McDonald: Ginobili Helps Spurs Bury Bulls

[duncan228]

Edit: Updated version in post #8.

Ginobili helps Spurs bury Bulls (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Ginobili_helps_Spurs_bury_Bulls.html)
Jeff McDonald

CHICAGO — Their defense was better, but still not great. They probably could have shot better from 3-point range. They could have done a better job of putting the game away.

The Spurs did, however, get what they needed most out of Saturday night's game at Chicago.

A victory, plain and simple.

Manu Ginobili had 21 points, Tony Parker had 20 and Tim Duncan totaled 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Spurs bounced back from their worst loss of the season with a 92-87 triumph over the Bulls at the United Center.

After Philadelphia handled them 109-87 the night before, anything with a “W” next to it suited the Spurs.

Ginobili scored nine of his points in the game's final 1:04 to help the Spurs (26-13) put it away and remain a game ahead of New Orleans in the Southwest Division.

Ben Gordon scored 20 points to lead the Bulls, who already had proven their credentials as a dragon slayer with a 102-93 overtime victory over Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland on Thursday.

After playing to a halftime tie, the Spurs seized momentum with a 13-2 run in the third quarter, and took a nine-point lead on Michael Finley's 3-pointer to open the fourth. Chicago (18-23) rallied to take an 82-81 lead with 3:13 left on Drew Gooden's 3-point play.

Parker put the Spurs back on top with a spinning layup with 1:41 left, and after Finley forced Andres Nocioni into a turnover, Ginobili knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Spurs an 86-82 edge.

[SpursGirl21]

Thank You sir for the update! :)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Thank You sir for the update! :)

It's just never gonna die.

[Solid D]

You'd think the beat writer would notice and comment when a Spurs' player efforted 7 Offensive Rebounds.

[scanry]

You'd think the beat writer would notice and comment when a Spurs' player efforted 7 Offensive Rebounds.

God i hate McDonald.

If only we had a writer like Jack Mccullum or Johnny Ludden. Oh wait we did have Johnny Ludden.

BTW who pays the beat writers? Spurs or the Express News?

Wish they could hang on to Ludden.

Mccullum is probably the higest paid sports writer, but his articles are always near perfect.

[duncan228]

The post game articles are often updated, maybe he'll mention the rebounds. I update it if they do.

[Solid D]

The post game articles are often updated, maybe he'll mention the rebounds. I update if it they do.

:tu
Yeah, maybe so.

[duncan228]

Updated.

Ginobili helps Spurs bury Bulls
Jeff McDonald

CHICAGO — The way Manu Ginobili sees it, there are really two Spurs teams.

There is the group of grizzled, seasoned veterans capable of grinding out tough points and delivering tough victories with a sense of been-there, done-that savvy.

And then there is the Spurs team that showed up Friday night in Philadelphia.

“Sometimes, we look like a rookie team,” Ginobili said. “What happened in Philadelphia was embarrassing. We were not ready in any way.”

A night after suffering a 22-point loss to the 76ers, their most lopsided of the season, the good old Spurs were back Saturday night at the United Center, making (almost) all the right plays down the stretch to earn a 92-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls the hard way.

Ginobili scored nine of his team-leading 21 points in the final 1:04, and the Spurs’ defense, maligned of late, held the Bulls without a field goal over the final 3:13 to seal the victory.

With it, the Spurs (26-13) were able to remain a game up on New Orleans in the Southwest Division and in a virtual tie with Denver for second-place in the Western Conference.

Tony Parker had 20 points and eight assists for the Spurs, including the go-ahead basket with 1:41 to play, but made what coach Gregg Popovich called a “stone mental error” by fouling Andres Nocioni on a late 3-pointer.

Tim Duncan added 18 points and 14 rebounds for his 25th double-double of the season.

The Spurs were ahead by six with 31 seconds left when Nocioni lined up a 3-pointer. Parker stuck his hand up, grazing Nocioni on the elbow.

“He got my thumb,” Parker said. “That’s how close it was.”

Officials whistled Parker for the foul, and Nocioni — who finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds — sank three foul shots to make it a one-possession game.

“It was just one of those plays that could go either way,” Parker said, “but I should not have put myself in that situation.”

It was the one rookie mistake the veteran Spurs would make Saturday.

Seconds later, Ginobili made sure it wouldn’t matter. He dribbled down most of the shot clock, then pumped faked a 3-pointer. Nocioni went airborne for the block, Ginobili leaned into him and earned three foul shots of his own.

He sank two of them to seal the game with 7.5 seconds left.

“We got it close and had our chances,” said Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro, whose team dropped to 18-23. “But they executed down the stretch and we didn’t.”

When it mattered most Saturday night, the Spurs lived up to their reputation on defense.

The Spurs held the Bulls — who had established their reputation as a giant-killer by beating East-leading Cleveland on Thursday night — to 44.7 percent shooting. They put the clamps on rookie sensation Derrick Rose, limiting him to 12 points on 6-of-21 shooting.

Ben Gordon scored 20 to lead the Bulls, but cooled off after a 4-for-4 start — and after Popovich set Bruce Bowen loose on him in the second half.

The Spurs got a series of key stops down the stretch, twice denying Rose at the rim and once harassing Nocioni into a bad pass. These were the seasoned, veteran Spurs you’ve heard so much about.

“That’s who we are,” Popovich said. “People have to score in the 80s and 90s for us to win. If they score in the 100s, we’re just an average team.”

It was a far cry from a night before in Philadelphia, when the Spurs allowed the 76ers to shoot 50 percent from the field and score a whopping 30 points on the fast break.

That bad taste in the Spurs’ mouths as they flew out of Philly? That wasn’t from a bad cheesesteak.

“I can’t talk for the whole team,” Ginobili said. “But it was really upsetting to me in Philadelphia. I was disappointed with the way we played.”

Sometimes, a bad game can be a good motivator.

The Spurs weren’t ready to pronounce all their problems cured in Saturday night’s victory. There is far too much season to go and far too little margin for error.

But it was, as Parker would say afterwards, “a good first step.”

[Spurs Brazil]

:tu
Yeah, maybe so.


The post game articles are often updated, maybe he'll mention the rebounds. I update it if they do.

And McDonald fail again