Daniels averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 assists in March compared to 4.9 and 3.7 in the season's first two months.

"When you have a new system, a new coaching staff, new teammates, new everything, it takes a while," said Daniels, who helps back up both guard positions. "You don't want to come in and try to do too much and throw off everybody else's chemistry.

"It's almost like you kind of have to wait and find out how to be successful, along with making the team successful. It doesn't do any good if I'm successful and we're not winning any basketball games."
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此帖于 2006-04-02 23:00 被 tinysands 编辑.
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 2006-04-05 21:34  #65
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Bowen's defense inspires, irritates

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040406.1D.spurs.d3d6afb.html

Web Posted: 04/04/2006 12:00 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News

SALT LAKE CITY — As the Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers lined up to begin their final meeting last season, Kobe Bryant smiled and knocked fists with Bruce Bowen. Then he leaned over and offered a few kind words for the man who would be hounding him.

"I want to be the first to congratulate you," Bryant said, "on being defensive player of the year."

The NBA had yet to announce the award, and when it did nearly a month later, Detroit center Ben Wallace won for the third time in four seasons. Bowen finished second.

But not in Bryant's mind.

"Because of our competitive nature, he respects me, and I respect him," said Bowen, whose Spurs play at Utah tonight. "He understands what I do out here."

Whether Bowen has to settle for the respect of (some of) his peers — the league's coaches also are expected to name him to one of the two all-defense teams for the sixth consecutive season — remains to be seen.

After finishing fourth in 2004 voting and as the runner-up last season, Bowen figures to do no worse this season.

Sacramento forward Ron Artest, one of the few perimeter defenders considered in Bowen's class, missed nearly a third of the season when Indiana suspended him. Wallace's rebounding and blocks have dipped slightly, but he ranks fourth and eighth, respectively, in those areas and is 11th in steals.

Only twice, however, in the previous 17 seasons has a perimeter defender won: Artest in 2004 and Gary Payton in 1996.

The NBA has done its best to make perimeter defenders an endangered species. To boost scoring, the league outlawed hand checking, then nearly all other perimeter contact.

Bowen has countered by showing his hands more and moving his feet quicker. Almost 35, he still ranks as one of the best at beating opponents to their comfort spots.

"He takes pride in taking on the best offensive player and making it a tough night for him," Michael Finley said. "When you have that mentality, refereeing can't do much about the way you play."

Bowen also has shown versatility. Despite giving up nearly 6 inches, he successfully fronted Toronto's Chris Bosh. During one six-day stretch, Bowen helped force Bryant into making only 9 of 33 shots; limited Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki to 14 points on 3-of-13 shooting; and held Philadelphia's Allen Iverson without a basket in the third quarter of a come-from-behind victory.

USA Basketball officials recognized Bowen's defense enough to invite him to try out for the national team this summer.

"If they're really serious about having a team approach, which I'm sure they are," said Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni, who will serve as an assistant for Team USA, "then Bruce should have a heck of a chance to make it."

Not everyone, however, is so eager to praise Bowen. A recent Sports Illustrated players' poll had him ranked as the league's second-dirtiest player behind Seattle's Danny Fortson.

Said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: "I don't know how a 175-pound guy could be called dirty."

Bowen also didn't help his image last week when he was fined $10,000 for kicking Seattle's Ray Allen in the back. Bowen apologized, but Allen called the incident "coward's basketball." The following day, Allen called NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson to lobby for Bowen's fine.

While Bryant and Miami's Dwyane Wade, among others, seem to embrace the challenge of facing Bowen, Allen has been his biggest critic.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson has jumped in as well, calling Bowen "Edward Scissorhands." Bowen's reputation as one of the league's best defenders, Jackson said, allows him to "whack away at you."

"He's had a license for about four years now," Jackson said. "Prior to that, he was a spot player, and it was difficult for him to get those kind of calls."

Though Bowen long ago tired of the criticism, in part because he worries the complaining would influence officiating, he rarely offers a rebuttal.

"What am I going to say about a coach?" Bowen said. "Especially one of (Jackson's) caliber."

Bowen flails his hands in what he calls "short movements" because he can disrupt an opponent's shot even if he doesn't touch him. He also has been accused of stepping under players but attributes that to trying to crowd or block out his man. Or beat him to a spot.

Is that dirty? No more so, Bowen said, than when the same player jams a forearm into Bowen's chest while driving to the basket.

"What about Michael Jordan's push on Byron Russell (in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals)?" Bowen said. "We don't get to say those things as defenders because (the officials) will look at us as crazy."

Allen's comments didn't frustrate Bowen as much as his game-winning shot. After springing loose from Bowen, he buried a 3-pointer to beat the Spurs.

Allen finished with 33 points, and Bowen understands there will be nights like that. Or like Saturday against Washington, when Popovich had him shuttling between Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison depending on who had the hotter hand, then ripped him for not keeping Jamison off the 3-point line.

In those instances, Bowen has learned it's best to have a short memory.

It's the same attitude he has when asked about the one defensive honor that's eluded him.

"I have two championships right now and a reputation in this league for being a hard-nosed player," Bowen said. "If it doesn't happen, I can't be deflated. I still have a job to do."
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-08 11:48  #66
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 2006-04-10 18:30  #67
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问题:

1.时间限制从招工日开始算,还是从开工日开始算?(要是前者,57,64楼的已经过期了——Boss没见处理下呢?)

2.那篇Manu Interview原文链接是西班牙文吗?英文是哪来的呢?(不会是Boss自己译的吧?!绝倒。Orz)

3.“貌似”老大们已经开始自己动手了。(未见招工帖,自己动手?
点击查看

4.针对第三点,无意见并偷着乐!
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秦南玥离线中   引用
 2006-04-10 18:49  #68
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1、过期的在清理中……
2、英文是st和sr论坛上的翻译……
3、自己动手丰衣足食……召唤小2中……
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-12 08:43  #69
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短文一篇

http://www.paisano-online.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/10/443c0b6feadae

Give Tim Duncan a break

It is amazing how a foot can control the outcome of this year’s NBA championship.

A foot is more unbelievable than two ankles. The best player in the NBA not named Kobe, Tim Duncan, has a foot problem called “plantar fasciitis.” Last year, Duncan led the Spurs to the championship on two sprained ankles and several more questioning critics.

Dr. Schlesinger is going to educate all of you on this foot problem. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury affecting the sole or flexor surface (plantar) of the foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band of tissue (fascia) connecting your heel bone to the base of your toes.

How do you treat plantar fasciitis? Rest is the first treatment for plantar fasciitis. Try to keep weight off your foot until the inflammation goes away. You can also apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes three or four times a day to relieve your symptoms.

Enough of that doctor stuff. Here’s my point. Tim Duncan has done enough for this city, this franchise, and the NBA to deserve a break. The media is constantly criticizing him, and the (bandwagon) fans are quick to judge how poor Tim Duncan has played this season.

Rest is the first treatment. Duncan needs rest, but the Spurs cannot afford to rest him right now, holding a slim one-game Western Conference lead over their division rival, Dallas. Duncan is averaging 18.5 ppg and 11.1 rbg this season. For the majority of the league’s players, those numbers would be extraordinary. Duncan is held to a higher standard because his credentials are matched by few and respected by all: Selected Three-time NBA Finals MVP and Champion; Two-time NBA MVP; Eight-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection, and 1998 Rookie of the Year. The list goes on and on for Duncan.

The fact is, Duncan should not be playing right now, but his competitive fire will not let him sit. After last Friday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Duncan showed noticeable frustration after another poor performance of 15 points and nine rebounds on 5-15 shooting. Do not let Duncan’s silent demeanor fool you; he is more like a silent assassin. Duncan wants to repeat to silence all of his critics who have said that he is incapable of the feat after failing in 1999 and 2003.

What Duncan is doing this season is more impressive than the two seasons he took home the MVP trophy. Duncan is playing in a severe state of pain that should require him to take a few months off. Although his statistics are near the worst of his career, the Spurs are on pace to shatter their record for wins in a season.

Tony Parker has emerged as a legitimate star in the NBA, but the road to a repeat run will ultimately run through the three-time NBA Finals MVP. Duncan will have to once again overcome odds and prove his critics wrong in order to carry the Spurs to their fourth NBA title.

If the Spurs do once again hold the trophy, Duncan will enjoy this one, more than the others. The pain Duncan suffered this season will be forgotten, and he will heel all the nasayers.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2006-04-14 18:59  #70
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14日 vs. Magic Gamer,有意者尽快……

Home court unwelcome as Spurs fall to Magic

Web Posted: 04/14/2006 12:51 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer


http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041406.1D.BKNspurs.magic.gamer.1cc3dc29.html

With the playoffs a week away and the Western Conference's top seed still around for the taking, the Spurs welcomed back Tim Duncan with open arms Thursday night.

They watched Duncan spin by Orlando center Tony Battie and throw down a reverse dunk. They watched him muscle his way into the lane time and again. In the surprise of all surprises, they even watched him make his long-lost bank shot.

Of course, the Spurs would have been better off doing a little less watching and a lot more helping. As it turned out, Duncan's 31-point performance, though uplifting in spirit, wasn't nearly enough to carry his teammates past the Magic, who left the AT&T Center with a 92-80 victory and their own playoff hopes still alive.

"It was a shame to have Timmy feeling so good and playing so sprightly," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "and wasting it because he couldn't get a whole team to react defensively or offensively with any discipline whatsoever."

Despite the loss — the third in a five-game homestand — the Spurs caught a break when Dallas dropped its second game in a row, falling 117-104 in Phoenix late Thursday. The Spurs lead the Southwest Division by 1 1/2 games and can secure the conference's No.1 seed by winning two of their final three games even if the Mavericks close out the season with a pair of victories.

The Spurs would have been in even better standing had they not lost to the Magic, who received 22 points and 13 rebounds from Dwight Howard and 19 points and eight assists from Jameer Nelson. Orlando's seventh consecutive victory left it 21/2 games back of Chicago and Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

"From the get-go," Howard said, "we knew we could beat these guys."

Beating Detroit, Dallas and Miami in the past two weeks boosted Orlando's confidence.

The Spurs became their latest victim despite getting Duncan's best game of the season. In addition to his 31 points — his most since he scored a season-high 34 on Dec.20 in Milwaukee — he contributed 13 rebounds and six assists.

Michael Finley provided 16 points off the bench, but the Spurs offered little other support for their star. Brent Barry, again starting in place of Manu Ginobili, missed seven of his first eight shots. Nazr Mohammed was benched to start the second half for his poor defense on Howard.

"I thought it was a really bad performance on our part, team-wise," Popovich said.

It didn't help that Tony Parker was still battling a stomach virus and Ginobili didn't play for the third consecutive game. At the morning shootaround, Popovich listed both as doubtful to play. Nick Van Exel, however, was more optimistic.

"Eva (Longoria)'s in town," Van Exel said, "so hopefully she'll make (Parker) some chicken soup, and he'll be all right."

Not only was Parker able to hold down his lunch, his fever also broke. After deciding to play, in part, because of Ginobili's questionable status, Parker made his first four shots. He soon tired, however, and finished with 12 points and seven turnovers in 26 minutes.

"I felt like I had no energy," Parker said.

Ginobili was eager to play. He tested his bruised left calf in warmups, and Popovich decided to put him in uniform. Though Popovich indicated before the game he was leaning toward giving Ginobili some minutes, he instead left him on the bench, saying, "I didn't want to take the chance."

"There's no excuses to be made," Duncan said. "We lost the game."

Nelson and Howard, the cornerstones of Orlando's future, had more than a little to do with that, combining for 29 points in the first half. After the Spurs committed four turnovers on their first five possessions of the third quarter, the Magic pushed their lead to eight.

Orlando didn't allow the Spurs to get closer than nine in the final quarter.

"We all didn't have that edge we needed," Duncan said. "Offensively, they did kind of whatever they wanted to do. We can't win games like that."

The Spurs were at least pleased by what they saw from Duncan. Slowed much of the season by a sore right foot, he was aggressive from the opening tip.

With Orlando choosing not to double team, Duncan made 12 of his first 15 shots. Among the three misses were a near-impossible tip shot at the end of the first half and another difficult layup off a lob pass by Van Exel.

"I made a shot or two early, and my confidence kind of blossomed from there," Duncan said. "I just kind of held it throughout the game."

In the end, it wasn't enough. What appeared to be a promising five-game homestand two weeks ago ended 2-3. The Spurs lost three home games all last season.

"We know what we have left, and we just have to kind of get it done," Duncan said. "We still have a chance to end up with one of our best seasons yet, so we just have to turn that corner and get back on a roll before the playoffs come around."
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 2006-04-21 00:50  #71
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SPURS: The Great Divide

By Emmett Shaw
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Apr 17, 2006, 15:35


There’s an amazing hiking-biking trail that goes across the country from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Port Reyes, California. Thanks to efforts of the American Hiking Society, if you want the grind of back-packing thousands of miles shore to shore, you can do it. Relate it to the months of a long NBA season – which grinds on every team, much less one that’s been in the Finals recently.

Traveling west, the 2005-06 San Antonio Spurs are at the Great Divide which the hikers face in getting by Colorado. The Great Divide in the NBA is between teams that can play good defense, and those that can’t. Factors in the separation include how smart, organized and dedicated a club is. Good defensive teams have principles and know personnel, their own and their opponents’.

As the NBA Playoffs close in, the Spurs are probably about to face two teams that know how to play D, Sacramento and Dallas. Look at the Spurs’ last 25 games. Aggregating 23 of them, including a tilt with Dallas, amazingly San Antonio has shot 48.7 FG%! In the remaining two tips – losses, you’d rightly surmise – against the Kings and Mavericks, the Spurs have been held to a combined .395!

First, every team is entitled to an off night. Second, the intent here isn’t to do a Daryl Morey look at the Spurs, Kings and Mavs. The Rockets’ new exec is called a “stat guru”, and to be fair, he’s probably more than that. But watching the games, not the numbers, is required to understand what’s going on. Compared to the last 25 games, understand that the degree of difficulty is about to increase on the Spurs’ shots if they face series with Sacramento and/or Dallas in the coming weeks.

Here’s what one of San Antonio’s foes of recent days said about defending the Spurs’ O. “How can you concentrate on, you know, almost four (perimeter) guys? We try to protect the paint, we try to pack it in, (and) they make (outside) shots. You try to stay out on shooters, and they drive or (Tim) Duncan’s in the post,” said Washington’s Eddie Jordan. Forgive the mixed metaphors, but a team that has success with this dilemma has to do some chicken-and-egg analysis, not paint by “numbers”.

Said Dwight Howard, whose Magic held the Spurs to 3-16 (19%) FGs in the 4th quarter just the other night, “We knew that we had to do a great job on Tim Duncan, but also to keep the defense in.” That is, Orlando clogged the paint to prevent the cause of many of the Spurs’ open looks from outside. “You know, not let them...penetrate and dish out to the wing. So I think we did a good job of that tonight,” Howard continued. Then he added, “And they was missing shots.” But to some extent, Orlando’s sagging idea was forcing those misses.

When Dallas came to town three games earlier, it held Tony Parker to an unusually cold 5-15 FG. This season, normally he’s the third most accurate shooter in the NBA (.546)! And the Mavs generally limited the Spurs to .378 for the game. Like Orlando’s Howard, Avery Johnson mentioned that San Antonio simply missed at times, but he also explained that a defensive plan factors into that.

“You really don’t stop this team. We were just able to contest some things, and fortunately they missed the shot tonight. But we know Parker’s hurt us before. And that’s what they do, they’ve hurt everybody. That’s why he’s an All-Star this year. But we thought we did a decent job of containing, and fortunately they missed some shots,” said Johnson. The Mavs try to “contain” Tony and Manu Ginobili – close out on them with short, quick steps – and close much stronger on all other catching perimeter players.


The Mavericks are an organized, well-coached team, a Great Divide team that will have to be conquered with championship discipline in very difficult games. Are they elite defensively, a team at the jagged peak of the Divide? Not necessarily. But they are a good defensive team, because they have committed to it and broken down the opposition. Talk with Jason Terry and you learn that there’s an inherent respect Dallas has for what the Spurs are – that they’re the NBA Champions, that they are solid every night.

But when it comes to offense, San Antonio’s outside shooting prowess is not what the Mavs worry most about. They worry about protecting the paint. Said Terry, “They got a couple of guys that can knock down the outside shot, but mainly they like points in the paint. You look at Tony Parker, he leads the league in points in the paint. And Duncan’s a tough cover in the post.”

In the most recent Spurs encounter, Dallas sagged on defense, spacing spot-up threats until the ball was thrown to them. The Mavs stay home in the ball-side corner, unlike in a bad defensive performance that Minnesota put out versus San Antonio yesterday. Also Dallas got away with mostly single-covering Tim in the 2nd half. Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, and Fabricio Oberto, combined, converted only 5 points! If the Spurs’ centers don’t score better, they become much more beatable by the Mavs.

No average defensive team has ever won a title. The Kings have finally become a better than average defensive team in the last two months because Ron Artest has set a physical, competitive tone on that side of the ball. Artest does things like hold Manu in single digits – denying him possession, blocking his shots and poking his dribble.

Ron held Carmelo to 15 this past weekend. Artest’s former Bulls teammate, Brad Miller, for the first time in over a year is inspired about playing again. On top of that, Sacramento is a veteran team that knows how to counter good defense with quick ball movement. If the Spurs encounter either of these two Great Divide teams, the series will have to be dug and dragged out with deliberate and never-ending Spurs discipline, and a champion’s heart.


Emmett Shaw covers the San Antonio Spurs for Basketball News Services. Go to www.discoverytrail.org to learn about the American Discovery Trail, and how you can help strengthen it.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_16997.shtml
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 2006-04-21 01:02  #72
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In SA -- No. 1 by Unanimous Decision

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_17020.shtml


By Emmett Shaw
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Apr 18, 2006, 18:43


While Manu Ginobili said of the NBA Playoffs, “the fun part is about to start,” from the beginning of training camp the San Antonio Spurs felt they held a key advantage in playing the game: From the neck up. Balance and stability have been descriptive of their 6-month ride.

Balance? This is a team that is #3 in the league in 3-point efficiency, yet is #3 in percentage of points in the paint. Stability? The Spurs stayed level-headed – didn’t fall in love with the 3-ball. Through 81 games, they tried barely more than the league average.

These solid things are decided by smart players, and it paid off with the #1 seed in the West, which they clinched last night in blowing out the Jazz. “It lets you know the nature of this team. Guys are hard-nosed. They want to go ahead and be the best in the league,” said Robert Horry.

You see, the Spurs got the job done because they decided to. Said Horry, “We got a lot of veteran guys. We got a lot of guys who are poised and ready to play.” This doesn’t mean that a repeat championship is sure to follow. Horry credited “a lot of luck and a lot of good fortune” for his past repeats in Houston and Los Angeles.

Robert went on. “I know that sounds funny, coming from me, but you need a lot of luck. You gotta have the balls bounce the right way. You gotta have some guys step up big-time who don’t usually step up. So it’s a lot of variables to winning another championship.”

Horry said no matter if San Antonio faces the Kings or Lakers, “Every game is gonna be tough. Every team is gonna be ready. Every team is gonna come in here gunning for us. And I think it’s good because each team you see on the horizon almost prepares you for the next team, and the next team. That’s what it’s all about.”

Tim Duncan, the captain of the Spurs, trooped through a hard season of pain in his right foot. Straight faced, he said that while the coach really wanted about 81 victories, “we still had a good season.” They’ll finish with 62 or 63 Ws. “We’ve had some rough patches, and those are the kind of situations in teams that builds a team up.”

Tim had to ask a reporter for sure if the team would face either the Kings or the Lakers to start the playoffs. “Whatever happens, happens. We’ll be ready for whoever we get.” That’s how fixed the Spurs are upstairs, and that’s how they navigated those rough spots in the NBA schedule. “So we went through those patches. We were able to end with a great record, and it’s just a good situation to be in.”

Like Ginobili, now Michael Finley is ready for some fun. “This is the fun time of year,” he said. More fun than when he was with the Mavericks? “Last year, I was trying to destroy these guys.” He said the Spurs were like the big brother who Dallas couldn’t beat. “Even sometimes when we played our better game, that’s not good enough. So it’s just good to be on the other side right now.”

Every series will now be made of its own character. If Ron Artest leads the Kings into AT&T Center, Manu’s “fun” might be limited to about 10 points in some games. That’s where Fin could come into play – stepping up, as Horry puts it. As impressive as San Antonio has been, as Duncan promised, he and the Spurs had better be ready for the “whoever” Sacramento Kings, a scary 8-seed in the making.


Emmett Shaw, who covers the Spurs for Basketball News Services, is completing his 6th season writing published artcles on the team and the NBA. He writes in The Texas Triangle feature of Total Access, and in SWISH magazine.
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