McDonald: Spurs Get Deep-76ed

[duncan228]

Edit: Updated version in post #9.

Spurs get deep-76ed (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_get_deep-76ed.html)
Jeff McDonald

PHILADELPHIA — This time, there would be no Spurs-inspired heartbreak for the Philadelphia 76ers. Unlike the last time these teams met, just 13 days ago, there would be no game-winning shot at the horn.

There would be buzzer-beaters galore. Just none of them coming off the fingertips of the Spurs.

Behind a career-high 27 points from Thaddeus Young, 21 from Andre Iguodala, and a fast-breaking fiesta of an offense, the 76ers smacked the Spurs 109-87 on Friday night at the Wachovia Center, avenging what remains their most recent loss in resounding fashion.

It was the Spurs' most lopsided loss of the season.

For the Spurs (25-13), it was an inauspicious follow-up to Wednesday's last-second win over the league-leading Lakers, and an inauspicious opening to a three-game road trip, which moves to Chicago tonight.

Back on Jan. 3, the Spurs won a 108-106 decision in San Antonio thanks to Tony Parker's 15-foot put-back at the buzzer. There would be no call for any such heroics Friday.

The 76ers (19-20) took control in the third quarter, then turned the fourth into a 12-minute layup drill to lock down their sixth consecutive victory. The last time they lost a game, it was Parker's fault.

It's just not your night when the opponent makes an off-balance 3-pointer at each of the first three quarter horns.

Iguodala accomplished that feat twice, including a 41-foot fling to beat the halftime buzzer.

[DPG21920]

Any post game quotes?

[tlongII]

Very similar to what happened to us the other night. Will the Spurs respond?

[duncan228]

Any post game quotes?

Just a few out of the recap.


Iguodala hit a 28-footer to end the first quarter, a 44-footer to end the first half and Lou Williams buried a 28-footer to end the third.

They go down on the stat sheet as 3s. The desperate heaves meant so much more in momentum swings to each team.

"It kills you," said San Antonio's Tim Duncan.



"I think they just overall outplayed us," Duncan said.



"We're supposed to be a pretty good defensive team and it hasn't looked like it for a while," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "We're not the team we've been in the past couple years on the defensive end. It's really troubling."

[ManuTP9]

we will be fine.

[DPG21920]

LOL, Tim "thinks" they out played the Spurs?

[m33p0]

pop now has his ace...http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/3202367819_a232cce099_o.jpg

[wisnub]

Spurs suck real bad tonight..and Sixers making all 3s..even the off balance ones. Ihope this is just a one time meltdown after lakers game,but who knows? Did Celtics lost by that many points this season. Anyone knows?

[duncan228]

Updated.

Spurs get deep-76ed (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_get_deep-76ed.html)
Jeff McDonald

PHILADELPHIA — The first one could have been considered luck. The second, luck and coincidence.

The third? That was the backbreaker.

Lou Williams buried a hand-in-his-face 3-pointer at the third-quarter horn, providing the third buzzer-beater in as many quarters for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

If the Spurs didn’t know it already, they knew it by the time that shot fell through the net.

“It was one of those nights,” Tony Parker said.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was less concerned about his team’s ability to defend Hail Mary 3-pointers in his team’s ugly 109-87 loss at the Wachovia Center. He was more worried about his team’s ability to defend, well, everything else.

Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 27 points, Andre Iguodala added 21 and the 76ers enjoyed a fast-breaking fiesta, avenging what remains the most recent loss of their season by handing the Spurs the most lopsided loss of theirs.

“We’re supposed to be a pretty good defensive team, but it hasn’t looked like it for a while,” Popovich said. “Both individually and team-wise, we’re not the team we’ve been the last 10 years on the defensive end of the floor.”

The Spurs beat Philadelphia 108-106 on Jan. 3, using Parker’s 15-foot put-back at the horn for the winning points.

The Sixers got their revenge in the rematch, seeing that buzzer-beater and raising Parker two. They have won six in a row since last leaving San Antonio.

For the Spurs, it was an inauspicious follow-up to Wednesday’s last-second victory over the league-leading L.A. Lakers, and an inauspicious opening to the three-game road trip that shifts tonight to Chicago.

Philadelphia shot 50 percent from the field, the third team in a row to hit at least 48 percent against the Spurs, part of a trend Popovich calls “troubling.” Entering the night, the Spurs were allowing opponents to shoot 45.9 percent, a mark that ranks 20th in the NBA and is sure to rise after Friday’s showing.

“We’re going to have to find a way to shore that up, or we’re not going to be going very far,” said Tim Duncan, who led the Spurs with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Already the league’s best at fast-breaking coming in, the Sixers raced to a season-high in fast-break points, outscoring the Spurs 30-6 in transition.

“We’re not going to win games that way,” Popovich said. “We’re not built for that.”

Matt Bonner had 13 points and Parker added 12 for the Spurs. Fresh off a 27-point outing against the Lakers, Manu Ginobili looked human again, scoring eight points on 3-of-11 shooting. He was held scoreless until the third quarter.

None of those players played in the fourth quarter, nor did Duncan, as Popovich opted to save their legs for the Bulls.

The Spurs shot a season-low 36.5 percent from the field, giving both coaches cause to use their postgame news conference to preach defense.

“To hold a team like San Antonio to 36 percent shooting is unbelievable,” Philadelphia’s Tony DiLeo said. “When we play defense and rebound the ball, we’re one of the best teams in the league in the open court.”

Judging from Friday’s display, they are also one of the best when a horn is about to sound.

Iguodala got the last-second party started with a floating 28-footer at the end of the first quarter, reminiscent of Ginobili’s shot to beat the third-quarter horn against the Lakers. At the halftime buzzer, Iguodala outdid himself, answering a Roger Mason 3-pointer with a 41-foot fling that sent the Sixers into halftime ahead by seven instead of four.

Then came Williams’ shot to end the third, which put the Sixers ahead 85-70 going into the fourth, taking the air out of the Spurs’ comeback balloon.

“Those are nine points unaccounted for,” Duncan said. “It kills you.”

The Spurs were certainly not very lucky Friday night. But likewise, as their coach can attest, neither were they very good.

“They outplayed us in every way possible,” Popovich said.

[Ice009]

Hmm I said in the game thread this is the worst Spurs defense in over 10 years.

Pop almost quoted me by saying something very similar ;).

[Bruno]

Point allowed by 100 possessions for Spurs :
97-98 : 99.4
98-99 : 95.0
99-00 : 98.6
00-01 : 98.0
01-02 : 99.7
02-03 : 99.7
03-04 : 94.1
04-05 : 98.8
05-06 : 99.6
06-07 : 99.9
07-08 : 101.8
08-09 : 105.2

No comments needed. :depressed

[z0sa]

Point allowed by 100 possessions for Spurs :
97-98 : 99.4
98-99 : 95.0
99-00 : 98.6
00-01 : 98.0
01-02 : 99.7
02-03 : 99.7
03-04 : 94.1
04-05 : 98.8
05-06 : 99.6
06-07 : 99.9
07-08 : 101.8
08-09 : 105.2

No comments needed. :depressed

One comment. Pretty nice numbers til last season, but I don't know that it can't change back to 07 numbers.

[timvp]

Point allowed by 100 possessions for Spurs :
97-98 : 99.4
98-99 : 95.0
99-00 : 98.6
00-01 : 98.0
01-02 : 99.7
02-03 : 99.7
03-04 : 94.1
04-05 : 98.8
05-06 : 99.6
06-07 : 99.9
07-08 : 101.8
08-09 : 105.2

No comments needed. :depressedYeah, unless the Spurs can at the very least get that number to under 101, they won't be doing much in the postseason. Thankfully, the last three or four seasons they've been bad defensively at this point in the season. Hopefully they can improve as they have in the past.

[mrspurs]

Point allowed by 100 possessions for Spurs :
97-98 : 99.4
98-99 : 95.0
99-00 : 98.6
00-01 : 98.0
01-02 : 99.7
02-03 : 99.7
03-04 : 94.1
04-05 : 98.8
05-06 : 99.6
06-07 : 99.9
07-08 : 101.8
08-09 : 105.2

No comments needed. :depressed

Excellent stats there Bruno. Now maybe those blinded Spurs Fans can actually see the trend most Die Hard Spurs Fans have been noticing. Gets old hearing the same old excuse. Oh its just January these games dont count? Or just wait till the POs start then we will really see the Spurs?:lol I love the Spurs but this isnt the same Old Spurs. Its the Older much Older Spurs.

[Spurs Brazil]

Point allowed by 100 possessions for Spurs :
97-98 : 99.4
98-99 : 95.0
99-00 : 98.6
00-01 : 98.0
01-02 : 99.7
02-03 : 99.7
03-04 : 94.1
04-05 : 98.8
05-06 : 99.6
06-07 : 99.9
07-08 : 101.8
08-09 : 105.2

No comments needed. :depressed

The 99 team was so great on D, maybe the best ever

But the 03-04 team allowed less. It was Rasho :hat

[Bartleby]

Those numbers are pretty telling, but I wonder if at least some of the higher averages over the last few years are the result of rule changes and other efforts by the NBA to increase scoring.

[Bruno]

Those numbers are pretty telling, but I wonder if at least some of the higher averages over the last few years are the result of rule changes and other efforts by the NBA to increase scoring.

That's very true.
Pre 2004, the league average was in the 102-104 range.
Post 2004, the league average is in the 106-107 range.

For reference, Boston allowed last year 98.9 points per 100 possessions and their defense was great.

What would be great is if Spurs ends up this season between 102 and 103 points allowed.
Given that we are nearly at half season, it will means that they would have allowed between 99 and 101 points per 100 possessions on the second half of the season.

[Ghost Writer]

I mentioned this months ago, but the Sixers and Raptors are both better teams without Brand and J. O'Neal.

The NBA is not a video game.

Philly and Toronto were at their best last season pushing the ball in the open court.

The two high-priced PF/Cs that these teams got are injury prone and not good fits with both teams' current personnel.