Spurs At Pacers Previews

[duncan228]

Friday: Spurs (48-26) at Pacers (32-43) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Friday_Spurs_48-26_at_Pacers_32-43.html)

Time: 6 p.m.
TV: KMYS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - PACERS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 1 Jarrett Jack (6-3, 4th yr)
With Ginobili back, Parker's scoring opportunities should see slight dip.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 25 Brandon Rush (6-5, 1st yr)
If Ginobili is going to be a starter, bench needs to pick it up without him.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 33 Danny Granger (6-9, 4th yr)
Granger has raised his ppg nearly 11 points over past two seasons.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 10 Jeff Foster (6-11, 10th yr)
Duncan calls Foster a tough defender; Foster's foot might keep him out.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 55 Roy Hibbert (7-2, 1st yr)
Since about mid-February, Pacers letting big rookie learn on the fly.

SPURS RESERVES

12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
90 Drew Gooden, F, 6-10, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 5th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr

PACERS RESERVES

9 Maceo Baston, F/C, 6-10, 4th yr
12 Travis Diener, G, 6-1, 4th yr
5 T.J. Ford, G, 6-0, 5th yr
23 Stephen Graham, F, 6-6, 4th yr
32 Josh McRoberts, F, 6-10, 2nd yr
3 Troy Murphy, F, 6-11, 8th yr
8 Rasho Nesterovic, C, 7-0, 11th yr

COACHES

Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Pacers: Jim O'Brien

INJURIES

Spurs: None

Pacers: Marquis Daniels (sprained left wrist) and Mike Dunleavy (right knee surgery) are out. Foster (sore left foot) is questionable.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Malik Hairston, Fabricio Oberto

Pacers: Daniels, Dunleavy

NOTABLE

After stumbling through a 9-8 March, the Spurs are looking to pick up steam in April. It won't be easy. Five of their eight games in the month are away, with the three home games coming against playoff-bound foes. ... The Pacers have won four of five since a five-game losing streak in mid-March. They have scored at least 100 points in three of the four victories. ... The Spurs are looking to avert their first three-game losing streak since opening the season 0-3.

- Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

San Antonio (48-26) at Indiana (32-43) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2009040311&prov=ap)
Game info: 7:00 pm EDT Fri Apr 3, 2009
TV: My35, FSIN
By Alan Ferguson

Miscommunication and a missed opportunity in the final seconds helped drop the San Antonio Spurs down a spot in the Western Conference standings. The Indiana Pacers’ performance in the clutch in their previous win boosted their faint playoff hopes.

While they have handled the Pacers over the last four seasons, the Spurs might be catching them at the wrong time.

Looking to maintain its slim Southwest Division lead, San Antonio will attempt to avoid tying its longest losing streak this season Friday night at Indiana, which is trying to match its longest win streak.

Following consecutive losses, the Spurs’ advantage over Houston in the Southwest is down to a half game, and a 96-95 defeat on Tuesday to visiting Oklahoma City dropped them behind Denver in a highly-contested race for the No. 2 seed in the West. Clinching its 12th consecutive postseason appearance later that night due to tiebreakers, San Antonio (48-26) comes into Friday’s play one game behind the Nuggets.

After Tim Duncan blocked a shot by the Thunder’s Jeff Green with 13 seconds left, San Antonio didn’t call a timeout to set up the final play. The Spurs struggled to find an open shooter before Michael Finley’s attempt went off the rim.

Duncan deemed it “a mental lapse,” and San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said the team should have “absolutely” called a timeout.

“We’re really struggling right now,” said Duncan, who led the Spurs with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. “We’re going through a really bad time, and not the right time of year to do that. We have to take personal responsibility and step up and change what’s happening out here.”

The Spurs are 5-6 since March 12 with their losses all coming by single digits, but they haven’t dropped three straight since beginning the season 0-3. San Antonio, which plays five of its final eight away from home, have alternated losses and wins in seven March road games and travel to NBA-leading Cleveland on Sunday.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are searching for their third straight win and fourth in a row at home.

While the Spurs’ loss came under confusing circumstances, Indiana rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter Tuesday against visiting Chicago and posted a 107-105 victory on T.J. Ford’s basket with 3.9 seconds left.

Its fourth win in five games moved Indiana (32-43) to within 3 1/2 games of the eighth-place Bulls, and it was the 16th victory in the last 21 home games for the Pacers, who have five of their remaining seven at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“Just trying to win, man, just trying to win,” Ford said. “We don’t want to give up. People are still coming out to support us, and we want to put on a show. I don’t think anybody is playing to lose.”

Ford had 22 points and nine assists off the bench, and Danny Granger led Indiana with 31 points for his third consecutive 30-point performance. Granger remains sixth in the league with 25.1 points per game, but was held to 17 on 5-of-15 shooting in a 99-81 loss on Jan. 20 in San Antonio.

In their third consecutive win over Indiana, the Spurs limited the Pacers to 37.0 shooting and their second-lowest point total this season.

San Antonio has won five of the last six meetings by an average of 15.2 points.

Notes

Spurs:

The Spurs are two victories away from their 10th consecutive 50-win season, a feat accomplished only by Boston (1958-1969) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1991). ... C Tim Duncan recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, his 45th of the season. ... San Antonio has lost two straight to the Thunder and play in Oklahoma City again next Tuesday.

Pacers:

F Danny Granger collided with Chicago's Kirk Hinrich in the opening minutes of the game, and both left the game. They both returned late in the quarter with stitches - Granger's over his left eye and Hinrich's over his right. ... Indiana G Marquis Daniels sat out with a sprained right wrist. ... F-C Josh McRoberts tied a career high with 10 points.

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Tony Parker SA 21.7
Danny Granger Ind 25.1

Rebounds

Tim Duncan SA 10.6
Troy Murphy Ind 11.8

Assists

Tony Parker SA 6.9
T.J. Ford Ind 5.3

Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10

San Antonio 48-26 1st Southwest / 3rd West 96.8 93.0 Road 22-14 Lost 2 5-5

Indiana 32-43 4th Central / 10th East 104.0 105.8 Home 22-14 Won 2 4-6

[Brutalis]

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 1 Jarrett Jack (6-3, 4th yr)
With Ginobili back, Parker's scoring opportunities should see slight dip.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 25 Brandon Rush (6-5, 1st yr)
If Ginobili is going to be a starter, bench needs to pick it up without him.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 33 Danny Granger (6-9, 4th yr)
Granger has raised his ppg nearly 11 points over past two seasons.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 10 Jeff Foster (6-11, 10th yr)
Duncan calls Foster a tough defender; Foster's foot might keep him out.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 55 Roy Hibbert (7-2, 1st yr)
Since about mid-February, Pacers letting big rookie learn on the fly.

SPURS RESERVES

12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
90 Drew Gooden, F, 6-10, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 5th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr


Manu Ginobili?

[duncan228]

Manu Ginobili?

He's supposed to be in the starter's I think. Mason Jr. is listed twice (starter and reserve).

[Brutalis]

I don't understand how people miss that stuff.

Watch him drop 40 now. :lol

[crc21209]

Bring on a W damn it...

[quentin_compson]

We need to win this one, no matter how, just win the damn game.

:flag:

[Bukefal]

Go spurs!! I have all the faith. Kick some ass! TP needs to do what he's doing best, even if manu is back.

[timaios]

So our defensive stopper, the great Michael Finley will have the task to stop Danny Granger.
I predict a very difficult evening for Danny !
Poor guy, Michael will shut him down !!!

RIP Danny, you will always be remembered... :cry

:flag::flag::flag:

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Fri. Apr. 3
San Antonio @ Indiana: D. Crawford, C. Blair, L. Grillo

[Chomag]

This game is huge. Pop has the opportunity to put alot of doubts to rest.

Now if he does his stubborn thing and just tries again what he did last game then I have gone from officially concerned, to with out a doubt in mind officially worried.

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs (48-26) at Indiana Pacers (32-43) (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/scores/live/preview.aspx?id=11223)

(Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs will open a three-game road trip tonight against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

San Antonio will also visit Cleveland and Oklahoma City on the trek and is 22-14 away from the Alamo City this season. It currently resides atop the Southwest Division standings, just a half-game ahead of Houston and one game in front of New Orleans. The Spurs, though, are losing ground in the division after a pair of losses following a three-game winning streak.

In a 96-95 setback versus Oklahoma City Tuesday at the AT&T Center, Kevin Durant poured in a game-high 31 points to burn the Spurs, who got 21 points and 12 boards from Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobili ended with 17 points and Michael Finley added 14 points in defeat.

The Spurs are a game behind Denver for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Indiana is surprisingly alive in the postseason hunt and sits 3 1/2 games off the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. It will close out a three-game homestand Friday and has won two straight and four of five overall.

The Pacers recently recorded a 107-105 decision over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday to close in on the final postseason berth, as Danny Granger poured in a game-high 31 points and T.J. Ford buried a fadeaway jumper in the final seconds to lift Indiana to victory. Ford contributed 22 points and nine assists off the bench.

Troy Murphy added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who improved to 22-14 as the host this season. Brandon Rush ended with 11 points and Jarrett Jack had 10 with eight assists and six rebounds.

San Antonio defeated Indiana, 99-81, on January 20 at the AT&T Center and has won three straight and 17 of the past 22 matchups in the series. The Pacers have won three of the last five meetings held in Indy.

[Budkin]

Do we have any chance of winning this game?? :lmao

[poop]

This game is huge. Pop has the opportunity to put alot of doubts to rest.

Now if he does his stubborn thing and just tries again what he did last game then I have gone from officially concerned, to with out a doubt in mind officially worried.

couldnt agree more.

if he continues to start bonner and finely, and sit bowen and hill, we know for sure hes lost it.