McDonald: Spurs Eke Past Nets, Remain Hot In Clutch

[duncan228]

Spurs eke past Nets, remain hot in clutch (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_eke_past_Nets_remain_hot_in_clutch.html)
Jeff McDonald

Tim Duncan swears his TV set was not on at 6 o'clock Thursday night, which means he didn't see the official announcement of his 10th consecutive selection as an All-Star starter.

“I didn't see it,” Duncan said, adding with a smidgen of sarcasm: “I can't imagine what I was doing.”

This means Duncan also didn't see Gary Payton, a guest analyst for TNT, make the case that Minnesota's Al Jefferson deserved Duncan's All-Star spot.

So what happened Friday night in the Spurs' 94-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets at the AT&T Center should not be considered a response to Payton. Just another day at the office for Duncan.

A night after earning another All-Star nod, Duncan provided the doubting masses a reminder why. Duncan scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to help send the Spurs on the road on a high note.

The victory was the Spurs' NBA-leading ninth this season in games decided by three points or less, against two losses.

Michael Finley provided the Spurs' biggest basket, taking a pass from a driving Manu Ginobili and burying a corner 3-pointer to give the Spurs a 90-86 lead with 22.6 seconds remaining. Roger Mason Jr. made four foul shots in the final 15.7 seconds to salt the game away.

It was a much-needed victory for the Spurs, who leave this afternoon for a three-game road trip. The itinerary reads like a condensed version of the Western Conference playoffs: the L.A. Lakers on Sunday, Utah on Tuesday, Phoenix on Thursday.

Tony Parker had 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter to help the Spurs (29-13) take control of the game.

Mason added 14 points, and Finley had 11.

Duncan tallied 14 of his points in the first quarter, then added six in the game's final 5:43 to help the Spurs stay afloat.

The Spurs overcame 27 points from Devin Harris and 26 from Vince Carter. The Nets lost their fifth in a row to drop to 19-24.

[duncan228]

Updated. New headline.

Another squeaker

Spurs squeak by Nets, stay hot in tight games (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_eke_past_Nets_remain_hot_in_clutch.html)
Jeff McDonald

The TV set was off in the Tim Duncan household at 6 o’clock Thursday night. This he swears.

So he did not personally see the announcement that he’d been named an All-Star starter for the 10th season in a row. He also did not see Gary Payton, a guest analyst for TNT, make the case that Minnesota’s Al Jefferson — not Duncan — deserved the spot.

“I didn’t see it,” Duncan said, with a smidgen of sarcasm. “I can’t imagine what I was doing.”

A night after getting his All-Star due, Duncan showed the doubting masses why. Duncan scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to go with five assists and four blocks, as the Spurs outlasted the New Jersey Nets 94-91 on Friday night at the AT&T Center.

Duncan had 14 of his points in the first quarter, and then scored six during a key stretch of the fourth. If somewhere Payton was reconsidering his stance, well, that wasn’t Duncan’s intent.

“I don’t make statements to Gary Payton,” Duncan said.

Jefferson did have 24 points and 14 rebounds in Minnesota’s upset of New Orleans on Friday, which allowed the Spurs (29-13) to stake a two-game lead in the Southwest Division. But Duncan more than held up his end.

Tony Parker, vying for a spot as an All-Star reserve, had 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter as the Spurs outscored New Jersey 28-16 to seize control. Parker spent much of the first half deferring to Duncan on the pick and roll, part of the reason the latter had amassed 20 points by halftime.

“I just got it going early, got some shots to go down,” said Duncan, who logged his 29th double-double and lifted his team-high scoring average to 20.6 points per game. “I was just trying to take it to the basket, and luckily enough shots went down.”

The victory was the Spurs’ NBA-leading ninth this season in games decided by three points or less, and it was much-needed given the obstacle course ahead. The Spurs embark today on a three-game road trip that reads like an abridged version of the Western Conference playoffs: the Lakers on Sunday, Utah on Tuesday, Phoenix on Thursday.

Devin Harris scored 27 points and Vince Carter had 26 for the Nets, who dropped their fifth straight game to fall to 19-24 but made the Spurs work until the end.

Michael Finley finally gave the Spurs breathing room with 22.6 seconds left, taking a pass from Manu Ginobili and burying a corner 3-pointer to make it 90-86. Roger Mason Jr. made four foul shots in the last 15.7 seconds to salt the game away.

Well, almost.

The Spurs thought they had the game won after inbounding to Ginobili with 1.2 seconds to go. After a review, however, officials ruled Ginobili had lost the ball out of bounds.

They reset the clock to 0.2 seconds and handed the Nets the ball behind by three.

However, Carter was apparently unaware that, by rule, he only had time enough to tap the ball, not catch and shoot. As soon as he grasped the ball, officials waved the game over.

Carter’s incomplete grasp of the rules wasn’t the major reason the Nets lost. Duncan was.

“Duncan was a beast,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank said.

Informed of Payton’s nationally televised comments about the beast called Duncan, his teammates were incredulous.

“A lot of guys get out of the game and forget they played the game,” Finley said.

“Has he not seen Tim play this year?” Mason wondered.

The Spurs can only imagine Payton was watching Friday.

When things got dicey in the fourth quarter, the Spurs went to Duncan. He threw in a 14-footer off the glass, then provided an instant replay from 15 feet. Blitzed on the next possession, he dished to a cutting Finley, who drew a foul and made two free throws. Moments later, Duncan threw in a jump hook.

“New Jersey wanted to win badly,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Timmy wasn’t going to let that happen.”

It was, by any stretch of the imagination, an All-Star kind of performance.

“Everybody can have an opinion,” Parker said. “We all know Timmy’s an All-Star.”

[honestfool84]

The victory was the Spurs' NBA-leading ninth this season in games decided by three points or less, against two losses.

WOW.