Spurs vs. Bucks Previews

[duncan228]

Milwaukee (14-17) at San Antonio (20-10) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2008123024&prov=ap)
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Tue Dec 30, 2008
TV: FSWI
By Chris Altruda

The San Antonio Spurs have been pushed to the limit in their last two games while extending their winning streak to five games. They may have an easier time getting No. 6 on Tuesday when they host a Milwaukee Bucks team that has struggled mightily in the Lone Star State in recent years.

After beating the Phoenix Suns on Roger Mason’s 3-point buzzer-beater on Christmas Day, the Spurs (20-10) needed two overtimes to defeat Memphis 106-103 on Saturday for their 11th win in 13 games. Tony Parker scored 32 points and had two of San Antonio’s three baskets in the second extra period.

“Tony stepped up and knocked down a couple of big shots,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It was a good win.”

Parker has been the catalyst during San Antonio’s current win streak, averaging 27.4 points on 53.9 percent shooting and 7.4 assists.

After the Spurs played five games in seven days, forward Tim Duncan thinks the two days off before this game will be a huge help after he, Parker and Manu Ginobili all logged extensive minutes the last two games.

“Two days is a very long break, especially with the type of schedule we have been holding lately,” said Duncan, who had 29 points in nearly 46 minutes before fouling out on Saturday. “We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of minutes, so a break will be great.”

Parker played more than 47 minutes Saturday, while Ginobili saw just under 41.

The Bucks (14-17) have known little other than misery in Texas the past five seasons.

Milwaukee has made two treks to the Lone Star State each season in that time frame, while some Eastern Conference teams play at Dallas, San Antonio and Houston in one road trip. The Bucks, who play at Houston on Wednesday, are 0-10 in the back-to-back games, and 1-14 cumulatively in Texas since the start of the 2003-04 season - though the lone victory was a 114-107 win at San Antonio on Dec. 26, 2006.

Facing the 6-foot-11 Duncan along with the 6-10 Matt Bonner and 6-9 Kurt Thomas may prove problematic for Milwaukee, which struggled with Detroit’s taller lineup in an 87-76 loss to the Pistons on Saturday. Andrew Bogut had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who were outrebounded 53-44 and outscored 36-28 in the paint.

Coach Scott Skiles was fairly frustrated with his starting five, barely playing them in the fourth quarter after the Bucks were outscored 27-11 in the third. Leading scorer Michael Redd had only four points on 2-of-11 shooting, and the Bucks shot a season-low 30.4 percent.

“Because I’m putting the other guys in doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the game,” Skiles said. “I still intend to win the game. It can be very confusing on certain nights of why certain guys just don’t have it, but it does happen in the NBA.”

Redd, who is averaging 18.5 points, has been in an offensive funk in his last five games, scoring 14.4 per contest on 30.5 percent shooting (25-for-82). He has averaged 19.6 points in 14 lifetime games versus the Spurs, but has not made a 3-pointer in his last eight games against them.

Even without an injured Redd, Milwaukee beat San Antonio 82-78 on Nov. 12 as the Spurs played without Parker and Ginobili. Bogut had 10 points and 17 rebounds.

Notes

Bucks:

Detroit Pistons G-F Richard Hamilton, who left Friday's game with a strained left groin, did not play Saturday in Milwaukee. ... With his career-best 40 points on Tuesday against Chicago, G Rodney Stuckey became only the third player in the past 25 years to score 40 points with 12 or fewer career starts. G Michael Jordan scored 45 in his ninth career start in 1984. ... The Pistons held the Bucks to a season-low 76 points and 31 percent shooting Saturday.

Spurs:

The Spurs are 3-0 in double-overtime games this season. ... G Michael Finley had five assists, a season high. ... After hitting the game-winning 3-pointer over Phoenix on Christmas, G Roger Mason did not score in 31 minutes Saturday. ... The Spurs never led by more than five in the game.

Injury Report

Bucks

No injuries to report.

Spurs

F Oberto C Sore left foot

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Michael Redd Mil 18.5
Tony Parker SA 22.1

Rebounds

Andrew Bogut Mil 10.7
Tim Duncan SA 10.4

Assists

Luke Ridnour Mil 5.4
Tony Parker SA 6.6

Team Comparison

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10

Milwaukee 14-17 3rd Central / 8th East 96.8 96.9 Road 6-12 Lost 1 5-5

San Antonio 20-10 1st Southwest / 2nd West 96.9 93.6 Home 12-5 Won 5 8-2

[duncan228]

Bumpy Texas road (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/36811044.html)
Trip provides difficult tests
By Tom Enlund

On to Texas.

It doesn't get any easier for the Milwaukee Bucks who, coming off a three-day holiday layoff, played their worst offensive game of the season in an 87-76 loss to the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

After practice today, the Bucks (14-17) will travel to the Lone Star State for games at San Antonio on Tuesday and Houston on Wednesday. San Antonio has won five straight and, at 20-10, has the second-best record behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference. Houston (20-11) is also one of the top teams in the West.

The Bucks, who have lost eight straight in Houston and five of their last six in San Antonio, will have their hands full.

"We're playing two games now that we're not supposed to win, on paper," said center Andrew Bogut. "No one is expecting us to win so we just have to go out there and see how we go.

"It's definitely a tough week . . . Houston and San Antonio at their place. So we'll just go in there as the underdog and if we can steal one or two it would be great."

The games in Houston and San Antonio will put the lid on a challenging month that included a three-game Western trip, a three-game Eastern trip and now the trek into Texas. The Bucks have forged their way through it fairly well, winning five of six home games and two of six on the road so far.

The first two months of the season make up the most difficult part of the schedule, but coach Scott Skiles warns that January figures to be no picnic either.

The Bucks will play 18 games in January, nine of the road. They will face a back-to-back situation on all five Fridays and Saturdays in the month. The schedule doesn't really start easing up for the Bucks until February.

"Starting on Tuesday, we've got 20 games in 33 days," said Skiles. "When the schedule first came out, I had an awful lot of people saying to me, 'If you can just get through the holidays, you'll be in good shape.' And I was saying, 'Well, you better take a look at January, too'. And really, that's what it is. We've had an eye on this the whole time."

Throughout January, the Bucks will not have more than one day between games and that one day will often involve travel, either flying to another city or returning home after a road game. That means that the Bucks will fall back into the balancing act of getting in some practice time along with finding days of rest for players during a busy schedule.

It was the same challenge the Bucks faced at the start of the season when they played 18 of their first 28 games on the road. They thought they finally had an opportunity to catch their breath last week when they had only two home games on the schedule.

The Bucks had three days off between last Tuesday's game against Utah and Saturday's game against Detroit, and Skiles gave the team Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off before practicing on Friday. But the team didn't respond well to the layoff. In Saturday's loss, they set season lows in points, field-goal percentage (30.4%), and field goals (24). The Bucks shot 21.1% in the second half.

"We're trying to strategically get days of rest in there knowing that throughout the whole month of January, it really doesn't let up," said Skiles. "We have a back-to-back every weekend in the month. We're doing some in and outs and 20 games in 33 days. That's a tough schedule. It's just something we have to keep an eye on and keep putting in strategically some days of rest."

[SpurAddict561]

They always seem to sneak one on us when we start to gain speed in the season

Bogut and his last second luck shit

let's get it!

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Bucks own the Spurs like the Spurs own the Suns. Never been able to figure it out, never will be able to. It's just weird. Fortunately for the Spurs the team they chose to suck against never makes the playoffs.

[duncan228]

Bucks own the Spurs like the Spurs own the Suns.

Pop talked a little about that at practice today.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/081230.html

[benefactor]

I hate playing the Bucks. We need to crush them a few times in a row and get rid of this strange mind control they have over us.

[honestfool84]

I hate playing the Bucks. We need to crush them a few times in a row and get rid of this strange mind control they have over us.

yes.

[Reck]

I hate playing the Bucks. We need to crush them a few times in a row and get rid of this strange mind control they have over us.

Would we nice if they started the crushing process on Tuesday night. :hat

[MarHill]

I believe they will. They had two days off and Pop will remind them about this team and how tough they play the Spurs.

[Brazil]

Thanks D228 for all these postings it's great !

[sonic21]

Parker has been the catalyst during San Antonio’s current win streak, averaging 27.4 points on 53.9 percent shooting and 7.4 assists

player of the week?

[Chieflion]

player of the week?

Kobe Bryant/Lebron James.

Nice Conspiracy.

[duncan228]

Preview: Bucks at Spurs (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/36855254.html)
By Charles F. Gardner

UP NEXT
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (14-17) vs. San Antonio Spurs (20-10).
When: 7:30 tonight.
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio.
Broadcasts: TV - FSN. Radio - AM-620.

About the Spurs: San Antonio was without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker when it lost to the Bucks in November. The Spurs are 18-5 since opening the season with a 2-5 mark, and they have won five consecutive games overall and their last seven in a row at home. "I think they're starting to play like they play," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "It's hard to play when two of your main guys are out." Parker had 32 points, five assists and four rebounds in a 106-103, double-overtime victory against Memphis on Saturday night. The Spurs also had a close call on Christmas Day, when Roger Mason sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to give them a 91-90 victory at Phoenix. San Antonio is the league's top team in defensive rebounding percentage (78.2%). The Bucks rank fourth in that category (75.5%).

PLAYER TO WATCH

MANU GINOBILI, Spurs

The league's premier sixth man is rounding back into form after undergoing off-season surgery on his left ankle. He injured the ankle while playing for Argentina in the Beijing Olympics. He has played in 18 games (four starts) and is averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Ginobili played 41 minutes against Memphis and contributed 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.

LINEUPS

PROBABLE SPURS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Roger Mason 6-5 Virginia
G-Tony Parker 6-2 France
F-Matt Bonner 6-10 Florida
F-Michael Finley 6-7 Wisconsin
C-Tim Duncan 6-11 Wake Forest

Coach: Gregg Popovich (13th season, 652-312).

Injury report: Ian Mahinimi (sprained left ankle) is out. Fabricio Oberto (sore left foot) is doubtful.

PROBABLE BUCKS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Luke Ridnour 6-2 Oregon
G-Michael Redd 6-6 Ohio State
C-Andrew Bogut 7-0 Utah
F-LR Mbah a Moute 6-8 UCLA
F-Richard Jefferson 6-7 Arizona

Coach: Scott Skiles (first season; ninth overall, 295-268).

Injury report: Charlie Bell (right ankle soreness) is day-to-day.

THE SERIES

The Bucks won the first meeting this season, taking an 82-78 victory on Nov. 12 at the Bradley Center. The Spurs lead the all-time series, 35-34.

NUMBERS GAME

3 Double-overtime games played by the Spurs this season (3-0 record).

46.9 Three-point shooting percentage for Mason, ranking second in the NBA.

8 Turnovers by the Spurs in their double OT victory over Memphis.

[Manufan909]

Would we nice if they started the crushing process on Tuesday night. :hat

Who's the dude in your sig?

[Ginobilirules]

Hey mr duncanownskobe"" phoenix fan, you're a first class idiot'' for sure, the [spurs have owned the bucks in recent yrs,] with THE SPURS taking both games last yr against these wannabe contenders 97-95 AT MIL, AND 98-74 AT HOME VS MIL DO YOUR HOMEWORK"", also if the bucks even got lucky enough to meet us in the finals the Spurs would seriously CRUSH"" THE BUCKS, 4-0 SWEEP MARK MY WORD ON THAT"'. and two of those would be by blowout fashion, and the other two fairly close wins on the road, SEE CLE VS SA OF 2006 TO MAKE MY POINT. true story"" you guys are living off about 4 yrs ago not currently. also the spurs were without manu, and parker, not to mention the role players were still learning the system trying to get their confidence, smarts, and swagger. your stupidity is pathetic, and milwaukee tries to play up to the better teams, like us, bos, lakers, hous, uta, pho, even dallas, and hornets, etc. they've always thought they were better than they really were. that's why i said what i said in the beggining of this post, in the playoffs, the Spurs always take the bar up to championship level, the bucks will get crushed by 20 on tues night, watch and see. spurs by 20 with our role players like mason, hill, and bonner, torching these lame pretenders. WATCH AND SEE WHAT I MEAN TUES NIGHT AS THE SPURS CRUSH THE BUCKS, BY AT LEAST 15 OR 20 POINTS. GET EDUCATED OUT YOUR JEALOUS STUPIDITY.

[Rohirrim]

It's up to Mason.

He's one of the few that have not come under the Buck's spell yet.

[Osnofa]

I think we will win. Redd has been shooting poorly.

Watch out for Mbah a Moute, great defender.

[duncan228]

Bucks' focus fixed on making playoffs (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/36860574.html)
By Charles F. Gardner

St. Francis - Richard Jefferson didn't hesitate Monday when asked if he had any New Year's resolutions.

"Get back to the playoffs; that's the only one," the Milwaukee Bucks forward said. "I don't think there's a guy (on the Bucks) right now who is coming from a situation where they were in the playoffs last season.

"I think everybody's New Year's resolution, as a team, is to get back to the playoffs and make this organization respectable again."

Jefferson missed the playoffs for the first time in his career last season, when the New Jersey Nets failed to qualify. In his first six seasons as a pro, the 6-foot-7 Jefferson played in 78 playoff games with the Nets, and he reached the NBA Finals in each of his first two seasons.

So sitting at home in April and May is not an appealing prospect to him. Bucks players Malik Allen and Tyronn Lue both saw limited time in the postseason with Dallas last season, and Damon Jones was with Cleveland in the playoffs.

Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva has talked about never getting to the postseason in his first three years in the league. Point guard Luke Ridnour reached the playoffs just once in his first five seasons in the league, all with Seattle.

And veteran Bucks players such as Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric haven't been in the playoffs since 2006, when they lost to Detroit in the opening round.

The Bucks at least have put themselves in position to consider the playoffs as a possibility again, after finishing 26-56 last season.

They are 14-17 and in the No. 8 position in the Eastern Conference monday, entering challenging road games tonight and Wednesday against San Antonio and Houston to end the year.

But plenty of teams will contend for the last few spots in the East, and the eighth-seeded team likely will get defending NBA champion Boston (or even Cleveland) in the first round.

"The eighth spot is not good enough for us," Jefferson said. "We feel like we're better than that.

"If we had such a tough schedule, and we've had quite a few injuries, and we're still in the playoffs at the eighth spot, we believe if we can stay healthy and get into a rhythm, we can move up. We're not just happy being there.

"You can't just be happy to go to the dance. You've got to be happy to go with a pretty girl, too."

Jefferson's comments reflect the attitude on the team despite an 87-76 home setback to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Before that game, the Bucks had won five of six overall and had a five-game winning streak at the Bradley Center.

They couldn't find a much tougher task than playing San Antonio tonight and moving on to Houston to play Yao Ming, Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady on New Year's Eve.

The Bucks fought off the Spurs for an 82-78 victory in November at the Bradley Center, but San Antonio was without the injured Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Both are back in the lineup and have helped the Spurs to an 11-3 record in December.

Bogut will face Tim Duncan, who has moved from power forward to center this season, and Yao on consecutive nights.

"You can't really guard him with one guy, anyway," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said, referring to Duncan. "He can face up from 16 or 17 feet. He can take you down on the box; he's got multiple moves. Over the years, he's become a very good passer out of there.

"We did a good job on him here, but there's a lot more spacing out there now, because they're healthy. You've got to get down there and help and try to make Tim a passer more than a scorer, and live with the results after that."

Bogut pointed out that Houston was the only team he hasn't beaten in his four years with the Bucks. The 7-foot Bogut has faced the 7-6 Yao in international play as well as in league games.

"You try to keep the ball out of the post as much as you can," Bogut said. "But if he starts hitting shots from outside the paint, if his jumper is going, you're in trouble."

Bogut said he couldn't try to shoot over Yao unless he wants to risk certain rejection.

"You've got to go through his body and hopefully draw a couple fouls," Bogut said. "He might block three or four but if he fouls three or four (times), we'll take that."

Jefferson said the Bucks would gain confidence from defeating San Antonio or Houston, but he cautioned about putting too much emphasis on one or two games.

"We've still got 50-some games left," he said. "There are places you've got to go. Even if you come here and win these next two games, it doesn't mean all of a sudden people are going to start saying you're one of the favorites in the East.

"We've got a lot of work to do. This is just another step in that direction. Let's respond to the way we played against Detroit and go out and play well."

[benefactor]

Hey mr duncanownskobe"" phoenix fan, you're a first class idiot'' for sure, the [spurs have owned the bucks in recent yrs,] with THE SPURS taking both games last yr against these wannabe contenders 97-95 AT MIL, AND 98-74 AT HOME VS MIL DO YOUR HOMEWORK"", also if the bucks even got lucky enough to meet us in the finals the Spurs would seriously CRUSH"" THE BUCKS, 4-0 SWEEP MARK MY WORD ON THAT"'. and two of those would be by blowout fashion, and the other two fairly close wins on the road, SEE CLE VS SA OF 2006 TO MAKE MY POINT. true story"" you guys are living off about 4 yrs ago not currently. also the spurs were without manu, and parker, not to mention the role players were still learning the system trying to get their confidence, smarts, and swagger. your stupidity is pathetic, and milwaukee tries to play up to the better teams, like us, bos, lakers, hous, uta, pho, even dallas, and hornets, etc. they've always thought they were better than they really were. that's why i said what i said in the beggining of this post, in the playoffs, the Spurs always take the bar up to championship level, the bucks will get crushed by 20 on tues night, watch and see. spurs by 20 with our role players like mason, hill, and bonner, torching these lame pretenders. WATCH AND SEE WHAT I MEAN TUES NIGHT AS THE SPURS CRUSH THE BUCKS, BY AT LEAST 15 OR 20 POINTS. GET EDUCATED OUT YOUR JEALOUS STUPIDITY.
Interesting......

[ducks]

Parker has been the catalyst during San Antonio’s current win streak, averaging 27.4 points on 53.9 percent shooting and 7.4 assists

[Reck]

Who's the dude in your sig?

:lol

Kendra Wilkinson

http://i42.tinypic.com/2a9eedx.jpg

[angelbelow]

oh wow, thats no dude.

[m33p0]

Hey mr duncanownskobe"" phoenix fan, you're a first class idiot'' for sure, the [spurs have owned the bucks in recent yrs,] with THE SPURS taking both games last yr against these wannabe contenders 97-95 AT MIL, AND 98-74 AT HOME VS MIL DO YOUR HOMEWORK"", also if the bucks even got lucky enough to meet us in the finals the Spurs would seriously CRUSH"" THE BUCKS, 4-0 SWEEP MARK MY WORD ON THAT"'. and two of those would be by blowout fashion, and the other two fairly close wins on the road, SEE CLE VS SA OF 2006 TO MAKE MY POINT. true story"" you guys are living off about 4 yrs ago not currently. also the spurs were without manu, and parker, not to mention the role players were still learning the system trying to get their confidence, smarts, and swagger. your stupidity is pathetic, and milwaukee tries to play up to the better teams, like us, bos, lakers, hous, uta, pho, even dallas, and hornets, etc. they've always thought they were better than they really were. that's why i said what i said in the beggining of this post, in the playoffs, the Spurs always take the bar up to championship level, the bucks will get crushed by 20 on tues night, watch and see. spurs by 20 with our role players like mason, hill, and bonner, torching these lame pretenders. WATCH AND SEE WHAT I MEAN TUES NIGHT AS THE SPURS CRUSH THE BUCKS, BY AT LEAST 15 OR 20 POINTS. GET EDUCATED OUT YOUR JEALOUS STUPIDITY.
actually, it has been long held by this forum that what he said is true. it's the same kind of funk when the spurs play the kings and grizz. spurs always had to be extra careful not to lose focus against them. fortunately, those are teams the spurs will not likely meet in the playoffs.

[Manufan909]

:lol

Kendra Wilkinson

http://i42.tinypic.com/2a9eedx.jpg

Ah... In my defense, she looks like a guy when you see her from the side, and she has a flat ass, so I couldn't tell for sure.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Hey mr duncanownskobe"" phoenix fan, you're a first class idiot'' for sure, the [spurs have owned the bucks in recent yrs,] with THE SPURS taking both games last yr against these wannabe contenders 97-95 AT MIL, AND 98-74 AT HOME VS MIL DO YOUR HOMEWORK"", also if the bucks even got lucky enough to meet us in the finals the Spurs would seriously CRUSH"" THE BUCKS, 4-0 SWEEP MARK MY WORD ON THAT"'. and two of those would be by blowout fashion, and the other two fairly close wins on the road, SEE CLE VS SA OF 2006 TO MAKE MY POINT. true story"" you guys are living off about 4 yrs ago not currently. also the spurs were without manu, and parker, not to mention the role players were still learning the system trying to get their confidence, smarts, and swagger. your stupidity is pathetic, and milwaukee tries to play up to the better teams, like us, bos, lakers, hous, uta, pho, even dallas, and hornets, etc. they've always thought they were better than they really were. that's why i said what i said in the beggining of this post, in the playoffs, the Spurs always take the bar up to championship level, the bucks will get crushed by 20 on tues night, watch and see. spurs by 20 with our role players like mason, hill, and bonner, torching these lame pretenders. WATCH AND SEE WHAT I MEAN TUES NIGHT AS THE SPURS CRUSH THE BUCKS, BY AT LEAST 15 OR 20 POINTS. GET EDUCATED OUT YOUR JEALOUS STUPIDITY.

A few things:

1) I was joking, chill out. My comment wasn't supposed to be a trolling comment making fun of the Spurs
2) paragraphs are cool
3) so is proper grammar
4) paragraphs are really cool

[angelbelow]

i never knew spurs were historically bad against the bucks.

[Bartleby]

oh wow, thats no dude.

Not anymore.

[lefty]

We'll take care of these mofo's

[duncan228]

Tuesday: Bucks (14-17) at Spurs (20-10) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Tuesday_Bucks_14-17_at_Spurs_20-10.html)

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: KMYS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - BUCKS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 13 Luke Ridnour (6-2, 6th yr)
Parker’s scoring average is up to 22.1, which ranks him 14th in NBA.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 22 Michael Redd (6-6, 9th yr)
Both shooters are coming off bad nights — Mason 0 for 4, Redd 2 for 11.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 8th yr)
Jefferson has led Bucks in scoring 11 times this season.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 12 Luc R. Mbah a Moute (6-8, 1st yr)
Mbah a Moute has five consecutive double-digit scoring games.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 6 Andrew Bogut (7-0, 4th yr)
Bonner has scored only seven points, on seven shots, in past two games.

SPURS RESERVES

7 Fabricio Oberto, F, 6-10, 4th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-7, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-1, 1st yr
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr
35 Anthony Tolliver, F, 6-8, 1st yr
28 Ian Mahinmi, F-C, 6-11, 2nd yr

BUCKS RESERVES

44 Austin Croshere, F, 6-10, 12th yr
9 Francisco Elson, C, 7-0, 6th yr
50 Dan Gadzuric, C, 6-11, 7th yr
19 Damon Jones, G, 6-3, 11th yr
10 Tyronn Lue, G, 6-0, 11th yr
7 Ramon Sessions, G, 6-3, 2nd yr
11 Joe Alexander, F, 6-8, 1st yr
30 Malik Allen, F, 6-10, 8th yr
42 Charlie Bell, G, 6-3, 5th yr

COACHES

Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Bucks: Scott Skiles

INJURIES

Spurs: Oberto (sore left foot), doubtful; Mahinmi (sprained right ankle), doubtful.

Bucks: None.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Oberto, Mahinmi.

Bucks: Croshere, Bell, Jones.

NOTABLE

Tonight’s game is the last of 2008 for the Spurs, who won’t play again until Friday, Jan. 2, at Memphis ..... The Bucks defeated the Spurs on Nov. 19, 82-78. The point total in that game was the second-lowest of the season for the Spurs ..... Bucks assistant coach Kelvin Sampson served, along with Gregg Popovich, as an assistant coach on George Karl’s Team USA coaching staff for the 2002 World Championships. He spent several weeks as an ex officio assistant with the Spurs last season.

- Mike Monroe

[m33p0]

:lol

Kendra Wilkinson

http://i42.tinypic.com/2a9eedx.jpg
never mind her. who's the pair of breast behind her?

[Hollinger]

According to my calculations, a Spurs win tonight should help them to leapfrog the Bucks and possibly the Suns as well, moving the Spurs back up to 12th place.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerranking

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Tue. Dec. 30
Milwaukee @ San Antonio: M. McCutchen, C. Blair, C. Kirkland

[duncan228]

Spurs try to stay on track vs. Bucks (http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/news/news.aspx?id=4200184)

(Sports Network) - The streaking San Antonio Spurs shoot for their sixth consecutive victory Tuesday when they welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to the AT&T Center.

The Spurs needed two overtimes to dispose of Memphis in the Alamo City last Saturday in their most recent affair. Tony Parker posted 32 points and five assists in the game as San Antonio outlasted the Grizzlies, 106-103, in the double-overtime thriller.

Tim Duncan added 29 points before fouling out in the first overtime, while Manu Ginobili chipped in 20 points for the Spurs, who narrowly escaped to improve to 12-5 at home.

Parker has averaged a gaudy 27.4 points and 7.4 assists during San Antonio's recent run.

The Bucks, meanwhile, lost for the first time in four games Saturday when Allen Iverson led a balanced Detroit attack with 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals, as the Pistons defeated Milwaukee, 87-76, at the Bradley Center.

Andrew Bogut had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who saw their three- game win streak halted and their five-game home win streak become history. Luc Mbah a Moute and Ramon Sessions had 12 points each in defeat.

Milwaukee, which is just 6-12 on the road this season, hasn't had much luck in Texas recently. The team has dropped five of its last six games in San Antonio and 14 of its last 15 games in Texas since the start of the 2003-04 season. The Bucks also play in Houston on Wednesday.

[duncan228]

Spurs Team Report (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AsZwOZGkrGkupEzUCHLVHnGM0bYF?slug=teamre ports-2008-nba-sas&prov=sportsxchange&type=team_report)

Getting Inside

Gregg Popovich had a premonition going into the game at Phoenix. Considering the history between the Spurs and Suns, the hunch made perfect sense.

“That was a specific line that he used, ‘It will probably come down to one play in this game,’ and it did come down to that,” Tim Duncan said, recalling Popovich’s pregame intuition.

The Spurs won the Christmas Day showdown on Roger Mason’s 3-pointer at the buzzer. San Antonio trailed for most of the game, but as Popovich predicted, it came down to the final play, and the Spurs made the most of it.

“It’s a great win for us in every way, shape and form,” Popovich said. “We started the game down 11-0, and the guys just hung in and played ball all night long.”

San Antonio’s resiliency has been on display all season. The Spurs, once 2-5, lead the Southwest Division and sit in second place in the Western Conference.

Beating the Suns is just the latest in an impressive stretch of wins for the Spurs.

“It was a great game for fans to watch, and we’re thrilled we were able to get a victory against a hell of a team,” Popovich said.

The Spurs then came home and treated their fans to another memorable win, Saturday’s double-overtime game against Memphis.

SPURS 106, GRIZZLIES 103 (2 OT): Tony Parker scored 32 points and hit two of San Antonio’s three baskets in the second overtime to fend off Memphis on Saturday night at the AT&T Center. Tim Duncan scored 29 points for the Spurs before fouling out in the first OT, and Manu Ginobili scored 20.

San Antonio, which has won five in a row, is 3-0 against the youthful Grizzlies this season.

Memphis was down by two in the closing seconds of the second OT when Michael Finley blocked a game-tying attempt from Rudy Gay. O.J. Mayo had 29 points for the Grizzlies.

Notes, Quotes

• The Spurs weren’t necessarily going for the win on the last play at Phoenix, but they also weren’t going to pass up a chance at ending it with one shot. Spreading the floor with 3-point shooters, Gregg Popovich put the ball in Tony Parker’s hands.

“It was designed to go to Tony with shooters in the corners, and Tony makes the decision on what’s available,” Popovich said. “We don’t care if it’s a 2 or a 3. If you’ve got a 3, take it, and Tony made a great decision and hit the open man, and he deserves a lot of credit.”

That open man was Roger Mason, who nailed a 3-pointer from the corner.

“Pop just told me to penetrate, and if I had a clear layup or a tear drop, obviously I’m going to throw my tear drop up,” Parker said. “As I beat Grant Hill, Jason Richardson came in and Roger was wide open and that’s his shot.

“He’s been knocking (them) down all season long, so I trusted him to make that shot. It was going to be a tough layup for me because Jason Richardson was coming.”

• The Spurs took Friday off, but it wasn’t because of the gut-check win at Phoenix. A stretch of seven games in 11 days ended Saturday night, so Gregg Popovich wanted to work in an extra day of rest.

“The schedule for us has been loaded,” Popovich said. “Six in nine days, three in five nights. We’ve got one in January that’s like five in six nights, the way it works out, five in 6 1/2 nights, because the next game is a noon game.

“So the guys are definitely a little bit tired, but that doesn’t matter. Nobody cares. At the end of the season, you don’t get handicap points for how much you were tired or what your schedule was like. We don’t talk about it with the team. Everybody has periods in their schedule where they think they’re getting screwed. You’ve just got to let that go.”

Quote To Note: “I’m tired, but it was a good win. Memphis is tough, give them credit. They made big shot after big shot.”—Tony Parker, after scoring 32 in a double-OT win over Memphis.

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 Anthony Tolliver, Guard Jacque Vaughn, Guard George Hill.

Player Notes:

• G Roger Mason knows he’s not the go-to guy in San Antonio’s offense. But he also knows that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker can’t take every shot.

Being prepared when the ball comes your way is crucial. Mason was ready to fire when Tony Parker found him in the corner Thursday for the game-winner at Phoenix.

“You’re always ready, that’s the biggest thing,” Mason said. “You stay ready, that’s what this game is about. As a shooter, you’re always prepared, and the coach put me in in that situation, and I knew if I had it I was going to shoot it and hopefully it would go in, and thank God it did.”

• G/F Malik Hairston is headed back to the D-League affiliate in Austin, but at least he’s a Spur now. Before being signed by San Antonio, Hairston played 11 games for the Austin Toros.

He was a free agent at the time and could have gone to another NBA team. The Spurs signed him on Dec. 22, and he was with the team in Phoenix.

• F Tim Duncan continues to lead Western Conference forwards in the latest All-Star voting results. Duncan has 903,311 to easily outdistance Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire, who has 626,796.

Medical Watch:

• C Fabricio Oberto (foot injury) remains sidelined.

• C Ian Mahinmi (sprained ankle) is inactive.

[gingerwave]

Very winable game tonight.

[ClingingMars]

A few things:

1) I was joking, chill out. My comment wasn't supposed to be a trolling comment making fun of the Spurs
2) paragraphs are cool
3) so is proper grammar
4) paragraphs are really cool

it's ok, we all know what you're about here. ignore the idiots.

-Mars

[duncan228]

Game blog: Spurs vs. Bucks (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/spursworld/)
By Joe Alexander

The Spurs should have fresher legs for the first time in a while when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at the AT&T Center.

The Spurs have had two days off at home since Saturday's victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at the AT&T Center. That was the Spurs' fifth game in an eight-day stretch that included two back-to-backs.

The Spurs have won their last five games and 11 of their last 13.

The Bucks beat the Spurs 82-78 on Nov. 12 in Milwaukee. That was the second game of a back-to-back for the Spurs, who were without both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

The Bucks have won five of their last seven games. They are coming off of an 87-76 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

[Reck]

never mind her. who's the pair of breast behind her?

No idea. Probably one of her playboy girl friend.