duncan228
01-01-2009, 10:55 PM
Cellar dwellers make Spurs work (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Cellar_dwellers_make_Spurs_work.html)
Jeff McDonald
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies are 10-22, having dropped seven of their past eight games, and sit in last place in the Southwest Division.
Put together, that makes them a dangerous opponent for the Spurs tonight at the FedEx Forum.
Strangely enough, the Spurs haven't exactly bullied the bottom of the Western Conference this season. They are 11-0 against the last six teams in the conference standings, but had to sweat for many of those victories.
That collection of nail-biters includes a 106-103 double-overtime triumph over the Grizzlies last Saturday at the AT&T Center.
As such, the Spurs left for their rip to Memphis for tonight's rematch sounding a bit like Aretha Franklin, singing about R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
“It's about respecting them and knowing they're an NBA team,” Bruce Bowen said. “Sometimes, guys have big nights because people tend not to respect them. Anybody is capable of a big game if you're not prepared.”
The Spurs have been taught that lesson on numerous occasions over the past two months.
Minnesota, like Memphis, took the Spurs to double overtime in a Nov. 5 game, but the Spurs won 129-125. On Nov. 16, the Spurs needed a late Tim Duncan basket to win at Sacramento 90-88. A night later, they escaped Los Angeles with an 86-83 victory over the lowly Clippers, courtesy of a Roger Mason 3-pointer in the waning moments.
Oklahoma City made the Spurs hold on for a 109-104 victory on Dec. 14 at the AT&T Center, overcoming a 26-point deficit to do so.
Duncan still on top: The NBA released new batch of All-Star balloting results, showing little significant changes from the last update.
The Spurs' Tim Duncan remains on pace to make his 10th consecutive All-Star start, leading all Western Conference forwards by a healthy margin. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker rate fourth and fifth, respectively, among guards in the West.
Orlando's Dwight Howard remains the league's top vote-getter, outpolling both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
There was one small Spurs-related change in the latest round of results. Bruce Bowen has garnered 375,079 votes, enough for him to move up to sixth among Western Conference forwards.
The top two vote-getters at each position earn starting nods in the All-Star Game, to be played Feb. 15 in Phoenix.
Chinese New Year: Spurs center Matt Bonner didn't have any specific plans for celebrating New Year's Day. He says he likes only the holidays that involve food.
“I'm more of a Thanksgiving and Christmas guy,” Bonner said. “I don't think New Year's is known for feasting.”
Growing up in New Hampshire, Bonner's family did sustain one food-related New Year's tradition. Every Jan. 1, they ate Chinese food.
“New Hampshire is known for its Chinese food,” Bonner said. “You didn't know that?”
Jeff McDonald
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies are 10-22, having dropped seven of their past eight games, and sit in last place in the Southwest Division.
Put together, that makes them a dangerous opponent for the Spurs tonight at the FedEx Forum.
Strangely enough, the Spurs haven't exactly bullied the bottom of the Western Conference this season. They are 11-0 against the last six teams in the conference standings, but had to sweat for many of those victories.
That collection of nail-biters includes a 106-103 double-overtime triumph over the Grizzlies last Saturday at the AT&T Center.
As such, the Spurs left for their rip to Memphis for tonight's rematch sounding a bit like Aretha Franklin, singing about R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
“It's about respecting them and knowing they're an NBA team,” Bruce Bowen said. “Sometimes, guys have big nights because people tend not to respect them. Anybody is capable of a big game if you're not prepared.”
The Spurs have been taught that lesson on numerous occasions over the past two months.
Minnesota, like Memphis, took the Spurs to double overtime in a Nov. 5 game, but the Spurs won 129-125. On Nov. 16, the Spurs needed a late Tim Duncan basket to win at Sacramento 90-88. A night later, they escaped Los Angeles with an 86-83 victory over the lowly Clippers, courtesy of a Roger Mason 3-pointer in the waning moments.
Oklahoma City made the Spurs hold on for a 109-104 victory on Dec. 14 at the AT&T Center, overcoming a 26-point deficit to do so.
Duncan still on top: The NBA released new batch of All-Star balloting results, showing little significant changes from the last update.
The Spurs' Tim Duncan remains on pace to make his 10th consecutive All-Star start, leading all Western Conference forwards by a healthy margin. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker rate fourth and fifth, respectively, among guards in the West.
Orlando's Dwight Howard remains the league's top vote-getter, outpolling both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
There was one small Spurs-related change in the latest round of results. Bruce Bowen has garnered 375,079 votes, enough for him to move up to sixth among Western Conference forwards.
The top two vote-getters at each position earn starting nods in the All-Star Game, to be played Feb. 15 in Phoenix.
Chinese New Year: Spurs center Matt Bonner didn't have any specific plans for celebrating New Year's Day. He says he likes only the holidays that involve food.
“I'm more of a Thanksgiving and Christmas guy,” Bonner said. “I don't think New Year's is known for feasting.”
Growing up in New Hampshire, Bonner's family did sustain one food-related New Year's tradition. Every Jan. 1, they ate Chinese food.
“New Hampshire is known for its Chinese food,” Bonner said. “You didn't know that?”