Spurs: Trademark night by Bowen propels Spurs
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA111007.07CspursGAMER.en.35cbe78.html
Web Posted: 11/10/2007 01:16 AM CST
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
NEW ORLEANS — Just in case anyone had forgotten what matters most to the Spurs, Gregg Popovich made it clear after his team's 97-85 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
On whom did Popovich lavish his highest praise?
Not Tim Duncan, whose 24 points and 12 rebounds the coach at least allowed represented Duncan's best performance of the season.
Not Tony Parker, who scored a season-high 27 points, on 11-for-20 shooting, and added eight assists.
“I thought Bruce Bowen was just tremendous,” Popovich said after the
Spurs remained tied atop the NBA's Southwest Division by going to 5-1 for the young season.
Bowen took only three shots in 32 minutes, 14 seconds. He made only one, a 3-pointer. He had only four rebounds and a single assist.
But Bowen had a much better game than did Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic, who Bowen pestered from baseline to baseline and start to finish.
There are plenty of credible NBA experts who believe Stojakovic is the league's best shooter, a two-time winner of All-Star Weekend's 3-point contest. Just four days ago he set a Hornets franchise record by nailing 10 %3-pointers in a victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles. He entered Friday's game averaging 16.6 points.
Against Bowen on Friday night, Stojakovic made a single shot — a layup. He took only six shots, and by the second half Hornets coach Byron Scott had pretty much seen enough. He played the veteran a mere nine minutes.
“People only notice offensive guys,” Popovich said, “but Bruce held Peja down, and that was really important for us tonight, because Peja has been doing some great things from 3 (-point range).
“Peja is a great shooter and it was important for us tonight to limit that, and Bruce was fantastic.”
At 6-foot-10, Stojakovic has a physical advantage on the 6-7 Bowen, but the Spurs' defensive specialist has proven to better, and bigger, players that he can limit them.
“He's a talent,” Bowen said. “I tend to end up with guys with different forms of talent.
“It's all about preparation. Peja is a very good player, and when you go up against a good player you try your best to limit some of the things that they're effective at. It's not necessarily that I did this or that to stop him.”
The
Spurs would have been vulnerable had Stojakovic gotten hot on Friday. Their scoring leader through their first five games, Manu Ginobili, struggled through the first half, bothered by a tight quadriceps.
New Orleans took advantage of Ginobili's 0 for 4 first half, leading by as many as nine points. But Stojakovic missed five of the six shots he took in the half, or the Hornets' lead could have been greater.
Popovich had Ginobili on the court to start the second half for a second consecutive game and the
Spurs got their offense untracked. Ginobili scored 10 points in the period, and before it ended the
Spurs had opened a lead as large as 21 points.
“Manu Ginobili's competitiveness in the second half was really great,” Popovich said. “It was also Timmy's best game of the season, so the Hornets caught us on a pretty good night.”
--------------------------------------------------
Spurs: Tight quad muscle bothers Ginobili
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA20071110.06C.spursnotes.en.3547f59.html
Web Posted: 11/10/2007 01:23 AM CST
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
NEW ORLEANS — Manu Ginobili may have found a way to get back in the Spurs' starting lineup: a tight quadriceps muscle.
The Spurs' shooting guard has come off the bench through the first six games of the season, averaging 19.7 points and 5.3 rebounds after getting 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Spurs' 97-85 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night at New Orleans Arena.
But Ginobili was bothered by a tight right quadriceps in a scoreless first half, enough that he went back to the team's locker room for a treatment and some time on the exercise bicycle to warm the sore muscle.
“I've got a tight quad, and after the first sprint I didn't feel loose,” Ginobili said. “I went back and got some (analgesic) cream and warmed up on the bike to get it going.”
Ginobili missed all four of his shots in the first half, airballing two 3-point attempts. After Ginobili warmed his legs on the exercise bike during halftime,
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich started him in the second half so the muscle would not stiffen as Ginobili sat on the bench.
“The second half Pop wanted me to start so it wouldn't get cold,” Ginobili said, “and by the end of the game it was a good decision, because it stayed warm and felt better.”
Barry sits:
Spurs guard Brent Barry showed some slick moves before Friday's game at New Orleans Arena, but they had little to do with basketball.
Barry danced along to the sounds of a gospel choir that entertained the pregame crowd, even though his right ankle was still sore after he sprained it in Wednesday's victory over the Miami Heat.
It was his only action of the night, as he was on the inactive list when the game began.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich brought Ime Udoka off the bench in his first player rotation, but Popovich said he expects Barry back soon.
“I don't think Brent's going to be out long,” Popovich said.
Backup point guard Jacque Vaughn may not be out that much longer, either. Popovich said Vaughn, who suffered a calf pull in the first week of training camp, could be back by next weekend's games against Dallas and Houston.
“We've got Milwaukee Sunday and L.A. Tuesday and he won’t play in either of those games,” Popovich said, “but we'll start to look at him seriously for Dallas and Houston and see if he's ready.”
