duncan228
02-18-2009, 01:17 AM
Ginobili hampered by sore right ankle (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Ginobili_hampered_by_sore_right_ankle.html)
Jeff McDonald
NEW YORK — Unfortunately for the Spurs, Manu Ginobili's All-Star break just got a little longer.
Ginobili did not accompany the team on its trip to New York for Tuesday's game, ordered instead to stay behind for tests and treatment on a sore right ankle.
The ankle had been bothering Ginobili for a few days heading into the All-Star break. The silver lining for the Spurs is that this is not the ankle Ginobili had surgically repaired during the offseason.
“He just had some soreness,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We just wanted to make sure, so we're getting him checked out.”
Popovich admitted it was disconcerting that Ginobili's ankle was still tender after five days of rest.
If it responds to treatment, there is a chance Ginobili could re-join the team on the rest of the rodeo trip, which moves to Detroit on Thursday and concludes at Washington on Saturday. That, however, sounded unlikely Tuesday night.
Without Ginobili available, the Spurs dropped a 112-107 overtime decision in New York.
Ginobili is the Spurs' third-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game. He headed into the All-Star break on somewhat of a tear, scoring at least 30 points in three of his most recent six games.
Streaks snapped: For the Spurs, Tuesday's loss stopped a string of 33 consecutive victories when topping 100 points. The last time the Spurs lost with triple digits was Jan. 7, 2008, when they dropped a 130-121 decision at Golden State, also in overtime.
Tuesday also marked the first time in five tries the Spurs had lost in OT this season.
New York flashback: Though the Spurs lost, Spurs forward Kurt Thomas had an otherwise enjoyable return to Madison Square Garden, the arena he called home for seven seasons between 1998 and 2005.
Thomas provided 12 points off the bench in less than 16 minutes of playing time, shooting 6 of 7 from the field.
Feeling their pain: Popovich swears he had not heard of the trade that sent Tyson Chandler from New Orleans to Oklahoma City until reporters informed him of it before Tuesday's game.
The deal, which brought big men Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith to the Hornets, was made mostly to clear Chandler's $12 million contract from the New Orleans payroll.
In Oklahoma City, Hornets coach Byron Scott said he was “frustrated” by the trade that took away his starting center. In New York, Popovich felt Scott's pain.
“You want to compete every year, everybody says, to win a championship,” Popovich said. “If you're forced to dump salary, it means something had to have been happening in the past that got you in that situation. What goes around comes around, and you have to pay for it somehow. You try not to get into those situations.”
Jeff McDonald
NEW YORK — Unfortunately for the Spurs, Manu Ginobili's All-Star break just got a little longer.
Ginobili did not accompany the team on its trip to New York for Tuesday's game, ordered instead to stay behind for tests and treatment on a sore right ankle.
The ankle had been bothering Ginobili for a few days heading into the All-Star break. The silver lining for the Spurs is that this is not the ankle Ginobili had surgically repaired during the offseason.
“He just had some soreness,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We just wanted to make sure, so we're getting him checked out.”
Popovich admitted it was disconcerting that Ginobili's ankle was still tender after five days of rest.
If it responds to treatment, there is a chance Ginobili could re-join the team on the rest of the rodeo trip, which moves to Detroit on Thursday and concludes at Washington on Saturday. That, however, sounded unlikely Tuesday night.
Without Ginobili available, the Spurs dropped a 112-107 overtime decision in New York.
Ginobili is the Spurs' third-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game. He headed into the All-Star break on somewhat of a tear, scoring at least 30 points in three of his most recent six games.
Streaks snapped: For the Spurs, Tuesday's loss stopped a string of 33 consecutive victories when topping 100 points. The last time the Spurs lost with triple digits was Jan. 7, 2008, when they dropped a 130-121 decision at Golden State, also in overtime.
Tuesday also marked the first time in five tries the Spurs had lost in OT this season.
New York flashback: Though the Spurs lost, Spurs forward Kurt Thomas had an otherwise enjoyable return to Madison Square Garden, the arena he called home for seven seasons between 1998 and 2005.
Thomas provided 12 points off the bench in less than 16 minutes of playing time, shooting 6 of 7 from the field.
Feeling their pain: Popovich swears he had not heard of the trade that sent Tyson Chandler from New Orleans to Oklahoma City until reporters informed him of it before Tuesday's game.
The deal, which brought big men Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith to the Hornets, was made mostly to clear Chandler's $12 million contract from the New Orleans payroll.
In Oklahoma City, Hornets coach Byron Scott said he was “frustrated” by the trade that took away his starting center. In New York, Popovich felt Scott's pain.
“You want to compete every year, everybody says, to win a championship,” Popovich said. “If you're forced to dump salary, it means something had to have been happening in the past that got you in that situation. What goes around comes around, and you have to pay for it somehow. You try not to get into those situations.”