Kori Ellis
05-02-2005, 09:51 AM
By LJ Ellis
SpursZONE.com
Ah, early May. A time in San Antonio when the weather heats up, the hangover from Fiesta wears off and the Spurs dispose of their first round opponent. All three events take place with almost clock-like precision.
This year, however, things are a little different. The temperature is struggling to hit 90 degrees and the Spurs are finding their first round opponent to be more challenging than the usual fodder they find early in the playoffs. While Fiesta did indeed end on time, the Spurs look like they’ll have to work a little extra to get rid of the pesky Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets came to the SBC Center and stole game one. San Antonio couldn’t buy a basket in the fourth and the Nuggets took advantage, stealing the homecourt advantage. The Spurs responded by blasting the Nuggets in game two, tying the series at one apiece.
On Saturday, the Spurs recaptured homecourt with a rough and rugged win in Denver in front of more than 19,000 rabid Nuggets fans at the Pepsi Center. Manu Ginobili took over, scoring 32 points on an assortment of timely outside shots and aggressive drives to the hoop.
Following the game, Denver’s head coach George Karl wept openly about how Ginobili plays ugly basketball. While it’s never pretty watching a grown man cry, it’s quite funny watching Karl try to squirm out of the hole in which he’s found himself.
Not long ago, Karl was the talk of Colorado. The basketball gods had sent him to Denver to transform their team from a lottery-bound group of misfits to a possible title contender. Or at least that’s what Denver natives thought.
Now the truth that is the NBA playoffs is rearing its ugly head for the Nuggets and their fans. Gone are the days of running up 120 point games like the days of Showtime never left. Enter defense. And not just any defense, San Antonio Spurs championship defense.
This sudden jolt back to reality not only has Karl pointing fingers at everything that isn’t tied down, it has Denver journalists searching for answers. These journalists, while quite possibly a sane lot in normal circumstances, have produced laughable opinions in their desperate state.
Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla has called for a bounty to be placed on Ginobili’s head. He also calls for the Nuggets to use a lineup of Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller to attack the Spurs.
The call for a bounty on Ginobili’s head is disgusting, while the lineup he proposes is equally absurd. If Denver thought that Ginobili had an easy time before, they’d better get prepared for what could happen when the Spurs’ Argentinean sensation is guarded by Anthony. Anthony, for as talented as he is offensively, hasn’t played anything that remotely resembles defense since … well, ever.
Another Denver scribe, Bernie Lincicome, is begging for the Nuggets to not allow Ginobili to beat them. You see, this is the journalist who lambasted Ginobili earlier in the season, calling him out for not being a true All-Star. Anthony was snubbed, he said, and Ginobili didn’t belong in the game featuring the best of the best.
Now with Ginobili averaging 24 points per game and Anthony failing to score more than 19 points in any of the three contests, it’s quite humorous to read Lincicome backtrack and plead for the Nuggets to intervene and save whatever credibility he has left.
The Spurs have had their share of cocky first round opponents over the years, but never have they had to face a team and city that thought they had legitimate championship hopes. The Nuggets were the hottest thing going coming into these playoffs and now the Spurs – playing the role of spoiler – have knocked reality back into the people of Denver.
If the Spurs can win game four Monday night, what will be in store? Denver journalists calling for an all-out assassination of Ginobili? What about a scintillating super small lineup featuring Earl Boykins at center?
Let’s hope we find out. Then, San Antonio can enjoy the good weather, reminisce about Fiesta and watch a city 800 miles to its north drown in a sea of tears and an ocean of reality.
SpursZONE.com
Ah, early May. A time in San Antonio when the weather heats up, the hangover from Fiesta wears off and the Spurs dispose of their first round opponent. All three events take place with almost clock-like precision.
This year, however, things are a little different. The temperature is struggling to hit 90 degrees and the Spurs are finding their first round opponent to be more challenging than the usual fodder they find early in the playoffs. While Fiesta did indeed end on time, the Spurs look like they’ll have to work a little extra to get rid of the pesky Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets came to the SBC Center and stole game one. San Antonio couldn’t buy a basket in the fourth and the Nuggets took advantage, stealing the homecourt advantage. The Spurs responded by blasting the Nuggets in game two, tying the series at one apiece.
On Saturday, the Spurs recaptured homecourt with a rough and rugged win in Denver in front of more than 19,000 rabid Nuggets fans at the Pepsi Center. Manu Ginobili took over, scoring 32 points on an assortment of timely outside shots and aggressive drives to the hoop.
Following the game, Denver’s head coach George Karl wept openly about how Ginobili plays ugly basketball. While it’s never pretty watching a grown man cry, it’s quite funny watching Karl try to squirm out of the hole in which he’s found himself.
Not long ago, Karl was the talk of Colorado. The basketball gods had sent him to Denver to transform their team from a lottery-bound group of misfits to a possible title contender. Or at least that’s what Denver natives thought.
Now the truth that is the NBA playoffs is rearing its ugly head for the Nuggets and their fans. Gone are the days of running up 120 point games like the days of Showtime never left. Enter defense. And not just any defense, San Antonio Spurs championship defense.
This sudden jolt back to reality not only has Karl pointing fingers at everything that isn’t tied down, it has Denver journalists searching for answers. These journalists, while quite possibly a sane lot in normal circumstances, have produced laughable opinions in their desperate state.
Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla has called for a bounty to be placed on Ginobili’s head. He also calls for the Nuggets to use a lineup of Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller to attack the Spurs.
The call for a bounty on Ginobili’s head is disgusting, while the lineup he proposes is equally absurd. If Denver thought that Ginobili had an easy time before, they’d better get prepared for what could happen when the Spurs’ Argentinean sensation is guarded by Anthony. Anthony, for as talented as he is offensively, hasn’t played anything that remotely resembles defense since … well, ever.
Another Denver scribe, Bernie Lincicome, is begging for the Nuggets to not allow Ginobili to beat them. You see, this is the journalist who lambasted Ginobili earlier in the season, calling him out for not being a true All-Star. Anthony was snubbed, he said, and Ginobili didn’t belong in the game featuring the best of the best.
Now with Ginobili averaging 24 points per game and Anthony failing to score more than 19 points in any of the three contests, it’s quite humorous to read Lincicome backtrack and plead for the Nuggets to intervene and save whatever credibility he has left.
The Spurs have had their share of cocky first round opponents over the years, but never have they had to face a team and city that thought they had legitimate championship hopes. The Nuggets were the hottest thing going coming into these playoffs and now the Spurs – playing the role of spoiler – have knocked reality back into the people of Denver.
If the Spurs can win game four Monday night, what will be in store? Denver journalists calling for an all-out assassination of Ginobili? What about a scintillating super small lineup featuring Earl Boykins at center?
Let’s hope we find out. Then, San Antonio can enjoy the good weather, reminisce about Fiesta and watch a city 800 miles to its north drown in a sea of tears and an ocean of reality.