Monroe: Barry finds shooting touch as he torches Hawks

[Kori Ellis]

Barry finds shooting touch as he torches Hawks
Web Posted: 03/26/2005 12:00 AM CST

Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032605.4C.BKNspurs.barry.174a06a70.html

For Spurs guard Brent Barry, each success this season has been followed by a question: Has my shooting stroke returned, at last?

The latest success for Barry, a season-high 23 points in the Spurs' 111-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the SBC Center on Friday night, included five 3-pointers on just seven attempts.

It's the way things were before he joined the Spurs as a free agent in June. But they haven't been that way this season, his 3-point percentage dipping to 34.1 percent coming into Friday's game.

It's the way he wants things to be in the Spurs' final 14 regular-season games.

"I'm just trying to get myself back in rhythm," Barry said after a second consecutive game as the team's high scorer. "I've been a white guy all year — out of synch. I've not been able to get myself going. I just want to take advantage of the opportunity, with playing time, and try and find my game."

There was one moment in Friday's game that reminded Barry of the way things had been in seasons past, when every opponents' scouting report warned that he was a "no air" shooter who could not be given room to launch. Hawks rookie Josh Childress rotated off Barry to double-team Bruce Bowen, who fired a pass to a wide-open Barry for his third 3-pointer of the game.

"I heard (Hawks coach) Mike Woodson going, 'Noooo!'" Barry said. "That's how it should be."

Barry is getting additional playing time since Devin Brown has been sidelined with a back injury. Barry and Brown had been sharing time as the backup behind Manu Ginobili, a situation that seemed to affect his comfort level when he was on the court.

Brown now is on the injured list, and expected to miss another two to four weeks. What happens when Brown returns, especially if Barry does re-discover the shooting touch that made him the NBA's leader in 3-point accuracy as recently as 2000-01, will be up to the Spurs' coaches to determine.

"That's the eternal coach's Catch-22," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "That's a tough one. It's easy for a coach to say that, but when a guy's playing that way, he's going to stay on the floor."

Barry seemed to get his game going Friday not with a 3-pointer, but with a dunk. He caught a lob pass thrown from the left side of the basket by Tony Parker, over the rim on the right side of the hoop, and jammed the ball like a player who once won the NBA's slam dunk contest, which he did in 1996.

"Getting easy baskets always helps," he said, "and that was a good play from Tony. I'm just trying to take advantage of the opportunity to play and get some rhythm."

Mostly, Barry wants his 3-point stroke back at peak efficiency by the time Tim Duncan returns from the injured list.

"It will just be nice to play with Tim and see some open looks, as opposed to really working for looks," he said. "I need that as I'm really trying to get myself together."

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs notebook: Brown may miss rest of regular season
Web Posted: 03/26/2005 12:00 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

The Spurs already knew they might have to go the rest of the regular season without Tim Duncan. On Friday they learned Devin Brown could be out just as long.

Brown has a disc injury between his L4/L5 vertebrate which is expected to sideline him for the next two to four weeks. He has received treatment for a few days, but team officials haven't seen much improvement in his condition.

Brown came to the SBC Center for treatment Friday then left prior to the game. Sitting in a chair for 21/2 hours isn't the best therapy for a back injury.

"He's walking like an old man who has been injured a couple of times," coach Gregg Popovich said. "He can't stand up straight. It's going to be a while."

Brown's back began troubling him as he warmed up prior to Sunday's game in Detroit. He played against the Pistons and also against New York Monday before the team sent him home.

An MRI revealed he has inflammation around a nerve root in his lower back.

The Spurs placed Brown on the injured list and activated forward Linton Johnson III.

Johnson, who had been inactive since training camp while recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, made his first appearance of the season Friday against the Hawks.

Johnson has practiced with the team for about three weeks, but looked tentative at times during workouts. He had three rebounds in six minutes Friday.

"He says he's ready to go and that sort of stuff, but you watch him and he's holding back," Popovich said prior to the game. "He's still a little nervous about the whole thing. He's been practicing, he's had contact and he's been medically released. But it's just up to him in regard to pain tolerance and feeling confident on his foot."

Turkey sandwich: Dion Glover, a first-round pick of Atlanta in 1999, didn't get the opportunity to play against his former team Friday.

He also might not get the chance to play again this season.

Spurs officials were informed Friday that FIBA still considers Glover under contract with Ulker Istanbul of the Turkish Basketball League, voiding his current NBA deal. Ulker supposedly released Glover more than a month ago.

Glover's 10-day contract would have expired today, but Popovich said the team was planning to re-sign him for another 10 days. Because FIBA's offices are closed for the weekend, Spurs officials can't attempt to resolve the situation until Monday.

Glover is remaining in town for now, though the Spurs probably won't wait too long before examining other options.

Military salute: Spurs suite holders and courtside season-ticket holders donated more than 500 tickets to Friday's game as part of the team's Military Appreciation night.

Wounded soldiers and family members of soldiers killed in the war in Iraq sat in the prime seats Friday. Dallas owner Mark Cuban held a similar event early this season.

The Spurs wore special flag-themed T-shirts as they warmed up before the game.

[MannyIsGod]

That dunk was just outright SICK.

[ShoogarBear]

Barry's dunk. Josh Smith's dunk. And Manu's length of the court drive and dunk.

Pretty good for a Spurs game.

[Ishta]

It's a win... I'll take it. The spurs needed to have a good game to warm up for Sunday. What's the news on McGrady? Will he play?

[boutons]

Barry's dunk was so fast, and so low to the rim, it was hard to see even on replay.

[Streakyshooter08]

It's a win... I'll take it. The spurs needed to have a good game to warm up for Sunday. What's the news on McGrady? Will he play?

He probably won't play. He is questionable for the game.

[DuncanMVP]

"I've been a white guy all year"

LMAOMLAOAMAOAMAOMLA

[TMSKILZ]

anyone can post the videos of all 3 dunks or working links to the 3 dunks? thanks