duncan228
11-07-2009, 02:14 AM
Story is posted with two headlines.
Back-to-back of bad news (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_miss_Udoka_reunion.html)
Second verse for Spurs in Portland (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Second_verse_for_Spurs_in_Portland.html)
Jeff McDonald
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Spurs awoke here Friday morning, greeted with familiar headlines about that night’s opponent.
The team was struggling. The coach was furious. The natives were restless.
This was the feeling in Portland about the underachieving Trail Blazers, but it could have been the sentiment about the Jazz in Salt Lake City 24 hours earlier, right before they smacked the Spurs.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, for one, noticed the pattern.
“We caught both teams at a bad time, that’s for sure,” Popovich said. “They both needed to pick it up. In past years, I’ve said the same things about my team that those coaches said about their teams. Teams respond to that.”
At 2-3 after a winless road trip, now would be a good time for the Spurs to respond. For the second night in a row Friday, the Spurs proved to be the cure for what ailed a talented but floundering Northwest Division team.
Brandon Roy scored 24 points as the Trail Blazers squandered nearly all of a 17-point lead in the second half before holding on for a 96-84 victory at the Rose Garden.
“We knew they were coming off a back-to-back and wanted to really attack them,” Roy said. “We were able to build a lead and the best thing was we were able to keep the lead this time.”
For the Spurs, the fruitless trip was dampened further when All-Star point guard Tony Parker sprained his left ankle late in the second quarter Friday and did not return. X-rays taken at the arena were negative, and Parker will be re-evaluated after the team returns to San Antonio today.
Already down 12 at that point, the Spurs sputtered along until the fourth quarter, when they finally began to get enough defensive stops to get back in the game.
In that, this loss was different than a night earlier in Utah, when the Jazz finally roused their home crowd with a 113-99 demolition of the Spurs.
That was a failure of the Spurs’ defense. Friday’s loss, which helped the Blazers (3-3) avert their first three-game home losing streak since Nov. 2007, was mostly a failure of the Spurs’ offense – at least until it was too late.
A night after allowing a season high point total to the Jazz, the Spurs managed a season-low themselves in Portland. The Spurs shot 38 percent from the field, including 4-of-21 from the 3-point stripe.
“We were always behind the curve, trying to hustle, to tie them,” Manu Ginobili said. “We were always a step behind.”
Still, Popovich called the game, with its near-miraculous comeback, “a step in the right direction.”
Richard Jefferson had 19 points and Ginobili scored 17 to lead the Spurs. Tim Duncan had 14 points and eight rebounds, playing Portland’s Greg Oden a statistical draw.
In an attempt to shake up his flagging team, Blazers coach Nate McMillian started a backcourt of Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and newcomer Andre Miller together for the first time. Popovich countered by replacing Michael Finley with the defensive-minded Keith Bogans.
Save for the final six minutes of the first quarter, when Portland opened up a double-digit lead it would spend the rest of the game nursing and almost squandering, the Spurs were better on defense than they were in Utah.
After falling behind by 15 in the first quarter, the Spurs eventually crawled back into the game in the fourth, when Antonio McDyess began peppering the Blazers with jumpers. His 20-footer with 10:24 to play brought the Spurs within 69-62, their narrowest deficit since the first quarter.
“From the second quarter on, I thought we competed, we were physical,” Popovich said. “A lot of guys did a good job defensively. We didn’t make shots very well, but that I’m not concerned about.”
With 2:57 to go, the Spurs pulled within 80-77 on a Jefferson drive – and could have been within two had he made the ensuing foul shot. Steve Blake answered with a 3-pointer and the Blazers – like the Jazz 24 hours earlier – held on for a victory their bruised psyche needed.
In Portland, McMillian questioned his team’s commitment. In Utah, Jerry Sloan questioned his team’s toughness. Popovich isn’t ready to go there with his team.
“Not yet,” Popovich said. “I’m trying to be patient, as hard as that is for me.”
Many more nights like the last two, and he might soon change his mind.
Back-to-back of bad news (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_miss_Udoka_reunion.html)
Second verse for Spurs in Portland (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Second_verse_for_Spurs_in_Portland.html)
Jeff McDonald
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Spurs awoke here Friday morning, greeted with familiar headlines about that night’s opponent.
The team was struggling. The coach was furious. The natives were restless.
This was the feeling in Portland about the underachieving Trail Blazers, but it could have been the sentiment about the Jazz in Salt Lake City 24 hours earlier, right before they smacked the Spurs.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, for one, noticed the pattern.
“We caught both teams at a bad time, that’s for sure,” Popovich said. “They both needed to pick it up. In past years, I’ve said the same things about my team that those coaches said about their teams. Teams respond to that.”
At 2-3 after a winless road trip, now would be a good time for the Spurs to respond. For the second night in a row Friday, the Spurs proved to be the cure for what ailed a talented but floundering Northwest Division team.
Brandon Roy scored 24 points as the Trail Blazers squandered nearly all of a 17-point lead in the second half before holding on for a 96-84 victory at the Rose Garden.
“We knew they were coming off a back-to-back and wanted to really attack them,” Roy said. “We were able to build a lead and the best thing was we were able to keep the lead this time.”
For the Spurs, the fruitless trip was dampened further when All-Star point guard Tony Parker sprained his left ankle late in the second quarter Friday and did not return. X-rays taken at the arena were negative, and Parker will be re-evaluated after the team returns to San Antonio today.
Already down 12 at that point, the Spurs sputtered along until the fourth quarter, when they finally began to get enough defensive stops to get back in the game.
In that, this loss was different than a night earlier in Utah, when the Jazz finally roused their home crowd with a 113-99 demolition of the Spurs.
That was a failure of the Spurs’ defense. Friday’s loss, which helped the Blazers (3-3) avert their first three-game home losing streak since Nov. 2007, was mostly a failure of the Spurs’ offense – at least until it was too late.
A night after allowing a season high point total to the Jazz, the Spurs managed a season-low themselves in Portland. The Spurs shot 38 percent from the field, including 4-of-21 from the 3-point stripe.
“We were always behind the curve, trying to hustle, to tie them,” Manu Ginobili said. “We were always a step behind.”
Still, Popovich called the game, with its near-miraculous comeback, “a step in the right direction.”
Richard Jefferson had 19 points and Ginobili scored 17 to lead the Spurs. Tim Duncan had 14 points and eight rebounds, playing Portland’s Greg Oden a statistical draw.
In an attempt to shake up his flagging team, Blazers coach Nate McMillian started a backcourt of Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and newcomer Andre Miller together for the first time. Popovich countered by replacing Michael Finley with the defensive-minded Keith Bogans.
Save for the final six minutes of the first quarter, when Portland opened up a double-digit lead it would spend the rest of the game nursing and almost squandering, the Spurs were better on defense than they were in Utah.
After falling behind by 15 in the first quarter, the Spurs eventually crawled back into the game in the fourth, when Antonio McDyess began peppering the Blazers with jumpers. His 20-footer with 10:24 to play brought the Spurs within 69-62, their narrowest deficit since the first quarter.
“From the second quarter on, I thought we competed, we were physical,” Popovich said. “A lot of guys did a good job defensively. We didn’t make shots very well, but that I’m not concerned about.”
With 2:57 to go, the Spurs pulled within 80-77 on a Jefferson drive – and could have been within two had he made the ensuing foul shot. Steve Blake answered with a 3-pointer and the Blazers – like the Jazz 24 hours earlier – held on for a victory their bruised psyche needed.
In Portland, McMillian questioned his team’s commitment. In Utah, Jerry Sloan questioned his team’s toughness. Popovich isn’t ready to go there with his team.
“Not yet,” Popovich said. “I’m trying to be patient, as hard as that is for me.”
Many more nights like the last two, and he might soon change his mind.