duncan228
02-03-2009, 02:22 AM
Spurs kick off road trip with OT victory (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_kick_off_road_trip_with_OT_victory.html)
Jeff McDonald
OAKLAND, Calif. For the past few games, Manu Ginobili has played with a singular focus: Get to the foul line.
It's an easy two points, without having to sweat too much, Ginobili said. It helps you get into a groove a little bit.
The Spurs didn't escape Oracle Arena without a sweat Monday night. But, thanks in part to Ginobili's work at the foul line, they escaped with a victory and are certainly in a groove.
Ginobili scored a season-high 32 points, getting 11 of them on free throws, as the Spurs kicked off their rodeo road trip in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Golden State 110-105 in overtime.
Tim Duncan matched his season high with 32 points and added 15 rebounds before fouling out in the extra period. Tony Parker scored 23 points for the Spurs, who won their fourth in a row. In combination with New Orleans' loss to Portland, it allowed the Spurs (33-14) to open up a four-game lead in the Southwest Division.
It was Ginobili who kept the Spurs afloat during a Warriors outburst in the third quarter he scored 17 of his points in that frame and, ultimately, Ginobili who sent the game to overtime.
True to his pregame plan, Ginobili forced the extra period from the foul line. With the Spurs behind by two in the late seconds, Ginobili drove at Golden State shot-blocker Ronny Turiaf, initiating contact and drawing a foul call that had the Warriors' bench howling.
Ginobili who earlier in the game had his streak of made free throws stopped at 40 sank both of them to knot the game.
When Duncan threw in a jump hook on the first possession of the extra period, it marked the Spurs' first lead since the first half. They would not trail again.
I don't know if we could have played much better than we played, Golden State coach Don Nelson said. When you have a team on the ropes, you've just got to close them out.
Once the game got to overtime, it became a must-win for the Spurs. Set to resume the road trip on short rest at high altitude against Northwest Division-leading Denver tonight, the Spurs could ill afford to exhaust their tank and lose.
Of course, once the game got to overtime, the Spurs also had the Warriors (15-34) right where they wanted them. The Spurs are now a perfect 4-0 in OT games this season. It didn't even seem to matter that Duncan fouled out with 3:17 left.
The Spurs survived an uncharacteristically sloppy night, committing a season-high 20 turnovers leading to 27 Golden State points but none in overtime. They also survived what is starting to become a typical night from ex-Spur Stephen Jackson every time he faces his former team in Oakland.
Jackson, who averaged 24.5 points against the Spurs at Oracle Arena last season, threw in 16 in the third quarter alone Monday. He finished with 33 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Back-to-back Jackson 3-pointers gave the Warriors a 10-point lead early in the third quarter.
The Spurs' gap would grow to a dozen before somebody lit the fuse on Ginobili.
Shifting into attack mode, Ginobili one-upped Jackson, going for 17 of his points in the third quarter. Ginobili had two old-fashioned 3-point plays, and missed a chance at a third when he clanked the foul shot, breaking his free-throw streak.
A deep Ginobili 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left in the quarter brought the Spurs within four, the same deficit they had faced at half.
When it came time to win the game, the Spurs did so with defense.
Down by 12 early in the fourth, the Spurs held the Warriors without a point for six minutes to get back in the game, then again held them scoreless for the first 21/2 minutes of overtime to seize command.
We're playing pretty well right now on the defensive end of the court, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. If we can continue that, we'll be in decent shape.
Jeff McDonald
OAKLAND, Calif. For the past few games, Manu Ginobili has played with a singular focus: Get to the foul line.
It's an easy two points, without having to sweat too much, Ginobili said. It helps you get into a groove a little bit.
The Spurs didn't escape Oracle Arena without a sweat Monday night. But, thanks in part to Ginobili's work at the foul line, they escaped with a victory and are certainly in a groove.
Ginobili scored a season-high 32 points, getting 11 of them on free throws, as the Spurs kicked off their rodeo road trip in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Golden State 110-105 in overtime.
Tim Duncan matched his season high with 32 points and added 15 rebounds before fouling out in the extra period. Tony Parker scored 23 points for the Spurs, who won their fourth in a row. In combination with New Orleans' loss to Portland, it allowed the Spurs (33-14) to open up a four-game lead in the Southwest Division.
It was Ginobili who kept the Spurs afloat during a Warriors outburst in the third quarter he scored 17 of his points in that frame and, ultimately, Ginobili who sent the game to overtime.
True to his pregame plan, Ginobili forced the extra period from the foul line. With the Spurs behind by two in the late seconds, Ginobili drove at Golden State shot-blocker Ronny Turiaf, initiating contact and drawing a foul call that had the Warriors' bench howling.
Ginobili who earlier in the game had his streak of made free throws stopped at 40 sank both of them to knot the game.
When Duncan threw in a jump hook on the first possession of the extra period, it marked the Spurs' first lead since the first half. They would not trail again.
I don't know if we could have played much better than we played, Golden State coach Don Nelson said. When you have a team on the ropes, you've just got to close them out.
Once the game got to overtime, it became a must-win for the Spurs. Set to resume the road trip on short rest at high altitude against Northwest Division-leading Denver tonight, the Spurs could ill afford to exhaust their tank and lose.
Of course, once the game got to overtime, the Spurs also had the Warriors (15-34) right where they wanted them. The Spurs are now a perfect 4-0 in OT games this season. It didn't even seem to matter that Duncan fouled out with 3:17 left.
The Spurs survived an uncharacteristically sloppy night, committing a season-high 20 turnovers leading to 27 Golden State points but none in overtime. They also survived what is starting to become a typical night from ex-Spur Stephen Jackson every time he faces his former team in Oakland.
Jackson, who averaged 24.5 points against the Spurs at Oracle Arena last season, threw in 16 in the third quarter alone Monday. He finished with 33 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Back-to-back Jackson 3-pointers gave the Warriors a 10-point lead early in the third quarter.
The Spurs' gap would grow to a dozen before somebody lit the fuse on Ginobili.
Shifting into attack mode, Ginobili one-upped Jackson, going for 17 of his points in the third quarter. Ginobili had two old-fashioned 3-point plays, and missed a chance at a third when he clanked the foul shot, breaking his free-throw streak.
A deep Ginobili 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left in the quarter brought the Spurs within four, the same deficit they had faced at half.
When it came time to win the game, the Spurs did so with defense.
Down by 12 early in the fourth, the Spurs held the Warriors without a point for six minutes to get back in the game, then again held them scoreless for the first 21/2 minutes of overtime to seize command.
We're playing pretty well right now on the defensive end of the court, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. If we can continue that, we'll be in decent shape.