timvp
11-19-2009, 02:52 PM
The Spurs and the Mavs put on another overtime thriller. This time, however, a lot of the stars didn't make it to the end. The Mavs were without Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Erick Dampier, while the Spurs were without Tony Parker to begin with and then lost Manu Ginobili to injury during the first quarter.
As for the game, it was an ugly affair through three quarters. Both teams were struggling and few players were performing at a high level. The fourth quarter got more competitive, especially down the stretch. Tim Duncan tied the game with two free throws with 30 seconds remaining. After Dirk Nowitzki put the Mavs up by two points on a tip in, Duncan countered with a turnaround banker from five feet away with two seconds to go to tie the game. Duncan then blocked Jason Terry's on the other end to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Spurs started strong with a George Hill three-point play. But the momentum swing of the game was when Duncan missed a point-blank layup that could have put the Spurs up by four points. Instead, Nowitzki got a three-point play on the other end to put the Mavs up by a point. The Spurs never threatened again.
Dallas has to be happy with the win, especially considering that the Spurs had won in San Antonio last week. Nowitzki shook off a slow start and was an absolute beast in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Spurs didn't send many double-teams his way and the result was a 41 point outburst. Gooden started for the Mavs at center and played well -- finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
For the Spurs, it was another disappointing loss. They are now 0-4 on the road and 4-5 overall. And while the forthcoming schedule isn't too arduous, the injury woes will force the Spurs into survival mode.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
41:15 minutes, 22 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks
8-for-22 from the field, 6-for-8 at the line
Tim Duncan had an inconsistent outing. At times he was really good, at times he was lacking. Late in the fourth quarter, Duncan was great on both ends of the court. He single-handedly carried the Spurs into overtime. However, in the overtime, Duncan disappointed. He missed all three of his shots including the momentum crushing gimme. Overall, it's difficult to be too disappointed with Duncan's effort. He was extremely active throughout and he impacted the game in several different facets. Duncan played well enough for the Spurs to win.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
7:28 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists
1-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Entering the game with a hamstring issue, Manu Ginobili left with a groin injury. He seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, which probably means he'll be out of the lineup for at least a week. Ginobili's health was a primary concern entering the season and now those fears have been realized not even ten games in. Hopefully this latest injury isn't anything too serious and Ginobili can return soon. Once he's back on the court, Spurs fans have to go back to crossing their fingers while praying that the injury bug will leave Ginobili alone.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
41:55 minutes, 13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers
5-for-11 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Without Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs needed more out of Richard Jefferson. He played well during stints in the second and third quarters but his last field goal came with about five minutes remaining in the third period. The rest of the way, he missed his final three attempts. He has to be more aggressive, even if it means breaking the offensive sets to attack the basket. Defensively, he was decent but didn't face many tough matchups. The best news is that his rebounding has really improved since the beginning of the season.
-------------------------------
Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3004.jpg
33:19 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocked shot
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
In his first start of the season next to Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess showed flashes of why the Spurs went out and spent the money to bring him in. He hit a couple of big jumpers and had a few very good defensive possessions on Nowitzki. But McDyess also showed that he's still new to the system. His pick-and-roll timing was off, his help defense was rarely on time and he didn't do a very good job of crashing the boards. With the Spurs being short-handed, it'd be helpful if McDyess found his groove sooner rather than later.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
35:14 minutes, 15 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
6-for-15 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
I was really disappointed with George Hill's play in the first half. He didn't do much of anything other than get in foul trouble. He played better in the third quarter but once again had to sit due to picking up his fourth foul. Hill played much better in the fourth quarter and overtime. His defense improved and he began to help out offensively. But if the Spurs are going to win big games on the road without Parker and Ginobili, they need Hill to be more consistent and avoid long stretches of passive play.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
33:03 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds
4-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
With Ginobili out, Michael Finley ended up taking most of his minutes and performed admirably. He hit difficult shots and his defense was relatively good -- especially against Jason Kidd. Finley has been exposed in the past against the Mavs but that couldn't be said for Wednesday night.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
25:28 minutes, 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
4-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
In the first half, Matt Bonner was arguably the best player on the court. He had nine points and eight rebounds while playing with a high level of aggression. In the second half, the Mavs starting taking advantage of Bonner's matchup against Nowitzki. As a result, Pop only used Bonner for about 12 minutes in the second half and overtime. In retrospect, finding a way to play Bonner more minutes likely would have been advantageous. On the season, Bonner's number are much better when he comes off the bench (11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 52.4% three-point shooting in 25.8 minutes). If he can thrive off the bench, he'll be a valuable player who allows the coaching staff to throw multiple looks at opponents.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
23:29 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists
2-for-8 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 5-for-5 at the line
It was more of the same for Roger Mason, Jr. -- and that's not a good thing. Mason lowered his field goal percentage on the season to 27.8% and gave a painful reminder that he's not a capable point guard. He made a few decent plays on the offensive end but those were outweighed by his numerous missed shots, mistakes and poor defensive plays.
-------------------------------
Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3746.jpg
12:01 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
2-for-3 at the line
Keith Bogans wasn't in the starting lineup for the first time in four games. From the bench, Bogans played 12 sporadic minutes. He played good defense in his time on the court but didn't see enough meaningful action to make a true impact. His best work was when he switched onto J.J. Barea and kept him from pestering the Spurs. With Ginobili out, it'll be interesting to see if Pop goes with Bogans in the starting lineup or opts for more of a scoring unit.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4642.jpg
5:57 minutes, 2 assists, 1 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 turnover
DeJuan Blair played his fewest amount of minutes on the season. All six of his minutes came in the first half and the most notable aspect of his stint came when he drew the ire of Pop for his reckless play at the end of the first quarter. Blair is in the midst of his first professional slump. Will he be able to battle his way out of it and regain his foothold in the rotation? Stay tuned.
-------------------------------
Malik Hairston
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/1925/malikhairston.jpg
5:51 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover
1-for-1 from the field
In a classic Pop move, Malik Hairston got his first real minutes of the season when he entered the game to begin the fourth quarter. Even though he was only on the court for about six minutes, I was impressed with what I saw. His defense was very good -- both on the ball and away from the ball. He also moved well offensively to find the open spots. He hesitated a few times and got called for traveling but considering the circumstance and considering this was his first action of the year, I thought he showed enough to warrant further minutes in upcoming games.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop continuously called plays for Duncan and tried to ride his franchise player to victory. It almost worked, and given the defenders Duncan was going against and the Dallas' reluctance to send a double team, I thought it was a good idea. Pop also deserves credit for the team not skipping a beat after Ginobili joined Parker on the sidelines. Considering what Pop had to work with this game, I agreed with almost all the buttons he pushed. Going back to Bonner earlier in the second half could have worked and maybe calling more plays for Jefferson could forced the Mavs to alter their gameplan, but I can't say those ideas are better than the ones Pop employed.
-------------------------------
Offense
In the first half, the offense was difficult to watch. They scored only 35 points and it wasn't for a trio of three-pointers by Bonner, it could have been much worse. In the second half, the offense got rolling. The Spurs scored 59 points in the second half and overtime. On the game, the Spurs shot 43.6% from the field, 46.7% (7-of-15) on three-pointers and 79.2% (19-of-24) at the line. They had a healthy number of assists (22) but the 18 turnovers really hurt.
Defense
The effort defensively was commendable. On initial possessions, the Spurs played solid defense. The problem is that they gave up 17 offensive rebounds and forced only five turnovers. Those two stats combined led to the Mavs attempting 22 more shots from the field. That allowed the Mavs to shoot worse in each category (40% from the field, 17.6% from beyond the arc and 76.2% at the line) and still win the ballgame. In past seasons, the Spurs have been extremely strong on the defensive glass. This year, the Spurs are 22nd in the league in defensive rebounding. They need to fix that ASAP.
Drive to Five
The Spurs return to the AT&T Center on Thursday to play a back-to-back game against the Utah Jazz. The Jazz haven't beaten the Spurs in San Antonio since 1999 but with a tired team and without Ginobili and Parker, this could very well be a struggle. Hopefully the Spurs get a few role players to step up and return to the win column.
Believe.
As for the game, it was an ugly affair through three quarters. Both teams were struggling and few players were performing at a high level. The fourth quarter got more competitive, especially down the stretch. Tim Duncan tied the game with two free throws with 30 seconds remaining. After Dirk Nowitzki put the Mavs up by two points on a tip in, Duncan countered with a turnaround banker from five feet away with two seconds to go to tie the game. Duncan then blocked Jason Terry's on the other end to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Spurs started strong with a George Hill three-point play. But the momentum swing of the game was when Duncan missed a point-blank layup that could have put the Spurs up by four points. Instead, Nowitzki got a three-point play on the other end to put the Mavs up by a point. The Spurs never threatened again.
Dallas has to be happy with the win, especially considering that the Spurs had won in San Antonio last week. Nowitzki shook off a slow start and was an absolute beast in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Spurs didn't send many double-teams his way and the result was a 41 point outburst. Gooden started for the Mavs at center and played well -- finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
For the Spurs, it was another disappointing loss. They are now 0-4 on the road and 4-5 overall. And while the forthcoming schedule isn't too arduous, the injury woes will force the Spurs into survival mode.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
41:15 minutes, 22 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks
8-for-22 from the field, 6-for-8 at the line
Tim Duncan had an inconsistent outing. At times he was really good, at times he was lacking. Late in the fourth quarter, Duncan was great on both ends of the court. He single-handedly carried the Spurs into overtime. However, in the overtime, Duncan disappointed. He missed all three of his shots including the momentum crushing gimme. Overall, it's difficult to be too disappointed with Duncan's effort. He was extremely active throughout and he impacted the game in several different facets. Duncan played well enough for the Spurs to win.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
7:28 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists
1-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Entering the game with a hamstring issue, Manu Ginobili left with a groin injury. He seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, which probably means he'll be out of the lineup for at least a week. Ginobili's health was a primary concern entering the season and now those fears have been realized not even ten games in. Hopefully this latest injury isn't anything too serious and Ginobili can return soon. Once he's back on the court, Spurs fans have to go back to crossing their fingers while praying that the injury bug will leave Ginobili alone.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
41:55 minutes, 13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers
5-for-11 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Without Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs needed more out of Richard Jefferson. He played well during stints in the second and third quarters but his last field goal came with about five minutes remaining in the third period. The rest of the way, he missed his final three attempts. He has to be more aggressive, even if it means breaking the offensive sets to attack the basket. Defensively, he was decent but didn't face many tough matchups. The best news is that his rebounding has really improved since the beginning of the season.
-------------------------------
Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3004.jpg
33:19 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocked shot
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
In his first start of the season next to Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess showed flashes of why the Spurs went out and spent the money to bring him in. He hit a couple of big jumpers and had a few very good defensive possessions on Nowitzki. But McDyess also showed that he's still new to the system. His pick-and-roll timing was off, his help defense was rarely on time and he didn't do a very good job of crashing the boards. With the Spurs being short-handed, it'd be helpful if McDyess found his groove sooner rather than later.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
35:14 minutes, 15 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
6-for-15 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
I was really disappointed with George Hill's play in the first half. He didn't do much of anything other than get in foul trouble. He played better in the third quarter but once again had to sit due to picking up his fourth foul. Hill played much better in the fourth quarter and overtime. His defense improved and he began to help out offensively. But if the Spurs are going to win big games on the road without Parker and Ginobili, they need Hill to be more consistent and avoid long stretches of passive play.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
33:03 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds
4-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
With Ginobili out, Michael Finley ended up taking most of his minutes and performed admirably. He hit difficult shots and his defense was relatively good -- especially against Jason Kidd. Finley has been exposed in the past against the Mavs but that couldn't be said for Wednesday night.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
25:28 minutes, 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
4-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
In the first half, Matt Bonner was arguably the best player on the court. He had nine points and eight rebounds while playing with a high level of aggression. In the second half, the Mavs starting taking advantage of Bonner's matchup against Nowitzki. As a result, Pop only used Bonner for about 12 minutes in the second half and overtime. In retrospect, finding a way to play Bonner more minutes likely would have been advantageous. On the season, Bonner's number are much better when he comes off the bench (11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 52.4% three-point shooting in 25.8 minutes). If he can thrive off the bench, he'll be a valuable player who allows the coaching staff to throw multiple looks at opponents.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
23:29 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists
2-for-8 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 5-for-5 at the line
It was more of the same for Roger Mason, Jr. -- and that's not a good thing. Mason lowered his field goal percentage on the season to 27.8% and gave a painful reminder that he's not a capable point guard. He made a few decent plays on the offensive end but those were outweighed by his numerous missed shots, mistakes and poor defensive plays.
-------------------------------
Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3746.jpg
12:01 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
2-for-3 at the line
Keith Bogans wasn't in the starting lineup for the first time in four games. From the bench, Bogans played 12 sporadic minutes. He played good defense in his time on the court but didn't see enough meaningful action to make a true impact. His best work was when he switched onto J.J. Barea and kept him from pestering the Spurs. With Ginobili out, it'll be interesting to see if Pop goes with Bogans in the starting lineup or opts for more of a scoring unit.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4642.jpg
5:57 minutes, 2 assists, 1 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 turnover
DeJuan Blair played his fewest amount of minutes on the season. All six of his minutes came in the first half and the most notable aspect of his stint came when he drew the ire of Pop for his reckless play at the end of the first quarter. Blair is in the midst of his first professional slump. Will he be able to battle his way out of it and regain his foothold in the rotation? Stay tuned.
-------------------------------
Malik Hairston
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/1925/malikhairston.jpg
5:51 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover
1-for-1 from the field
In a classic Pop move, Malik Hairston got his first real minutes of the season when he entered the game to begin the fourth quarter. Even though he was only on the court for about six minutes, I was impressed with what I saw. His defense was very good -- both on the ball and away from the ball. He also moved well offensively to find the open spots. He hesitated a few times and got called for traveling but considering the circumstance and considering this was his first action of the year, I thought he showed enough to warrant further minutes in upcoming games.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop continuously called plays for Duncan and tried to ride his franchise player to victory. It almost worked, and given the defenders Duncan was going against and the Dallas' reluctance to send a double team, I thought it was a good idea. Pop also deserves credit for the team not skipping a beat after Ginobili joined Parker on the sidelines. Considering what Pop had to work with this game, I agreed with almost all the buttons he pushed. Going back to Bonner earlier in the second half could have worked and maybe calling more plays for Jefferson could forced the Mavs to alter their gameplan, but I can't say those ideas are better than the ones Pop employed.
-------------------------------
Offense
In the first half, the offense was difficult to watch. They scored only 35 points and it wasn't for a trio of three-pointers by Bonner, it could have been much worse. In the second half, the offense got rolling. The Spurs scored 59 points in the second half and overtime. On the game, the Spurs shot 43.6% from the field, 46.7% (7-of-15) on three-pointers and 79.2% (19-of-24) at the line. They had a healthy number of assists (22) but the 18 turnovers really hurt.
Defense
The effort defensively was commendable. On initial possessions, the Spurs played solid defense. The problem is that they gave up 17 offensive rebounds and forced only five turnovers. Those two stats combined led to the Mavs attempting 22 more shots from the field. That allowed the Mavs to shoot worse in each category (40% from the field, 17.6% from beyond the arc and 76.2% at the line) and still win the ballgame. In past seasons, the Spurs have been extremely strong on the defensive glass. This year, the Spurs are 22nd in the league in defensive rebounding. They need to fix that ASAP.
Drive to Five
The Spurs return to the AT&T Center on Thursday to play a back-to-back game against the Utah Jazz. The Jazz haven't beaten the Spurs in San Antonio since 1999 but with a tired team and without Ginobili and Parker, this could very well be a struggle. Hopefully the Spurs get a few role players to step up and return to the win column.
Believe.