duncan228
01-26-2010, 01:00 AM
Spurs gored once again (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_gored_once_again.html)
Jeff McDonald
By this point in the Spurs' regularly unscheduled losing streak, the details have become a blur.
The names on the front of the jerseys change, as do the names of the players hitting back-breaking daggers against them. Leads come and go. One last-gasp charge falls short.
Such was the scene — again — Monday night at the AT&T Center, as the Chicago Bulls held on for a 98-93 victory that sent the Spurs sprawling to their third consecutive defeat at home.
“We have the team that can win games, especially games like tonight,” Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. “We just have to find a way to kind of get it done. There's no two ways about it.”
Derrick Rose had 27 points, Kirk Hinrich — filling the role of “unheralded sidekick who goes ballistic against the Spurs” previously inhabited by Utah's Andrei Kirilenko and Houston's Kyle Lowry — added 18, as the Bulls swept the season series against the Spurs for the first time since 1997-98.
That was a banner year for Chicago. Michael Jordan, after all, was en route to a sixth championship.
It marks the Spurs' first three-game losing streak at home since last month, which is troubling in itself. The Spurs have lost nine times at the AT&T Center. Maybe the upcoming rodeo road trip will do them good.
“Anytime you lose games, it's frustrating,” Duncan said. “Anytime you keep putting yourself in a position to win games and can't get over the hump, it's frustrating.”
Yes, the Spurs are frustrated. Monday night was like watching a movie they'd seen before and were powerless to stop.
One notable plot twist: This game was sealed by a foul shooter whose shot looks like a screwball. Joakim Noah broke a 93-93 tie with a putback with 36.3 seconds left, then made three of four free throws in the final 13.4 to ice the win.
Manu Ginobili had a chance to tie with 32.8 ticks left but found his floater rejected by Luol Deng. His team down 96-93 in the waning seconds, Ginobili missed on another drive, with the Spurs' bench howling that he had been fouled by Noah.
Ginobili agreed with the howls.
“I'm a player,” he said. “We always think the whole world is against us.”
It's an understandable feeling, given what the Spurs have witnessed the past three games.
Another new twist: The Bulls began Monday by hitting 22 of 32 field goals, which they'd have trouble re-creating against air.
Still, for the third straight game, the Spurs arrived at the fourth quarter of a long, hard slog with a chance.
Six times in the final 31/2 minutes, Chicago needed a basket to either tie or take a lead. Five times, somebody in a Bulls jersey delivered.
“We used to be able to make stops on demand,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We need three in a row, we're going to go make the stops. That hasn't been the case.”
Tony Parker had 20 points and eight assists and helped keep the Spurs in the game late. Duncan added 15 but was 6 of 14 and missed a potential game-tying hook with 1:18 to go.
The box-score eyesore belonged to Richard Jefferson, who had a reverse dunk 60 seconds into the game, then missed the remainder of his seven shots.
Add it together, and it's little wonder the Spurs shot 41.9 percent. It is a wonder, given the Bulls out-shot them by nearly 12 percent, that the Spurs were even in the game in the fourth.
That the Spurs hung around was a testament to how badly they wanted the game, as was Popovich's rotation. He shortened it to eight players, as if a January visit from the Bulls constituted a playoff game.
The Spurs responded by playing better than they did against Utah or Houston. It wasn't enough to change the final result.
*********************
Slideshow.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/Bulls_98_Spurs_93.html?c=n#1
Jeff McDonald
By this point in the Spurs' regularly unscheduled losing streak, the details have become a blur.
The names on the front of the jerseys change, as do the names of the players hitting back-breaking daggers against them. Leads come and go. One last-gasp charge falls short.
Such was the scene — again — Monday night at the AT&T Center, as the Chicago Bulls held on for a 98-93 victory that sent the Spurs sprawling to their third consecutive defeat at home.
“We have the team that can win games, especially games like tonight,” Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. “We just have to find a way to kind of get it done. There's no two ways about it.”
Derrick Rose had 27 points, Kirk Hinrich — filling the role of “unheralded sidekick who goes ballistic against the Spurs” previously inhabited by Utah's Andrei Kirilenko and Houston's Kyle Lowry — added 18, as the Bulls swept the season series against the Spurs for the first time since 1997-98.
That was a banner year for Chicago. Michael Jordan, after all, was en route to a sixth championship.
It marks the Spurs' first three-game losing streak at home since last month, which is troubling in itself. The Spurs have lost nine times at the AT&T Center. Maybe the upcoming rodeo road trip will do them good.
“Anytime you lose games, it's frustrating,” Duncan said. “Anytime you keep putting yourself in a position to win games and can't get over the hump, it's frustrating.”
Yes, the Spurs are frustrated. Monday night was like watching a movie they'd seen before and were powerless to stop.
One notable plot twist: This game was sealed by a foul shooter whose shot looks like a screwball. Joakim Noah broke a 93-93 tie with a putback with 36.3 seconds left, then made three of four free throws in the final 13.4 to ice the win.
Manu Ginobili had a chance to tie with 32.8 ticks left but found his floater rejected by Luol Deng. His team down 96-93 in the waning seconds, Ginobili missed on another drive, with the Spurs' bench howling that he had been fouled by Noah.
Ginobili agreed with the howls.
“I'm a player,” he said. “We always think the whole world is against us.”
It's an understandable feeling, given what the Spurs have witnessed the past three games.
Another new twist: The Bulls began Monday by hitting 22 of 32 field goals, which they'd have trouble re-creating against air.
Still, for the third straight game, the Spurs arrived at the fourth quarter of a long, hard slog with a chance.
Six times in the final 31/2 minutes, Chicago needed a basket to either tie or take a lead. Five times, somebody in a Bulls jersey delivered.
“We used to be able to make stops on demand,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We need three in a row, we're going to go make the stops. That hasn't been the case.”
Tony Parker had 20 points and eight assists and helped keep the Spurs in the game late. Duncan added 15 but was 6 of 14 and missed a potential game-tying hook with 1:18 to go.
The box-score eyesore belonged to Richard Jefferson, who had a reverse dunk 60 seconds into the game, then missed the remainder of his seven shots.
Add it together, and it's little wonder the Spurs shot 41.9 percent. It is a wonder, given the Bulls out-shot them by nearly 12 percent, that the Spurs were even in the game in the fourth.
That the Spurs hung around was a testament to how badly they wanted the game, as was Popovich's rotation. He shortened it to eight players, as if a January visit from the Bulls constituted a playoff game.
The Spurs responded by playing better than they did against Utah or Houston. It wasn't enough to change the final result.
*********************
Slideshow.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/Bulls_98_Spurs_93.html?c=n#1