duncan228
11-06-2008, 12:05 PM
Some fun quotes.
Parker goes wild in Spurs' win (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_exhales_worth_the_wait.html)
By Mike Monroe
MINNEAPOLIS — Tony Parker's knees were wrapped in ice bags, both feet stuck, ankle deep, in a tub of ice water. The Spurs guard looked in amazement as a statistics sheet floated in the icy water between his legs in the visitors locker room at the Target Center.
Rookie George Hill approached after the Spurs' first victory of the season, a 129-125 double-overtime thriller over the Minnesota Timberwolves and tapped Parker on the shoulder.
“I've seen you score 70 points before,” Hill told Parker, “but that was in a video game. I've never seen anybody do what you did tonight with my own eyes.”
What Parker, whose visage graces the cover of the popular “NBA Live” video game, did on Wednesday night was heroic and historic, and Hill said he felt privileged to have been a witness.
Making 22 of 36 shots, including a 20-foot jumper that slipped through the basket as time expired in the first overtime to tie the score at 116, Parker scored a career-high 55 points. The total matches Hall of Famer George Gervin for third place on the Spurs' all-time scoring list.
Only David Robinson's 71-point game, on April 24, 1994, and Gervin's 63-point output on the final day of the 1977-78 season, exceed Parker's Wednesday night total.
Parker joined some select company. Only LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had games with at least 50 points and at least 10 assists.
No player ever had scored as many against the Timberwolves. Shaquille O'Neal scored 54 against them in 1994, when he still was with the Orlando Magic.
Parker's motivation Wednesday was simple.
“I just wanted to win,” he said. “I couldn't believe we were 0-3. Dallas came in (Tuesday) and just kicked our butts. They were hitting every shot, and they had played so bad against Cleveland. But they came to San Antonio and shot the ball very well, so I said we have to do the same thing and come into Minnesota and play well and be aggressive.
“I just wanted to win so bad that I was going to do everything I can.”
That included handing out 10 assists and grabbing seven rebounds in 50 minutes and 32 seconds of court time, and in the second game of a back-to-back set.
“Whew,” Parker said afterwards, “I am tired.”
It was the grit his team showed in persevering through fatigue that impressed Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“It's a great effort,” he said, “on the road, in a back-to-back. I'm really pleased with that.”
Parker, who has been playing professionally since he was 15, never had scored 50 points in a game, at any level.
The Spurs had come to Minnesota after their disheartening loss to the Mavericks at the AT&T Center without their certified Timberwolves slayer, Manu Ginobili. The Argentine ace, who scored 75 points in two games in Minnesota last season, remained in San Antonio, rehabilitating his surgically repaired ankle.
Parker knew someone had to make up for the points Ginobili could not give them.
“Definitely,” Parker said. “I don't know why, but Minnesota does a great job on Timmy (Duncan), so every time we've won against Minnesota, it was either me or Manu who had a good game. Last year, it was Manu who twice had big games to beat them. So I knew I was going to have to be aggressive.”
Offensive aggression is always what Popovich wants to see from Parker, right from the outset of any game.
He got it from him in the first quarter, and it was a good thing. The other four Spurs starters — Duncan, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Matt Bonner — were scoreless in the first 12 minutes.
Parker scored 11, giving a hint of what was to come.
“I would say that he was aggressive,” Popovich said. “He was magnificent. He pulled us through, that's for sure.”
Parker had some help, and for one night the Spurs had a freshly minted “Big Three.” Duncan finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Roger Mason, Jr., the swingman the Spurs signed last summer to take some of the load off Ginobili, scored 26 points.
Mason also had two vital offensive rebounds in the final 25 seconds of the second overtime. Duncan locked up the victory by rebounding a rare Parker mistake — a missed free throw with 8.4 seconds remaining — and immediately passing outside to Mason.
Parker goes wild in Spurs' win (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_exhales_worth_the_wait.html)
By Mike Monroe
MINNEAPOLIS — Tony Parker's knees were wrapped in ice bags, both feet stuck, ankle deep, in a tub of ice water. The Spurs guard looked in amazement as a statistics sheet floated in the icy water between his legs in the visitors locker room at the Target Center.
Rookie George Hill approached after the Spurs' first victory of the season, a 129-125 double-overtime thriller over the Minnesota Timberwolves and tapped Parker on the shoulder.
“I've seen you score 70 points before,” Hill told Parker, “but that was in a video game. I've never seen anybody do what you did tonight with my own eyes.”
What Parker, whose visage graces the cover of the popular “NBA Live” video game, did on Wednesday night was heroic and historic, and Hill said he felt privileged to have been a witness.
Making 22 of 36 shots, including a 20-foot jumper that slipped through the basket as time expired in the first overtime to tie the score at 116, Parker scored a career-high 55 points. The total matches Hall of Famer George Gervin for third place on the Spurs' all-time scoring list.
Only David Robinson's 71-point game, on April 24, 1994, and Gervin's 63-point output on the final day of the 1977-78 season, exceed Parker's Wednesday night total.
Parker joined some select company. Only LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had games with at least 50 points and at least 10 assists.
No player ever had scored as many against the Timberwolves. Shaquille O'Neal scored 54 against them in 1994, when he still was with the Orlando Magic.
Parker's motivation Wednesday was simple.
“I just wanted to win,” he said. “I couldn't believe we were 0-3. Dallas came in (Tuesday) and just kicked our butts. They were hitting every shot, and they had played so bad against Cleveland. But they came to San Antonio and shot the ball very well, so I said we have to do the same thing and come into Minnesota and play well and be aggressive.
“I just wanted to win so bad that I was going to do everything I can.”
That included handing out 10 assists and grabbing seven rebounds in 50 minutes and 32 seconds of court time, and in the second game of a back-to-back set.
“Whew,” Parker said afterwards, “I am tired.”
It was the grit his team showed in persevering through fatigue that impressed Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“It's a great effort,” he said, “on the road, in a back-to-back. I'm really pleased with that.”
Parker, who has been playing professionally since he was 15, never had scored 50 points in a game, at any level.
The Spurs had come to Minnesota after their disheartening loss to the Mavericks at the AT&T Center without their certified Timberwolves slayer, Manu Ginobili. The Argentine ace, who scored 75 points in two games in Minnesota last season, remained in San Antonio, rehabilitating his surgically repaired ankle.
Parker knew someone had to make up for the points Ginobili could not give them.
“Definitely,” Parker said. “I don't know why, but Minnesota does a great job on Timmy (Duncan), so every time we've won against Minnesota, it was either me or Manu who had a good game. Last year, it was Manu who twice had big games to beat them. So I knew I was going to have to be aggressive.”
Offensive aggression is always what Popovich wants to see from Parker, right from the outset of any game.
He got it from him in the first quarter, and it was a good thing. The other four Spurs starters — Duncan, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Matt Bonner — were scoreless in the first 12 minutes.
Parker scored 11, giving a hint of what was to come.
“I would say that he was aggressive,” Popovich said. “He was magnificent. He pulled us through, that's for sure.”
Parker had some help, and for one night the Spurs had a freshly minted “Big Three.” Duncan finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Roger Mason, Jr., the swingman the Spurs signed last summer to take some of the load off Ginobili, scored 26 points.
Mason also had two vital offensive rebounds in the final 25 seconds of the second overtime. Duncan locked up the victory by rebounding a rare Parker mistake — a missed free throw with 8.4 seconds remaining — and immediately passing outside to Mason.