timvp
01-06-2009, 09:43 AM
In a tightly contested battle, the San Antonio Spurs got a few big plays down the stretch to defeat the Miami Heat by a final score of 91-84. While it wasn’t the prettiest of games, the Spurs showed heart and executed well down the stretch to grab the victory.
The biggest of the big plays came following a Dywane Wade steal on a bad pass by Tony Parker with a minute and a half left in the final quarter. Wade sprinted down the court and was about to complete an acrobatic finish over Parker when Manu Ginobili flew out of nowhere to emphatically block the ball back towards San Antonio’s basket. The Spurs converted on the other end to grow their lead to five points.
The Heat looked like a solid team. They aren’t a championship contender this season but they will make the playoffs as long as Wade remains healthy. Erik Spoelstra has his team defending well and the Heat smartly run their offense through Wade nearly every time down the court.
When it was all said and done, the Spurs have to be happy with this win. It wasn’t quite vintage Spurs Basketball . . . but it was close.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
36 minutes, 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, three turnovers
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-8 at the line
Tim Duncan’s stat line may be pedestrian but he played a huge part in the victory. When the offense got stagnant, Duncan made a number of big hoops in isolation situations. He also passed well and did commendable work on the offensive glass. Defensively, Duncan was much improved from his last outing. He was solid in his pick-and-roll defense and he protected the rim adequately well. It wasn’t an overpowering performance by Duncan but he was definitely the glue that kept the team together throughout the contest.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
27 minutes, ten points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block
5-for-14 from the field, 0-for-5 on three-pointers
Outside of his three-point shooting, Manu Ginobili had a quality outing. On defense, he was active and aggressive – which was best illustrated by his unbelievable block. Offensively, he was productive when he used his dribble and didn’t settle for outside shots. He also took good care of the ball, finishing with only one turnover despite the swarming Heat defense. Overall, Ginobili had a positive performance highlighted by the biggest play of the game.
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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
31 minutes, eight points, seven assists, two steals
4-for-9 from the field
Tony Parker had one of his quieter games of the season. He wasn’t overly bad – he just wasn’t doing as much as usual. To start off the contest, Parker was passing it extremely well and finished the game with seven assists and only two turnovers. After going 1-for-6 in the first half, Parker was 3-for-3 in the second half. One of his baskets was a left-handed scoop shot late in the fourth to help seal the victory. Usually the Spurs will need more from Parker but on this night San Antonio survived without a major contribution from their starting point guard.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
19 minutes, seven points, three rebounds
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Michael Finley didn’t have a very good game. He missed a few shots and that made him second guess everything he did on the offensive end. Defensively and on the glass he had a few good moments but he also had some lapses. As a result of his uneven play, Finley played less than 27 minutes for the first time since Christmas.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
28 minutes, 11 points, four rebounds
5-for-12 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Although Roger Mason, Jr. battled early foul trouble, he kept his energy level high and ended up having a good game. Defensively, I thought he was very steady – especially late in the game on Wade. He didn’t do anything fancy but just staying in front of Wade and getting a hand up is a task in itself. Offensively, Mason was a bit erratic but in the final stanza he was 3-for-5, including a momentum changing jumper directly after Ginobili’s block. Overall, it’s exciting to see that Mason is starting to establish himself as the team’s second best perimeter defender in one-on-one situations. If he can continue to improve on that end of the court, Pop will go to him more and more.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
31 minutes, 11 points, five rebounds, two assists
4-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner’s missing energy seems to be resurfacing. Against the Heat, he was the energetic player we saw in the early parts of December. He had his best defensive outing in a long while, although his rebounding still is lacking. If he can combine sufficient rebound with this type of active defense, that could be a good enough complement next to Duncan. On offense against Miami, Bonner played well. He spread the court with his shot and made a couple of good passes when he had players rotating to him. All in all, it was an encouraging outing from Bonner.
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Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
23 minutes, three points, two rebounds
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen historically has had a tough time defending Wade but he played some quality D against him on Monday night. Despite getting called for a few iffy fouls, Bowen kept pestering and helped force Wade into five turnovers and 10-for-26 shooting. He also went around and through screens better than he has in recent weeks. On offense, Bowen continues to make the most out of his limited shot attempts.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
17 minutes, 15 points, seven rebounds
4-for-4 from the field, 3-for-3 on three-pointers, 4-for-5 at the line
Struggling to score in recent weeks, George Hill caught fire against the Heat. His 15 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting was five more points than he scored in his last six games combined. The return of his three-point shooting was notable. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 17, Hill hit at least one three-pointer in six of seven games. In his last eight games since Dec. 17, he hadn’t hit any three-pointers. His trio of threes against the Heat was a season-high and his 15 points was a high since the 19 he scored against Chicago on Nov. 26. Hill’s scoring was impressive because most of his baskets came under duress. Also impressive were his seven rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Hopefully this breakout game will get Hill back on track and allow him to regain his footing as one of the biggest surprises of the 2008 NBA Draft.
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Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
17 minutes, two points, four rebounds
1-for-3 from the field
Kurt Thomas played better against the Heat than he has recently. He was pounding the glass on both ends and playing with heightened physicality. Offensively, he missed both of his perimeter jumpers but helped out by setting strong screens. This is how Thomas needs to play if he wants to monopolize the minutes behind Duncan and Bonner.
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Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
Eight minutes, five points
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Ime Udoka is in the throes of an underwhelming season but he played well on Monday night. He was aggressive offensively without being reckless. On defense, he bodied his man without fouling and didn’t get beaten off the dribble. It’d be nice if Udoka could play this composed more often when called upon.
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Anthony Tolliver
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4371.jpg
Four minutes
Tolliver spent four minutes on the court, in which time the Spurs were outscored 9-0 by the Heat. It wasn’t his fault entirely but the offense just stopped functioning with him out on the court. This obviously wasn’t the type of performance Tolliver wanted before Wednesday’s cut day. Now the Spurs need to decide whether or not to keep him and guarantee the rest of his season’s salary or let him go.
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Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
I thought this game was one of Pop’s better coaching jobs of the season. The best thing he did best was give Hill extended playing time. With Hill playing well and Parker not doing much, it was the right call to let Hill cut into Parker’s minutes. And it was also the right call to let Parker back in to finish off the Heat. I liked the confidence that Pop showed in Mason and Bonner by letting that duo close out the game on the court. Pop also deserves kudos for recognizing Finley’s struggles and keeping him off the court for the final 18 minutes of the game.
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Offense
The offense wasn’t great but it flowed just enough to get by the Heat. The Spurs had a few ugly possessions bailed out by players stepping up and knocking down difficult shots. For the game, the Spurs shot 46.7% from the floor, hit 10-of-22 three-pointers and had 19 assists compared to 12 turnovers. It’d be nice if they could have gotten to the line more than 15 times, but the Heat weren’t being too physical and the refs weren’t blowing the whistle very often so the lack of freebies wasn’t too surprising.
Defense
Although it wasn’t championship level defense, the Spurs as a unit gave good effort. The chink in the armor was somewhat slow rotation to open shooters once the Heat penetrated, which explains why Miami got 24 assists on their 36 baskets. That’s an extremely high percentage of assisted buckets for the Spurs to give up. For the game, the Heat shot 44.4% from the floor, hit 6-of-16 three-pointers and only turned it over 12 times. The Spurs did a good job of defending without fouling, which led to only eight free throw attempts for the Heat. It was also nice to see the Spurs win the rebounding battle 41-40.
Drive to Five
The Heat game was a deceptively good win for the Spurs. Even during the championship years, the Heat have played the Spurs tough – especially Wade. San Antonio now has two days off before playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the AT&T Center on Thursday night. With the schedule about to get extremely difficult, that will be another contest the Spurs need to put in the W column.
Believe.
The biggest of the big plays came following a Dywane Wade steal on a bad pass by Tony Parker with a minute and a half left in the final quarter. Wade sprinted down the court and was about to complete an acrobatic finish over Parker when Manu Ginobili flew out of nowhere to emphatically block the ball back towards San Antonio’s basket. The Spurs converted on the other end to grow their lead to five points.
The Heat looked like a solid team. They aren’t a championship contender this season but they will make the playoffs as long as Wade remains healthy. Erik Spoelstra has his team defending well and the Heat smartly run their offense through Wade nearly every time down the court.
When it was all said and done, the Spurs have to be happy with this win. It wasn’t quite vintage Spurs Basketball . . . but it was close.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
36 minutes, 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, three turnovers
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-8 at the line
Tim Duncan’s stat line may be pedestrian but he played a huge part in the victory. When the offense got stagnant, Duncan made a number of big hoops in isolation situations. He also passed well and did commendable work on the offensive glass. Defensively, Duncan was much improved from his last outing. He was solid in his pick-and-roll defense and he protected the rim adequately well. It wasn’t an overpowering performance by Duncan but he was definitely the glue that kept the team together throughout the contest.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
27 minutes, ten points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block
5-for-14 from the field, 0-for-5 on three-pointers
Outside of his three-point shooting, Manu Ginobili had a quality outing. On defense, he was active and aggressive – which was best illustrated by his unbelievable block. Offensively, he was productive when he used his dribble and didn’t settle for outside shots. He also took good care of the ball, finishing with only one turnover despite the swarming Heat defense. Overall, Ginobili had a positive performance highlighted by the biggest play of the game.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
31 minutes, eight points, seven assists, two steals
4-for-9 from the field
Tony Parker had one of his quieter games of the season. He wasn’t overly bad – he just wasn’t doing as much as usual. To start off the contest, Parker was passing it extremely well and finished the game with seven assists and only two turnovers. After going 1-for-6 in the first half, Parker was 3-for-3 in the second half. One of his baskets was a left-handed scoop shot late in the fourth to help seal the victory. Usually the Spurs will need more from Parker but on this night San Antonio survived without a major contribution from their starting point guard.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
19 minutes, seven points, three rebounds
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Michael Finley didn’t have a very good game. He missed a few shots and that made him second guess everything he did on the offensive end. Defensively and on the glass he had a few good moments but he also had some lapses. As a result of his uneven play, Finley played less than 27 minutes for the first time since Christmas.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
28 minutes, 11 points, four rebounds
5-for-12 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Although Roger Mason, Jr. battled early foul trouble, he kept his energy level high and ended up having a good game. Defensively, I thought he was very steady – especially late in the game on Wade. He didn’t do anything fancy but just staying in front of Wade and getting a hand up is a task in itself. Offensively, Mason was a bit erratic but in the final stanza he was 3-for-5, including a momentum changing jumper directly after Ginobili’s block. Overall, it’s exciting to see that Mason is starting to establish himself as the team’s second best perimeter defender in one-on-one situations. If he can continue to improve on that end of the court, Pop will go to him more and more.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
31 minutes, 11 points, five rebounds, two assists
4-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner’s missing energy seems to be resurfacing. Against the Heat, he was the energetic player we saw in the early parts of December. He had his best defensive outing in a long while, although his rebounding still is lacking. If he can combine sufficient rebound with this type of active defense, that could be a good enough complement next to Duncan. On offense against Miami, Bonner played well. He spread the court with his shot and made a couple of good passes when he had players rotating to him. All in all, it was an encouraging outing from Bonner.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
23 minutes, three points, two rebounds
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen historically has had a tough time defending Wade but he played some quality D against him on Monday night. Despite getting called for a few iffy fouls, Bowen kept pestering and helped force Wade into five turnovers and 10-for-26 shooting. He also went around and through screens better than he has in recent weeks. On offense, Bowen continues to make the most out of his limited shot attempts.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
17 minutes, 15 points, seven rebounds
4-for-4 from the field, 3-for-3 on three-pointers, 4-for-5 at the line
Struggling to score in recent weeks, George Hill caught fire against the Heat. His 15 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting was five more points than he scored in his last six games combined. The return of his three-point shooting was notable. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 17, Hill hit at least one three-pointer in six of seven games. In his last eight games since Dec. 17, he hadn’t hit any three-pointers. His trio of threes against the Heat was a season-high and his 15 points was a high since the 19 he scored against Chicago on Nov. 26. Hill’s scoring was impressive because most of his baskets came under duress. Also impressive were his seven rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Hopefully this breakout game will get Hill back on track and allow him to regain his footing as one of the biggest surprises of the 2008 NBA Draft.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
17 minutes, two points, four rebounds
1-for-3 from the field
Kurt Thomas played better against the Heat than he has recently. He was pounding the glass on both ends and playing with heightened physicality. Offensively, he missed both of his perimeter jumpers but helped out by setting strong screens. This is how Thomas needs to play if he wants to monopolize the minutes behind Duncan and Bonner.
-------------------------------
Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
Eight minutes, five points
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Ime Udoka is in the throes of an underwhelming season but he played well on Monday night. He was aggressive offensively without being reckless. On defense, he bodied his man without fouling and didn’t get beaten off the dribble. It’d be nice if Udoka could play this composed more often when called upon.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4371.jpg
Four minutes
Tolliver spent four minutes on the court, in which time the Spurs were outscored 9-0 by the Heat. It wasn’t his fault entirely but the offense just stopped functioning with him out on the court. This obviously wasn’t the type of performance Tolliver wanted before Wednesday’s cut day. Now the Spurs need to decide whether or not to keep him and guarantee the rest of his season’s salary or let him go.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
I thought this game was one of Pop’s better coaching jobs of the season. The best thing he did best was give Hill extended playing time. With Hill playing well and Parker not doing much, it was the right call to let Hill cut into Parker’s minutes. And it was also the right call to let Parker back in to finish off the Heat. I liked the confidence that Pop showed in Mason and Bonner by letting that duo close out the game on the court. Pop also deserves kudos for recognizing Finley’s struggles and keeping him off the court for the final 18 minutes of the game.
-------------------------------
Offense
The offense wasn’t great but it flowed just enough to get by the Heat. The Spurs had a few ugly possessions bailed out by players stepping up and knocking down difficult shots. For the game, the Spurs shot 46.7% from the floor, hit 10-of-22 three-pointers and had 19 assists compared to 12 turnovers. It’d be nice if they could have gotten to the line more than 15 times, but the Heat weren’t being too physical and the refs weren’t blowing the whistle very often so the lack of freebies wasn’t too surprising.
Defense
Although it wasn’t championship level defense, the Spurs as a unit gave good effort. The chink in the armor was somewhat slow rotation to open shooters once the Heat penetrated, which explains why Miami got 24 assists on their 36 baskets. That’s an extremely high percentage of assisted buckets for the Spurs to give up. For the game, the Heat shot 44.4% from the floor, hit 6-of-16 three-pointers and only turned it over 12 times. The Spurs did a good job of defending without fouling, which led to only eight free throw attempts for the Heat. It was also nice to see the Spurs win the rebounding battle 41-40.
Drive to Five
The Heat game was a deceptively good win for the Spurs. Even during the championship years, the Heat have played the Spurs tough – especially Wade. San Antonio now has two days off before playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the AT&T Center on Thursday night. With the schedule about to get extremely difficult, that will be another contest the Spurs need to put in the W column.
Believe.