Kori Ellis
04-14-2005, 12:43 AM
Duncan returns for loss
Web Posted: 04/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041405.1C.BKNspurs.jazz.gamer.1d63d48ed.html
SALT LAKE CITY — Tim Duncan had played 20 minutes, 20 more than he totaled the previous three weeks. He had made all but one of his seven shots and scored 17 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich already had deemed Duncan's return a success. Which was why he left him on the bench with the score tied with 7.5 seconds remaining, and the Spurs needing one stop.
As Duncan watched, Mehmet Okur's put-back with 2.4 seconds left Wednesday night lifted the Utah Jazz to a 93-91 victory in front of 17,014 at the Delta Center.
While the loss hurt the Spurs' chances to gain the Western Conference's No. 1 playoff seed — they trail Phoenix by 1 1/2 games with three to play — the score was of secondary concern. For the team, getting Duncan back was good enough.
"I don't want to fall for fool's gold and put him in a position where the ankle's too weak," Popovich said. "I'm just glad he made it through it."
Duncan, who missed the previous 12 games after spraining his right ankle against Detroit on March 20, left the court for good with 9:26 remaining. He said his ankle felt fine after he got warm.
"It was just kind of hard being around bodies and watching where you land," Duncan said. "After a while, I got used to it."
Popovich said Tuesday he doubted Duncan would play in Utah but changed his mind after watching him work out Wednesday. Duncan played one-on-one against Sean Marks on Tuesday and came out of the session feeling good.
"About halfway through his workout, he thought maybe it's about time to get a little run," Popovich said.
Though Duncan, as expected, looked a step slow at times, he made his first three shots, including a 20-footer a little more than two minutes into the game.
Early in the second quarter, Duncan went up and under to bank in a short shot. He drove into the lane on the following possession to toss in a runner. He also successfully followed his only miss.
"That's all I've been doing for a week and a half or two weeks is shooting," Duncan said. "I was actually a little upset I missed (three) free throws."
Popovich, who had hoped to limit Duncan to 16 minutes, played him in four- to six-minute stretches. Duncan worked to buy himself more time.
After the officials stopped play in the middle of the third quarter because Okur had a cut on his arm, Popovich sent Robert Horry to the scorer's table to replace Duncan. Horry started to step onto the court, but Duncan reminded the officials the Spurs couldn't make a switch.
"No subs for blood!" Duncan shouted to officials.
Duncan stayed on the floor for a few more seconds until play was stopped again when Jazz center Ben Handlogten was called for a loose-ball foul.
"That's not a foul," Duncan said as he walked to the bench.
"I thought he was fantastic," Popovich said. "He really has a lot of poise on the floor; he had his touch. He ran the floor really well and had his wind — that's what I was really impressed with.
"What he can't do well is move laterally really well and start and stop. That's going to take time."
The Spurs, playing their sixth game in eight nights, trailed by as many 15 points in the first half before rallying. Utah, which also had played Tuesday, repeatedly beat them to rebounds and loose balls in the first two quarters.
"I had as fresh of legs as anyone," Duncan said. "You can't expect (everything) from these guys. I know Manu (Ginobili) and Tony (Parker) said they were absolutely exhausted, even at the beginning of the game."
Still, the Spurs had almost enough left to pull out a victory. Nazr Mohammed tied the game on a dunk off a missed free throw by Ginobili with 7.5 seconds left.
Following a timeout, Gordan Giricek drove past Ginobili to the rim. Horry blocked Giricek's reverse layup attempt, but no one picked up Okur, who easily put back the shot.
Okur also beat the Spurs on Jan. 10 on a follow shot at the buzzer at the same basket.
Ginobili had a chance to send the game into overtime but missed a runner, and Glenn Robinson's follow shot came after the final buzzer.
"We let Giricek beat us too quickly, and the help defense was really poor," Popovich said. "That hurt a little bit, team wisdom-wise, not realizing that was a huge key to block out no matter what play they ran."
No amount of lobbying was going to convince Popovich to let Duncan back on the floor.
"I was asking the entire game," Duncan said. "He's gotten to the point where he just ignores me."
Web Posted: 04/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041405.1C.BKNspurs.jazz.gamer.1d63d48ed.html
SALT LAKE CITY — Tim Duncan had played 20 minutes, 20 more than he totaled the previous three weeks. He had made all but one of his seven shots and scored 17 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich already had deemed Duncan's return a success. Which was why he left him on the bench with the score tied with 7.5 seconds remaining, and the Spurs needing one stop.
As Duncan watched, Mehmet Okur's put-back with 2.4 seconds left Wednesday night lifted the Utah Jazz to a 93-91 victory in front of 17,014 at the Delta Center.
While the loss hurt the Spurs' chances to gain the Western Conference's No. 1 playoff seed — they trail Phoenix by 1 1/2 games with three to play — the score was of secondary concern. For the team, getting Duncan back was good enough.
"I don't want to fall for fool's gold and put him in a position where the ankle's too weak," Popovich said. "I'm just glad he made it through it."
Duncan, who missed the previous 12 games after spraining his right ankle against Detroit on March 20, left the court for good with 9:26 remaining. He said his ankle felt fine after he got warm.
"It was just kind of hard being around bodies and watching where you land," Duncan said. "After a while, I got used to it."
Popovich said Tuesday he doubted Duncan would play in Utah but changed his mind after watching him work out Wednesday. Duncan played one-on-one against Sean Marks on Tuesday and came out of the session feeling good.
"About halfway through his workout, he thought maybe it's about time to get a little run," Popovich said.
Though Duncan, as expected, looked a step slow at times, he made his first three shots, including a 20-footer a little more than two minutes into the game.
Early in the second quarter, Duncan went up and under to bank in a short shot. He drove into the lane on the following possession to toss in a runner. He also successfully followed his only miss.
"That's all I've been doing for a week and a half or two weeks is shooting," Duncan said. "I was actually a little upset I missed (three) free throws."
Popovich, who had hoped to limit Duncan to 16 minutes, played him in four- to six-minute stretches. Duncan worked to buy himself more time.
After the officials stopped play in the middle of the third quarter because Okur had a cut on his arm, Popovich sent Robert Horry to the scorer's table to replace Duncan. Horry started to step onto the court, but Duncan reminded the officials the Spurs couldn't make a switch.
"No subs for blood!" Duncan shouted to officials.
Duncan stayed on the floor for a few more seconds until play was stopped again when Jazz center Ben Handlogten was called for a loose-ball foul.
"That's not a foul," Duncan said as he walked to the bench.
"I thought he was fantastic," Popovich said. "He really has a lot of poise on the floor; he had his touch. He ran the floor really well and had his wind — that's what I was really impressed with.
"What he can't do well is move laterally really well and start and stop. That's going to take time."
The Spurs, playing their sixth game in eight nights, trailed by as many 15 points in the first half before rallying. Utah, which also had played Tuesday, repeatedly beat them to rebounds and loose balls in the first two quarters.
"I had as fresh of legs as anyone," Duncan said. "You can't expect (everything) from these guys. I know Manu (Ginobili) and Tony (Parker) said they were absolutely exhausted, even at the beginning of the game."
Still, the Spurs had almost enough left to pull out a victory. Nazr Mohammed tied the game on a dunk off a missed free throw by Ginobili with 7.5 seconds left.
Following a timeout, Gordan Giricek drove past Ginobili to the rim. Horry blocked Giricek's reverse layup attempt, but no one picked up Okur, who easily put back the shot.
Okur also beat the Spurs on Jan. 10 on a follow shot at the buzzer at the same basket.
Ginobili had a chance to send the game into overtime but missed a runner, and Glenn Robinson's follow shot came after the final buzzer.
"We let Giricek beat us too quickly, and the help defense was really poor," Popovich said. "That hurt a little bit, team wisdom-wise, not realizing that was a huge key to block out no matter what play they ran."
No amount of lobbying was going to convince Popovich to let Duncan back on the floor.
"I was asking the entire game," Duncan said. "He's gotten to the point where he just ignores me."