duncan228
11-15-2009, 12:57 AM
OKC spells trouble for Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/OKC_spells_trouble_for_Spurs.html)
Jeff McDonald
The Spurs spent the bulk of the offseason in reloading mode. They added pieces almost weekly, with an eye on getting younger and more athletic, and broke training camp with seven new faces.
By almost any measure, the makeover was extreme.
For all the summertime revamping and retooling, however, one thing remained constant. The Spurs still struggle with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A thorn in the Spurs' side last season, the Thunder were again Saturday, riding a combined 46 points from Kevin Durant and Jeff Green to a 101-98 victory at the AT&T Center.
“As individuals and as a team, they executed better than we did for more minutes of the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Thus, they got the victory. They deserved it.”
Beating the Spurs is starting to become old hat for the Thunder.
It was the third time in the past five meetings that Oklahoma City accomplished that. Two of its 23 wins last season came at the Spurs' expense.
“I just like the way we played tonight,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “We played very physical and beat one of the best teams in basketball.”
The Spurs (4-4) got Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back for Saturday's game, after the pair missed each of the past two games — both victories — with sore left ankles. In one of those odd NBA coincidences, the Spurs lost for the first time during this homestand with a couple of All-Stars in uniform.
For a while, it seemed as if the rest did Duncan good. He finished with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds and had a season-high three dunks, but he went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
This also from the Senseless Statistics Department: The Spurs are 0-2 when Duncan tops 20 points.
Parker, meanwhile, showed some signs of rust. He had 17 points to go with five assists and five rebounds but needed 14 shots to get there.
Two games after going for 36 points against Toronto, Manu Ginobili had just seven Saturday. He was 0 for 8 from the field and sat out the fourth quarter with a tight hamstring.
Richard Jefferson, the cornerstone of the Spurs' reconstruction, was limited to just four points on four field-goal attempts after averaging 26.5 over the previous two games.
“Oklahoma City had more people play better,” Popovich said.
Durant was one, although thanks to the defensive work of Keith Bogans and George Hill, he required 18 shots to get his 25 points. Green had 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook had 19 points — including a key drive to put the Thunder ahead five with 45.9 seconds left.
It was the only field goal in the final 6:45 for the Thunder, who survived to win their fifth game of the season — a threshold they didn't reach until Jan. 6 last season.
After trailing by as many as 10 in the second quarter, Oklahoma City (5-4) came roaring back after the half. The Spurs, who had handled the Thunder defensively to that point, allowed 32 points in the third. Ninety seconds into the fourth, the Thunder were ahead by nine.
“Bad third quarter,” Duncan said. “They jumped on us.”
Down six with 31.9 seconds left, Hill, who finished with 18 points, hit an off-balance 3-pointer to cut Oklahoma City's lead in half. Moments later, Bogans intercepted Thabo Sefolosha's inbound pass at midcourt.
The ball wound up in the hands of Jefferson, who dribbled toward the Oklahoma City basket. Atoning for his turnover seconds earlier, Sefolosha stripped Jefferson, allowing Oklahoma City to hold on with free throws.
“That's on us, the guys that have been here,” Duncan said.
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Slideshow
http://www.mysanantonio.com/OKC_101_Spurs_98.html
Jeff McDonald
The Spurs spent the bulk of the offseason in reloading mode. They added pieces almost weekly, with an eye on getting younger and more athletic, and broke training camp with seven new faces.
By almost any measure, the makeover was extreme.
For all the summertime revamping and retooling, however, one thing remained constant. The Spurs still struggle with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A thorn in the Spurs' side last season, the Thunder were again Saturday, riding a combined 46 points from Kevin Durant and Jeff Green to a 101-98 victory at the AT&T Center.
“As individuals and as a team, they executed better than we did for more minutes of the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Thus, they got the victory. They deserved it.”
Beating the Spurs is starting to become old hat for the Thunder.
It was the third time in the past five meetings that Oklahoma City accomplished that. Two of its 23 wins last season came at the Spurs' expense.
“I just like the way we played tonight,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “We played very physical and beat one of the best teams in basketball.”
The Spurs (4-4) got Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back for Saturday's game, after the pair missed each of the past two games — both victories — with sore left ankles. In one of those odd NBA coincidences, the Spurs lost for the first time during this homestand with a couple of All-Stars in uniform.
For a while, it seemed as if the rest did Duncan good. He finished with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds and had a season-high three dunks, but he went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
This also from the Senseless Statistics Department: The Spurs are 0-2 when Duncan tops 20 points.
Parker, meanwhile, showed some signs of rust. He had 17 points to go with five assists and five rebounds but needed 14 shots to get there.
Two games after going for 36 points against Toronto, Manu Ginobili had just seven Saturday. He was 0 for 8 from the field and sat out the fourth quarter with a tight hamstring.
Richard Jefferson, the cornerstone of the Spurs' reconstruction, was limited to just four points on four field-goal attempts after averaging 26.5 over the previous two games.
“Oklahoma City had more people play better,” Popovich said.
Durant was one, although thanks to the defensive work of Keith Bogans and George Hill, he required 18 shots to get his 25 points. Green had 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook had 19 points — including a key drive to put the Thunder ahead five with 45.9 seconds left.
It was the only field goal in the final 6:45 for the Thunder, who survived to win their fifth game of the season — a threshold they didn't reach until Jan. 6 last season.
After trailing by as many as 10 in the second quarter, Oklahoma City (5-4) came roaring back after the half. The Spurs, who had handled the Thunder defensively to that point, allowed 32 points in the third. Ninety seconds into the fourth, the Thunder were ahead by nine.
“Bad third quarter,” Duncan said. “They jumped on us.”
Down six with 31.9 seconds left, Hill, who finished with 18 points, hit an off-balance 3-pointer to cut Oklahoma City's lead in half. Moments later, Bogans intercepted Thabo Sefolosha's inbound pass at midcourt.
The ball wound up in the hands of Jefferson, who dribbled toward the Oklahoma City basket. Atoning for his turnover seconds earlier, Sefolosha stripped Jefferson, allowing Oklahoma City to hold on with free throws.
“That's on us, the guys that have been here,” Duncan said.
*********************
Slideshow
http://www.mysanantonio.com/OKC_101_Spurs_98.html