McDonald: Spurs lose a real head-scratcher

[duncan228]

Spurs lose a real head-scratcher (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_lose_a_real_head-scratcher.html)
Jeff McDonald

Portland coach Nate McMillan emerged from the locker room early Wednesday evening looking like a man who had just been hit by a car and, given his luck of late, feared being next struck by lightning.

He had just learned leading scorer Brandon Roy would be joining starting center Joel Przybilla on the injured list, a night after Przybilla had joined Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum and Patrick Mills there.

“It's been unbelievable,” said McMillan, himself still on crutches after his Dec. 4 surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. “I don't really like to talk about it.”

Unbelievable pretty much covered what happened later that night at the AT&T Center, and that wasn't good news for the Spurs.

Playing with more rotation players on the injured list than on the floor, the Trail Blazers stunned the Spurs 98-94.

Jerryd Bayless, who began the season as the Blazers' 11th man, peppered the Spurs for a career-high 31 points, including a back-breaking 3-pointer that put Portland ahead 96-87 with 2:04 to go. It was Portland's second short-handed victory in as many nights, following an 85-81 triumph at Dallas.

Forget beating teams over .500, against whom the Spurs are now 2-10 this season. On Wednesday, they couldn't quite handle Portland's JV.

“This is the NBA,” Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. said. “One guy goes down, another guy gets an opportunity.”

Down 11 with 4:39 left, the Spurs battled back within four. They would have had a chance to tie in the waning moments, but couldn't corral the rebound after Bayless missed a pull-up jumper with 3.9 seconds left. Andre Miller grabbed the ball Manu Ginobili had deflected, was fouled and made a pair of foul shots to seal the game.

That was indicative of the Spurs' night. The Blazers — so decimated they didn't have a true center active — zapped the Spurs for 11 offensive rebounds.

Afterward, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich characterized it as a “tough loss.” Given the Blazers' injury state, and the fact that it came on their home floor, it might have been the Spurs' worst of the season.

“I thought down the stretch we started to play with more aggressiveness and urgency,” Popovich said, “which we didn't have in early parts of the game.”

The Spurs (15-11) were not surprised to take the Blazers' best shot.

“In a situation like that, guys play hard,” Antonio McDyess said. “They want to show what they've got.”

Bayless showed his scoring prowess, as well as his toughness. Twice, it appeared he might be done for the night, once after falling hard on his hip in the first quarter, then after coming up with leg cramps in the third.

The Spurs lost despite 24 points and 11 rebounds from Tim Duncan, an 18-point night from Richard Jefferson and 16 points off the bench from Mason. They lost despite shooting 51.4 percent from the field, and 94.1 percent from the foul line.

Portland (19-12) had fewer players walking upright, but had more players play well. LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points, including 14 in the second half.

Juwan Howard — a 36-year old playing out of position at center — added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Coupled with his 10-point, 10-rebound effort in Dallas, it marked Howard's first set of back-to-back double-doubles in three years.

“They were hitting a lot of us shots against us,” Jefferson said. “Tonight just wasn't our night.”

After the injury cloud that had followed them to San Antonio, the Blazers won't exactly head home touting their luck. They did, however, celebrate Wednesday's victory on the Spurs' home floor, long after the Spurs had left it.

“I would say we're playing the game the right way,” McMillan said. “I firmly believe if you do that, you give yourself a chance to win.”

[Sean Cagney]

UTTERLY F IN PATHETIC!!!!!!!!! ONCE again.

[pjjrfan]

Wasn't our night. Might not be our year either if they don't get it going soon.

[Höfner]

What's so confusing about it? The Spurs don't make plays, the other team does, we lose.

[Chomag]

Wasn't our night. Might not be our year either if they don't get it going soon.

Well Timmy only has a couple of seasons left so they better do something soon.

[murpjf88]

This is old hat by now.

[pjjrfan]

why a head scratcher? The Blazers came out with more energy and a better game plan. While it was close in the first half, the Blazers took Timmy out in the 2nd h alf and the veteran spurs couldn't adjust couple that with very poor defense and it's no secret why the Spurs lost.

[crc21209]

In the Spurs defense the Blazers were making some of the most difficult shots I've seen in awhile. Sometimes it's just not your night. What gets me is if we were getting killed on the boards so bad, why not give Ratliff a chance? Pop deserves a big fat F tonight...

[SequSpur]

Jerryd Bayless, who began the season as the Blazers' 11th man, peppered the Spurs for a career-high 31 points, including a back-breaking 3-pointer that put Portland ahead 96-87 with 2:04 to go. It was Portland's second short-handed victory in as many nights, following an 85-81 triumph at Dallas.

[024]

not a head scratcher when you consider that this team sucks.

[NZ Spurs]

That's basketball. Guys hit un-stoppable shots. As soon as the Spurs forced the ball out of Bayless hands someone else hit a long contested shot.

It happens, take your lumps and move on.

[Cry Havoc]

This team has no heart right now.

[murpjf88]

This team has no heart right now.

AGAIN, nothing to do with heart. The team is playing lousy basketball. Do you actually think the spurs are trying to lose these games? That's just crazy.

[SenorSpur]

Blazers down 7 players and yet they STILL prevail? What's wrong with this picture? As many roster moves as the Spurs made over the summer, it appears it wasn't enough. For now, it appears that the Blazers have more talent, athleticism, vigor, heart, and desire from players 10-15, than the Spurs do from 1-11. There is where the game was lost.

[mexicanjunior]

not a head scratcher when you consider that this team sucks.

Yep...I don't know why people are getting upset at this point. The realists on this board have been pointing out this team's crappy play all year but the "it's only (month)" crowd continually turns a blind eye.

[Spurs da champs]

What happened to Jefferson creating shots for himself the only way I see him score is off alley-oops. He's basically the small forward version of Tyson Chandler.

[jonnybravo]

What happened to Jefferson creating shots for himself the only way I see him score is off alley-oops. He's basically the small forward version of Tyson Chandler.

Not to pile on Richard Jefferson but he's NEVER had a half court, iso game. Where that myth came from is beyond me.

[narmerguy]

:( Maybe we need to take some of our starters out too and we'll win games.

[ElNono]

why a head scratcher? The Blazers came out with more energy and a better game plan. While it was close in the first half, the Blazers took Timmy out in the 2nd h alf and the veteran spurs couldn't adjust couple that with very poor defense and it's no secret why the Spurs lost.

Exactly. McDonalds make it sound Blazers didn't deserve it. They played harder, better and they won. No head-scratcher there.

Looks like 'Tonight is not our night' happens all the time against decent teams.

[polandprzem]

Soon spurs will realize that they are no contender what so ever.
The doomsday is near

[Trainwreck2100]

how many shit players have ha their season highs against the spurs this year?

[hsxvvd]

Well it's true Nate told Ime he'd be the best 12th man in the league before they waived him. It seems Portland also had the best 11th man in the league.

[TheChillFactor]

we need a 2nd big that can rebound. it's that simple. i didn't think mcdyess was enough and now it's being proven.

[Bender]

manu needs to play less minutes, or stay off the court completely

[fyatuk]

The big problem was that the Spurs came out with zero aggression in the third quarter, after getting a short-handed team into serious foul issues in the first half. That's absolutely inexcusable.

Then toss in Manu hardly able to sink a shot if his life depended on it and Bayliss and Aldridge both could have thrown a blindfolded, one handed, through the legs, granny style, half-court shot up and it would have gone in and any team would be in trouble.

Howard outworked the Spurs for the boards, too. He was channeling Pryzbilla or something.

[Dex]

More like the Spurs lose a real nut-kicker.

[silverblackfan]

Bah! Now I have to go visit my Mom and Blazer-loving step dad in Portland for Christmas. Thanks, Spurs.
Have we hit rock bottom yet? Is it time for the Spurs to turn this ship around on defense?

[galvatron3000]

Small works when you have a younger Manu, a guy named Horry who was younger in 2005 heck it only works for the rosters of the 2005 and 2007 Spurs teams. You have guys with size on the team, play them or consider this another first round lost team or worse. A .500 team that doesn't make the playoffs. Atleast play the guys while Bonner and Finley are down, I guess we need another injury so they are forced to play. Perhaps now that Manu is officially becoming a spot up shooter then h may need to go down again too.

This is December and this team is just average, the trade for Jefferson is not going to pay dividends regularly because he needs a true pg, the Spurs need to send Jefferson to Charlotte and get SJ. He fits much better and is more a 3 than undersized Jefferson. It maybe time to pack Hill up too before his stock drops( The Hill talk is frustration but has some credence).

[Chomag]

Timmy deserve more. If we can't get the effort from the whole team we are not beating any top team. Spurs owe TD at least one more championship and should be doing everything they can to make that happen. If this means trading even those we love to get new parts then so be it even if it might make some people sad.

[rjv]

this is getting old real fast. the expectations are just not there. and for a team that has 4 titles you just do not see that heart or will to win expressed for a full 48 minutes. only tim seems to be at that level.

[callo1]

I'm not jumping off of the cliff yet.

This team is one which has not yet found their identity. When the season started, it was about Tony leading them, then over the last couple weeks, it has been toos the ball in to Timmmy mode.

In my opinion, this lack of identity makes it that much harder for the new guys to fit in.

Yeah, last nights loss sucked, but it isn't like the Spurs haven't been in a similar situation as Portland was last night and went into another teams house and won...remember Tony and Timmy out versus the Suns and Manu going crazy to lead a rally and a win? Remember last year when without all three of the big three they almost took one from Denver?

Portland had a guy last night that got in the zone and couldn't miss....don't blame Hill, Tony, or Bogans.

Look at the positives:

Tony shot very well
RJ was great
Mason played a near perfect game
Timmy was Timmy

Yeah, there is still a missing piece of a big that can challenge shots netx to Timmy and score, but there is still time to fill that void.

[spurtilldeath]

I'm not jumping off of the cliff yet.

This team is one which has not yet found their identity. When the season started, it was about Tony leading them, then over the last couple weeks, it has been toos the ball in to Timmmy mode.

In my opinion, this lack of identity makes it that much harder for the new guys to fit in.

Yeah, last nights loss sucked, but it isn't like the Spurs haven't been in a similar situation as Portland was last night and went into another teams house and won...remember Tony and Timmy out versus the Suns and Manu going crazy to lead a rally and a win? Remember last year when without all three of the big three they almost took one from Denver?

Portland had a guy last night that got in the zone and couldn't miss....don't blame Hill, Tony, or Bogans.

Look at the positives:

Tony shot very well
RJ was great
Mason played a near perfect game
Timmy was Timmy

Yeah, there is still a missing piece of a big that can challenge shots netx to Timmy and score, but there is still time to fill that void.


Do you really think Pop will quit small ball and play another big if there was one? Dice/Ratliff is as big as it gets this season.

[TimDunkem]

Do you really think Pop will quit small ball and play another big if there was one? Dice/Ratliff is as big as it gets this season.
We didn't play Ratliff last night.

[spurtech09]

pop stop playing small ball and the spurs will be fine.....pop you have to remember small ball didn't win you championships

[duncan228]

Taking Inventory at Christmastime (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/11730/taking-inventory-at-christmastime)
By Kevin Arnovitz
TrueHoop

The 25-30 game mark is my favorite moment in the NBA season.

Come again? What can you possibly glean from December basketball?

Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane once described his trifurcated view of the long baseball season. The first of the season is for taking inventory of what a team has. The middle third of the schedule is for making the necessary adjustments. And the final third is for making a run.

The formula works for basketball as well. The throat-clearing phase of the season is nearly over. Teams have a better feel for their assets, needs and aspirations than they did at the start of the season. That transition between observation and implementation is happening right now, and last night's slate of games offered a window into what some of the league's more interesting teams are doing.

Portland vs. San Antonio

This is a battle of two teams with grave existential questions as we enter the second third of the season. For the Spurs, have their early-season struggles been the product of acclimating a bunch of new players, or is there something fundamentally unsound about the pieces they've added to their aging foundation?

For the Trail Blazers, who have lost Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla in recent days, there's desperation in the air (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/11704/merry-christmas-blazer-fans), and it's compounded Wednesday night by the absence of Brandon Roy, who's nursing a sore shoulder.

The Spurs toy with Portland on the first couple of possessions, working mismatches Richard Jefferson to get him shots at the rim. But Portland is able to leverage its sole advantage over San Antonio -- speed. The Trail Blazers don't exploit that advantage in transition (only seven fast break points). Instead, they whirl around in the half-court and get some very nice looks for jump shooters, most prominently LaMarcus Aldridge (9-for-13 from the floor). Jerryd Bayless? the speedster doesn't need much help getting nice looks. He'll create them out of thin air -- on the perimeter with a quick release (with out without a high screen) or off the dribble through the seams of the defense.

Blazers Edge describes what else goes right for Portland (http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/12/23/1218400/game-31-recap-blazers-98-spurs-94):


The keys to the game were pretty simple. Portland packed the paint on defense, first denying the ball to Tim Duncan then daring him to score over multiple defenders and the rest of the Spurs to hit outside shots instead of driving. It was the only conceivable way to make up for the utter lack of interior power on that end. Once the shot went up the Blazers rebounded hard down to the last man. You saw four, five guys swarming the glass. On offense the plan was clear: take advantage of any mismatches (Bayless, Aldridge), use screens to get them free, and when the main guys got shot down pass the ball out quickly and hope the jumpers fall. They did. San Antonio's did somewhat but it wasn't enough. Combine that with 8 turnovers and more energy than the Spurs and you walk away with a win....as big of a win as you can get at this stage of the season...a win that didn't depend on lucky threes...a win Blazers got on a night when San Antonio shot 6 percentage points better than they. Priceless.

Reports of the Spurs' demise have been exaggerated for the better part of a decade now, but if you want to diagnose what might prevent them from playing into mid-May, you should examine their defense. In a game that features only 85 possessions per side, the Spurs surrender 98 points, which is more than acceptable against a skeletal Portland lineup. Unusual for a team coached by Gregg Popovich, the Spurs elect to double-team LaMarcus Aldridge. 48 Minutes of Hell wonders aloud (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/12/23/portland-trail-blazers-98-san-antonio-spurs-94/):


My last question concerns Gregg Popovich’s decision to aggressively double team LaMarcus Aldridge. In Monday’s game against the Clippers, Pop chose to consistently play Chris Kaman straight up. Apparently he is more threatened by Aldridge, given that he sent two defenders at him throughout the second half. But Aldridge effectively passed out of the double, and the Blazers nailed five of the eleven three-pointers they took before scrambling rotators were able to recover. What was it about tonight’s game that made Pop more willing to stray from his “stay home” defensive strategy, and risk the open three in order to double Aldridge?

It's an interesting question and you can only assume that Popovich feels that his team might not feature the kind of one-on-one matchup advantages they're accustomed to having. The Spurs have racked up championship on the strength of their base defense, but for the first time in a long while, the Spurs are being regularly outmatched and outwitted on the perimeter.

If you simulate this game with the same shot attempts ten times, I'm not sure the Trail Blazers win more than three of the match-ups. Designating 30 of your 77 shot attempts as long 2-point jumpers is treacherous, but being lightning quick to the ball and to the glass has a way of mitigating those kinds of numbers.

One thing's for certain: No two teams will be more interesting to watch during the "middle third of the season adjustment phase" than the Trail Blazers and Spurs.

[Danny.Zhu]

Worst game of this season, so far.

[spurspokesman]

Blazers down 7 players and yet they STILL prevail? What's wrong with this picture? As many roster moves as the Spurs made over the summer, it appears it wasn't enough. For now, it appears that the Blazers have more talent, athleticism, vigor, heart, and desire from players 10-15, than the Spurs do from 1-11. There is where the game was lost.
this