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12-30-2009, 06:03 AM
Near triple-double for Ginobili leads Spurs over Minnesota
By Tim Price, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday December 30, 2009
With about 6 1/2 minutes to go against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called Keith Bogans back to the bench from the scorer's table.
At that point, with the Spurs ahead by 24 points and on their way to a 117-99 win over Minnesota at AT&T Center, Popovich apparently became a fan. He wanted to see if Manu Ginobili could get his first career triple-double, so Popovich changed his mind about Bogans subbing for Ginobili. And at the next timeout, with Ginobili still one rebound away from the triple-double, Popovich brought up the career milestone and asked him if he wanted to stay in.
"We talked about that," Popovich admitted.
But Ginobili shook his head at Popovich's offer, and he sat on the bench for the rest of the night.
Though his numbers have lagged at points this season, the effort Ginobili put forth on Tuesday to shade the triple-double figure was no surprise -- 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 27 1/2 minutes off the bench.
And his shaking off Popovich's offer was no surprise either.
"We all know how Manu is, and that's how everybody on the team tries to be -- unselfish," Roger Mason Jr. said. "We all wanted Manu in there to try to get [the triple-double], but he's not worried about statistics."
Instead, Ginobili fit in with a team that leads the league in bench scoring and is third in 3-point shooting.
The Spurs reserves kicked it in with the 3-pointers shortly after their first appearance against the Timberwolves. With backups Ginobili and Mason already in double figures by the end of the first half and the big reasons for two Spurs runs that eventually led to an 18-point lead, San Antonio won for the ninth time in the past 11 games.
For the game, Ginobili and Mason combined to hit 7 of 13 3-point shots -- Minnesota was 4-for-12 as a team.
"Manu played very well tonight and did what he does best," Minnesota's Al Jefferson said. "You can't make mistakes, allow the fast break, the 3-point shot and expect to win."
At least one starter for San Antonio (18-11) was not left out. Richard Jefferson hit 4-of-7 3-pointers and scored 24 in 34 minutes. He was 10-for-17 overall.
Mason added 18 points. Tim Duncan had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker had 12 points and eight assists.
The Spurs' bench outscored Minnesota's reserves 46-23.
It meant the Timberwolves' grasp of a winning streak was a short one. Having just won consecutive games for the first time this season, Minnesota (7-25) is back to the well-worn loss column despite a ninth-straight double-double from second-year player Kevin Love.
He had 18 points and 12 rebounds and was in double-double territory just 5 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.
Love, shooting almost 53 percent in the last six games before the trip to San Antonio, had been helping the Wolves right their season somewhat. After opening the season 1-15, Minnesota is 6-10 and is .500 in the last eight games.
Jefferson led Minnesota with 20 points. Jonny Flynn added 17 and Corey Brewer had 14.
But the Timberwolves had 11 assists on 36 buckets compared to 32 assists on 41 baskets for the Spurs.
"When you see [Ginobili] hustling and trying to make extra passes, it's contagious and we're a better basketball team when we play like that," Mason said. "When one guy does it, other guys want to do it. The next thing you know you have guys who almost have triple-doubles like Manu tonight. It's just fun basketball to play like that."
The Spurs led by as many as 24. They went 4-for-7 from 3-point territory in the first quarter, and all four of them came in a 4:15 stretch toward the end of the quarter when the Spurs erased a 16-10 deficit with a 17-4 run. Two of them came from Ginobili, and his second one gave the Spurs a 27-20 lead with a little more than a minute left in the opening quarter.
"It was a fun game," Ginobili said. "I felt like I was really active and had lots of energy. I found some open men and made some shots."
Ginobili also assisted on one of the Spurs' 3-pointers (he had three assists in his first five minutes on the floor) and he set up another three with a steal. He topped off an active quarter with two rebounds.
Minnesota came back and cut the deficit to six in the second quarter, but Mason hit three jumpers in the next Spurs run -- including a 3-pointer -- and San Antonio went up by 18.
http://www.nba.com/games/20091229/MINSAS/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2
By Tim Price, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday December 30, 2009
With about 6 1/2 minutes to go against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called Keith Bogans back to the bench from the scorer's table.
At that point, with the Spurs ahead by 24 points and on their way to a 117-99 win over Minnesota at AT&T Center, Popovich apparently became a fan. He wanted to see if Manu Ginobili could get his first career triple-double, so Popovich changed his mind about Bogans subbing for Ginobili. And at the next timeout, with Ginobili still one rebound away from the triple-double, Popovich brought up the career milestone and asked him if he wanted to stay in.
"We talked about that," Popovich admitted.
But Ginobili shook his head at Popovich's offer, and he sat on the bench for the rest of the night.
Though his numbers have lagged at points this season, the effort Ginobili put forth on Tuesday to shade the triple-double figure was no surprise -- 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 27 1/2 minutes off the bench.
And his shaking off Popovich's offer was no surprise either.
"We all know how Manu is, and that's how everybody on the team tries to be -- unselfish," Roger Mason Jr. said. "We all wanted Manu in there to try to get [the triple-double], but he's not worried about statistics."
Instead, Ginobili fit in with a team that leads the league in bench scoring and is third in 3-point shooting.
The Spurs reserves kicked it in with the 3-pointers shortly after their first appearance against the Timberwolves. With backups Ginobili and Mason already in double figures by the end of the first half and the big reasons for two Spurs runs that eventually led to an 18-point lead, San Antonio won for the ninth time in the past 11 games.
For the game, Ginobili and Mason combined to hit 7 of 13 3-point shots -- Minnesota was 4-for-12 as a team.
"Manu played very well tonight and did what he does best," Minnesota's Al Jefferson said. "You can't make mistakes, allow the fast break, the 3-point shot and expect to win."
At least one starter for San Antonio (18-11) was not left out. Richard Jefferson hit 4-of-7 3-pointers and scored 24 in 34 minutes. He was 10-for-17 overall.
Mason added 18 points. Tim Duncan had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker had 12 points and eight assists.
The Spurs' bench outscored Minnesota's reserves 46-23.
It meant the Timberwolves' grasp of a winning streak was a short one. Having just won consecutive games for the first time this season, Minnesota (7-25) is back to the well-worn loss column despite a ninth-straight double-double from second-year player Kevin Love.
He had 18 points and 12 rebounds and was in double-double territory just 5 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.
Love, shooting almost 53 percent in the last six games before the trip to San Antonio, had been helping the Wolves right their season somewhat. After opening the season 1-15, Minnesota is 6-10 and is .500 in the last eight games.
Jefferson led Minnesota with 20 points. Jonny Flynn added 17 and Corey Brewer had 14.
But the Timberwolves had 11 assists on 36 buckets compared to 32 assists on 41 baskets for the Spurs.
"When you see [Ginobili] hustling and trying to make extra passes, it's contagious and we're a better basketball team when we play like that," Mason said. "When one guy does it, other guys want to do it. The next thing you know you have guys who almost have triple-doubles like Manu tonight. It's just fun basketball to play like that."
The Spurs led by as many as 24. They went 4-for-7 from 3-point territory in the first quarter, and all four of them came in a 4:15 stretch toward the end of the quarter when the Spurs erased a 16-10 deficit with a 17-4 run. Two of them came from Ginobili, and his second one gave the Spurs a 27-20 lead with a little more than a minute left in the opening quarter.
"It was a fun game," Ginobili said. "I felt like I was really active and had lots of energy. I found some open men and made some shots."
Ginobili also assisted on one of the Spurs' 3-pointers (he had three assists in his first five minutes on the floor) and he set up another three with a steal. He topped off an active quarter with two rebounds.
Minnesota came back and cut the deficit to six in the second quarter, but Mason hit three jumpers in the next Spurs run -- including a 3-pointer -- and San Antonio went up by 18.
http://www.nba.com/games/20091229/MINSAS/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2