duncan228
11-18-2008, 02:09 AM
Spurs hit three, get even (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_hit_three_get_even.html)
Jeff McDonald
LOS ANGELES — Gregg Popovich longs for the day when Roger Mason Jr. can finally fill the role the Spurs brought him in to play.
Sometime next month, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will return from the injured list, and Mason can go back to being what he is: A nice scoring option off the bench.
For now, Mason is a starter. On Monday night, he was the Spurs’ savior.
Mason’s 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining lifted the Spurs — as offensively challenged as ever in the fourth quarter — to an 86-83 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center.
“Roger’s been fantastic for us,” said Popovich, the Spurs’ coach. “When we get those (injured) guys back, he’ll give us depth off the bench, some athleticism and scoring we haven’t had the past few years. He’s going to be an important piece for us.”
Mason was important enough on Monday in the Spurs’ fourth consecutive game to come down to the final possession.
In all, seven of the Spurs’ 10 games this season have been decided in the last seconds. During the Spurs’ three-game winning streak, they have won each game with a basket in the final 16 seconds.
“The life expectancy of the average Spurs player is going down,” Matt Bonner said.
Against Houston and a night before in Sacramento, Tim Duncan did the honors. Against the now 1-9 Clippers, the game-winner came from Mason, who at this time last season was wallowing in Washington.
“Coach drew the play for me,” said Mason, who ended with 21 points. “I got it and wanted to make the best of it.”
The Spurs have won four of five games since Parker went down with a sprained ankle on Nov. 11 to reach the .500 mark (5-5) for the first time this season.
Mason’s game-winner capped a stretch of more than five minutes between baskets for the Spurs. The last field goal they managed before that trey was a floating bank shot with 5:21 to go — by Mason.
For the first 3 1/2 quarters, Duncan did much of the heavy lifting for the Spurs. He put together perhaps his most complete game of the season, totaling 20 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and four assists.
Typically content to take what the defense gives him and let his offense come to him, Duncan has been forced to carry more of the scoring load than in recent seasons. He has responded by scoring 20 or more points in nine of the Spurs’ first 10 games.
“He’s like a chameleon, it’s incredible,” Popovich said. “No matter what group he’s out there with, Timmy finds a way to make it work.”
Michael Finley, continuing his November resurgence, finished with 19 points. In five games since going 0 of 8 in that fateful Nov. 11 loss to Miami, Finley has made 31 of 59 shots (52.5 percent) and averaged 15.8 points.
That 0-fer game was not even a week old, but for Finley, it seems like last century.
“I don’t even remember it,” he said. “It’s basketball, it’s a long season. You can’t get too high with the good games or too low with the bad games.”
Behind a balanced scoring effort and another nasty defensive performance — the Spurs have held five consecutive opponents below 90 points — they carried an 11-point lead into the game’s final 6:44.
They refused to leave Staples Center without creating another round of must-see TV.
In their five-minute drought between Mason baskets, the Spurs missed five field goals and turned the ball over six times.
With 1:04 to go, Cuttino Mobley finished off the Clippers’ rally, knocking down a 3-pointer to give him 16 points in the second half and 18 for the game.
To answer, the Spurs turned to Mason.
He dribbled right off a Duncan screen, saw daylight, and let fly a perfect 3-point rainbow.
Baron Davis’ 3-point try missed on the other end, and the Spurs exhaled a now-familiar sigh of relief.
Jeff McDonald
LOS ANGELES — Gregg Popovich longs for the day when Roger Mason Jr. can finally fill the role the Spurs brought him in to play.
Sometime next month, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will return from the injured list, and Mason can go back to being what he is: A nice scoring option off the bench.
For now, Mason is a starter. On Monday night, he was the Spurs’ savior.
Mason’s 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining lifted the Spurs — as offensively challenged as ever in the fourth quarter — to an 86-83 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center.
“Roger’s been fantastic for us,” said Popovich, the Spurs’ coach. “When we get those (injured) guys back, he’ll give us depth off the bench, some athleticism and scoring we haven’t had the past few years. He’s going to be an important piece for us.”
Mason was important enough on Monday in the Spurs’ fourth consecutive game to come down to the final possession.
In all, seven of the Spurs’ 10 games this season have been decided in the last seconds. During the Spurs’ three-game winning streak, they have won each game with a basket in the final 16 seconds.
“The life expectancy of the average Spurs player is going down,” Matt Bonner said.
Against Houston and a night before in Sacramento, Tim Duncan did the honors. Against the now 1-9 Clippers, the game-winner came from Mason, who at this time last season was wallowing in Washington.
“Coach drew the play for me,” said Mason, who ended with 21 points. “I got it and wanted to make the best of it.”
The Spurs have won four of five games since Parker went down with a sprained ankle on Nov. 11 to reach the .500 mark (5-5) for the first time this season.
Mason’s game-winner capped a stretch of more than five minutes between baskets for the Spurs. The last field goal they managed before that trey was a floating bank shot with 5:21 to go — by Mason.
For the first 3 1/2 quarters, Duncan did much of the heavy lifting for the Spurs. He put together perhaps his most complete game of the season, totaling 20 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and four assists.
Typically content to take what the defense gives him and let his offense come to him, Duncan has been forced to carry more of the scoring load than in recent seasons. He has responded by scoring 20 or more points in nine of the Spurs’ first 10 games.
“He’s like a chameleon, it’s incredible,” Popovich said. “No matter what group he’s out there with, Timmy finds a way to make it work.”
Michael Finley, continuing his November resurgence, finished with 19 points. In five games since going 0 of 8 in that fateful Nov. 11 loss to Miami, Finley has made 31 of 59 shots (52.5 percent) and averaged 15.8 points.
That 0-fer game was not even a week old, but for Finley, it seems like last century.
“I don’t even remember it,” he said. “It’s basketball, it’s a long season. You can’t get too high with the good games or too low with the bad games.”
Behind a balanced scoring effort and another nasty defensive performance — the Spurs have held five consecutive opponents below 90 points — they carried an 11-point lead into the game’s final 6:44.
They refused to leave Staples Center without creating another round of must-see TV.
In their five-minute drought between Mason baskets, the Spurs missed five field goals and turned the ball over six times.
With 1:04 to go, Cuttino Mobley finished off the Clippers’ rally, knocking down a 3-pointer to give him 16 points in the second half and 18 for the game.
To answer, the Spurs turned to Mason.
He dribbled right off a Duncan screen, saw daylight, and let fly a perfect 3-point rainbow.
Baron Davis’ 3-point try missed on the other end, and the Spurs exhaled a now-familiar sigh of relief.