duncan228
12-22-2008, 11:51 PM
Updated.
Spurs' victory over Kings comes easy (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_victory_over_Kings_comes_easy.html)
By Jeff McDonald
Rumor has it, there was a future Hall of Fame power forward at the AT&T Center on Monday night.
Big guy. Wears No. 21 for the Spurs. Perhaps you've heard of him.
Turns out, the Spurs didn't need a Hall of Fame game out of Tim Duncan to beat the freefalling Sacramento Kings 101-85. For the first 15 minutes, 7 seconds of the game, in fact, they didn't even need Duncan to attempt a field goal.
“Most of the time, that would be a big problem,” Manu Ginobili said. “Today, it was different. The shots were open. We were moving the ball. People were scoring.”
The Kings, 7-22 and dropping, will do that to an opponent.
Tony Parker led the way with 18 points, and Roger Mason Jr., chipped in 11 — all in the first half — as the Spurs built a 17-point halftime lead and cruised.
Duncan had a quiet night, mostly because the Spurs didn't need him to have a loud one. He had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists through three quarters, then called it a night with the game well in hand.
“A lot of guys played pretty well tonight,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We got a chance to rest some guys and see some other players play. Hopefully that will benefit us tomorrow.”
Nine Spurs players had scored before Duncan attempted his first field goal, at the 8:53 mark of the second quarter. By half, Duncan had five points, and was 1 of 2 from the field. This was not a problem for the Spurs (17-10).
Rolling behind practically everybody else, they led 62-45. The Spurs wound up shooting 52.1 percent, and that was after a 14-for-34 fourth quarter.
So hot were the Spurs that they could have inserted Malik Hairston — newly signed and in street clothes — and he probably would have scored points.
“That speaks to the confidence guys have,” Mason said. “It also speaks to the attention Tim gets. Because a lot of those shots other guys are scoring are based off of him.”
Certainly, Duncan could have and would have been more assertive if the Spurs had needed him to be.
Against the demoralized Kings, who had dropped 17 of their previous 20 games and were a week removed from the firing of coach Reggie Theus, his night was more than enough.
The Spurs topped 100 points, which is a consistent harbinger of victory for them. They've won 36 of 37 when topping the century mark.
John Salmons had 22 points to lead the Kings, while Beno Udrih, Parker's former backup in San Antonio, had 13 points, four assists and a career-high six steals in his return to the AT&T Center.
Kenny Natt, now 1-4 as Sacramento's interim coach, said he hoped the Spurs had taught his team a lesson.
“We must get better by taking care of the basketball and learn how to do the little things,” Natt said. “They gave us a No. 1 lesson on that.”
After a ragged start — seven turnovers in the first quarter, including five by Parker — the Spurs cruised past the Kings.
In the midst of a five-games-in-seven-days stretch, and with another tonight against 4-22 Minnesota to complete a rare back-to-back at home, it was just what the Spurs needed.
No Spurs player logged more than 30:24. Duncan, Parker, Mason and Michael Finley did not play in the fourth quarter.
Even Popovich caught a break, stepping back to allow players to run several huddles.
“I did nothing to earn my money,” Popovich said. “They coached, they communicated, they called plays. I did nothing but substitute players.”
The best part of Duncan's night might have been the final quarter, when he didn't take off his warm-ups. If nothing else, it ought to ensure a well-rested future Hall of Famer at the AT&T Center tonight.
Spurs' victory over Kings comes easy (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_victory_over_Kings_comes_easy.html)
By Jeff McDonald
Rumor has it, there was a future Hall of Fame power forward at the AT&T Center on Monday night.
Big guy. Wears No. 21 for the Spurs. Perhaps you've heard of him.
Turns out, the Spurs didn't need a Hall of Fame game out of Tim Duncan to beat the freefalling Sacramento Kings 101-85. For the first 15 minutes, 7 seconds of the game, in fact, they didn't even need Duncan to attempt a field goal.
“Most of the time, that would be a big problem,” Manu Ginobili said. “Today, it was different. The shots were open. We were moving the ball. People were scoring.”
The Kings, 7-22 and dropping, will do that to an opponent.
Tony Parker led the way with 18 points, and Roger Mason Jr., chipped in 11 — all in the first half — as the Spurs built a 17-point halftime lead and cruised.
Duncan had a quiet night, mostly because the Spurs didn't need him to have a loud one. He had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists through three quarters, then called it a night with the game well in hand.
“A lot of guys played pretty well tonight,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We got a chance to rest some guys and see some other players play. Hopefully that will benefit us tomorrow.”
Nine Spurs players had scored before Duncan attempted his first field goal, at the 8:53 mark of the second quarter. By half, Duncan had five points, and was 1 of 2 from the field. This was not a problem for the Spurs (17-10).
Rolling behind practically everybody else, they led 62-45. The Spurs wound up shooting 52.1 percent, and that was after a 14-for-34 fourth quarter.
So hot were the Spurs that they could have inserted Malik Hairston — newly signed and in street clothes — and he probably would have scored points.
“That speaks to the confidence guys have,” Mason said. “It also speaks to the attention Tim gets. Because a lot of those shots other guys are scoring are based off of him.”
Certainly, Duncan could have and would have been more assertive if the Spurs had needed him to be.
Against the demoralized Kings, who had dropped 17 of their previous 20 games and were a week removed from the firing of coach Reggie Theus, his night was more than enough.
The Spurs topped 100 points, which is a consistent harbinger of victory for them. They've won 36 of 37 when topping the century mark.
John Salmons had 22 points to lead the Kings, while Beno Udrih, Parker's former backup in San Antonio, had 13 points, four assists and a career-high six steals in his return to the AT&T Center.
Kenny Natt, now 1-4 as Sacramento's interim coach, said he hoped the Spurs had taught his team a lesson.
“We must get better by taking care of the basketball and learn how to do the little things,” Natt said. “They gave us a No. 1 lesson on that.”
After a ragged start — seven turnovers in the first quarter, including five by Parker — the Spurs cruised past the Kings.
In the midst of a five-games-in-seven-days stretch, and with another tonight against 4-22 Minnesota to complete a rare back-to-back at home, it was just what the Spurs needed.
No Spurs player logged more than 30:24. Duncan, Parker, Mason and Michael Finley did not play in the fourth quarter.
Even Popovich caught a break, stepping back to allow players to run several huddles.
“I did nothing to earn my money,” Popovich said. “They coached, they communicated, they called plays. I did nothing but substitute players.”
The best part of Duncan's night might have been the final quarter, when he didn't take off his warm-ups. If nothing else, it ought to ensure a well-rested future Hall of Famer at the AT&T Center tonight.