duncan228
04-08-2009, 12:00 AM
Spurs don't panic yet (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_dont_panic_yet.html)
Mike Monroe
OKLAHOMA CITY — Before his team took the court to play an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had beaten it twice in the month of March, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called the loss of star guard Manu Ginobili for the season a “shock to the system.”
In need of some healing, the Spurs got the therapy they required from team captain Tim Duncan.
In their first game since getting the bad news about Ginobili's stress fracture, Duncan was his aggressive, All-Star self. The result was a 99-89 Spurs victory at Ford Center that allowed them to maintain their spot in third place in the Western Conference.
It was their 50th victory of the season, assuring them their 10th consecutive season with at least that many.
Historical milestones mattered less Tuesday than the immediate future. With Houston and Portland also winning Tuesday night, a loss would have dropped the Spurs to fifth place in the West with just five regular season games left.
But a loss would have been even more harmful to the Spurs' collective psyche than their place in the standings, and Popovich knew it. Before tipoff, he had determined that Duncan would play “as much as it took to get the win.”
That turned out to be 32 minutes and 49 seconds, which produced 25 points and 15 rebounds.
Tuesday's game was, said Popovich, “a necessary and big game for us that we needed to win.”
The coach's pregame admonition to the Spurs was a challenge to respond to Ginobili's loss with determination and defiance.
“It's about attitude,” Popovich said. “We can do the best possible job we can of believing in each other and put out the effort that's required to win basketball games, or we can feel sorry for ourselves and say, ‘Gosh, without Manu it's going to be really difficult to reach our goals.'”
Point guard Tony Parker said the look in Duncan's eyes on the Spurs' first few possessions told him everything he needed to know about the Spurs' captain's approach to playing without Ginobili.
“From the get-go, you saw it in his eyes that he was going to attack the basket,” Parker said. “He took 20 shots, and it had been a long time since he took 20 shots.
“It was great to see him being aggressive.”
Indeed, it had been six games since Duncan had taken at least 20 shots in a night. That was also a key road victory, an 87-85 win in Houston.
As efficient as Duncan was at the offensive end, it was defensive effort in the second half that turned a 51-50 halftime lead into a relatively comfortable nine-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter. After watching the Thunder make their first six shots of the third quarter, running their shooting percentage up to 55.5, the Spurs locked down on defense and allowed only nine more field goals in the final 20 minutes.
They did it with a lineup that included defensive ace Bruce Bowen, back in Popovich's plans in the aftermath of Ginobili's injury. Ime Udoka, another player whose court time is earned at the defensive end, was on the floor for 15 of the 24 second-half minutes.
“It's the same lineup we used when Manu was out before,' Popovich said. “That's who's there. It's the exact same rotation.”
The Spurs got an offensive boost from Drew Gooden, the March free agent signee who is beginning to find a comfort zone at just the right time. He scored 20 points in nearly 29 minutes, playing deep into the fourth quarter of a close game for the first time since joining the Spurs.
“I thought he was playing well, feeling more comfortable in the system,” Popovich said. “The guys are getting more confidence in him, and I thought he needed to be rewarded, as well as he was playing at both ends of the floor.”
Mike Monroe
OKLAHOMA CITY — Before his team took the court to play an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had beaten it twice in the month of March, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called the loss of star guard Manu Ginobili for the season a “shock to the system.”
In need of some healing, the Spurs got the therapy they required from team captain Tim Duncan.
In their first game since getting the bad news about Ginobili's stress fracture, Duncan was his aggressive, All-Star self. The result was a 99-89 Spurs victory at Ford Center that allowed them to maintain their spot in third place in the Western Conference.
It was their 50th victory of the season, assuring them their 10th consecutive season with at least that many.
Historical milestones mattered less Tuesday than the immediate future. With Houston and Portland also winning Tuesday night, a loss would have dropped the Spurs to fifth place in the West with just five regular season games left.
But a loss would have been even more harmful to the Spurs' collective psyche than their place in the standings, and Popovich knew it. Before tipoff, he had determined that Duncan would play “as much as it took to get the win.”
That turned out to be 32 minutes and 49 seconds, which produced 25 points and 15 rebounds.
Tuesday's game was, said Popovich, “a necessary and big game for us that we needed to win.”
The coach's pregame admonition to the Spurs was a challenge to respond to Ginobili's loss with determination and defiance.
“It's about attitude,” Popovich said. “We can do the best possible job we can of believing in each other and put out the effort that's required to win basketball games, or we can feel sorry for ourselves and say, ‘Gosh, without Manu it's going to be really difficult to reach our goals.'”
Point guard Tony Parker said the look in Duncan's eyes on the Spurs' first few possessions told him everything he needed to know about the Spurs' captain's approach to playing without Ginobili.
“From the get-go, you saw it in his eyes that he was going to attack the basket,” Parker said. “He took 20 shots, and it had been a long time since he took 20 shots.
“It was great to see him being aggressive.”
Indeed, it had been six games since Duncan had taken at least 20 shots in a night. That was also a key road victory, an 87-85 win in Houston.
As efficient as Duncan was at the offensive end, it was defensive effort in the second half that turned a 51-50 halftime lead into a relatively comfortable nine-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter. After watching the Thunder make their first six shots of the third quarter, running their shooting percentage up to 55.5, the Spurs locked down on defense and allowed only nine more field goals in the final 20 minutes.
They did it with a lineup that included defensive ace Bruce Bowen, back in Popovich's plans in the aftermath of Ginobili's injury. Ime Udoka, another player whose court time is earned at the defensive end, was on the floor for 15 of the 24 second-half minutes.
“It's the same lineup we used when Manu was out before,' Popovich said. “That's who's there. It's the exact same rotation.”
The Spurs got an offensive boost from Drew Gooden, the March free agent signee who is beginning to find a comfort zone at just the right time. He scored 20 points in nearly 29 minutes, playing deep into the fourth quarter of a close game for the first time since joining the Spurs.
“I thought he was playing well, feeling more comfortable in the system,” Popovich said. “The guys are getting more confidence in him, and I thought he needed to be rewarded, as well as he was playing at both ends of the floor.”