Spurs vs. Nets Previews

[Blackjack]

Sunday: Nets (3-33) at Spurs (21-13) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Sunday_Nets_3-33_at_Spurs_21-13.html)

Time: 6 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - NETS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 34 Devin Harris (6-3, 6th yr)
Once Parker’s Western Conference nemesis, Harris forgotten in Jersey.

SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 6 Courtney Lee (6-5, 2nd yr)
Lee coming off career night (28 points) in loss at New Orleans.

SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 17 Chris Dg.-Roberts (6-7, 2nd yr)
Jefferson on Nets’ rebuild: “You make your bed, you have to lie in it.”

PG - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 9 Yi Jianlian (7-0, 3rd yr)
Duncan averaged 28.5 points, 12 boards vs. Nets last season.

C - 45 DeJuan Blair (6-7, 1st yr) - 11 Brook Lopez (7-0, 2nd yr)
Continued progress of Lopez bright spot in dismal season.

SPURS RESERVES
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
22 Marcus Haislip, F, 6-10, 4th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th yr
24 A. McDyess, F, 6-10, 14th yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr

NETS RESERVES
7 Tony Battie, F/C, 6-11, 12th yr
2 Josh Boone, C, 6-10, 4th yr
55 Keyon Dooling, G, 6-3, 10th yr
44 Trenton Hassell, F, 6-5, 9th yr
22 Jarvis Hayes, F, 6-8, 7th yr
1 Chris Quinn, G, 6-2, 4th yr
8 T. Williams, G/F, 6-6, 1st yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Nets: Kiki Vandeweghe

INJURIES
Spurs: Michael Finley (sprained left ankle) and Matt Bonner (fractured right hand) are out.
Nets: None.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi, Finley, Bonner.
Nets: Sean Williams, Bobby Simmons, Eduardo Najera

NOTABLE
Nets boast the league’s worst record, made possible in part by 0-18 start that set NBA record. They are 3-15 since Vandeweghe took over for Lawrence Frank on Dec. 1. ... Spurs have won 13 straight vs. Nets, with last loss coming Nov. 13, 2002 in New Jersey. ... Spurs have dropped three straight when Duncan scores at least 30, including Friday’s 112-103 loss to Dallas in which Duncan had 31. Last time Duncan scored 30 and Spurs won was Jan. 23, 2009, against New Jersey.

— Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

New Jersey (3-33) at San Antonio (21-13) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010011024&prov=ap)
Game info: 7:00 pm EST Sun Jan 10, 2010
TV: YES, FSSW
By Alan Ferguson

After bouncing back from a slow start, the San Antonio Spurs have stumbled twice in the past week. A matchup with the woeful New Jersey Nets could help them get back to winning.

The Spurs will try to earn their 14th straight victory over the Nets on Sunday night.

After splitting its first 18 games, San Antonio got on track by winning 11 of 13. The Spurs (21-13), though, have since dropped two of three.

They lost 91-86 at Toronto last Sunday as their rally from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit fell short. San Antonio rebounded for a 112-92 home win over Detroit on Wednesday and held a 10-point lead entering the final period against visiting Dallas on Friday night before the Mavericks scored 42 in the last 12 minutes to win 112-103.

“We played a good third quarter, gave ourselves a lead, talked about building on it going into the fourth quarter,” said Tim Duncan, who scored 31. “But bit by bit they got back into it. Their shooters got hot, and we didn’t.”

Duncan has been the Spurs’ hottest shooter of late, making 57.5 percent of his attempts over the past five games while averaging 22.4 points. The perennial All-Star is shooting a career-best 55.4 percent and has averaged 28.7 points on 59.3 percent shooting in his past three matchups with the Nets.

Duncan has scored 23.1 points per game in 22 career meetings, and New Jersey is one of three teams he’s averaged more than 23.0 against in his 13 seasons.

If he can lead San Antonio to another victory Sunday, it would tie the league’s longest active win streak over one opponent. The Spurs also own that mark with 14 straight victories against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The addition of Richard Jefferson could help, as he’s averaged 25.3 points in the past three meetings against New Jersey, where he played his first seven NBA seasons.

In Jefferson’s final season there in 2007-08, the Nets won 34 games. They probably won’t come anywhere near reaching that total this season.

New Jersey (3-33) enters Sunday looking to avoid its fifth straight loss and seventh in a row on the road.

The Nets nearly snapped both skids Friday night against New Orleans as they rallied for a one-point lead with 12 seconds remaining. However, they were outscored 5-0 after that and lost 103-99 to fall to 1-18 away from home.

“It’s always disappointing when players don’t finish the game,” coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. “We’re all disappointed, but (New Orleans) is a very good team. They played hard and they’ve won a lot at the end. We have nothing to be ashamed of. You have to give them credit for finishing well.”

Courtney Lee had a team-best 28 points after scoring a combined 24 in the previous three games, and Keyon Dooling added a season-high 21 off the bench. After averaging 20.3 points in his previous seven games, Yi Jianlian was limited to eight.

The Spurs, 15-6 at home, are searching for their eighth win in 10 games there.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Brook Lopez NJ 18.3
Tim Duncan SA 20.2

Rebounds
Brook Lopez NJ 9.5
Tim Duncan SA 10.2

Assists
Devin Harris NJ 5.8
Tony Parker SA 5.9

[Blackjack]

^ ^

:elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs rested and ready to blow out the Nets (http://www.sbrforum.com/Free+Picks/NBA/13087/san-antonio-spurs-rested-ready-blow-out-nets.aspx)
By: Al McMordie

The Spurs have the perfect opponent on Sunday night to rebound from their loss to Dallas. Expect a rested San Antonio to take that defeat out on the pitiful New Jersey Nets.

Our Sunday night NBA selection is on the San Antonio Spurs at home minus the points over the New Jersey Nets.

In its last game, San Antone lost to Dallas after holding a double-digit lead heading into the game's final 12 minutes. Off that disheartening defeat, the Spurs look to rebound tonight, and I think they'll get a blowout victory.

San Antonio has struggled this season vs. the better teams, but has only lost twice to losing teams (Chicago and Toronto), and both of those defeats came in the second game of a back-to-back.

However, the Spurs are rested tonight, and the Nets have been a "get well" team for the entire NBA, as they're just 3-33 on the season. San Antonio has won 13 straight vs. New Jersey, with its last loss coming in November 2002.

Finally, we note that the Nets are a dismal 33-58 ATS vs. winning teams over the past three seasons! Lay the points.

Free Pick: Spurs -13½ (-110)

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Sun. Jan 10
New Jersey @ San Antonio: Scott Foster; Bennie Adams; Derek Richardson

[Blackjack]

Welcome back, 228.:toast

I've got the sports coat in hand and I'm ready to join Ian behind the bench; we scrubs gots to know our roles.;)

[duncan228]

NJ Nets: Devin Harris questionable for Spurs (http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_nets_devin_harris_questiona.html)
By Dave D'Alessandro/The Star-Ledger

Point guard Devin Harris had an MRI taken on his achy right wrist, and for now, the Nets are calling it tendinitis, but it's enough to make him a game-time decision tonight against San Antonio.

Harris wore a wrap on the wrist Friday at New Orleans, and he was clearly struggling with it, finishing with four points and four assists in 34 minutes. He shrugged it off as "a little sore," and said a doctor would take a look at it when the team got to Texas.

Keyon Dooling stepped up mightily against the Hornets that night, going for a season-high 21 points and hitting four 3-pointers. The 3-33 Nets also have Terrence Williams and Chris Quinn in reserve for the game against the Spurs.

[marini martini]

Don't know where you've been Duncan228, but you were missed, and I'm glad you're back!!!:toast

[Blackjack]

Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Jersey Nets
by Jesse Blancher

Rebuilding and relocating, the Nets have certainly fallen from the team Richard Jefferson once donned a uniform for. Last season the Nets managed to keep within sight of a playoff seed for a good portion of a season thanks to the emergence of Devin Harris, a deserved Rookie of the Year performance from Brook Lopez and the steady hand of Vince Carter.

In a way the trio was like a watered down version of the Spurs model, with Lopez’s style drawing comparisons to Duncan and Harris performing as a just as speedy if not as clever version of Tony Parker. But just as Ginobili is vital to Parker’s style of play, the Nets relied on Vince Carter’s playmaking to make their system work. With his departure the Nets are threatening some of the worst teams in NBA history.

If the Nets have any hope it’s that they have an interesting young core, a new owner with deep pockets who is willing to relocate the team to Brooklyn and are a dark horse candidate for LeBron James. Unfortunately, none of that will help them tonight. Especially if reports from NetsareScorching.com hold true:

Point guard Devin Harris had an MRI taken on his achy right wrist, and for now, the Nets are calling it tendinitis, but it’s enough to make him a game-time decision tonight against San Antonio.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/01/10/preview-san-antonio-spurs-vs-new-jersey-nets/)

[Blackjack]

Game 37 Preview Vs. San Antonio Spurs (http://netsarescorching.com/2010/01/10/game-37-preview-vs-san-antonio-spurs/)
by Sebastian Pruiti


Quick note on Friday night’s game. Chris Paul’s play was just a great player doing a great thing there. Not really much they could have done since defending Chris Paul coming off a screen is one of the hardest things to do in the NBA. Also, that “moving screen” call on Yi is something that needs to not get called. You watch a basketball game, you see screens set like that 3 or 4 times a game, and they don’t get called. So why did Yi’s screen get called? 1) It’s late in the game so the refs are looking at everything very closely. 2) It’s the Nets. When you are a 3-32 team as the Nets were going into the New Orleans game, people think that they have no business being in the game, and when they are, the refs start looking for stuff to call to make things make sense. Don’t take this as me blaming the officiating, because I am not doing that. I know this happens, and I accept it. Just stating what I think happens.

As for tonight, Harris is a game time decision with a hurt wrist. From Dave D:



Point guard Devin Harris had an MRI taken on his achy right wrist, and for now, the Nets are calling it tendinitis, but it’s enough to make him a game-time decision tonight against San Antonio.

Harris wore a wrap on the wrist Friday at New Orleans, and he was clearly struggling with it, finishing with four points and four assists in 34 minutes. He shrugged it off as “a little sore,” and said a doctor would take a look at it when the team got to Texas.

Keyon Dooling stepped up mightily against the Hornets that night, going for a season-high 21 points and hitting four 3-pointers. The 3-33 Nets also have Terrence Williams and Chris Quinn in reserve for the 7 PM game against the Spurs.



If he doesn’t play we could be in trouble. I know Dooling is a better defender than Harris, but Harris’ speed matches up well with Parker, and he makes Tony work on defense, which makes him less effective on offense. Onto the lineups.

Devin Harris vs. Tony Parker

According to Dave D, Devin’s wrist has been bothering him since before the Hornets game. His wrist was wrapped up, and he wasn’t really playing well with it. Dooling played great offensively against the Hornets, but on the defensive end Harris/Dooling combined to allow Paul to get 18 assists. Tony Parker could have a similar stat line tonight.

Advantage: Tony Parker

Courtney Lee vs. Manu Ginobili

Courtney Lee is another guy coming off of a big game. Now he won’t be going 5-7 from 3 every night, but this is the kind of effect he can have on a team when he is shooting well. He also chipped in with 6 assists. I don’t think he will ever be a #2 scorer on a team (unless his shot starts falling consistently), but he is a guy that can make a shot or two, play good defense, and be smart with the basketball. As for Ginobili, he has struggled returning from injury, but he is at his best when he is very aggressive with the basketball and forcing the issue. I think Lee can do a decent job of slowing him down.

Advantage: Push

Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Richard Jefferson

CDR only made 3 shots last game, but he still finished with 10 points because he was able to get to the line. It is important for the Nets to get to the line, because there are times where the shots just don’t fall. If the Nets don’t get to the foul line during these stretches, they just aren’t going to score. Plain and simple. Richard Jefferson is back playing in New Jersey. I never really like Richard Jefferson. Didn’t have a reason, but I always thought that he was overrated. Wasn’t his fault, but just never liked him. Anyway, Al Iannazzone has a real nice piece on Jefferson, you should go check it out.

Yi vs. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is an all-time great, and I agree with a lot of other experts who say he was the best of the last decade. People call his style “boring” but he is one of my favorite players to watch, so I will be paying attention to him. Yi may get a good amount of open looks from 3 tonight though, because I just don’t see Duncan coming out to challenge Yi’s outside shot (until he starts making it).

Advantage: Tim Duncan

Brook Lopez vs. DeJuan Blair

DeJuan Blair is the steal of last year’s draft in my opinion (narrowly edging out Casspi). I know he had health issues, but he at least deserved someone taking a flier on him early in the second round (he lasted until the 54th pick). The Nets’ didn’t have a second round pick, but I would have loved to see them buy one and try to scoop Blair. It figures the Spurs get him, they always win on picks like this. Brook should be able to have a big game though. Blair is strong and a hard worker, but Brook has such a size advantage that he is just going to be able to turn and shoot over him. I wouldn’t be surprised of Duncan ends up defending Brook and Blair picks up Yi.

Advantage: Brook Lopez

[duncan228]

Welcome back, 228.:toast

I've got the sports coat in hand and I'm ready to join Ian behind the bench; we scrubs gots to know our roles.;)

You did an incredible job Blackjack. Appreciate the help. You're the best. :toast

[Spursmania]

You did an incredible job Blackjack. Appreciate the help. You're the best. :toast

He really did. Props to Blackjack for holding down the fort while Duncan228 was out. Welcome back Duncan228.:toast

[Blackjack]

'Preciate it; on both counts.:toast