duncan228
12-17-2009, 01:28 AM
Duncan sizzles as Spurs thump wounded Warriors (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_rookie_Blair_works_to_fix_shot.html)
Jeff McDonald
OAKLAND, Calif. — Tim Duncan has no idea why he's been able to score so readily this season. He just hopes to keep his hot streak going for as long as possible.
Duncan logged 27 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks Wednesday night as the Spurs followed their leader to a 103-91 victory over Golden State at Oracle Arena.
“I'm feeling healthy right now, and my shot's feeling good,” said Duncan, who came into the game averaging a team-best 19.8 points. “I just have to use it while I'm here, and hopefully it will spark something else to happen.”
Twenty-four hours after scoring a season-high 34 in a loss at Phoenix, his highest total in two seasons, Duncan carried the Spurs again in Oakland. He has now scored at least 20 points in 12 of his past 16 games.
Wednesday, Duncan sparked a sigh-of-relief victory for the Spurs, who were coming off a disappointing 116-104 loss in Phoenix. With it, they are able to return from their three-game road trip at 13-10, one more game over .500 than they were when they left.
Richard Jefferson rebounded from a four-point night against Phoenix to score 17 against the Warriors. He had 14 in the second half, including an emphatic dunk that punctuated the win in the fourth quarter.
The victory marked the 699th career win for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who needs one more to join Jerry Sloan and Red Auerbach as the only NBA coaches to record 700 wins with one team.
Popovich has often credited the lottery ball that gave the Spurs the right to draft Duncan in 1997 as the secret to his success. Duncan was certainly responsible moving Popovich closer to a milestone Wednesday.
Duncan has typically thrived against the undersized Warriors, who got a tad more undersized with Mikki Moore out indefinitely while set to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs in his heel.
That left Golden State (7-18) without each of its top three centers and left Vladimir Radmanovic, a 6-foot-10, perimeter-oriented big man, to grapple with Duncan.
“We've got a small team and eight guys that are available,” said Golden State coach Don Nelson, who returned to the bench after his second five-game absence while battling pneumonia. “There's not a lot you can do.”
Duncan started slow, with only seven points in the first half, but began to make the most of his size advantage in the second.
He had 14 points and three blocks in the third quarter alone, sparking an 18-6 run that allowed the Spurs to put some distance between themselves and the Warriors.
Golden State guard Monta Ellis, who scored 42 against the Spurs on Nov. 25, had 35 in the rematch — but managed just one basket during the decisive third quarter.
The Spurs tightened up their defense somewhat in the second half, holding Golden State to nearly 16 points below its season average.
It was the Spurs' ninth win in the past 13 games, although only one of them has come against a team with a winning record. The Warriors, who lost 118-104 in San Antonio earlier this season, refused to provide an easy foil.
As it has been for most of the season, when the going got tough, the Spurs turned to Duncan.
“He's probably been our most consistent player,” Popovich said.
His team trailing 49-47 at half, Duncan produced four baskets on Radmanovic in the first 41/2 minutes of the third quarter to help the Spurs regain the lead and then some. Jefferson's three-point play with 4:38 left in the quarter put the Spurs up by double digits, 69-59, for the first time. Their lead would balloon to 13 before the dawn of the fourth quarter.
When the Warriors carved the lead to seven late in the fourth, Duncan rebuffed them again, spinning past Anthony Randolph for two straight baskets — including an emphatic dunk.
Jeff McDonald
OAKLAND, Calif. — Tim Duncan has no idea why he's been able to score so readily this season. He just hopes to keep his hot streak going for as long as possible.
Duncan logged 27 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks Wednesday night as the Spurs followed their leader to a 103-91 victory over Golden State at Oracle Arena.
“I'm feeling healthy right now, and my shot's feeling good,” said Duncan, who came into the game averaging a team-best 19.8 points. “I just have to use it while I'm here, and hopefully it will spark something else to happen.”
Twenty-four hours after scoring a season-high 34 in a loss at Phoenix, his highest total in two seasons, Duncan carried the Spurs again in Oakland. He has now scored at least 20 points in 12 of his past 16 games.
Wednesday, Duncan sparked a sigh-of-relief victory for the Spurs, who were coming off a disappointing 116-104 loss in Phoenix. With it, they are able to return from their three-game road trip at 13-10, one more game over .500 than they were when they left.
Richard Jefferson rebounded from a four-point night against Phoenix to score 17 against the Warriors. He had 14 in the second half, including an emphatic dunk that punctuated the win in the fourth quarter.
The victory marked the 699th career win for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who needs one more to join Jerry Sloan and Red Auerbach as the only NBA coaches to record 700 wins with one team.
Popovich has often credited the lottery ball that gave the Spurs the right to draft Duncan in 1997 as the secret to his success. Duncan was certainly responsible moving Popovich closer to a milestone Wednesday.
Duncan has typically thrived against the undersized Warriors, who got a tad more undersized with Mikki Moore out indefinitely while set to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs in his heel.
That left Golden State (7-18) without each of its top three centers and left Vladimir Radmanovic, a 6-foot-10, perimeter-oriented big man, to grapple with Duncan.
“We've got a small team and eight guys that are available,” said Golden State coach Don Nelson, who returned to the bench after his second five-game absence while battling pneumonia. “There's not a lot you can do.”
Duncan started slow, with only seven points in the first half, but began to make the most of his size advantage in the second.
He had 14 points and three blocks in the third quarter alone, sparking an 18-6 run that allowed the Spurs to put some distance between themselves and the Warriors.
Golden State guard Monta Ellis, who scored 42 against the Spurs on Nov. 25, had 35 in the rematch — but managed just one basket during the decisive third quarter.
The Spurs tightened up their defense somewhat in the second half, holding Golden State to nearly 16 points below its season average.
It was the Spurs' ninth win in the past 13 games, although only one of them has come against a team with a winning record. The Warriors, who lost 118-104 in San Antonio earlier this season, refused to provide an easy foil.
As it has been for most of the season, when the going got tough, the Spurs turned to Duncan.
“He's probably been our most consistent player,” Popovich said.
His team trailing 49-47 at half, Duncan produced four baskets on Radmanovic in the first 41/2 minutes of the third quarter to help the Spurs regain the lead and then some. Jefferson's three-point play with 4:38 left in the quarter put the Spurs up by double digits, 69-59, for the first time. Their lead would balloon to 13 before the dawn of the fourth quarter.
When the Warriors carved the lead to seven late in the fourth, Duncan rebuffed them again, spinning past Anthony Randolph for two straight baskets — including an emphatic dunk.