Spurs At Wolves Previews

[duncan228]

San Antonio (13-8) at Minnesota (4-17) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2008121216&prov=ap)
Game info: 8:00 pm EST Fri Dec 12, 2008
TV: Away: FSN-Southwest Home: FSN-North
By Anthony Giornalista

With Manu Ginobili out, the San Antonio Spurs had to turn to other players for clutch shots early in the season.

Tony Parker delivered in a big way against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs, rounding into form with their “Big Three” finally healthy, face the Timberwolves on Friday night for the first time since Parker’s huge game against them in November.

Ginobili missed the first month while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, leaving San Antonio (13-8) without the player it perhaps counts on the most when the game’s on the line. The Spurs lost their first three games before beating Minnesota 129-125 in double-overtime Nov. 5.

Parker scored a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second OT. It was the best scoring game by an opponent in the Timberwolves’ 20-year history.

Parker was 22-of-36 from the field and added 10 assists and seven rebounds. The last NBA player to have at least 55 points and 10 assists in a game was Michael Jordan, who had 57 and 10 for Chicago against Washington on Dec. 23, 1992.

The veteran point guard helped give San Antonio a much-needed boost and its sixth straight win against Minnesota since a 103-101 overtime loss Jan. 3, 2007.

One game later, however, Parker rolled his ankle along the baseline in a loss to Miami, and he missed the next nine games. He returned against Memphis on Nov. 28, giving the Spurs their full complement of All-Stars for the first time this season.

Once-slumping San Antonio has gone 5-2 with Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan together and healthy.

Ginobili came back Nov. 24 at Memphis, and is coming off his best game of the season. He scored 27 points in a return to his sixth-man role to help San Antonio beat Atlanta 95-89 for its fourth straight victory.

Ginobili, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

“He loves games like that. He loves to play in situations like that,” Duncan said. “It’s just great being able to give the ball to a guy like that and let him create moves and create shots.”

Ginobili started for the Spurs in the previous four games, including a demanding double-overtime victory Tuesday night, so he got an extra break at the beginning of the game against the Hawks.

The veteran guard is averaging 28.8 points in his last five games against Minnesota, shooting 69.7 percent (46-for-66) from the field and 67.6 percent (25-for-37) from 3-point range.

Minnesota (4-17) has been hurt by terrible shooting during a seven-game losing streak, making 42.0 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Timberwolves were held under 100 points in six straight games before a 116-105 loss at Denver on Wednesday night. The defeat was their second since Kevin McHale took over as head coach Monday.

Al Jefferson led Minnesota once again with 26 points and 12 rebounds. He had 30 points and 14 boards in the first matchup with San Antonio.

Notes

Spurs:

C Matt Bonner nearly had a double-double in the first half, with nine points and 10 rebounds. He finished with nine and a season-high 13 boards, including seven offensive. F Tim Duncan joked afterward saying, "Those had to be the luckiest bounces I've ever seen in my life. They kinda dropped in his lap and he laid them up. He was... opportunistic." ... G Manu Ginobili had a season-high 27 points. ... San Antonio was outscored, 25-6, in fastbreak points by Atlanta, but the Spurs returned the favor with a 23-5 edge in second-chance points.

Wolves:

Minnesota's seven game losing streak is a season high for the NBA this season. ... Denver's eight-game winning streak against Minnesota is its longest current streak against any NBA team. ... Rookie Kevin Love had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Love scored all but three of Minnesota's bench points on Wednesday. ... G Randy Foye has scored 20 or more points in four of his last seven games.

Injuries

San Antonio

No injuries reported.

Minnesota

C. Brewer Knee
M. Miller Knee

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Tony Parker SA 21.6
Al Jefferson Min 21.5

Rebounds

Tim Duncan SA 10.6
Al Jefferson Min 10.0

Assists

Tony Parker SA 6.4
Randy Foye Min 5.6

Team Comparison

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10

San Antonio 13-8 3rd Southwest / 6th West 96.9 93.9 Road 6-3 Won 4 8-2

Minnesota 4-17 4th Northwest / 14th West 95.7 102.0 Home 2-8 Lost 7 2-8

[Brazil]

TP with a monster game !

[Reck]

I thought Oklahoma had the longest losing streak record this season.

Who would've thought.

[gingerwave]

The wolves are bad. http://imagepot.info/img/593/d08k1211mczw/santa_smiley.gif

[honestfool84]

C Matt Bonner nearly had a double-double in the first half, with nine points and 10 rebounds. He finished with nine and a season-high 13 boards, including seven offensive.


all the people asking to trade matt bonner, please raise your hands.






*crickets*







that's what i thought.

[z0sa]

The wolves are bad. http://imagepot.info/img/593/d08k1211mczw/santa_smiley.gif

They DID take us to double OT ... but stomped Detroit who stomped us at home.







dunno what I'm gettin at here, they're horrible

[honestfool84]

They DID take us to double OT ... but stomped Detroit who stomped us at home.







dunno what I'm gettin at here, they're horrible



no, the wolves are terrible.
i mean, look at their record.

if you look at our record, we're terrible (for our standards), as well.

duh.

/sarcasm.

[Reck]

No one beats 2-21 and counting.

Now that's terrible. lol

[BlackBellamy]

No Brewer, no Miller. Sounds like a long cold night for the Minne Mice.

[tp2021]

They DID take us to double OT ... but stomped Detroit who stomped us at home.







dunno what I'm gettin at here, they're horrible

The BCS would put them in the Championship game.

[superbigtime]

all the people asking to trade matt bonner, please raise your hands.






*crickets*







that's what i thought.

I for one am taking my hand down. Unless we can trade Matt for a high IQ center who can pass, rebound, shoot, and score. I think Brad Miller could be pried away from a sorry Sacramento ballclub.

[duncan228]

Timberwolves report: Mike Miller expects to play against Spurs (http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_11198833?source=rss)
Sharpshooter has missed past four games
By Kelsie Smith

Mike Miller was at the gym by 9:30 Thursday morning, running, shooting and hoping that his sprained right ankle would respond well. By his estimation, it did. Asked if he thinks he'll be back on the court for tonight's game against San Antonio, Miller said, "I would say so, yeah."

Minnesota's best long-range shooter has been out for the past four games with a right ankle sprain, and on Wednesday in Denver it was clear how much the team misses his presence when Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony got hot and Wolves forward Ryan Gomes got into foul trouble in the third quarter. Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale had trouble, sans Miller, Gomes and the injured Corey Brewer, finding a body to match up with Anthony, and the result was Anthony's record-tying 33-point third quarter.

After a light practice on Thursday, McHale said he was more disappointed in his team's defense before he saw the game tape and realized how many of Denver's shots were contested and still made.

"Hopefully we can implement some schemes," McHale said. "We tried some zone, we tried running at him, but heck, he was catching and shooting before we could get over there. He was just rolling. It was an unbelievable quarter. I looked at it on film, and he beat us from everywhere."

In hindsight, McHale said he would have defended Anthony with a smaller guard to tempt him into the paint where double-teaming him would have been easier. Instead, Anthony was catching and shooting before Minnesota's double-team could get to him.

McHale said his brief time as head coach doesn't afford the team many well-developed defensive schemes.

"We had practice on Monday, shootaround on Tuesday and then we had a walkaround. That's how much time I've had in front of the team," McHale said. "It's not a whole bunch of time to say, 'OK, we're going to try this scheme, we're going to do that scheme.' We'll have some schemes in place, believe me."

Having Miller back in the lineup would add depth on both sides of the court, but Gomes and McHale said other players need to play better defense as well.

"Sometimes it's going to have to become personal," Gomes said. "It's a team concept, play team defense, but you're guarding that guy one on one, that's your matchup. You have to go out and try to win that matchup."

McHale said "guys have to buck up and play," and they'll have to do so immediately. Tonight the Timberwolves take on the Spurs and Tony Parker, who scored a career-high 55 points against Minnesota last month in San Antonio's double-overtime win.

"It took a superhuman performance by Tony for those guys to win that game," McHale said. "Hopefully (tonight) he'll just be normal human."

Briefly: While talking about how to defend San Antonio, Gomes said the Timberwolves will "have to make them guard us, too," in reference to Wednesday night's game. In the third quarter, Denver picked up the defensive pressure, and Minnesota couldn't respond.

"We can't let teams go ahead and dictate how the game is going to be played," Gomes said. "Coach told us at halftime that they were going to up the pressure. We knew that, but we got slow with the ball, and that pressure led to steals. We have to be strong with the ball."

[duncan228]

McHale: Readiness is in, surprises out (http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/36019984.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_ Yyc:aUU)
The man who thrived on preparation as a player will try to follow the same philosophy in his second coaching stint.
By Brian Stensaas, Star Tribune

Kevin McHale is a planner.

In 13 Hall of Fame seasons with Boston, McHale chalked up his success to always being ready for what the opposition had in mind for stopping him.

"I knew exactly what the other team was going to do," McHale said earlier this week. "Their schemes, knew where they were going to double-team from; knew where everything was."

He applies that same level of preparedness to his new duties as Timberwolves coach.

Tonight against San Antonio, whatever inside information McHale has on the Spurs had better be dead-on.

On the heels of Carmelo Anthony's 33-point third quarter in Wednesday's loss at Denver -- a total that tied an NBA record for points in one quarter -- comes a San Antonio team that features a pair of Wolves nemeses.

Manu Ginobili scored 75 points in two games at Target Center a year ago. Only five weeks back, Tony Parker went off for 55 in a two-overtime victory here.

Yet McHale has no doubt the Wolves will have an answer.

"Oh, we'll have mismatches," he said, referring to his team having the upper hand in spots against the Spurs.

Just exactly where is the question. One answer might be in the frontcourt.

McHale has used Craig Smith as the starting power forward -- his only two starts of the season -- since taking over as head coach for the fired Randy Wittman on Monday.

McHale, the team's vice president of basketball operations until then, apparently has had his eye on Smith as a go-to player for some time.

Asked if Smith's newfound starting role was the result of McHale liking what he saw out of the 6-7, 250-pound Smith, he replied, "I saw great things out of him at Boston College, so yeah."

Smith is averaging 18 minutes, 30 seconds of play for the season, but has played more than 26 minutes in each of the past two games.

"If we see something that's working for us we'll continue to go with it," he said. "It's opening up things for everybody."

Five weeks ago, about the only thing that was open was jump shots for Parker.

With Corey Brewer gone for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee Nov. 29, and with Mike Miller still questionable for tonight's game because of an ankle injury, the Wolves are potentially down two wing defenders.

That means it's time for others to "buck up and play" in those absences, McHale said.

Guard Sebastian Telfair was among those unable to stop Parker earlier this year. He knows Parker likely will get his points again tonight, but hopes to force him into the paint.

"If he's coming out and hitting jump shots the way he did last time, I don't think there's much we can do with him," Telfair said.

"[But] it's nothing what they're going to do, it's all what we're going to do. How we come out, how we approach the game. How we execute, ourselves. We have to react to one another when a team goes on a run on us."

All the planning in the world can't make up for a team not up to speed.

"You can run all the Xs and Os and all that stuff," McHale said. "If you're not playing well, it doesn't make any difference."

[024]

wolves would have had such a bright future if they hadn't traded away mayo. jefferson is the only one in the league who reminds me of tim duncan. good fundamentals and doesn't need to try anything flashy. even though he will never be as good as duncan, he will definitely make many all star appearances. pair mayo with jefferson and they are just one good young player away from establishing a dominating core. maybe trade mike miller for a promising young player and they can build on that for the future. but nooooo they wanted kevin love instead.

[duncan228]

Timberwolves-Spurs preview (http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/36019979.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:a ULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU)
7 P.M. VS. SAN ANTONIO • TARGET CENTER • FSN, 1130-AM

Preview: The Spurs are back in town, five weeks after a two-overtime victory over the Timberwolves got them into the win column following an 0-3 start. Since then, San Antonio is 12-5. Minnesota is 0-2 under Kevin McHale, who took over as head coach earlier this week when Randy Wittman was fired.

Players to watch: Spurs guard Manu Ginobili missed the season's first matchup because of an ankle injury, but he is back and heating up. Ginobili scored a season-high 27 points Wednesday against Atlanta. Last season, Ginobili scored 75 points in two games at Target Center. Wolves rookie Kevin Love has three double-doubles in his past five games, and 44 rebounds in the past three games.

Numbers: Tonight's game will be the 1,001st, including playoffs, for Spurs big man Tim Duncan ... San Antonio has won 11 of the past 12 games against Minnesota.

Injuries: Wolves forward Corey Brewer (knee) is out for the season; guard Mike Miller (ankle) is day-to-day. Center Ian Mahinmi (ankle) is out for San Antonio.

Brian Stensaas

[duncan228]

Minnesota welcomes Spurs to town (http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/news/news.aspx?id=4197120)

(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for their first win since Kevin McHale took over the reins as head coach and will try and earn it Friday when they welcome the suddenly-surging San Antonio Spurs to Target Center.

The Spurs won their fourth straight game Wednesday when Manu Ginobili poured in 27 points to lead San Antonio to a 95-89 victory over the Hawks, the Spurs' 11th straight win over Atlanta at home.

The Hawks haven't won in the Alamo City since a 109-89 win on February 15, 1997.

Tim Duncan added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Michael Finley had 15 points and Roger Mason 10 in the win. Matt Bonner gave nine points and 13 boards.

The Wolves, meanwhile, lost their seventh straight and second consecutive game since McHale took over for the disposed Randy Wittman in Denver when Carmelo Anthony tied an NBA record for most points in a quarter by netting 33 of his game-high 45 in the third, as the Nuggets beat Minnesota, 116-105, on Wednesday.

Anthony equaled the mark set by George Gervin of the Spurs in the second quarter versus New Orleans on April 9, 1978. Anthony, who finished the game 16-of-29 from the field, also eclipsed the team record of 32 points set by David Thompson on that same day as Gervin's mark. Anthony also had 11 rebounds and shot 4-of-8 from three-point range.

Chauncey Billups totaled 24 points and Anthony Carter scored 11 for the Nuggets, who won for the fifth time in six games overall and beat Minnesota for the eighth consecutive meeting.

Al Jefferson had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves while Randy Foye also scored 26 for Minnesota. Rookie Kevin Love had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

On the injury front for the T-Wolves, sharp-shooter Mike Miller is questionable for tonight's game with a sprained right ankle.

San Antonio, which is 6-3 on the road this season, already won a 129-125 double overtime thriller in Minneapolis earlier this year, its sixth straight win against the Wolves, who are just 2-8 at Target Center this season.

The Spurs have also won four straight against Minnesota in the Twin Cities.

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs Team Report (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/notes.htm?csp=34)

The Spurs prevailed in one the league's most exciting games this season Tuesday night at Dallas. In a double-overtime classic that featured both teams delivering spectacular plays all night, San Antonio prevailed 133-126.

"Great game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I don't know what else to say, but it was a great game. You know, the trite comment that either team could have won easily is absolutely true.

"We were thrilled to get it done in the end."

Tim Duncan scored 32 points, including eight in the second OT to finally subdue the Mavericks. Six Spurs scored in double-figures, including all five starters. Duncan was asked if the latest installment of the rivalry had a playoff feel.

"Yeah, yeah, it was," he said. "It was all the way from beginning to end. They got a jump on us early and I thought we did a really good job of sticking with it.

"The shots weren't going and things were going down for them. We kind of fought through it and got back in the game. It was double overtime, just a great game by both teams, fighting through ups and downs."

San Antonio also moved ahead of Dallas into seventh position in the Western Conference.

SPURS 95, HAWKS 89: San Antonio won its fourth straight to improve to 13-8 with Wednesday night's home victory over Atlanta. The Spurs took an early lead and held off the rest of the way to complete a tough back-to-back with two wins.

Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobili, coming off the bench after playing 42 minutes the previous night in Dallas, led San Antonio with 27 points in 28 minutes. Tim Duncan added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Michael Finley scored 15 and Matt Bonner grabbed 13 boards. Roger Mason, starting in Ginobili's place, had 10 points. The Spurs remained just a half-game behind New Orleans for the Southwest Division lead.

NOTES, QUOTES

—San Antonio hit the 20-game mark of the season, roughly the quarter pole, with a 12-8 mark. Considering the team started 2-5, and played a chunk of the first month without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich is satisfied with the state of the Spurs.

"I'm very happy with what they have accomplished," the Spurs coach said. "They have hung in there well and I'm sure everybody would like to have a better record, but I think we've progressed steadily and we are becoming a better team.

"I think as Manu and Tony get into shape, you know Roger Mason and George Hill and (Matt) Bonner get even more minutes, we will be an even better basketball team. So, that will be our goal, to just try to get better."

—G Tony Parker admitted being thrown by a Dallas lineup that included Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Jose Juan Barea on the court at the same time. Barea, especially, gave Parker fits throughout the game.

"It was kind of weird for us," Parker said. "We haven't seen them play like that. With Jet (Terry), Kidd and Barea out there it was a different look. It was like (Barea) was a franchise out there.

"He was running every single play. He looked a little bit like Steve Nash dribbling like 100 times. Sometimes it's tough to guard that because you never know what he's going to do."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was like a marathon. I'm just happy we came out on the good end." — G Tony Parker, on the double-overtime win at Dallas.

ROSTER REPORT

ROTATION:

Starters — Point guard Tony Parker, Shooting guard Roger Mason, Small forward Michael Finley, Power forward Tim Duncan, Center Matt Bonner.

Bench — Forward Kurt Thomas, Guard Manu Ginobili, Forward Ime Udoka, Forward Bruce Bowen, Center Fabricio Oberto, Guard George Hill.

PLAYER NOTES:

—F Tim Duncan and his Dallas counterpart Dirk Nowitzki lit up the box score Tuesday night. Duncan had 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Nowitzki tallied 35 and 10. Duncan, though, got the better of the matchup in the second overtime, scoring eight to help ice the win.

"He's been doing it for 12 years, it didn't just happen," Gregg Popovich said of Duncan. "He's a Hall-of-Fame basketball player just like Dirk is for Dallas. He is the guy we are going to go to and everybody feeds off of that."

—F Bruce Bowen is still a part of the rotation, but his role varies from game to game. Against Dallas on Tuesday, the Spurs' defensive stopper was assigned to slow down diminutive Mavericks G Jose Juan Barea down the stretch. Bowen also hit a huge three-pointer in the second overtime.

"Bruce has been a complete stud," Gregg Popovich said. "He started for a long time and I have him coming off the bench now and he's handled it just like Manu (Ginobili) has handled it in the past, with class, and he's supporting his teammates and just doing what he can to help us win a basketball game. He's been a real pro."

—G Manu Ginobili went back to the bench on the second half of a back-to-back Wednesday night against Atlanta. Ginobili played 42 minutes and scored 18 the previous night in Dallas. His surgically-repaired ankle has responded well since returning to the court, but Ginobili has admitted that his conditioning and timing were a little off. Hence, the extra break against the Hawks.

MEDICAL WATCH:

—C Ian Mahinmi (sprained left ankle) is out. He was recently recalled from a rehab assignment with the team's D-League affiliate in Austin.

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Fri. Dec. 12
San Antonio @ Minnesota: B. Salvatore, B. Forte, L. Wood

[duncan228]

:lol

Etch A Sketch Night At Target Center (http://www.10000takes.com/2008/12/etch-sketch-night-at-target-center.html)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/mchale.jpg

If you have forgotten to put a reminder in your Blackberry, tonight is the first Etch a Sketch Night at the Target Center. In the spirit of the event, feel free to draw a special play, or two, or twelve for Kevin McHale and the entire Wolves' coaching staff as they take on the San Antonio Spurs. We'll post all pictures of fans holding an Etch a Sketch at tonight's game, or any game this season, on this site. Send pictures to: [email protected].