timvp
01-30-2010, 06:32 AM
The San Antonio Spurs are back to their winning ways. Bouncing back from three straight home losses, the Spurs have now won two in a row at home after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies by a final score of 104-97 on Friday night.
The Grizzlies began the game playing well but the Spurs went on a 17-4 run in the first quarter and never really looked back. Each time Memphis made a run, San Antonio responded with a run of their own.
Despite the loss, the Grizzlies look like a solid team. Their starting lineup is impressive and there's a legit chance they make the playoffs. However, their bench is almost non-existent and any injury to their starting lineup would likely be a derailing turn of events.
Overall, the Spurs have to be very pleased with this win. The Grizzlies were closing in on the Spurs in the Western Conference standings and this victory provides breathing room. The cherry on top is winning the game despite missing Tony Parker due to an ankle sprain.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
33:33 minutes, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers
8-for-19 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Without Tony Parker, the Spurs put their offense in Tim Duncan's hands -- and with good results. Duncan facilitated the offense well, made smart decisions and kept everyone involved. When he looked for his own shot, he was decent but he did take a lot of awkward shot attempts. In his last five games, he's shooting just 35.8% (28-for-81) from the field. Defensively, he was a step slow sometimes when it came do help defense -- though his individual post defense was very solid. All in all, Duncan played a heady game but didn't look 100% physically. Why? Not sure but hopefully it is just fatigue.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
28:39 minutes, 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 turnovers
5-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Manu Ginobili continues to have very similar outings. While he's struggling converting his field goal attempts, he's making fantastic passes and he's playing with a lot of energy. Another common thread is the fact that Ginobili is fading down the stretch of games. He was 0-for-3 against Memphis in the fourth quarter. On the season, Ginobili is shooting just 35.3% from the field in fourth quarters, including 23.1% from beyond the arc.
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Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
35:13 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
4-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Richard Jefferson is taking baby steps in the right direction. His toughness and effort on the defensive end was commendable against the Grizzlies. He had a big role in holding Rudy Gay to single digits. Offensively, I liked his aggressiveness in the first half and he worked well off of others. His offense sputtered in the second half but he kept his energy level high. That in itself is a good sign because Jefferson's energy level has been tied to his offensive production too often this season.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
35:01 minutes, 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers
8-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 at the line
Starting at point guard, George Hill didn't disappoint. For most of the game, he played with an appropriate level of aggression and confidence. He attacked the rim throughout and his defense was a positive. Hill's playmaking was iffy in the first half but picked up a bit in the final two quarters. Since being inserted into the starting lineup six games ago, Hill has scored at least 15 points in five of those contests.
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Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3004.jpg
28:12 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds
5-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
Antonio McDyess is beginning to live up to his billing. For the second straight game, McDyess started and played very well. He's hit 13-of-16 shots since being reinserted into the starting lineup and he's finally playing with quickness and assertiveness. Hopefully McDyess keeps playing at this level because it makes the Spurs a much, much better team. The spacing improves offensively and there is much more defensive potential.
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Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3746.jpg
23:04 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-5 on three-pointers
With Hill moving over to point guard, Keith Bogans was given the nod as the starting shooting guard. I wasn't too impressed with his play. He didn't make much of an impact on defense and he was a negative on the offensive end. I'm not sure why Bogans has regressed on defense but it has virtually eliminated his value.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
27:49 minutes, 17 points, 3 turnovers
6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
Roger Mason, Jr.'s shooting is one of the main reasons why the Spurs won. In the fourth quarter, he was 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 on three-pointers. He didn't bring much else to the table but when Mason is shooting it straight, he's a valuable cog. In fact, I'm not sure why his play over the last handful of weeks hasn't resulted in a larger and more consistent role.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4642.jpg
17:56 minutes, 8 points, 10 rebounds
4-for-8 from the field
If you are a fan of DeJuan Blair, you were probably frightened when Blair was the second bigman off the bench behind Matt Bonner. Despite the possible demotion, the beastly rookie still played his typical number of minutes. As usual, he was dominant on the boards. Offensively, Blair missed a number of chip shots and sometimes tried to do too much. On defense, he mostly did good work.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
10:32 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers
1-for-3 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
After missing his first ten three-pointers since his return from injury, Matt Bonner finally nailed his 11th attempt from deep. Other than that three-point make, he didn't do much else right. He went without a rebound, had a couple of ugly turnovers and generally played a rushed brand of basketball. Bonner still has a long ways to go to return to his pre-injury level of play.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop coached a good game. With Parker out, he smartly played either Hill or both Ginobili and Mason to ensure there was always enough ballhandling ability on the court. I also like how he was able to keep the minutes in check despite being short-handed. Bogans might have played too much but that didn't end up hurting the team too much. I'm a bit worried that we may start seeing less of Blair, which I believe would be a bad move.
-------------------------------
Offense
The offense revolved around Duncan more than usual and it worked out well. The Spurs shot 48.3% from the field and connected on 8-of-19 three-pointers. Although they only got to the line 18 times, the 13 offensive rebounds offset the shortage of freebies. Also, having 26 assists to 14 turnovers was a healthy ratio.
Defense
The victory was a good one but there wasn't too much to be proud about on the defensive end. The Grizzlies scored 97 points on 50.7% shooting from the field. They also got to the line 23 times and racked up 20 assists. Thankfully, the Spurs limited the three-point attempts (9), forced a decent number of turnovers (14) and grabbed 25 of the 30 possible defensive rebounds.
Drive to Five
The Spurs have one final game at home before embarking on the Rodeo Road Trip. Going up against the Denver Nuggets at noon on Sunday, let's hope the Spurs can end the six-game homestand in style.
Believe.
The Grizzlies began the game playing well but the Spurs went on a 17-4 run in the first quarter and never really looked back. Each time Memphis made a run, San Antonio responded with a run of their own.
Despite the loss, the Grizzlies look like a solid team. Their starting lineup is impressive and there's a legit chance they make the playoffs. However, their bench is almost non-existent and any injury to their starting lineup would likely be a derailing turn of events.
Overall, the Spurs have to be very pleased with this win. The Grizzlies were closing in on the Spurs in the Western Conference standings and this victory provides breathing room. The cherry on top is winning the game despite missing Tony Parker due to an ankle sprain.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
33:33 minutes, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers
8-for-19 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Without Tony Parker, the Spurs put their offense in Tim Duncan's hands -- and with good results. Duncan facilitated the offense well, made smart decisions and kept everyone involved. When he looked for his own shot, he was decent but he did take a lot of awkward shot attempts. In his last five games, he's shooting just 35.8% (28-for-81) from the field. Defensively, he was a step slow sometimes when it came do help defense -- though his individual post defense was very solid. All in all, Duncan played a heady game but didn't look 100% physically. Why? Not sure but hopefully it is just fatigue.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
28:39 minutes, 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 turnovers
5-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Manu Ginobili continues to have very similar outings. While he's struggling converting his field goal attempts, he's making fantastic passes and he's playing with a lot of energy. Another common thread is the fact that Ginobili is fading down the stretch of games. He was 0-for-3 against Memphis in the fourth quarter. On the season, Ginobili is shooting just 35.3% from the field in fourth quarters, including 23.1% from beyond the arc.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
35:13 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
4-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Richard Jefferson is taking baby steps in the right direction. His toughness and effort on the defensive end was commendable against the Grizzlies. He had a big role in holding Rudy Gay to single digits. Offensively, I liked his aggressiveness in the first half and he worked well off of others. His offense sputtered in the second half but he kept his energy level high. That in itself is a good sign because Jefferson's energy level has been tied to his offensive production too often this season.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
35:01 minutes, 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers
8-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 at the line
Starting at point guard, George Hill didn't disappoint. For most of the game, he played with an appropriate level of aggression and confidence. He attacked the rim throughout and his defense was a positive. Hill's playmaking was iffy in the first half but picked up a bit in the final two quarters. Since being inserted into the starting lineup six games ago, Hill has scored at least 15 points in five of those contests.
-------------------------------
Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3004.jpg
28:12 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds
5-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
Antonio McDyess is beginning to live up to his billing. For the second straight game, McDyess started and played very well. He's hit 13-of-16 shots since being reinserted into the starting lineup and he's finally playing with quickness and assertiveness. Hopefully McDyess keeps playing at this level because it makes the Spurs a much, much better team. The spacing improves offensively and there is much more defensive potential.
-------------------------------
Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3746.jpg
23:04 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-5 on three-pointers
With Hill moving over to point guard, Keith Bogans was given the nod as the starting shooting guard. I wasn't too impressed with his play. He didn't make much of an impact on defense and he was a negative on the offensive end. I'm not sure why Bogans has regressed on defense but it has virtually eliminated his value.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
27:49 minutes, 17 points, 3 turnovers
6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
Roger Mason, Jr.'s shooting is one of the main reasons why the Spurs won. In the fourth quarter, he was 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 on three-pointers. He didn't bring much else to the table but when Mason is shooting it straight, he's a valuable cog. In fact, I'm not sure why his play over the last handful of weeks hasn't resulted in a larger and more consistent role.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4642.jpg
17:56 minutes, 8 points, 10 rebounds
4-for-8 from the field
If you are a fan of DeJuan Blair, you were probably frightened when Blair was the second bigman off the bench behind Matt Bonner. Despite the possible demotion, the beastly rookie still played his typical number of minutes. As usual, he was dominant on the boards. Offensively, Blair missed a number of chip shots and sometimes tried to do too much. On defense, he mostly did good work.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
10:32 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers
1-for-3 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
After missing his first ten three-pointers since his return from injury, Matt Bonner finally nailed his 11th attempt from deep. Other than that three-point make, he didn't do much else right. He went without a rebound, had a couple of ugly turnovers and generally played a rushed brand of basketball. Bonner still has a long ways to go to return to his pre-injury level of play.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop coached a good game. With Parker out, he smartly played either Hill or both Ginobili and Mason to ensure there was always enough ballhandling ability on the court. I also like how he was able to keep the minutes in check despite being short-handed. Bogans might have played too much but that didn't end up hurting the team too much. I'm a bit worried that we may start seeing less of Blair, which I believe would be a bad move.
-------------------------------
Offense
The offense revolved around Duncan more than usual and it worked out well. The Spurs shot 48.3% from the field and connected on 8-of-19 three-pointers. Although they only got to the line 18 times, the 13 offensive rebounds offset the shortage of freebies. Also, having 26 assists to 14 turnovers was a healthy ratio.
Defense
The victory was a good one but there wasn't too much to be proud about on the defensive end. The Grizzlies scored 97 points on 50.7% shooting from the field. They also got to the line 23 times and racked up 20 assists. Thankfully, the Spurs limited the three-point attempts (9), forced a decent number of turnovers (14) and grabbed 25 of the 30 possible defensive rebounds.
Drive to Five
The Spurs have one final game at home before embarking on the Rodeo Road Trip. Going up against the Denver Nuggets at noon on Sunday, let's hope the Spurs can end the six-game homestand in style.
Believe.