Game Blog: Spurs @ Clippers - Feb. 6

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Love Grizzly so much. He's so happy to be playing ball, and a Spur. :toast

[timtonymanu]

If the Spurs continue to push it, hopefully we'll see Ian and Malik, most if not all the 4th qtr.

i think Ian is inactive cause Finley and Bonner are back. Maliks in the d-league.

[ducks]

Tony Parker
5-11, 12 Pts
2 Rebs, 14 Assists

if tp plays all the 4 he could get 22 assist

[DPG21920]

Dice+Camby+ Mason/Bogans or

Dice+(Thomas/Haywood/Turiaf)+ Salmons?

I am not a math major.

[dbestpro]

Time to go to Bonner to get him out of the slump.

[DPG21920]

Not sure about that - Tim looked very unimpressed a moment ago, which was odd given how far up they are. It looks to me like he's sick of RJ's struggles.

Actually, it was most glaring against Portland - when RJ came to the huddle he hid from Pop and wouldn't look any of the other players in the face.

I'm not sure it's there, but keep an eye out for it. They guy has never really fit
in with the team at all.

By contrast, Blair and Dice look well integrated and accepted.

This is the same thing that people said (and still do) about Gino and TP.

[timtonymanu]

has RJ fouled out?

[ShoogarBear]

Answer is 15

[ducks]

Better question, what is Parker's career assist high?

what about steals?
he has 4 now

[spectator]

RJ - you suck son!!!

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

This is the same thing that people said (and still do) about Gino and TP.

Well, they can't read body language very well then.

And no, it isn't. You don't see those guys freeze each other out.

[Chieflion]

Bonner 3!

[dbestpro]

Kaman too big and too polished for Blair.

[spectator]

when does pop realize that a 6-6 guy cannot defend kaman?

[superjames1992]

MATT BONNER for THREE!!!

[Libri]

With this lead, Ian could have gotten some good minutes.

[easy7]

Man, and I thought being a Spurs fan sucked, but now I am glad I am not a Clippers fan.

[timtonymanu]

Clippers going on a run but we're responding with a basket.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

This game is a complete turd sandwich to watch.

[ShoogarBear]

LOL, Tony Parker career assist highs:

15, 2006-DEC-08 vs. Clippers
14, 2003-DEC-23 vs. Clippers
Tonight, 14 so far @ Clippers.

[DPG21920]

Well, they can't read body language very well then.

And no, it isn't. You don't see those guys freeze each other out.

I have also seen Dice standing away from the huddle during timeouts and some people have mentioned it.

Everyone gets frustrated with play, but RJ fits in personality wise imo. We will see.

[MaNu4Tres]

Where were these threes 2 nights ago?

[Chieflion]

LOL, Tony Parker career assist highs:

15, 2006-DEC-08 vs. Clippers
14, 2003-DEC-23 vs. Clippers
Tonight, 14 so far @ Clippers.
Parker's self made bitches.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

From the Fedex ad:

"You didn't actually BRING Karl with you?"

To my ears, that sounds so retarded. it should be:

"You didn't actually TAKE Karl with you?"

Why do Americans use 'bring' when they should use 'take'?

[dbestpro]

LOL, Tony Parker career assist highs:

15, 2006-DEC-08 vs. Clippers
14, 2003-DEC-23 vs. Clippers
Tonight, 14 so far @ Clippers.

Tony needs a hypnotist to tell him he's playing the Clippers every night.

[blkroadrunners]

i think Ian is inactive cause Finley and Bonner are back. Maliks in the d-league.

Damn, that sucks - I forgot Malik was back in Austin.

[Ice009]

I have also seen Dice standing away from the huddle during timeouts and some people have mentioned it.

Everyone gets frustrated with play, but RJ fits in personality wise imo. We will see.

A few weeks ago Pjjrfan was saying quite adamantly that McDyess does not want to be here. I guess people see different things.

Did anyone else ever think that about McDyess?

[dbestpro]

Yeah we should hang RJ in effigy. We could have a 40 pt lead instead of a 25 point lead.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Now THAT was a tip-in! :wow

[DesignatedT]

wow mason. terrible defense LMAO

[Ice009]

Blair got stuffed!

[Chieflion]

DeAndre Jordan blocked Blair and Eric Gordon and 1. Gave them a top 10 NBA highlight today.

[dbestpro]

RMJ needs to go. There is no defense for that defense.

[Libri]

That's the second time Jordan blocks Blair.

[easy7]

Damn small ball...already gave away 10 points.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I'll say it again:


If we choke this away, I will ___________. (fill in the gap)

[HarlemHeat37]

I hope Blair remember to pump fake next time, that's twice Jordan has got him..Jordan falls for pretty much every pump fake..

[ducks]

spurs d is sucking in the third like normal

[timtonymanu]

30 point quarter for the Clips so far. expected i guess, they're an NBA team.

[ShoogarBear]

Spurs defense has reverted back to season normal levels.

[cnyc3]

clippers run

[HarlemHeat37]

Blair can't get a call..

[Chieflion]

Bonner's 2nd three!

[superjames1992]

Matt Bonner is getting his stroke back!!!

[DPG21920]

32 point quarter for the Clips :td

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yay Bonner!

[ElNono]

Get Mason out of there... He's fucking garbage

[blkroadrunners]

Red Rocket!

[ElNono]

32 point quarter for the Clips :td

Agree

[DesignatedT]

god mason sucks... please trade him for something that we might be able to use... we dont need him. especially if bonner can come in and get back to hitting like he was

[timtonymanu]

horrible defense in the 3rd. i just think it's because clips are playing with urgency now.

[Chieflion]

Eric Gordon taking over.

[DesignatedT]

fucking mason sucks...............

[TDomination]

ugh..mason

[ShoogarBear]

That was horrendous defense.

[ElNono]

That's the problem with Bonner... He gives right back what he scores

[timtonymanu]

that and 1 bothered me. Clips have 62 points now after having 27 at the half. I can part ways with Mason now. He cant shoot or defend anymore.

[DesignatedT]

mason for thomas or haywood or camby or turiaf or a box of chocolates just get something done. dude is useless... not like were struggling on offense without him. get rid of this bum

[ElNono]

I'm warming up to the idea of seeing Finley now...

[MaNu4Tres]

What's better?

Clippers ability to defend the three or Mason's perimeter defense?

[TDomination]

finish it off NOW guys

[cnyc3]

where's Ian?

[TDomination]

bonner getting a bunch of good looks. ugh, he needs to get his shooting back

[DesignatedT]

MANU where are you????????? cant do shit..... not even against the fucking clippers. old as fuck

[HarlemHeat37]

Eric Gordon is an elite flopper..looks like everybody in the league is doing it these days..the Spurs were pioneers:)..

[DesignatedT]

put this away manu... thats why your on the fucking court

[superjames1992]

Bonner!!!

[TDomination]

Yay Bonner!!!

[DesignatedT]

fuck yeah matty.

[timtonymanu]

Bonner 333333333333333!!!!!

[superjames1992]

MANU where are you????????? cant do shit..... not even against the fucking clippers. old as fuck
Yeah, he just sucked in his last two performances, didn't he? :nope

[DesignatedT]

Yeah, he just sucked in his last two performances, didn't he? :nope

well last game he did make the biggest turnover of the game and missed a wide open three to salvage the game...

not like he went all michael jordan the last 2 games????

[TDomination]

at this point, just dont turn it over

[timtonymanu]

Mason not a good foul shooter?

Isnt he one of the better ones on the team?

[ElNono]

Good start to the 4th

[ducks]

bench manu and put in rj and see what he can do

manu needs to sit and not get hurt
rj needs to practice

[ElNono]

Dont hurry the shots... Gaddamit Bogans

[ElNono]

well last game he did make the biggest turnover of the game and missed a wide open three to salvage the game...

not like he went all michael jordan the last 2 games????

He was average today... happens... Everybody else played well.... Let's hope he plays well Monday

[DesignatedT]

he just cant shoot the ball... hes shooting terribly from 3 this whole season and recently as well... this becomes a big deal when he cant take the ball to the rim all the time like he used to be able to.... gotta find that stroke.

[Fabbs]

Put Ian in you petty jackass. :pop:

[TDomination]

Ratliff is in! Hopefully he got the cobwebs out

[blkroadrunners]

Ratliff sighting.

[ElNono]

Scrubs in with 25 point lead and 7:30 to go

[TDomination]

Dont hurry the shots... Gaddamit Bogans
and bonner just now

[timvp]

Put Ian in you petty jackass. :pop:

Not possible. He's in street clothes.

-Kori

[HarlemHeat37]

Finley-Ratliff pick and roll..the slowest p&r of all-time?..

[DesignatedT]

LMAO at this lineup

[Ice009]

I don't think Manu is interested in impressing someone on a message board when we're up 20 plus against the Clippers.

[TDomination]

Not possible. He's in street clothes.

-Kori

who cares put him in. Can't duncan let him borrow his jersey?? hehe

[poop]

still no mahinmi. good thing we're developing finley and bonner though.

[HarlemHeat37]

Bonner has played some quality D in this quarter..

[DesignatedT]

ok bonner. u shot enough

[timtonymanu]

6 all stars: Duncan Manu Tony Dice Finley Ratliff

[Chomag]

Even on a blow out Pop out right refuses to play Ian. :lol

[DesignatedT]

I don't think Manu is interested in impressing someone on a message board when we're up 20 plus against the Clippers.

what the hell are you even talking about?

[TDomination]

ratliff with the white shoes, nice

[ducks]

still no mahinmi. good thing we're developing finley and bonner though.

idiot
he is in street clothes
HE CAN NOT PLAY TONIGHT

[ElNono]

he just cant shoot the ball... hes shooting terribly from 3 this whole season and recently as well... this becomes a big deal when he cant take the ball to the rim all the time like he used to be able to.... gotta find that stroke.

I agree, although I'm sure he didn't forget how to shoot. Gotta have patience.

[MaNu4Tres]

As Simmons suggests, Clippers just need to change their team name and uniforms.

This team will forever be cursed.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

:lol Ratliff was standing still. What's more, the refs don't call high moving screens any more... except then, when he didn't move!

[easy7]

Clipz are making a run for it...

[ducks]

Even on a blow out Pop out right refuses to play Ian. :lol

hard to play him when he has a tie on
idiot

[Fabbs]

Not possible. He's in street clothes.

-Kori
why?

[timvp]

why?

Because only 12 players can dress in uniform each night.

[ducks]

why?

he sucks

[Pentagruel]

I don't approve of putting the scrubs in with so much time left.

[ShoogarBear]

Uh, guys, it's still possible to blow this game.

[cnyc3]

another TO, lead is down to 16

[TDomination]

haha, wtf???? another offensive foul??

[Ice009]

what the hell are you even talking about?


MANU where are you????????? cant do shit..... not even against the fucking clippers. old as fuck

[dbestpro]

Now we know why we need a 3rd pg.

[timtonymanu]

goddamn bigs quit getting offensive fouls.

[DesignatedT]

bring on the lake show.

[DesignatedT]

finnnn

[timtonymanu]

Finley!!!

When did he last score?

[easy7]

What? Raff..please

[DesignatedT]

man ratliff can get up.. id love to see him more against LA and Denver

[Dro210]

Finley to Ratliff alley-oop, after the Ratliff halfass block on the other end..... lol

old-timers game

[dbestpro]

The mpst important aspect of this game is getting some of the rust off of guys like Bonner and Finley.

[blkroadrunners]

man ratliff can get up.. id love to see him more against LA and Denver

He's gotta catch the ball though.

[TDomination]

I havn't seen ratliff very much but im guessing he doesn't have very good hands.

[TDomination]

Haha eva texting Sean Elliott during the game?? hahaha

[blkroadrunners]

Doesn't Sean Elliott's wife work for the SA Express News?

[Dro210]

nice, i like to see fin in there hittin his shots

[easy7]

Good 3 Findog

[DesignatedT]

i was talking about on defense lol. yeah ratliffs O is just terrible... i feel like he could give guys like bynum and gasol fits though..

fin looks better than mase tonight

[timtonymanu]

good to see Fin and Bonner getting their shots in. we could use their offense.

[easy7]

Well, seems like this one is on the bag. Enjoy!

[Dro210]

ratliff abdul jabbar!

[Libri]

Theo with a hook shot. I didn't know he could make that.

[NRHector]

Duncan228 did you go to the game?

[TDomination]

bring on the Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_

[Chieflion]

1-0 for my game blog.

[timtonymanu]

1-0 for my game blog.

congrats. so am i.

[ohmwrecker]

That was like watching a Globetrotters vs Generals game without the bucket full of confetti gag.

[ElNono]

Good win. Ratliff might be the most athletic big not named Ian we have.
Next up the Fakers...

[duncan228]

Duncan228 did you go to the game?

Nope, couldn't make this one.

[duncan228]

Updated.

Spurs rout Clippers in Hughes’ coaching debut (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2010020612&prov=ap)

With All-Stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili closer to the end of their NBA careers than the beginning, it’s critical for the San Antonio Spurs to develop some young talent. George Hill is one example.

Hill scored all of his 22 points in the first three quarters against a Los Angeles Clippers squad suddenly faced with yet another transitionary period, and the Spurs breezed to a 98-81 victory on Saturday night.

“George Hill’s just a fantastic basketball player,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “I think he’s the most improved young man in the league from last year to this year. We’re really thrilled with his progress in his shooting and his approach to the game—being aggressive, believing in himself and thinking that he’s a darn good player.”

Hill, the Spurs’ first-round draft pick in June 2008, has led them in scoring in three of their last four games. The second-year guard from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis was the first player from his school to make it to the NBA.

The Spurs handed the Clippers their 11th loss in 15 games overall, converting 21 turnovers into 31 points. Hill made his first five shots and finished the opening quarter with 17 points—one more than his total output in Thursday’s 96-93 loss at Portland.

“I wouldn’t say I owned the first quarter,” Hill said. “My teammates just got me the ball in the right spots and I had confidence in my shooting. I’ve always been a scorer, but I think the summer really gave me the confidence I needed to be successful. I worked hard on a lot of things that carried over into the season, and it’s starting to pay off.”

Chris Kaman had 21 points and Eric Gordon added 20 in the Clippers’ first game since Mike Dunleavy resigned as coach and was replaced on an interim basis by Kim Hughes following a 2-6 road trip.

Hughes, who had been Dunleavy’s assistant since the 2003-04 season, took over an inconsistent squad that was 21-28 and seven games out of a playoff spot with 33 to play.

“It’s tough, but it’s my choice,” Hughes said. “You have to let the losses go. They hurt and they tear at your heart. It’s awful. If I don’t like the pressure and the fire, then it’s on me. No one forced me to do this. I wasn’t coerced into it. I was presented with it and I said, `OK, I’ll take it.’ Mike ascertained the situation pretty accurately—that they needed a new voice. That’s no detriment to Mike, it’s just that this group really kind of tuned him out.”

For all Hughes knows, he could already have had a head coaching job. He acknowledged that other teams had approached the Clippers about interviewing him. But under the terms of his contract, the club had the right to prevent him from doing so.

“I was told by one GM that he wanted to interview me and wasn’t given permission. I thought that was wrong, initially,” Hughes said. “I choose to think that you should always let someone try to better themselves. But I understand that now. I mean, why lose an asset to another team?”

Dunleavy, who had the third-longest tenure among current NBA coaches behind Popovich and Utah’s Jerry Sloan, will continue as the team’s general manager.

Hughes is facing a similar situation to Popovich when he got his first head coaching job in the league as Bob Hill’s replacement in December 1996. The Spurs made the playoffs in each of Popovich’s first 12 full seasons as head coach and won four NBA titles along the way.

That streak is on shaky ground now, with the club 29-20 and clinging to sixth place in the tightly bunched Western Conference. But Hughes would love to be in that position, and Popovich’s methods would serve as the perfect blueprint.

“He knows it’s going to be difficult, in the sense that there will probably be things he wants to do that are tough to institute without a training camp,” Popovich said. “So he’s walking a very difficult line. He wants to make his mark on that team. But they’ve been doing other things all year long, and it’s tough to break those habits. So he’s got to pick and choose wisely and be patient.”

Tony Parker had 14 points and 14 assists—one off his career high—for San Antonio in his second game back after missing three games because of a sprained left ankle.

The victory was San Antonio’s 15th straight over the Clippers, the league’s longest current winning streak by one team over another. The Spurs also have won their last 14 against the woeful Nets, whom they will face on March 29 in New Jersey. The Clippers have dropped 22 of their last 23 against San Antonio overall, the only victory coming on March 7, 2006, at Los Angeles.

Hughes had coached the Clippers a few other times due to extenuating circumstances, most recently in a loss to Denver on Nov. 26, 2008, while Dunleavy was in Dallas for his father-in-law’s funeral.

NOTES: This was the sixth time the Clippers have changed coaches during a season since the franchise moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984-85. The others who were replaced were Jim Lynam (by Don Chaney), Gene Shue (by Don Casey), Mike Schuler (by Larry Brown), Chris Ford (by Jim Todd) and Alvin Gentry (by Dennis Johnson). … Brown won his first five games after taking over for Schuler. On the flip side, Todd lost his first 11, Casey his first eight, Chaney his first five, and Johnson his first three.

[timtonymanu]

Good to see that Tim only played 19 mins tonight. We need him fresh for LA.

[Ikstomi]

nice game there. let's beat those goddamnmotherfuckin lakers :)