timvp
01-03-2009, 06:42 AM
Going up against the Memphis Grizzlies – yet again – the San Antonio Spurs were trying to bounce back from a bitter home defeat. Using a good defensive effort and enough offense, the Spurs beat the Grizzlies in Memphis by a final score of 91-80.
The Spurs blew the game open in the third quarter with a 16-4 run to extend their lead to 19 points. During the run, Matt Bonner had a pair of three-pointers and Tony Parker had five points. In the fourth period, the Grizzlies made a few pushes but the Spurs were able to keep a comfortable lead throughout.
It took four games, but the Spurs finally figured out how to defend the Grizzlies. OJ Mayo had torched San Antonio in his previous three matchups but the Spurs continuously doubled him to try to force him into passing. With Rudy Gay, the gameplan was to force him into as many jumpers as possible. Both strategies paid off as Memphis’ dynamic duo scored only 21 points on 10-of-27 shooting.
Overall, it was a solid win for the Spurs. Their defense was much better than we saw against the Milwaukee Bucks in the last outing. The offense wasn’t anything to get too excited about but when the Spurs defend, they should be able to win even with a below average offensive showing. And they did.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
32 minutes, 20 points, ten rebounds, five assists, three blocks, three turnovers
8-for-11 from the field, 4-for-6 at the line
Tim Duncan looked much better than he did in the previous two contests. He was back to playing defense and rebounding the ball. Specifically, his pick-and-roll defense was much improved and he played with more physicality in the paint. Offensively, he worked hard and was able to finish at the rim. I was also impressed by how hard he ran the floor. All in all, it was a very good performance from Duncan – especially compared to how he played since the Christmas game against Phoenix.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
24 minutes, 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals, three turnovers
4-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
Although he was cold from downtown, Manu Ginobili was very good in all other aspects of the game. On defense, Ginobili was causing havoc and playing extremely hard. As a result, he swiped a season-high five steals. Ginobili was also impressive on the boards as he skied for many of his six rebounds. On the offensive end, I liked how Ginobili attacked the rim. He had a few careless turnovers but he made up for those with his six assists. Health-wise, Ginobili looked good – especially when jumping off of two feet.
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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
33 minutes, 19 points, five assists, four rebounds
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker’s stats don’t look too special but he had a good showing. Defensively, he played with more zeal and did a very good job against both Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley. He directed traffic well on offense and made good decisions on when to shoot and when to pass. His assists total would have been a lot higher if the three-point shots were falling.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
27 minutes, five points, five rebounds
2-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had been playing really well recently but his game against the Grizzlies wasn’t too impressive. His individual defense was a step slow and he missed a few rotations. His defensive rebounding, however, was a bright spot on that end of the court. On offense, he missed a number of open shots and then became unsure of himself. Then again, with as well as he’s been offensively, Finley was due for a sub par shooting performance.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
29 minutes, three points, two rebounds, two assists
1-for-11 from the field, 0-for-6 on three-pointers
Speaking of sub par shooting performances, Roger Mason, Jr. was ice cold in Memphis. His 1-for-11 shooting included six misses on his attempts from beyond the three-point line. The good news is that he kept firing and he played well on the defensive end. Starting against Mayo, he set the defensive tone as Mayo didn’t put points on the board until the second quarter.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
30 minutes, 16 points, two rebounds
7-for-9 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner had been slumping both offensively and in the rebounding department. On this night, Bonner broke out of the offensive half of that slump. His 16 points were the most points he scored since he scored 17 points on Dec. 14. In seven of his last eight games, he didn’t even break double figures. His defense against the Grizzlies was solid, although his rebounding woes continued. Two rebounds in 30 minutes isn’t anywhere near acceptable. He was stuck out on the perimeter guarding Gay and Hakim Warrick for a lot of his court time so he wasn’t going to have a dominant performance on the glass – but he also had a few bounce off of his hands.
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Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
17 minutes, six points
2-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen spent time on both Mayo and Gay and did fine work on both. He crowded Gay to try to take his dribble and used his length wisely against Mayo. On offense, Bowen connected on both of his shots from the field – both of which were three-pointers. He has now hit six of his previous seven three-point attempts and he’s shooting a career-high 47.7% from beyond the arc.
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Anthony Tolliver
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4371.jpg
15 minutes, three points, three rebounds, two assists
1-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
It’s beginning to be a shame that this guy can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Against Memphis, Anthony Tolliver played well defensively, especially in pick-and-roll situations. He also hit the boards with energy. On offense, his deceptively good passing skills were again on display. All that said, Tolliver will likely soon lose his role to the now healthy Fabricio Oberto due to his inability to shoot.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
15 minutes, four points, four steals, two rebounds, one block
1-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the line
George Hill played some of the best defense of his Spurs career. He pressured the ball well and then played extremely aggressive help defense. As a result, he had four steals and a blocked shot in only 15 minutes of action. On offense, Hill was a little bit better but he’s still not nearly as explosive as he was early in December. He is continuing to try to figure out how to fit into the offense when playing limited minutes.
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Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
14 minutes, two points
1-for-1 from the field
Kurt Thomas played good post defense but that was about all he provided on Friday night. He wasn’t crashing the boards, he wasn’t much of a help on the offensive end and his overall activity level was below his recent standard. With Oberto back in uniform, now is the time for Thomas to win more minutes than usual by continuing his good play of late.
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Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
The most notable aspect of Pop’s coaching was that he was able to limit the minutes of his stars even though the game wasn’t a total blowout. With the Spurs playing the first game of a back-to-back, that was particularly important. I like how Pop gave Tolliver another chance to stick in the rotation even though Oberto was back. I also like how he stuck with Mason even though he couldn’t buy a bucket.
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Offense
Usually when the Spurs shoot 6-for-22 on three-pointers, it’s going to be a long day on the offensive end of the court. Thankfully, the Spurs were doing well enough in other aspects and were able to overcome their frigid outside shooting. For the game, the Spurs shot 47.9% from the field, racked up 22 assists and hit 17-of-21 free throws. After turning the ball over ten times if the first half, they had only four second half turnovers.
Defense
The defense started off strong and remained steady for almost the entire night. On the game, the Grizzlies shot 39.7% from the field, missed 12-of-14 three-pointers and had just 11 assists to go along with 16 turnovers. While the Spurs were able to get 12 steals, they didn’t do a very good job on the boards. The Grizzlies were able to corral 13 offensive rebounds and out-boarded the Spurs on the whole by a final margin of 38-36.
Drive to Five
The Philadelphia 76ers come to town on Saturday night to face the Spurs. Playing without Elton Brand, the Sixers have lost five of their last six games. The Spurs need this win to get back on the winning track at home. A letdown here would be disappointing.
Believe.
The Spurs blew the game open in the third quarter with a 16-4 run to extend their lead to 19 points. During the run, Matt Bonner had a pair of three-pointers and Tony Parker had five points. In the fourth period, the Grizzlies made a few pushes but the Spurs were able to keep a comfortable lead throughout.
It took four games, but the Spurs finally figured out how to defend the Grizzlies. OJ Mayo had torched San Antonio in his previous three matchups but the Spurs continuously doubled him to try to force him into passing. With Rudy Gay, the gameplan was to force him into as many jumpers as possible. Both strategies paid off as Memphis’ dynamic duo scored only 21 points on 10-of-27 shooting.
Overall, it was a solid win for the Spurs. Their defense was much better than we saw against the Milwaukee Bucks in the last outing. The offense wasn’t anything to get too excited about but when the Spurs defend, they should be able to win even with a below average offensive showing. And they did.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
32 minutes, 20 points, ten rebounds, five assists, three blocks, three turnovers
8-for-11 from the field, 4-for-6 at the line
Tim Duncan looked much better than he did in the previous two contests. He was back to playing defense and rebounding the ball. Specifically, his pick-and-roll defense was much improved and he played with more physicality in the paint. Offensively, he worked hard and was able to finish at the rim. I was also impressed by how hard he ran the floor. All in all, it was a very good performance from Duncan – especially compared to how he played since the Christmas game against Phoenix.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
24 minutes, 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals, three turnovers
4-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
Although he was cold from downtown, Manu Ginobili was very good in all other aspects of the game. On defense, Ginobili was causing havoc and playing extremely hard. As a result, he swiped a season-high five steals. Ginobili was also impressive on the boards as he skied for many of his six rebounds. On the offensive end, I liked how Ginobili attacked the rim. He had a few careless turnovers but he made up for those with his six assists. Health-wise, Ginobili looked good – especially when jumping off of two feet.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
33 minutes, 19 points, five assists, four rebounds
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker’s stats don’t look too special but he had a good showing. Defensively, he played with more zeal and did a very good job against both Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley. He directed traffic well on offense and made good decisions on when to shoot and when to pass. His assists total would have been a lot higher if the three-point shots were falling.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
27 minutes, five points, five rebounds
2-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had been playing really well recently but his game against the Grizzlies wasn’t too impressive. His individual defense was a step slow and he missed a few rotations. His defensive rebounding, however, was a bright spot on that end of the court. On offense, he missed a number of open shots and then became unsure of himself. Then again, with as well as he’s been offensively, Finley was due for a sub par shooting performance.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
29 minutes, three points, two rebounds, two assists
1-for-11 from the field, 0-for-6 on three-pointers
Speaking of sub par shooting performances, Roger Mason, Jr. was ice cold in Memphis. His 1-for-11 shooting included six misses on his attempts from beyond the three-point line. The good news is that he kept firing and he played well on the defensive end. Starting against Mayo, he set the defensive tone as Mayo didn’t put points on the board until the second quarter.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
30 minutes, 16 points, two rebounds
7-for-9 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner had been slumping both offensively and in the rebounding department. On this night, Bonner broke out of the offensive half of that slump. His 16 points were the most points he scored since he scored 17 points on Dec. 14. In seven of his last eight games, he didn’t even break double figures. His defense against the Grizzlies was solid, although his rebounding woes continued. Two rebounds in 30 minutes isn’t anywhere near acceptable. He was stuck out on the perimeter guarding Gay and Hakim Warrick for a lot of his court time so he wasn’t going to have a dominant performance on the glass – but he also had a few bounce off of his hands.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
17 minutes, six points
2-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen spent time on both Mayo and Gay and did fine work on both. He crowded Gay to try to take his dribble and used his length wisely against Mayo. On offense, Bowen connected on both of his shots from the field – both of which were three-pointers. He has now hit six of his previous seven three-point attempts and he’s shooting a career-high 47.7% from beyond the arc.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4371.jpg
15 minutes, three points, three rebounds, two assists
1-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
It’s beginning to be a shame that this guy can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Against Memphis, Anthony Tolliver played well defensively, especially in pick-and-roll situations. He also hit the boards with energy. On offense, his deceptively good passing skills were again on display. All that said, Tolliver will likely soon lose his role to the now healthy Fabricio Oberto due to his inability to shoot.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
15 minutes, four points, four steals, two rebounds, one block
1-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the line
George Hill played some of the best defense of his Spurs career. He pressured the ball well and then played extremely aggressive help defense. As a result, he had four steals and a blocked shot in only 15 minutes of action. On offense, Hill was a little bit better but he’s still not nearly as explosive as he was early in December. He is continuing to try to figure out how to fit into the offense when playing limited minutes.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
14 minutes, two points
1-for-1 from the field
Kurt Thomas played good post defense but that was about all he provided on Friday night. He wasn’t crashing the boards, he wasn’t much of a help on the offensive end and his overall activity level was below his recent standard. With Oberto back in uniform, now is the time for Thomas to win more minutes than usual by continuing his good play of late.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
The most notable aspect of Pop’s coaching was that he was able to limit the minutes of his stars even though the game wasn’t a total blowout. With the Spurs playing the first game of a back-to-back, that was particularly important. I like how Pop gave Tolliver another chance to stick in the rotation even though Oberto was back. I also like how he stuck with Mason even though he couldn’t buy a bucket.
-------------------------------
Offense
Usually when the Spurs shoot 6-for-22 on three-pointers, it’s going to be a long day on the offensive end of the court. Thankfully, the Spurs were doing well enough in other aspects and were able to overcome their frigid outside shooting. For the game, the Spurs shot 47.9% from the field, racked up 22 assists and hit 17-of-21 free throws. After turning the ball over ten times if the first half, they had only four second half turnovers.
Defense
The defense started off strong and remained steady for almost the entire night. On the game, the Grizzlies shot 39.7% from the field, missed 12-of-14 three-pointers and had just 11 assists to go along with 16 turnovers. While the Spurs were able to get 12 steals, they didn’t do a very good job on the boards. The Grizzlies were able to corral 13 offensive rebounds and out-boarded the Spurs on the whole by a final margin of 38-36.
Drive to Five
The Philadelphia 76ers come to town on Saturday night to face the Spurs. Playing without Elton Brand, the Sixers have lost five of their last six games. The Spurs need this win to get back on the winning track at home. A letdown here would be disappointing.
Believe.