duncan228
12-04-2009, 12:57 AM
Spurs' Hill has nose for trouble (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_Hill_has_nose_for_trouble.html)
Mike Monroe
Spurs guard George Hill could have accepted a kick in the shin or an elbow to the gut Thursday against the Celtics, but not another punch in his already injured nose.
Hill, who had to get two stitches in the tip of his nose after Kyle Lowry stuck his finger in it a week ago in a win at Houston, caught a forearm from Ray Allen right in the nose and mouth 36 seconds into the fourth quarter Thursday.
It hurt even more than the first time, Hill said. I'm glad he didn't knock it so hard it opened up again. That would have been the worst.
Hill said he will be back on the practice court today and will play against the Nuggets on Saturday.
Spurs recognized: Four Spurs were selected among the top 50 active NBA players in a survey of experts completed recently by The Sporting News.
The magazine's 107-member selection panel included 28 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, plus major award winners, current players, coaches and executives and other basketball experts.
Spurs power forward Tim Duncan was ranked No. 5, behind, in order, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Magic center Dwight Howard.
Completing the top 10, in order, were Hornets guard Chris Paul, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Celtics forward Paul Pierce.
Spurs point guard Tony Parker was ranked No. 13, guard Manu Ginobili No. 22, and small forward Richard Jefferson No. 46.
Five Lakers made the top 50, the most of any team. Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum joined Bryant in the top 50.
The Celtics and Spurs were the only teams wth four in the top 50. Joining Garnett and Pierce were Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.
Sleep advocates: Like the Spurs, the Celtics have dramatically altered their practice and game-day routines to allow players to get longer periods of uninterrupted sleep.
The Celtics' Thursday morning shootaround at the AT&T Center was just their second of the season, a rarity required by what coach Doc Rivers called the team's 48-hour rule.
If you go 48 hours without shooting a basketball, we'll have a shootaround, Rivers said. We didn't have a practice (Wednesday). If you go from a game to no practice, to a game the next night, that's too long without a ball.
Rivers began implementing the rule last season, with good results.
We like it, he said. It's been great. Not only are our guys fresher, but our practices have been dramatically better.
Mike Monroe
Spurs guard George Hill could have accepted a kick in the shin or an elbow to the gut Thursday against the Celtics, but not another punch in his already injured nose.
Hill, who had to get two stitches in the tip of his nose after Kyle Lowry stuck his finger in it a week ago in a win at Houston, caught a forearm from Ray Allen right in the nose and mouth 36 seconds into the fourth quarter Thursday.
It hurt even more than the first time, Hill said. I'm glad he didn't knock it so hard it opened up again. That would have been the worst.
Hill said he will be back on the practice court today and will play against the Nuggets on Saturday.
Spurs recognized: Four Spurs were selected among the top 50 active NBA players in a survey of experts completed recently by The Sporting News.
The magazine's 107-member selection panel included 28 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, plus major award winners, current players, coaches and executives and other basketball experts.
Spurs power forward Tim Duncan was ranked No. 5, behind, in order, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Magic center Dwight Howard.
Completing the top 10, in order, were Hornets guard Chris Paul, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Celtics forward Paul Pierce.
Spurs point guard Tony Parker was ranked No. 13, guard Manu Ginobili No. 22, and small forward Richard Jefferson No. 46.
Five Lakers made the top 50, the most of any team. Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum joined Bryant in the top 50.
The Celtics and Spurs were the only teams wth four in the top 50. Joining Garnett and Pierce were Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.
Sleep advocates: Like the Spurs, the Celtics have dramatically altered their practice and game-day routines to allow players to get longer periods of uninterrupted sleep.
The Celtics' Thursday morning shootaround at the AT&T Center was just their second of the season, a rarity required by what coach Doc Rivers called the team's 48-hour rule.
If you go 48 hours without shooting a basketball, we'll have a shootaround, Rivers said. We didn't have a practice (Wednesday). If you go from a game to no practice, to a game the next night, that's too long without a ball.
Rivers began implementing the rule last season, with good results.
We like it, he said. It's been great. Not only are our guys fresher, but our practices have been dramatically better.