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 2007-10-26 12:31  #1
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Spurs notebook: Preseason schedule not popular

Spurs notebook: Preseason schedule not popular

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA102607.03D.BKNspurs.notebook.34c3797.html

Web Posted: 10/25/2007 11:03 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Spurs win the unofficial award for strangest close to the preseason, ending with back-to-back games at Orlando on Thursday and at home against Houston today.

If Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has his way, they won't be repeating the feat in preseasons to come.

"It's not a thing I'd ever want to do again," Popovich said. "I'm not happy with the fact we're ending the preseason on a back-to-back. It makes no sense."

In a perfect world, Popovich would use the final two games of the preseason to get significant minutes for his starters and older veteran players. Because of the preseason-closing back-to-back, Popovich will probably have to rethink that plan.

After playing his regulars significant minutes in Thursday's loss to the Magic, look for him to rest them some today.

Unlike the regular season, teams are responsible for setting up their own preseason schedule. Like a college program scheduling its games, NBA teams have to work around schedules of other teams as well, often honoring dates they "owe" other clubs.

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Sometimes, it results in a preseason slate that isn't exactly optimal. For the Spurs, this is one of those years.

"It's not ideal, it's not what we'd prefer — it's just one of those things," general manager R.C. Buford said. "We don't have a history of a bad preseason schedule."

Late start for Horry: Spurs forward Robert Horry did not join the team's two-game swing through Florida, making it all but certain he won't be in uniform for the start of the season.

Horry, on a leave of absence while dealing with undisclosed family business, hasn't worked out with the team since Oct. 13. Even after he returns, Horry won't immediately get back on the floor, Popovich said.

"We'll want to ease him back in and make sure he doesn't get injured," Popovich said. "He'll be out a while."

Mask holds up: Francisco Elson's protective facemask survived its first test of the preseason. He took an elbow in the face from Orlando's Adonal Foyle in the second half of Thursday's game.

"The whole mask moved," Elson said.

Luckily for Elson, his orbital bone did not.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-10-30 12:50  #2
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回复: Spurs notebook: Preseason schedule not popular

Duncan will take less than maximum salary

By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports
October 29, 2007


With NBA commissioner David Stern set to present Tim Duncan his fourth championship ring on Tuesday, the Spurs forward has made it clear he has no plans to leave the court – or San Antonio – anytime soon.

Duncan has reached agreement with the Spurs on a two-year, $40 million extension that figures to give the team enough salary-cap flexibility to continue to surround him with a competitive supporting cast in the waning seasons of his career, two sources with knowledge of the deal said Monday.

By signing the extension, which is expected to be finalized within the next few days, Duncan forfeits his option to become a free agent after this season. He will now be under contract with the Spurs until the summer of 2012.

The extension hardly comes as a surprise. Duncan, 31, said prior to last season’s NBA Finals he felt as healthy as he’s been in years and hoped to continue playing “as long as I can.”

But what is notable about the deal are the terms: Though Duncan is eligible to receive a two-year extension worth about $51 million under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, he agreed to nearly $11 million less because it could potentially afford the Spurs greater flexibility to pursue free agents after the 2009-10 season.

Duncan and his agent, Lon Babby, met with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford at Popovich’s house prior to the start of training camp. Well aware of Duncan’s value to franchise – the Spurs likely would not be in San Antonio had he not guided them to their first title in 1999 – Popovich and Buford presented him with a maximum offer during the meeting. But they also made a detailed presentation of their plans for the team’s long-term future and showed Duncan the possible impact of his accepting a lesser extension.

After a few weeks of deliberation, Duncan agreed to the $40 million extension. He will make $22.2 million in the final year of his current contract, with his salary dropping to about $18.7 million in the first year of the extension.

Duncan will be 34 when the extension begins. Tony Parker is the only other player currently scheduled to be under contract following the 2009-10 season, but the Spurs also will be in position to re-sign their third star, Manu Ginobili, that summer if they want.

The Spurs also are expected to eventually extend Popovich’s contract to coincide with that of Duncan.


Johnny Ludden covers the NBA for Yahoo! Sports Send Johnny a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-tim102907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
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 2007-11-02 17:57  #3
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Buck Harvey: Spurs' karma set? Repeat after Duncan

Buck Harvey: Spurs' karma set? Repeat after Duncan

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA103007.01D.NZ.Metro.1Dbuck.en.3ba14fa.html

Web Posted: 10/30/2007 02:01 AM CDT
Buck Harvey
San Antonio Express-News

A year ago, almost to the day, I apologized to Tim Duncan for what would have to follow.

Duncan cocked his head.

I told him, going by the franchise schedule, he would have to suffer an injury. Terrible pain wouldn’t be necessary; if he wanted to invent something to miss half a season, he could always talk to Shaq for advice.

But, either way, Duncan had no choice. He would have to sit if the Spurs were to be in position to draft Greg Oden, and this is the way it’s always been. The Spurs found a Hall of Fame 7-footer in 1987 and another in 1997, and 2007 was next.

Duncan quit cocking his head. He can be playful at times, but not after a season of plantar fasciitis. “Oh, don’t say that,” he said, reacting as if the words themselves could tear an ACL.

Duncan isn’t as superstitious as Robert Horry. No Spur is. But it’s clear Duncan believes in karma, which is perhaps why he created an ocean of it this week.

Just when Duncan is supposed to be getting a ring, he’s giving something up instead.

Duncan’s agent, Lon Babby, had mentioned this possibility earlier this month, and it has nothing to do with superstition. According to a story posted late Monday on Yahoo!, Duncan has agreed to a two-year, $40 million extension designed to give the Spurs some salary-cap flexibility.

Duncan could have taken maximum money on a two-year extension worth about $51 million, and this is what pro athletes do. They negotiate for the maximum.

Tony Romo, for example, took what the market said he should take. And when athletes agree to re-do a contract for the franchise, there’s almost always a built-in kicker that pays them back.

Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford approached Duncan knowing he deserved the maximum and more. Had it not been for the labor agreement of the late 1990s, Duncan might have earned twice as much as he has.

But according to the story, Popovich and Buford also offered an alternative to Duncan. They showed him projections and plans and “the possible impact of his accepting a lesser extension.”

For Popovich and Buford, this is standard. From the first day, they treated Duncan as if he were a partner, asking him to sit in to evaluate players, and this latest negotiation is the culmination of that.

The effect: Sensing he’s more than just a player, Duncan saw the Spurs as more than employers.

Duncan took less with the idea the Spurs can better pursue free agents in the summer of 2010. Just as David Robinson once agreed to compromise on a contract, giving up a powerful clause that could have meant many millions more, Duncan compromised to help the Spurs’ payroll.

Duncan, as it was with Robinson, earns a lot of money as it is. His $20 million salary can buy a few things in San Antonio. But the amount he’s giving up is nearly $11 million, and there aren’t many in business who would do the same.

There also aren’t many in Dallas and Houston and Phoenix who like this news. Duncan scores and defends – and now he spends his own money to obtain other players?

For the Spurs, this makes opening night feel like the beginning of another five or six years. Duncan is signed up, with the idea the Spurs can get him more help, and all he needs now is the one thing a contract cannot guarantee. Health.

There’s no reason to think he won’t have it. The only games he missed last season were the last two, when he rested for the playoffs. Otherwise he was healthier than he had been since the winter of 2005, when he severely sprained an ankle in Detroit.

Oden, instead, is the one who will sit this season. It’s sad, and no one would wish this on anyone, much less someone as engaging and sincere as Oden.

But that’s part of this. Everything went in the opposite direction from the premise of a year ago, when Duncan thought he had heard bad karma.

Then he created his own.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-02 17:58  #4
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Spurs: Star forward Tim Duncan seems to be getting better with age

Spurs: Star forward Tim Duncan seems to be getting better with age

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.102907.Spurs.Duncan.EN.1b80cb883.html

Web Posted: 10/29/2007 12:04 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer

There are nights when his knees creak, mornings when his back aches. There are days he'd rather spend slipping into a warm bath instead of slamming into Shaquille O'Neal for two hours.

These are the days in which Tim Duncan feels every day of 31 years old.

“I can definitely feel the miles sometimes,” Duncan says.

He's got a decade of them on his NBA odometer, some of them breezy highway miles, some not.

When the Spurs open defense of their fourth NBA title Tuesday night against Portland, Duncan officially will become something he never dreamed he would.

An 11th-year NBA player.

“A shocking reality,” he says.

Ten years ago this month, Duncan played his first game as a Spur, ushering in a golden age for the franchise. He scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and helped the Spurs defeat Denver 107-96.

Four NBA championships, two league MVP awards, three Finals MVP trophies and 10 all-star appearances later, it seems as if Duncan has gone from tender rookie to grizzled veteran practically overnight.

Most of all, it seems that way to Duncan himself.

“I know a lot of people say it,” Duncan says, “but it seems like I just got here yesterday.”

In some ways, the past decade hasn't changed him.

He still has the famous footwork and the Charmin-soft jump shot. He still owns the accountant's attention to detail that caused O'Neal to dub him, “The Big Fundamental.”

In other ways, Duncan has changed drastically and is still evolving.

The Spurs' offense no longer runs specifically through him. It now runs through Tony Parker, the team's energetic point guard, in part because Duncan allows it.

His scoring has slipped a bit — the 20 points per game he averaged last season and the 18.6 he averaged in 2005-06 are the two lowest-scoring campaigns of his career.

Yet the consensus seems to be that Duncan is better now than five years ago, when he won the second of his MVP trophies.

An example: Duncan has become so adept at reading defenses, so proficient at sensing where and when a teammate will break free for an easy basket, that it sometimes is more effective not to double-team him.

This, too, is when he feels every second of 31.

“It's a matter of experience,” Duncan said. “I'm surprised by very little now.”

The beauty of Duncan always has been in the subtleties. His is a game that always has been guided by guile.

The drop-step here. The seal-off there. The instinctive rotation on defense that serves to bother an opponent into a bad shot.

The Spurs' Gregg Popovich, the only NBA coach for whom he has played, submits Duncan is one of the smartest players ever to play the game.

“He's one of the best at understanding ahead of time what's going on,” Popovich said. “Where's he's needed, who's rolling that night, if we need a rebound or defensive stop. Is this the biggest rebound of the game, the biggest score of the game? He understands those sorts of things. He knows intuitively.”

Those are the tools that have helped Duncan evolve into perhaps the greatest power forward in NBA history. They also are the tools that should help him delay the inevitable decline that typically begins to weather NBA big men as they approach their mid-30s.

David Robinson was essentially done as a go-to guy at 33. Hakeem Olajuwon began to wear down at age 35. O'Neal, at 34, already is beginning to show signs of age.

By the time he was 34, Bill Russell had retired.

Duncan is under contract until 2010, when he'll be 34. Already, there has been talk of an extension.

Most NBA pundits don't see the same steep, 30-something drop in store for Duncan.

To Miami coach Pat Riley, Duncan could be the reincarnation of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played — and played well — into his 40s.

In 1985-86, the 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23.4 points per game.

“Duncan reminds me a lot of Kareem,” said Riley, who coached Abdul-Jabbar in Los Angeles for eight seasons. “Kareem wasn't a physical center, he was a finesse center. And he played until he was 41 years old.”

This is a thought Duncan hasn't even begun to consider.

When he was 21, he never thought about being 31. At 31, he's not about to begin to ponder 41.

Between then and now, there are still too many miles to go.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Duncan's Career

Tim Duncan is entering his 11th season with the Spurs. Here are 10 of Duncan's key moments with the team, season-by season.

1997-98: On Oct. 31, 1997, Duncan makes his NBA debut, scoring 15 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and blocking two shots in the Spurs' 107-96 victory at Denver. Duncan averages 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks over the season en route to winning Rookie of the Year honors.

1998-99: On June 25, 1999, Duncan scores 31 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, helping the Spurs beat the Knicks for their first championship. Duncan wins Finals MVP honors.

1999-2000: On Feb. 14, 2000, Duncan has 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead the West All-Stars to a 137-126 victory in Oakland, Calif. Duncan shares game MVP honors with Shaquille O'Neal.

2000-01: On July 12, 2000, Duncan gives the Spurs' franchise a gift before the season begins when he announces that he'll re-sign. “I've decided to stay here and keep going for another couple of years,” Duncan says, “just hang out and play a little basketball.”

2001-02: On May 9, 2002, Duncan is named the league's MVP after averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. “In my wildest dreams,” Duncan said, “I never thought I would get this far or accomplish this much.”

2002-03: On June 17, 2003, Duncan has 21 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks as the Spurs win their second NBA championship. Duncan is named Finals MVP. He also was named regular-season MVP.

2003-04: On May 13, 2004, Duncan hits a jumper over the outstretched arms of O'Neal to give the Spurs a 73-72 lead over the Lakers in Game 5 of their conference semifinal series. But Derek Fisher trumps him by hitting the game-winner with 0.4 seconds left. The Spurs are eliminated two days later.

2004-05: On June 23, 2005, Duncan has 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Pistons in Game 7 of the NBA Finals for their third championship. Duncan is again named Finals MVP.

2005-06: On May 22, 2006, Duncan has 41 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in Game 7 of the Spurs' conference semifinals series against the Mavericks. But it's not enough as the Mavericks win 119-111 in overtime at the AT&T Center to eliminate the Spurs.

2006-07: On May 16, 2007, Duncan has 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Spurs past the Suns 114-106 as they take a 3-2 lead in the conference semifinal series. The Spurs close out the series in the next game and go on to win their fourth NBA title. This time, though, Duncan doesn't take home NBA Finals MVP honors, as teammate Tony Parker wins the award.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-02 18:00  #5
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Spurs: It's out with old season, in with new

Spurs: It's out with old season, in with new

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA103007.01D.SpursBlazers.en.33e7e41.html

Web Posted: 10/29/2007 11:57 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

Two years ago, Spurs guard Brent Barry celebrated his first NBA championship ring with a gesture quite progressive and European.

He kissed the man who gave it to him — that would be commissioner David Stern — squarely on the cheek.

As far as famous kisses go, it wasn't exactly Rhett and Scarlett in "Gone With the Wind."

"It was like kissing my grandmother," Barry recalled this week.

Fair warning to Stern: Barry has been preparing his encore for two years. When you hand him his second ring prior to the Spurs' season-opener against Portland tonight, you might want to duck.

Or run.

No matter what Barry has in store, it ought to be an interesting night indeed.

Spurs players will collect their rings. A fourth NBA championship banner will be raised to the AT&T Center rafters. Kisses may or may not be exchanged.

The past will be celebrated. And just as quickly, it will be forgotten.

Tonight's ring ceremony marks the official end of the Spurs' 2007 championship party. By the time it's over, a new task — a new season — will be at hand.

It will be, as the Spurs' Michael Finley put it, the "last celebration of last year."

Nationally, the game lost some of its luster when Portland's Greg Oden — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — was lost to season-ending knee surgery last month.

It will still be broadcast on TNT, though a nationwide audience will probably find itself wondering why.

For the Spurs, it should prove a memorable occasion just the same.

After past title seasons, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has banned the phrase "defending NBA champions" from the team's lexicon.

Roster tweaks in the wake of winning a title always seemed to create a new team the next season. In Popovich's view, calling a tinkered-with team "defending champions" was tantamount to false advertising.

After each of the 12 players responsible for last season's title returned this fall, with the exception of backup point guard Beno Udrih, who was traded Monday to Minnesota, Popovich has lifted the embargo on that designation.

"We really are the defending champions this time," Popovich said.

And they will pick up their rings tonight, save perhaps for Robert Horry, who is out on personal leave.

For Finley, the wait was longest.

A consummate pro and two-time All-Star, Finley spent 11 seasons fruitlessly chasing a title, most of them in Dallas. He was a wallflower at the Spurs' last championship ring ceremony in October 2005, his first season in San Antonio.

Tonight, he gets to join the party.

"All openers are exciting, but this adds a new twist to it," Finley said. "The memories I experienced last year will always be with me, with or without the ring. But it will be nice to have."

Still, even Finley says he hopes the revelry is short-lived.

"Our most important task is winning the game," he said.

Barry agrees.

But he also isn't one to let the celebration pass too quickly.

At some point tonight, he will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men who helped win that title. He will watch a new banner float to the top of the Spurs' home arena. He will slip a new ring on his finger.

And, most of all, he will try to make the moment last.

"It's one of those moments you'll want to savor," Barry said.

Like a long kiss goodbye.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-02 18:00  #6
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Popovich also gets a bump from Duncan's deal

Popovich also gets a bump from Duncan's deal

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA103107.04C.BKNspurs.duncan.3806743.html

Web Posted: 10/30/2007 11:46 PM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News

Tim Duncan's decision to sign a two-year contract extension that will take him through the 2011-12 season has left Gregg Popovich no choice: His planned retirement will have to wait at least that long.

Popovich often has joked that as soon as Duncan retires, he is leaving the Spurs' bench, as well. Popovich will be 62 before he can relax full-time at his winery in Oregon or his summer home in Maine.

"He screwed me over," the 58-year-old Popovich said before the Spurs opened the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers at the AT&T Center, when asked if he will have to wait to retire until Duncan is done playing.

"I'm going to be forced into it now. I already had plane reservations. I had all kinds of stuff where I was going, and he screwed me."

Duncan's extension, with both sides in agreement and the lawyers now hammering out the details, will pay him $40 million over two seasons and give the team salary cap flexibility that will allow it to continue to remain competitive by adding players to support him.

Duncan currently is under contract through the 2009-10 season, but he has an opt-out clause after this season. When he signs the deal in a few days, the opt-out clause will disappear, and he will be under contact through the 2011-12 season.

Duncan will make $22.183 million in the final year of his current contract, but his pay will drop to $18.7 million for the 2010-11 season. The additional money the Spurs will have under the league salary cap in the summer of 2010 will help the club position for a critical free agent summer, when some high-profile players, led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, will be available on the open market.

Spurs majority owner Peter Holt said Duncan was following the lead of retired Spurs star David Robinson, who also signed for less than maximum money in his final contract so the Spurs could remain competitive.

"This is Tim and the way he does things and the way he always has been," Holt said. "He told me a long time ago, after David (Robinson) retired, that he wanted to go out the same way: go out a winner and stay in San Antonio. Tim Duncan is very much in the same mold as David."

Duncan's willingness to leave that well-deserved money on the table proves, Popovich said, that where the Spurs' basketball operations are concerned, Duncan is really the man in charge.

Popovich even offered visual proof, showing reporters a cartoon that sits on the desk in his game-night office at the AT&T Center. It is one of syndicated sports cartoonist Steve Moore's "In The Bleachers" strips that runs in dozens of daily newspapers. It caught Popovich's eye a few years ago.

In the cartoon, an athlete sits behind a large desk in a plush office. A scraggly-looking character stands before a receptionist at another desk. In Popovich's personalized version of the framed cartoon, the receptionist is identified as "Moe," for Popovich's executive assistant, Maureen "Moe" Guerrero. The scraggly-looking character has been identified as "Pop."

The athlete sitting behind the desk is T.D., for Tim Duncan.

The caption reads: "The Franchise will see you now, Coach."

"This is on my desk," Popovich said, holding up the framed cartoon, "and it kind of shows the way the thing works. That's actually how we work around here if anybody wants to know the truth. That's us."

Popovich has joked often in the past that he would retire as soon as Duncan was done playing, and his light-hearted view of the true working relationship in the Spurs' organization left little doubt he will continue coaching through Duncan's final season.

That Duncan chose to accept less money than he clearly deserved was in keeping with his character, Popovich said.

"He's definitely special," Popovich said, "and that's just a very good example of the way his brain works and what his priorities are. It's as simple as that."

Holt said his goal is to do for Duncan what the club did for Robinson after he gave it the same sort of roster flexibility.

"This," said Holt, "gives us an opportunity to do in 2010 the same thing we did with David: bring in another great player to team with Tim."
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-03 13:00  #7
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Horry is planning to return next week

Horry is planning to return next week

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110307.SpursNotebook.en.37e8b19.html

Web Posted: 11/02/2007 11:46 PM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News staff writer

Spurs forward Robert Horry set Wednesday's home game against Miami as his goal to return to the team's lineup after missing the past three weeks to tend to personal business.

Horry attended Tuesday's regular-season opener to receive his 2007 championship ring, but returned to his offseason home in Houston afterwards. He was with the Spurs at their morning shootaround Friday, doing some stretching and shooting, but did not suit up as his teammates dismantled the Sacramento Kings at AT&T Center.

"I was just starting to get my rhythm when I had to leave," Horry said. "If we have enough practices the next few days, I think I can be ready to suit up by the Miami game, but I'm not going to rush it."

Horry said he gained five pounds during his approved personal leave.

"I tried to watch what I ate," Horry said, "but I still gained about five pounds. I worked pretty hard the last three days and lost a couple of the pounds I put on, so I think I'm real close to the same weight I was at when I left."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he has no timetable for Horry's return, but said there was no need for the 16-year veteran to rush back.

Signed on: Tim Duncan made it official: He will be with the Spurs through 2011-12.

Duncan signed a two-year, $40 million extension that gives the club considerable salary cap flexibility in the talent-rich free agent summer of 2010. He was eligible for an extension worth $51 million, but agreed to the lesser amount.

"Tim Duncan has established himself as one of the best players in NBA history," Popovich said. "Despite the individual accolades he has attained what makes him truly great is his dedication to his team. He is the ultimate teammate."

Udrih gets ring: Former Spurs point guard Beno Udrih returned to San Antonio with his new team and received his 2007 championship ring.

The Spurs traded Udrih to Minnesota on Monday, but the Timberwolves immediately waived him. The Kings signed him to a contract for the remainder of the season on Thursday.
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-03 14:18  #8
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[工地]11.03 Spurs roll past pitiful Kings (notebook也留给我吧……)

Spurs roll past pitiful Kings

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110307.01C.BKNspurs.kings.gamer.38f0a8a.html

Web Posted: 11/03/2007 12:48 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News

For most of the Spurs' 96-80 victory over Sacramento on Friday night, Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof sat motionless courtside at the AT&T Center, each striking an identical pose.

Arms folded. Legs crossed. Faces blank.

For the span of 48 minutes, they were not the Maloof Brothers. The Spurs had turned them into the Aloof Brothers.

The Spurs fun-and-gunned the overmatched and undermanned Kings into submission with one highlight-reel entry after another.

Brent Barry completed an alley-oop dunk. Ime Udoka and Matt Bonner traded 3-pointers.

Tim Duncan, perhaps auditioning to quarterback his beloved Chicago Bears, hit a streaking Manu Ginobili for a layup — off a made Sacramento free throw.

"It was about as fun as it looked," said Udoka, who scored 14 points off the bench in his first action with the Spurs. "We were out there moving the ball, sharing the ball. We kind of dismantled that team."

Duncan and Tony Parker each scored 15 points to lead the Spurs, who have begun their NBA title defense a perfect 3-0.

The game wasn't even as close as the final score would have you believe. By the second half, coach Gregg Popovich's biggest worry was how to properly divvy minutes between seven bench players.

Udoka, [url=https://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=https://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (13) and Ginobili (10) all scored in double figures off the bench as the Spurs got 49 points out of their reserves.

"A lot of people got to get some time tonight, especially the new guys," Popovich said. "They got a chance to take a look at the system, even though it wasn't a fair fight for obvious reasons."

Those reasons: No Mike Bibby and no Ron Artest.

With Bibby injured and Artest serving a league-imposed seven-game suspension after pleading no contest to domestic battery over the summer, the Kings stood little chance before even walking into the AT&T Center.

The worst first half in franchise history quickly reduced those chances to zilch.

Sacramento made just seven field goals and scored 23 points in the first half, both team-record lows. The low-point mark broke a record set in 1957, when the Kings — then known as the Rochester Royals — had 25 points in the first half at Boston.

In their futility, the Kings also etched their name in the Spurs' history book. No opponent in had ever made fewer field goals in a half, or had shot a worse percentage (19.4 percent).

"I don't know how to fix 19 percent shooting or when you get beat on the boards (50-35)," said Reggie Theus, in his first season as the Kings coach. "It's hard to get anything with that combination."

A sign of things to come for the Kings: Four possessions into the game, Kenny Thomas slipped behind the Spurs' frontcourt for an uncontested layup — and promptly blew it.

The Spurs shot poorly at first, too, missing 11 of their first 17 attempts.

Udoka, who didn't log a single second in the Spurs' first two games, opened the floodgates with back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second quarter.

That put the Spurs ahead 25-10. The Kings seldom got closer.

By the end of the half, the Kings — like the Aloof Brothers themselves — seemed bored and disinterested.

After a pair of Kevin Martin free throws cut the Spurs' lead to 38-21 with 4:43 left in the half, Ginobili broke free on a fly pattern toward the other basket.

Duncan inbounded with a long bomb, hitting Ginobili for an easy layup.

On the Spurs' next trip, Ginobili buried a 3-pointer that pushed their margin to 21.

By that point, the rout had long since been on. The home fans had long since been satiated. The Maloof Brothers had long since become the aloof.

The Spurs' mission was accomplished.
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秦七离线中   引用
 2007-11-04 18:59  #9
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Spurs: Team's depth leaving minutes at a premium

Spurs: Team's depth leaving minutes at a premium

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110407.BKN.SpursBench.en.34d2c99.html

Web Posted: 11/04/2007 12:03 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

Ime Udoka started 75 games in Portland last season, signed a lucrative two-year deal with the Spurs in the summer and drew rave reviews for his work during training camp in the fall.

What happened next tells all one needs to know about the current state of the Spurs' bench.

Udoka did not play in either of the Spurs' first two games of the regular season. Not a single second.

When Udoka finally did get on the floor — in Friday's 96-80 victory over Sacramento — he made the most of it, scoring 14 points.

That, too, speaks volumes.

"There aren't so many teams in the league that have a team as deep as ours," said Spurs super-sub Manu Ginobili. "We have a very deep team, and we're going to use that wisely."

Statistically speaking, the Spurs boasted the best bench in the NBA last season, getting an average of nearly 37 points a night from their reserves.

Frightening memo to the rest of the league: There are signs this year's bench might be even better.

Granted, it's still early. Three games of an NBA season is no kind of sample size from which to draw definitive conclusions.

Still, the Spurs' reserves have scored 149 points in those three games, overwhelming opponents with wave after wave of bench scorers. All this, and Robert Horry and Jacque Vaughn — two significant bench contributors during last year's title run — haven't even suited up yet.

Udoka came to a none-too-startling conclusion after his first three games in San Antonio.

"There are a lot of guys here who can play," he said.

As it did for most of last season, the Spurs' boost off the bench begins with Ginobili, who ought to be the season-long frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year honors so long as he remains a reserve. He is averaging 18.7 points per game, tied with Tim Duncan for the early team lead.

But the Spurs' bench has been more than just Ginobili so far.

In each of their three victories, the Spurs have received at least one double-digit scoring effort out of a reserve not named Ginobili. Most recently, against the Kings, Matt Bonner added 13 points to Udoka's 14 and Ginobili's 10.

Brent Barry also has had his moments, as has center Francisco Elson.

There is no dearth of depth in San Antonio. It is a trend the Spurs won't mind continuing when they face Southwest Division rival Houston on Tuesday at the Toyota Center.

The gaudy production of his bench could prove quite a pleasant problem for coach Gregg Popovich, who must somehow devise a way to divvy minutes among his arsenal of reserves.

Typically, it takes Popovich well into February to settle on a rotation. With the way his bench is performing so far, he will have some difficult decisions to face in the months to come.

"I have no clue on how to sub them," Popovich said. "It usually takes me a while to figure out what the rotation is going to be. I don't really have a firm handle on that yet."

Which is how Udoka came to find himself glued to the bench for the first two games of his Spurs career.

For Udoka, spending two nights as a spectator was an odd feeling, but not a wholly unexpected one. He knew minutes would be at a premium when he signed with the Spurs.

"They told me during the (free-agent) process that I was going to have to come in and earn it," Udoka said. "It's not like I thought I was going to come in and start."

Barring something strange and unforeseen, Udoka probably will not start a game this season for the Spurs. Some nights, he might not even get to remove his warm-up pants.

"Obviously, everybody who is competitive wants to play," Udoka said. "But you've got to understand, this team has been together for a long time. It's going to be hard to come in and take people's minutes."
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-05 16:23  #10
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Spurs notebook: Finley being eased into season

Spurs notebook: Finley being eased into season

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110507.SpursNotebook-1105.en.2dc8611.html

Web Posted: 11/05/2007 12:32 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer

So far this season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been able to successfully limit the minutes of Michael Finley, the team's 34-year-old starting shooting guard.

That development has come almost totally by accident.

As he often does this time of year, Popovich has been utilizing an expanded rotation, playing with various pieces as he attempts to evaluate who can do what. In a 96-80 victory against Sacramento on Friday, for instance, all 12 Spurs players got in the game.

As a result, Finley has been averaging 20 minutes per game, 8.3 fewer than his backup, Manu Ginobili and one fewer than Matt Bonner, another reserve.

"There aren't enough minutes to go around at this point," Popovich said. "I've got to figure out over the next 10, 20, 15 games what the rotation is going to be and how to rest certain people."

When that happens, Popovich says, Finley is apt to see his playing time increase, at least somewhat.

Effectively massaging Finley's minutes has been a pastime of Popovich's since the guard joined the Spurs two seasons ago. Finley averaged just 22 minutes per game last year, not much more time than he is receiving now.

"It's good for all the guys who are a little bit older to make sure we don't overplay them," Popovich said.

Time off for practice: With their early-season slate, the Spurs got a bit of a mixed blessing from the NBA schedule-makers.

Yes, the Spurs must play their next three games in the span of four days, including a back-to-back at Houston and at home against Miami later this week. But at least they get three days to prepare for the grind.

The Spurs, whose last action was a victory against Sacramento on Friday, don't face the Rockets until Tuesday. After taking Saturday off, they commenced preparations with a 21/2—hour workout Sunday morning.

Another step for Vaughn: Backup point guard Jacque Vaughn ramped up his recovery from a strained calf injury Sunday, going through the bulk of a team workout for the first time since the first week of training camp.

Vaughn still isn't participating in any scrimmages or contact drills.

"Jacque was very important to what we did last year," Popovich said. "His focused play, leadership and understanding of the system were really important for us, so it was good to get him back.

"It's going to take him a little more time, but he's moving in the right direction."


Spurs forced to wait a little longer for Horry's return

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110507_Spurs-Horry.en.34eedb6.html

Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

Like most football fans in South Texas, Robert Horry spent Sunday afternoon watching the battle of the NFL unbeatens.

Relatively neutral about the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, Horry admitted to a slight bias. He had to root for his friend, Peyton Manning. Perhaps a Colts victory might lessen the sting of having lost his annual bet with Horry on the outcome of the Alabama-Tennessee football game.

"I guess I have to root for Peyton," Horry said after returning Sunday to the Spurs' practice facility after nearly three weeks on personal leave. "I already beat him on our annual bet."

The NBA has warned about the dangers of gambling — each player was presented a pamphlet entitled "Bad Bet" that details the potential problems that can attach to wagering, legal and otherwise — but friendly bets involving players' colleges are deemed harmless.

Horry has had fun betting Manning on the outcome of the Crimson Tide vs. Volunteers game since meeting him at a sports awards production a few years ago. The two traded stories and phone numbers. A friendship ensued, and it wasn't long before there was a friendly wager.

The Crimson Tide's 41-17 thumping of the Vols on Oct. 20 meant Manning had to send Horry the winnings, along with an autograph under a line that read "Roll Tide."

It was one of the few light moments Horry was able to enjoy during time away from the Spurs to be with a close relative in poor health.

Now the 16-year veteran has returned for what he calls Training Camp II. Unable to focus much on conditioning during his time away from the team, Horry's immediate goal is a return to top condition.

After declaring on Saturday that he hoped to return for Wednesday night's game against Miami, Horry acknowledged Sunday that it will be much longer before he can hope to suit up. He strained a hamstring during his Sunday workout.

"I've got to basically get my rhythm back, get my shot back, get my basketball motion back and get the bio-mechanics going," Horry said. "It's going to take two or three weeks."

Francisco Elson and Matt Bonner have played so well in Horry's absence that Horry feels no need to rush his return.

"It ain't broke," he said, "and we're 3-0."

Horry has watched all three of the Spurs' games and likes what he has seen.

"I've seen a lot of energy, which I'm very happy about," Horry said. "The guys are playing with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It's almost like we didn't win a championship, like we were so close but we didn't get it, so we're bringing that enthusiasm and that knowledge of how to play the game back to this season to go out and work hard."

Though the Spurs like to joke that Horry views the regular season as a nuisance and doesn't get excited until the playoffs arrive, they understand his value, even in the first weeks of the season.

Coach Gregg Popovich's brow furrows as he ponders the setback Horry has endured recently. That Horry's legs might be a bit fresher in April doesn't minimize his concern.

"Last year we played him more than people realized," Popovich said. "We wanted him to be in shape. We made a conscious effort to play him on a more consistent basis throughout the year. We held him out of back-to-back situations as best we could, but we tried to be consistent with him throughout the year so he'd have a base.

"This year it looks like it could be a little different. Maybe we'll be just hoping for the best at the latter part of the season to get him in shape."

As well as [url=https://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=https://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner and Elson have played, Popovich does not want the Spurs to go into the playoffs without an Horry capable of making more big shots.

"Robert does a lot of things on the court that a lot of people can't do because he understands the game so well," Popovich said. "He understands what's important and what's necessary at particular times. You can't replace that basketball knowledge, so we'd like to get that back."
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tinysands离线中   引用
 2007-11-05 22:14  #11
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 2007-11-07 15:17  #12
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Rockets deliver blow: Spurs drop first game in slugfest

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110707.01C.BKNspurs.rockets.gamer.3488915.html

Web Posted: 11/07/2007 12:09 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News

HOUSTON — The blood trickled down Chuck Hayes' cheek. His forehead throbbed. His whole face seemed to ache.

The gash above his right eye, opened by an errant Tim Duncan elbow in the first quarter, eventually took six stitches to close. To Hayes, the Houston forward, that sewn-up badge of honor only told half of what transpired Tuesday night at Toyota Center.

What was significant was not that the Rockets got hit in the face. It's what happened when they decided to hit back.

Aided by a dominant Yao Ming, a plus-27 rebounding advantage and a breakthrough game from professional glass cleaner Bonzi Wells, the Rockets knocked off the Spurs, 89-81, in the kind of pushing, punishing game only a blue-collar player like Hayes could love.

"I think we all understand how good we can be," Houston's Tracy McGrady said. "If we can do this on a consistent basis, then we would be tough to beat."

Yao scored a season-high 28 points to go with 13 rebounds and six assists — "he made life hell for us," Spurs center Francisco Elson said — while Wells turned in the first double-double of his Rockets career with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

With the victory, the Rockets (4-1) ruined the Spurs' perfect start. The Spurs (3-1) will try to rebound — in every sense of the word — tonight against Miami at the AT&T Center.

Houston bounced back from a 107-98 loss at Dallas on Monday by hitting the offensive glass.

Duncan called it a "very, very, very bad rebounding night" for his club — yes, he used three "verys" — and still probably understated the case. The Rockets had 25 offensive rebounds, part of the reason they outscored the Spurs 21-3 on second chances.

"If they get 20-some-odd second shots," Duncan said, "it starts and ends right there."

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 24 points, while Tony Parker added 21. Duncan, who never really recovered from a horrendous first-half shooting effort, finished with 14 points and five turnovers.

Hayes' noggin was about all Duncan accurately hit in the first half. He made just 1 of 9 field goals for four points as the Spurs fell into a 45-32 hole.

The Spurs — and Duncan — recovered a bit in the second half. Duncan scored nine in the first 5:12 of the third quarter as the Spurs crawled to within 55-50. Yet whenever they seemed poised to pull closer, the Rockets slammed the door.

"They really beat us up on the boards," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That really was a constant problem for us. That was the ballgame."

Wells was at the epicenter of the Rockets' rebounding resilience.

After languishing on the bench under Jeff Van Gundy last season, Wells seems to be poised for a renaissance after his reunion with Rick Adelman this season.

Five games into his second season in Houston, Wells posted more rebounds than he ever had as a Rocket. Last year, he never managed more than nine.

Afterward, Wells reiterated that rebounding was his thing. Certainly, he joked, it wasn't scoring.

Adding his own season average to McGrady's, Wells proudly noted, "Mac and I are combining for 40 points a game."

Of course, he also noted, McGrady was averaging an NBA-best 33 of those coming into Tuesday.

McGrady finished with a rather harmless 12, as the Rockets shot less than 41 percent from the field. Their rebounding made up for it.

Even Hayes got in on the act.

Stitched up and bandaged, but no longer bleeding, he returned in the second quarter — enough time to contribute seven rebounds in 20 minutes. Four of them came on the offensive glass.

It was that kind of night for the Rockets — and that kind of night for the Spurs.
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秦七离线中   引用
 2007-11-07 15:20  #13
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Spurs notebook: Bowen likely will miss out on Wade

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110707.05C.BKNspurs.notebook.3898fcc.html

Web Posted: 11/07/2007 12:12 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News

HOUSTON — It appears Bruce Bowen could get a breather in his personal two-game gauntlet.

One game after chasing Houston's Tracy McGrady, Bowen — the Spurs' defender extraordinaire — likely won't have to birddog Miami star Dwyane Wade when the Heat visit the AT&T Center tonight.

Wade is still recovering from offseason surgeries to his knee and shoulder. He has been medically cleared to play but is expected to take his time in getting back on the floor.

It is unlikely the Heat would want Wade's first live action since February to come against Bowen, who is perennially regarded as one of the toughest defenders in the league. Bowen helped hold McGrady — who came into the Rockets' 89-81 victory Tuesday averaging a league-best 33 points per game — to just 12.

If Wade waits to make his season debut, Bowen would spend a good deal of time on Ricky Davis, who is averaging 16 points per game as a starter in Wade's absence.

Bowen, for his part, remains blasé about the prospect of Wade sitting out.

"If he plays, great," Bowen said. "And, if not, great."

You can count Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the "wish Wade would play" camp, however.

"It's always better when you match up even-Steven," Popovich said.

Foul-plagued Scola: Luis Scola's regular-season debut against the Spurs didn't go as well as he had hoped.

Scola, the Rockets forward and one-time draft pick of the Spurs, picked up his third foul less than eight minutes into the game and was banished to the bench.

He finished with no points in little more than eight minutes.

Bench dip: Ginobili's 23 points marked the fourth time in as many games this season that he's provided a double-digit night off the bench.

For the first time, however, no other reserve joined him in double figures. Brent Barry (5 points) and Francisco Elson (4) were the only other two Spurs to contribute points off the bench.

Still, the Spurs' reserves managed to outscore the Rockets' reserves 32-31.

H-town streak snapped: Tuesday's game snapped a four-game winning streak for the Spurs in Houston, dating to Jan. 15, 2005.
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 2007-11-07 17:34  #14
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[color=purple][b][CST][/b][/color]11.07 篮板被爆 马刺赛季首负

篮板失守 马刺赛季首负

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110707.01C.BKNspurs.rockets.gamer.3488915.html

Web Posted: 11/07/2007 12:09 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News


鲜血顺着Chuck Hayes的脸颊滑落,他前额的脉搏不断地跳动。表情看起来十分痛苦,又似乎充满着渴望。

Hayes右眼角的伤口是第一节被Tim Duncan的肘子打破的,最终缝了六针。对于火箭前锋Hayes来说,右眼角的伤口成了荣誉的徽章,但这还不足以说明周二晚上在丰田中心到底发生了什么。

重要的不是火箭(球员)面对的打击,而是他们反击时发生的事情。

本场比赛,姚明的表现极具统治性,火箭在篮板球方面占据绝对(多27板)的优势,再加上职业篮板清洁工Bonzi Wells的发挥,火箭以一种蓝领球员Hayes喜欢的肉搏战方式,主场89比81战胜马刺。

“我认为大家都知道我们自己的实力,”Tracy McGrady说,“如果可以一直这样稳定地发挥,我们将很难被打败。”

本场姚明拿下赛季最高的28分,另外还有13板6助攻的成绩——“他成为我们今晚的噩梦,”马刺中锋Francisco Elson这样评价他——Wells则拿到加盟火箭以来的首个两双——14分15板。

火箭(4胜1负)以这样的一场胜利打破了马刺的连胜开局。目前3胜1负的马刺将尽最大的努力恢复自己,因为今晚他们将在AT&T中心迎战迈阿密热火。

火箭则利用前场篮板球的优势从周一对阵小牛的失败中(98比107)强势反弹。

Duncan称这场比赛对于马刺来说是“非常非常非常糟糕的篮板之夜”——没错,他用来三个“非常”——也许还不够。火箭全场抢下25个前场篮板,这就是为什么他们可以在二次进攻得分上以21比3领先马刺。

“如果他们得到20次二次进攻机会,”Duncan说,“他们会把那转化为得分的。”

Manu Ginobili拿下马刺队最高的23分(24分应是笔误),Tony Parker得到21分,Duncan似乎根本没有从上半场糟糕的手感中恢复,最终取得14分,还有5次失误。

Hayes的脑袋是Duncan上半场所有精确命中的目标(只有一个脑袋= =)。马刺上半场以32比45大比分落后,Duncan的命中率是9中1。

马刺队——以及Duncan——在下半场有所恢复。第三节前5分12秒的时间内Duncan拿下9分,马刺也将比分追到50比55。然而一旦马刺将比分迫近,火箭就立即还以颜色。

“他们将我们的篮板爆得体无完肤,”马刺主帅Gregg Popovich说,“(篮板球)是我们一直存在的问题,这就是篮球比赛。”

Wells是火箭篮板球获胜的最大功臣。上赛季在Jeff Van Gundy的手下将板凳坐穿,今年火箭迎来Rick Adelman之后他似乎获得了新生。

加入火箭第二个赛季的前五场比赛,Wells抢先的篮板比去年一年的都多。去年,他的篮板球数是9。

赛后,Wells表示,抢篮板(他的实际意思是反弹)是他的工作,他开玩笑说:真的,我不负责得分。

将他自己的平均得分跟McGrady算在一起后,Wells骄傲地称:“Mac和我每场比赛可以联手拿下40分。”

当然,他注释说,周二比赛之前,McGrady场均得分为联盟最高的33分。

本场比赛,McGrady的12分和火箭队41%的命中率一样,都无关大局。因为他们的篮板球补偿了这一切。

甚至Hayes也迷上了这一口(抢篮板)。

在场边缝合包扎之后,伤口不再流血,下半场他又重新回到了场上,Hayes在上场的20分钟里抢下7个篮板,其中包括4个前场篮板。

这个夜晚显然属于火箭,对于马刺来说无疑是一场噩梦。




Notebook:

防守专家Bowen:Bowen无疑是马刺最出色的防守者,对阵火箭的比赛马刺虽然输了,但之前以场均33分领先联盟的McGrady在Bowen的防守下只拿到12分。不过今晚在AT&T中心迎战热火时,Bowen不太可能去防守Wade。因为闪电侠尽管可以参加训练,但不会在本场比赛中出场。Bowen的防守对象是Ricky Davis,后者在Wade养伤期间首发出场,场均得分16分。

Scola的犯规麻烦:尽管本场比赛火箭获胜,但不能成为Scola的“复仇”之夜。因为他在上场不到8分钟的时间里就获得3次犯规,不得不回去暖板凳,再没登场。本场比赛一分未得。

替补:Ginobili连续四场比赛替补上场,得分上双。本场取下23分,但马刺另外的替补得分只有Brent Barry的5分和Francisco Elson的4分。本场比赛替补得分马刺以32比31领先。

记录终止:从2005年1月15日起,马刺在火箭主场取得四连胜。此次败北终止了这一纪录。
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 2007-11-08 15:15  #15
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Other Spurs beat the Heat: Duncan's teammates take over battle of the big men

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110807.01C.BKNspurs.heat.gamer.3479f7d.html

Web Posted: 11/08/2007 12:22 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News

There was a time when any game between the Spurs and Miami Heat would have boiled down to a made-for-TV battle of marquee big men.
The Diesel vs. The Big Fundamental. Shaquille O'Neal vs. Tim Duncan.

This was not one of those times.

With Duncan and O'Neal relegated to the role of bit players Wednesday night, this Spurs-Heat showdown became a battle royal of each team's Other Guys.

What the Spurs' 88-78 victory at the AT&T Center proved — their Other Guys are better than Miami's.

Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker — two of the NBA's best at being Other Guys — combined for 48 points and 15 assists to help the Spurs bounce back from their first loss of the season.

A night earlier, the Spurs had dropped an 89-81 decision at Houston, a game in which Duncan also struggled.

"I think everybody else understood we had to pick it up," Parker said. "Everybody had to play well."

Ginobili scored 25 points to lead the Spurs in scoring to go with seven rebounds and seven assists. Parker had 23 points and eight assists.

Together, they aided the Spurs (4-1) in beating the Heat on a night when neither team's former league MVP looked quite like himself.

Duncan finished with 12 points, O'Neal with 17.

The difference? While Duncan had his two most trusted sidekicks to lean on, O'Neal had none.

Miami played its fourth-straight game without Dwyane Wade, their leading scorer last season. He is recovering from offseason surgeries on his knee and shoulder.

It should come as no surprise that the Heat haven't been very good without him.

At 0-4 this season and 0-7 in the preseason, Miami hasn't won a game — postseason, exhibition or otherwise — since beating Indiana on April 13. Unofficially, the Heat are on a 17-game losing streak.

Wade has been medically cleared to return to the court, but the date for his debut remains tentative.

"Hopefully, things get better when Wade comes back," O'Neal said. "He's a great player, and he's going to make everyone else better."

In the meantime?

"We need everyone else to step up their game and play harder," O'Neal said.

Ricky Davis (14 points) and Udonis Haslem (10) answered O'Neal's plea to an extent, but it wasn't enough to help Miami avoid its 20th loss in 21 trips to San Antonio.

For the Spurs, the unsung hero was backup center Francisco Elson, who came off the bench to supply his best all-around game of the season.

Elson had 12 points and 14 rebounds, sparking the Spurs' recovery from a minus-27 beating they took on the boards at Houston. He also spent much of his night assigned to guard Miami's only remaining All-Star.

Not only did Elson defend O'Neal, he actually outplayed him.

"He worked very hard on Shaq and that's a tough job to give to anybody," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Doing that and then still concentrating on the boards was really great on his part."

With the top scoring option in Miami's offense floundering, the Heat remained flummoxed.

The 78 points they scored Wednesday brought down their league-worst scoring average to 82.8.

"Unfortunately, our second option is on the bench," Miami coach Pat Riley said, in reference to Wade.

Like O'Neal, Duncan struggled, too — and arguably worse.

He hit just 2 of 7 shots for six points in the first half, bounced back to make his only two shot attempts in the third quarter, and then sat for an entire fourth quarter in which the Heat seldom threatened.

But Duncan had something that Shaq did not.

He had help. Thankfully for the Spurs, he had Other Guys.
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秦七离线中   引用
 2007-11-08 15:49  #16
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Buck Harvey: Old men mountain: Tim as Shaq

Web Posted: 11/08/2007 12:28 AM CST


San Antonio Express-News

The oldest team in the league can make anyone feel young, and maybe that's what got into Shaquille O'Neal.
Back in the city where he played high school hoops, back against familiar rivals, he opened the second half with a dunk that looked like something from the start of the century.


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Asked afterward if he had a little more spring Wednesday, Shaq nodded. "A little bit," he said.

But that's the scary part. If this passed for youthful pep, then Shaq must be calcifying on other nights. He ended with just three rebounds, and his one dunk against the Spurs was only his second of the season.

The freakish combination of power and quickness that once made him the MVP has gone, and now he's pulling down $20 million while waiting for someone else to make the game easier for him.

And?

Spurs 88, Heat 78
• Other Spurs beat the Heat
• Buck Harvey: Old men mountain: Tim as Shaq
• Notebook: Elson steps up against Shaq
• Box: Spurs 88, Heat 78
Spurs game photos
• Your turn: Talk about the game
Heat coverage
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In four years Tim Duncan will hear a similar critique.

In four years, when Duncan is as old as Shaq is now, he will be at the end of the extension he just signed. That's one difference between these men. Shaq has two more years of superstar money after this season.

Their games are also a contrast, since Duncan is landlocked enough not to miss an extra step. Furthermore, the city of San Antonio won't begrudge anything to someone who played his entire career with the Spurs, won at least four titles and took less money on the last contract.

Shaq, who followed Dwyane Wade to a title, doesn't have the same history in Miami.

Still, the best two big men of this generation cannot escape their ties. Either one or the other has been in every NBA Finals since 1999, and, as the years pass, each of their fading stages will be publicly evaluated.

Shaq has thus far handled it well, especially considering the separation he's going through with his wife. Instead of snapping back at various reports (one newspaper announced he's "done" and could be looking for a buyout), he's remained his playful self.

Asked Wednesday about the beard he's growing, he said, "That's my mountain man look."

Ever in search of big-something nicknames, he's settled on this one for the beard: "The Big Rogue."

But none of it makes up for the big change. He's closer in agility now to the same Greg Ostertag he once decked, and it's only natural. How many players in history have retained most of their ability after 15 seasons?

Robert Horry comes as close as anyone. He knows old and he also knows Shaq, and he sees a different player than the one he once played with.

The spin? The quickness around the basket? "That's gone," said Horry.

Horry was there for the best of Shaq, in 2000, when O'Neal was the MVP of both the regular season and the Finals. "No one in the universe could have stopped him then," Horry said.

But Shaq hasn't been anything close to that since before his last season with the Lakers. His scoring average has dropped steadily to a career low of 17.3 last year.

Coincidentally, he scored 17 Wednesday in a loss to the Spurs, and Horry thinks Shaq could have had more. "You could tell he was frustrated," he said. "He's playing with people who aren't used to getting the ball to a dominant big man."

That's where Wade comes in. The Spurs double-teamed Shaq, suggesting they still see the power in him, and Wade would take advantage of that. If Shaq remains ineffective with Wade, then it's official. He is finished.

But now? Done?

"You know, that's just the press," Heat coach Pat Riley said Wednesday. "The guy's had an incredible career, so everybody is looking at him and picking him apart instead of embracing what he's got left and what he has done."

There's something to this. Shaq has something left, because 350-pound centers always do.

And if it doesn't match up with his salary, that's because the past is built into the cost. This is the price the Heat paid for their title.

And if San Antonio has a hard time embracing a 35-year-old superstar whose best days are behind him, time will change that.

In 2012.
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pku47离线中   引用
 2007-11-08 15:58  #17
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回复: Spurs notebook: Preseason schedule not popular

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110807.05C.BKNspurs.notebook.3a4ff7a.html

Spurs notebook: Elson steps up against Shaq

Web Posted: 11/08/2007 12:32 AM CST

Mike Monroe
Express-News

Considering he had just pulled down 14 rebounds in the Spurs' 88-78 victory over the Miami Heat at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, it seemed fair to ask Francisco Elson if Heat center Shaquille O'Neal, all 7-foot-1 and 325-plus-plus-plus pounds of him, had been less of a challenge than Houston's 7-6, 310-pound Yao Ming.
"Shoot," Elson said, with a note of derision and a glance of astonishment. "That's a big job right there."


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Elson finished with an 11-rebound advantage on O'Neal and did solid defensive work on the former MVP, as well.

"I thought Francisco did a good job all the way around," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He worked very hard on Shaq. That's a tough job to give to anybody. So I thought doing that and still concentrating on the boards was really great on his part."

Rebounding from their worst rebounding performance of the season was the Spurs' primary focus before facing the Heat.

"We know Miami is a very good rebounding team, especially with Shaq on their team," said Elson, who played the entire fourth quarter while Tim Duncan rested on the bench. "You know you have to focus and not let him get going like Yao and Houston did. So we boxed out very well and everybody got down and rebounded."

Spurs 88, Heat 78
• Other Spurs beat the Heat
• Buck Harvey: Old men mountain: Tim as Shaq
• Notebook: Elson steps up against Shaq
• Box: Spurs 88, Heat 78
Spurs game photos
• Your turn: Talk about the game
Heat coverage
• Miami Herald
• South Florida Sun Sentinel
• Palm Beach Post
Spurs Mailbag
Got a question about the Spurs? Use the form below and fire away!
*Your name

*Your e-mail

Your hometown

*Your question


*Required




Elson also rediscovered his shooting stroke, making 6 of 11 shots and scoring a season-high 12 points.

"Timmy sat out the whole fourth quarter and Cisco played huge," said Spurs point guard Tony Parker. "He was trying to get in front of Shaq and make sure we don't give him anything easy. He was hitting his outside shot, too. It was a nice double-double."

Barry injured: Spurs shooting guard Brent Barry sprained his right ankle with 10:17 remaining when he jumped to catch a long pass from Manu Ginobili and landed awkwardly.

Barry walked off the court without assistance. X-rays were negative, and he remains day-to-day.

Mountain man Shaq: O'Neal is sporting a new, more rugged look, with a full beard below his shaved head.

"It's my mountain-man look," O'Neal said. "Call me 'The Big Rogue.'"
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2011-03-05的OPPO音乐手机多面球星是Matt Bonner
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