timvp
03-15-2009, 03:19 PM
In the next installment of the seemingly always low scoring and hard fought rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, the Spurs were able to pull away late in the contest due to clutch plays on both ends of the court.
With the game tied at 77 with five minutes remaining, the two healthy members of the Big Three took over. Tim Duncan connected on a banker and then Tony Parker scored the final nine points for the Spurs. All three of Parker’s buckets came courtesy of assists from Duncan. After a late defensive stand in which the Spurs withstood three-point attempts from Ron Artest and Aaron Brooks, the final score of 88-85 was decided.
It’s not a big surprise that the Rockets are better without Tracy McGrady. With McGrady out, Houston is forced to look for Yao Ming more often – and that is a good thing. Artest, Brooks and Von Wafer off the bench can supply the needed perimeter scoring and the rest of the role players get more touches. While the Rockets aren't a true championship contender this season, they have a shot of making it to the second round.
For the Spurs, this was an important W. The disappointing performance against the Lakers can now be forgotten and the Spurs can go ahead in their quest to put their stamp on the second seed in the Western Conference.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
33 minutes, 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals
7-for-18 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
In the first half, Tim Duncan was 2-for-8 from the field and appeared totally out of rhythm. The good news was he didn’t appear to be hampered by injury, unlike against the Lakers. In the second half, Duncan stepped it up. In his eight and a half minutes in the fourth quarter, Duncan had six points, four rebounds and those three important assists to Parker. Overall, his recovery from the quadriceps tendonosis looked promising on the night.
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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
38 minutes, 28 points, eight assists, four rebounds
10-for-23 from the field, 8-for-9 at the line
All things considered, Tony Parker played a very good game. However, if you break it down, you’ll realize that he was extremely streaky on the night. After knocking down 5-of-7 shots to begin the game, Parker then missed eight of his next nine field goal attempts. Late in the contest, Parker regained his rhythm and carried the Spurs to the victory. Defensively, he didn’t give enough respect to Brooks’ jumper to begin the game. His effort on that end got better as the game progressed. Parker also passed the ball very well and he rediscovered his free throw stroke.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
30 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
The Rockets once again did a great job of taking Roger Mason, Jr. out of the game. In three games against the Rockets, Mason has only been able to shoot 18 times. The defensive strategy for Houston was to not double off of him and to trap any Mason initiated pick-and-rolls. When he was at shooting guard, Mason literally didn’t get any open looks. The only time he could find any airspace was when he shot quickly after coming off of a screen. Defensively, Mason didn’t have a very good game. He was a step slow and compounded the issue by reaching after he found himself out of position.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
37 minutes, 17 points, four rebounds
6-for-14 from the field, 5-for-7 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had his second consecutive positive performance. Although he seemed to run out of gas at some point in the third quarter, Finley hit five key three-pointers. He also showed good speed and athleticism when running the court and his effort on defense was noteworthy. Compared to last season, Finley is moving much better. Let’s hope he can save some gas for the postseason.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
29 minutes, two points, ten rebounds, two assists
1-for-6 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner hit double digits in rebounding for the first time since January 17th against the Bobcats. He seemed extra focused on becoming a factor on the glass and even had an impressive block. Offensively, Bonner didn’t look too comfortable. Like Mason, Bonner didn’t get many open looks. He forced the issue a few times off the dribble and basically just looked frazzled most of the time offensively. It should be noted that since the Spurs signed Drew Gooden, Bonner is shooting just 29.2% from the floor and 25% from beyond the three-point arc. Is Bonner feeling the pressure? It’s hard to argue against his shooting numbers over the last five games.
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Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
25 minutes, two points, three rebounds, two assists
1-for-3 from the field
Ime Udoka’s brawn was useful against Ron Artest on Saturday night. Udoka was able to keep him from punishing the Spurs in the low block and instead forced Artest to the perimeter. Although Udoka didn’t do much offensively, he also didn’t exhibit the poor shot selection that sometimes haunts him. Since re-entering the rotation five games ago, Udoka is averaging 22.8 minutes, 7.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point arc.
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Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
19 minutes, two points, three rebounds
0-for-1 from the field
Kurt Thomas continues to be a positive force for the Spurs. Night in and night out, Thomas is giving quality minutes. Against the Rockets, his hard-hitting play allowed the Spurs to stay strong when the two bench units matched up. Since the start of January, Thomas has been a very productive bench piece.
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Drew Gooden
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3602.jpg
15 minutes, 13 points, four rebounds
5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-4 from the line
In his first extended playing time with the Spurs, Drew Gooden was impressive. He showed off his talents on the block and in the pick-and-rolls. When Duncan rested, Gooden actually did a decent Duncan impression to keep the offense flowing. Defensively, Gooden wasn’t great but he seemed willing to battle and he also hit the boards. On the whole, it’s difficult to not be excited by Gooden’s first 20 minutes in a Spurs uniform.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
15 minutes, four points, one rebound
2-for-3 from the field
George Hill continues to be a ball of energy off the bench. His defense was again very good and he helped out with a pair of well-timed buckets on the offensive end. Since his transition to the shooting guard position, Hill’s defense has been much improved and his shooting percentages are on the rise. As a backup two guard, he’s hitting 56.5% of his shots from the field and is 3-for-3 on three-pointers.
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Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
Four seconds
Bruce Bowen only played four seconds – the last four seconds of the game. To his credit, he actually made a heady rotation on that last play to deny the shot the Rockets drew up for Brent Barry. It’s tough to figure out if this is the beginning of the end for Bowen or if Pop just went elsewhere due to matchups.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop coached a good game. Surprisingly enough, Pop actually coached like he cared whether or not the Spurs came out on top. His rotations were more orderly than have been the case recently and his playcalling was good. I especially liked how he utilized Drew Gooden. When Gooden was on the court, Pop played to Gooden’s strengths offensively and covered his weaknesses defensively.
-------------------------------
Offense
The Spurs scored between 20 and 24 points in each quarter. Perhaps their best offensive showing of the game came late when Duncan and Parker took the reins and drove the Spurs to victory. On the night, the Spurs shot 42% from the field, hit 6-of-9 three-pointers and turned the ball over only ten times. Their 17 assists and 17 free throw attempts were both low, but those numbers are understandable because the Rockets were forcing the Spurs to play more one-on-one basketball than normal.
Defense
Outside of the 17-2 spurt the Spurs gave up in the third quarter, the defense was very good. They didn’t back down and gave good effort from the beginning of the game. The Rockets shot 41.8% from the field, handed out only 14 assists and got to the line just 18 times. What kept the Rockets in the game was their 7-for-17 three-point shooting and their 45-41 advantage on the glass.
Drive to Five
It’s always good to beat the Rockets. Next up on the agenda is a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. These are both important games for the Spurs to get as they wait for Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan to get healthy.
Believe.
With the game tied at 77 with five minutes remaining, the two healthy members of the Big Three took over. Tim Duncan connected on a banker and then Tony Parker scored the final nine points for the Spurs. All three of Parker’s buckets came courtesy of assists from Duncan. After a late defensive stand in which the Spurs withstood three-point attempts from Ron Artest and Aaron Brooks, the final score of 88-85 was decided.
It’s not a big surprise that the Rockets are better without Tracy McGrady. With McGrady out, Houston is forced to look for Yao Ming more often – and that is a good thing. Artest, Brooks and Von Wafer off the bench can supply the needed perimeter scoring and the rest of the role players get more touches. While the Rockets aren't a true championship contender this season, they have a shot of making it to the second round.
For the Spurs, this was an important W. The disappointing performance against the Lakers can now be forgotten and the Spurs can go ahead in their quest to put their stamp on the second seed in the Western Conference.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
33 minutes, 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals
7-for-18 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
In the first half, Tim Duncan was 2-for-8 from the field and appeared totally out of rhythm. The good news was he didn’t appear to be hampered by injury, unlike against the Lakers. In the second half, Duncan stepped it up. In his eight and a half minutes in the fourth quarter, Duncan had six points, four rebounds and those three important assists to Parker. Overall, his recovery from the quadriceps tendonosis looked promising on the night.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
38 minutes, 28 points, eight assists, four rebounds
10-for-23 from the field, 8-for-9 at the line
All things considered, Tony Parker played a very good game. However, if you break it down, you’ll realize that he was extremely streaky on the night. After knocking down 5-of-7 shots to begin the game, Parker then missed eight of his next nine field goal attempts. Late in the contest, Parker regained his rhythm and carried the Spurs to the victory. Defensively, he didn’t give enough respect to Brooks’ jumper to begin the game. His effort on that end got better as the game progressed. Parker also passed the ball very well and he rediscovered his free throw stroke.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
30 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
The Rockets once again did a great job of taking Roger Mason, Jr. out of the game. In three games against the Rockets, Mason has only been able to shoot 18 times. The defensive strategy for Houston was to not double off of him and to trap any Mason initiated pick-and-rolls. When he was at shooting guard, Mason literally didn’t get any open looks. The only time he could find any airspace was when he shot quickly after coming off of a screen. Defensively, Mason didn’t have a very good game. He was a step slow and compounded the issue by reaching after he found himself out of position.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
37 minutes, 17 points, four rebounds
6-for-14 from the field, 5-for-7 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had his second consecutive positive performance. Although he seemed to run out of gas at some point in the third quarter, Finley hit five key three-pointers. He also showed good speed and athleticism when running the court and his effort on defense was noteworthy. Compared to last season, Finley is moving much better. Let’s hope he can save some gas for the postseason.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
29 minutes, two points, ten rebounds, two assists
1-for-6 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner hit double digits in rebounding for the first time since January 17th against the Bobcats. He seemed extra focused on becoming a factor on the glass and even had an impressive block. Offensively, Bonner didn’t look too comfortable. Like Mason, Bonner didn’t get many open looks. He forced the issue a few times off the dribble and basically just looked frazzled most of the time offensively. It should be noted that since the Spurs signed Drew Gooden, Bonner is shooting just 29.2% from the floor and 25% from beyond the three-point arc. Is Bonner feeling the pressure? It’s hard to argue against his shooting numbers over the last five games.
-------------------------------
Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
25 minutes, two points, three rebounds, two assists
1-for-3 from the field
Ime Udoka’s brawn was useful against Ron Artest on Saturday night. Udoka was able to keep him from punishing the Spurs in the low block and instead forced Artest to the perimeter. Although Udoka didn’t do much offensively, he also didn’t exhibit the poor shot selection that sometimes haunts him. Since re-entering the rotation five games ago, Udoka is averaging 22.8 minutes, 7.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point arc.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
19 minutes, two points, three rebounds
0-for-1 from the field
Kurt Thomas continues to be a positive force for the Spurs. Night in and night out, Thomas is giving quality minutes. Against the Rockets, his hard-hitting play allowed the Spurs to stay strong when the two bench units matched up. Since the start of January, Thomas has been a very productive bench piece.
-------------------------------
Drew Gooden
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3602.jpg
15 minutes, 13 points, four rebounds
5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-4 from the line
In his first extended playing time with the Spurs, Drew Gooden was impressive. He showed off his talents on the block and in the pick-and-rolls. When Duncan rested, Gooden actually did a decent Duncan impression to keep the offense flowing. Defensively, Gooden wasn’t great but he seemed willing to battle and he also hit the boards. On the whole, it’s difficult to not be excited by Gooden’s first 20 minutes in a Spurs uniform.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
15 minutes, four points, one rebound
2-for-3 from the field
George Hill continues to be a ball of energy off the bench. His defense was again very good and he helped out with a pair of well-timed buckets on the offensive end. Since his transition to the shooting guard position, Hill’s defense has been much improved and his shooting percentages are on the rise. As a backup two guard, he’s hitting 56.5% of his shots from the field and is 3-for-3 on three-pointers.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
Four seconds
Bruce Bowen only played four seconds – the last four seconds of the game. To his credit, he actually made a heady rotation on that last play to deny the shot the Rockets drew up for Brent Barry. It’s tough to figure out if this is the beginning of the end for Bowen or if Pop just went elsewhere due to matchups.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop coached a good game. Surprisingly enough, Pop actually coached like he cared whether or not the Spurs came out on top. His rotations were more orderly than have been the case recently and his playcalling was good. I especially liked how he utilized Drew Gooden. When Gooden was on the court, Pop played to Gooden’s strengths offensively and covered his weaknesses defensively.
-------------------------------
Offense
The Spurs scored between 20 and 24 points in each quarter. Perhaps their best offensive showing of the game came late when Duncan and Parker took the reins and drove the Spurs to victory. On the night, the Spurs shot 42% from the field, hit 6-of-9 three-pointers and turned the ball over only ten times. Their 17 assists and 17 free throw attempts were both low, but those numbers are understandable because the Rockets were forcing the Spurs to play more one-on-one basketball than normal.
Defense
Outside of the 17-2 spurt the Spurs gave up in the third quarter, the defense was very good. They didn’t back down and gave good effort from the beginning of the game. The Rockets shot 41.8% from the field, handed out only 14 assists and got to the line just 18 times. What kept the Rockets in the game was their 7-for-17 three-point shooting and their 45-41 advantage on the glass.
Drive to Five
It’s always good to beat the Rockets. Next up on the agenda is a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. These are both important games for the Spurs to get as they wait for Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan to get healthy.
Believe.