jmard5
02-09-2009, 02:26 AM
Matt Bonner’s Granite State-ment
By Rich Thompson
Monday, February 9, 2009 - Added 1m ago
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1150941&srvc=next_article
Matt Bonner’s youthful trips from Concord, N.H., to the old Boston Garden were basketball pilgrimages.
Bonner watched the Boston Shootout when it drew national attention and he cherished getting the occasional Celtics [team stats] ticket when Larry Bird was making hardwood history.
But Bonner’s trip to TD Banknorth Garden yesterday was all business and the San Antonio forward did a masterful job taking care of it. Bonner scored a season-high 23 points with eight rebounds and two assists to lead the Spurs to a 105-99 victory over the Celtics.
“One of my dad’s friends had season tickets and he would give them to us once a year, so I got to see Larry Bird and those guys play,” said Bonner. “By the time I got to play in the Shootout, it was played some place else.”
Bonner is only the second New Hampshire native to play in an NBA game and two busloads of friends and family made the 75-minute ride down Interstate 93 to watch him play.
“It meant a lot,” said Bonner. “At the end of the game when we had kind of wrapped it up, I was on the bench and I was starting to get goose bumps.
“It was such a great feeling because I didn’t get to play the last two times we were here. To be able to go out and play minutes and knock down shots and help our team win a big game means all the world.”
Bonner spent his first two years in San Antonio learning coach Gregg Popovich’s system. This season, however, Bonner has started 35 of the Spurs’ 48 games and he played 36 minutes against the Celtics, often opposite Kevin Garnett on both ends of the floor.
“Matt is taking advantage of the minutes he is given this year and positioned (himself) really well from the beginning of the season,” said Popovich.
Bonner was Popovich’s best option in the first half while the Celtics were preoccupied with the Spurs’ stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“I hit a couple where I was kind of penetrating in,” said Bonner. “I was waiting for somebody to stop me and no one ever did, so I shot it. I guess it’s not really in the scouting report that I can be a spot-up shooter.
“It was nice to be able to mix it up and get a few hoops in different ways.”
Bonner made the play of the game with 3:53 to go in the third as his 25-foot heave banked off the glass and in to cut the Celts’ lead to 72-69. He also hit a pull-up 14-footer to start a 15-6 Spurs run to the end.
“He was really good tonight and obviously he gives people problems spacing the floor,” said Duncan. “Whether they weren’t ready for him to be getting shots like that, but he’s been shooting like that all year long.”
By Rich Thompson
Monday, February 9, 2009 - Added 1m ago
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1150941&srvc=next_article
Matt Bonner’s youthful trips from Concord, N.H., to the old Boston Garden were basketball pilgrimages.
Bonner watched the Boston Shootout when it drew national attention and he cherished getting the occasional Celtics [team stats] ticket when Larry Bird was making hardwood history.
But Bonner’s trip to TD Banknorth Garden yesterday was all business and the San Antonio forward did a masterful job taking care of it. Bonner scored a season-high 23 points with eight rebounds and two assists to lead the Spurs to a 105-99 victory over the Celtics.
“One of my dad’s friends had season tickets and he would give them to us once a year, so I got to see Larry Bird and those guys play,” said Bonner. “By the time I got to play in the Shootout, it was played some place else.”
Bonner is only the second New Hampshire native to play in an NBA game and two busloads of friends and family made the 75-minute ride down Interstate 93 to watch him play.
“It meant a lot,” said Bonner. “At the end of the game when we had kind of wrapped it up, I was on the bench and I was starting to get goose bumps.
“It was such a great feeling because I didn’t get to play the last two times we were here. To be able to go out and play minutes and knock down shots and help our team win a big game means all the world.”
Bonner spent his first two years in San Antonio learning coach Gregg Popovich’s system. This season, however, Bonner has started 35 of the Spurs’ 48 games and he played 36 minutes against the Celtics, often opposite Kevin Garnett on both ends of the floor.
“Matt is taking advantage of the minutes he is given this year and positioned (himself) really well from the beginning of the season,” said Popovich.
Bonner was Popovich’s best option in the first half while the Celtics were preoccupied with the Spurs’ stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“I hit a couple where I was kind of penetrating in,” said Bonner. “I was waiting for somebody to stop me and no one ever did, so I shot it. I guess it’s not really in the scouting report that I can be a spot-up shooter.
“It was nice to be able to mix it up and get a few hoops in different ways.”
Bonner made the play of the game with 3:53 to go in the third as his 25-foot heave banked off the glass and in to cut the Celts’ lead to 72-69. He also hit a pull-up 14-footer to start a 15-6 Spurs run to the end.
“He was really good tonight and obviously he gives people problems spacing the floor,” said Duncan. “Whether they weren’t ready for him to be getting shots like that, but he’s been shooting like that all year long.”