duncan228
04-11-2009, 08:51 PM
Improving Duncan ditches knee braces (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Improving_Duncan_ditches_knee_braces.html)
Jeff McDonald
SACRAMENTO, Calif. Tim Duncan has eschewed the twin knee braces he had been wearing since early February, which could mean only one of two things.
Either Duncan is tired of looking like a 1980s throwback, or his sore knees are finally beginning to feel better. Good news for the Spurs: Duncan says it is the latter.
In the aftermath of the Spurs' victory over Utah on Friday night, an upbeat Duncan said the tendonosis that has plagued his right knee since the All-Star break is showing signs of dissipating.
I'm getting my right leg back, said Duncan, who will still wear a sleeve on his left knee, which underwent surgery following the 1999-2000 season. (The pain) is basically gone, so it was good to be out there without a brace on and kind of play well.
Duncan had 14 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes, 23 seconds against the Jazz.
It came two nights after he managed just four points in a loss to Portland on the second night of a back-to-back. In that game, coach Gregg Popovich had to pull Duncan in the fourth quarter due to health concerns.
I ask him quite often how he's feeling, Popovich said. As long as it's not a back-to-back, he's usually in decent shape.
Popovich will have another difficult Duncan decision to make this weekend, as the Spurs face their final back-to-back of the season at Sacramento and Golden State.
Do it yourself: A key moment in the Spurs' victory over the Jazz came in the second half, after Utah had rallied from 15 points down to tie the game.
Popovich did not call timeout, opting instead to let his team find its own way through the rough patch.
That was a big step for us, Duncan said. We need to start relying on each other and stopping runs and making plays in the midst of runs.
Bench brigade: Drew Gooden scored 14 points off the bench against the Jazz, and Ime Udoka chipped in 13, the first time in seven games the Spurs had multiple reserves score in double figures.
The Spurs could use such bench production with Manu Ginobili out for the season. Though Ginobili had been in the starting lineup before hitting the injured list, he still logged many of his minutes with the second unit.
Manu does so many things out there, we're not trying to emulate what he does, said Udoka, who made three of his five 3-point tries. It's a matter of everyone stepping up their game, trying to be more aggressive, bringing what we do to the table.
Jeff McDonald
SACRAMENTO, Calif. Tim Duncan has eschewed the twin knee braces he had been wearing since early February, which could mean only one of two things.
Either Duncan is tired of looking like a 1980s throwback, or his sore knees are finally beginning to feel better. Good news for the Spurs: Duncan says it is the latter.
In the aftermath of the Spurs' victory over Utah on Friday night, an upbeat Duncan said the tendonosis that has plagued his right knee since the All-Star break is showing signs of dissipating.
I'm getting my right leg back, said Duncan, who will still wear a sleeve on his left knee, which underwent surgery following the 1999-2000 season. (The pain) is basically gone, so it was good to be out there without a brace on and kind of play well.
Duncan had 14 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes, 23 seconds against the Jazz.
It came two nights after he managed just four points in a loss to Portland on the second night of a back-to-back. In that game, coach Gregg Popovich had to pull Duncan in the fourth quarter due to health concerns.
I ask him quite often how he's feeling, Popovich said. As long as it's not a back-to-back, he's usually in decent shape.
Popovich will have another difficult Duncan decision to make this weekend, as the Spurs face their final back-to-back of the season at Sacramento and Golden State.
Do it yourself: A key moment in the Spurs' victory over the Jazz came in the second half, after Utah had rallied from 15 points down to tie the game.
Popovich did not call timeout, opting instead to let his team find its own way through the rough patch.
That was a big step for us, Duncan said. We need to start relying on each other and stopping runs and making plays in the midst of runs.
Bench brigade: Drew Gooden scored 14 points off the bench against the Jazz, and Ime Udoka chipped in 13, the first time in seven games the Spurs had multiple reserves score in double figures.
The Spurs could use such bench production with Manu Ginobili out for the season. Though Ginobili had been in the starting lineup before hitting the injured list, he still logged many of his minutes with the second unit.
Manu does so many things out there, we're not trying to emulate what he does, said Udoka, who made three of his five 3-point tries. It's a matter of everyone stepping up their game, trying to be more aggressive, bringing what we do to the table.