Spurs at Cavs Previews

[duncan228]

San Antonio (36-24) at Cleveland (49-15) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010030805&prov=ap)
Game info: 7:00 pm EST Mon Mar 8, 2010
TV: NBATV, FSOH
By Anthony Giornalista

The Cleveland Cavaliers have every reason to be especially careful with LeBron James’ ankle injury. At least his condition doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad as Tony Parker’s.

The Cavaliers may be without James again as they try to reach 50 wins Monday night in a matchup with a San Antonio Spurs team that faces the possibility of missing Parker for the rest of the regular season.

Coach Mike Brown said James might sit out a second consecutive game after twisting his right ankle slightly in Cleveland’s 99-92 win over Detroit on Friday night. Brown insisted the decision to keep James out of a 92-85 loss to Milwaukee the following evening was for rest and had nothing to do with the star’s ankle.

James, though, was clearly limping as he walked to the bench in the first quarter and again to the locker room at halftime.

“He’s logged a lot of minutes,” Brown said. “For me, this is a great opportunity to rest him and a great opportunity for some other guys to have an opportunity to step up.”

Brown said James could have played if needed, but the reigning league MVP watched from the bench as the Cavaliers (49-15) had a six-game winning streak snapped.

James, averaging a league-best 30.0 points, was replaced by Jawad Williams. Antawn Jamison had 30 points and Delonte West added a season-high 27, but Cleveland couldn’t overcome James’ absence while also missing Shaquille O’Neal (thumb).

After playing six of nine on the road, the Cavs return home to try to become the league’s first team to win 50 games. They’ve won 25 of their last 27 at Quicken Loans Arena.

San Antonio (36-24) has won four straight, but it might have a tough time continuing its momentum without Parker. The veteran point guard could miss six weeks after breaking a bone in his right hand at the end of the first half of the Spurs’ 102-92 win over Memphis on Saturday night.

Parker, who earned NBA finals MVP honors when San Antonio swept Cleveland in 2007, is the Spurs’ second-leading scorer at 16.5 points per game.

San Antonio confirmed the break but did not say how long Parker would miss. He will be re-evaluated by the team.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, however, was more direct.

“He’s got a broken hand. He’ll be out six weeks,” he said.

Manu Ginobili is a candidate to replace Parker in the starting lineup, though San Antonio may prefer to keep him in his current role as the team’s top player off the bench. Another option for the Spurs is Roger Mason, who was a starter last season.

“We’re playing well,” San Antonio forward Tim Duncan said. “That is the one positive about the whole thing. We’re going to have to get these guys to step up and step in and continue to play well.

“It hurts losing Tony, obviously. Hopefully, we’ll find a way to get it done.”

Ginobili is coming off a 17-point performance and is averaging 18.3 in his last eight games, but he was held to four points on 2-of-9 shooting in San Antonio’s 101-81 loss to Cleveland on April 5, the teams’ last meeting. The Cavs won their only other matchup with the Spurs last season 97-86 on Feb. 27, 2009.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 19.0
LeBron James Cle 30.0

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.8
Antawn Jamison Cle 8.7

Assists
Tony Parker SA 5.7
LeBron James Cle 8.5

[duncan228]

Monday: Spurs (36-24) at Cavaliers (49-15) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Monday_Spurs_36-24_at_Cavaliers_49-15.html)

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

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - CAVALIERS

PG - 3 George Hill (6-2, 2nd yr) - 2 Mo Williams (6-1, 7th yr)
Given Parker’s injuries, Hill should be getting used to starting for him.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 6th yr) - 18 Anthony Parker (6-6, 7th yr)
Mason one of handful of players who could start here with Hill at PG.

SF - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 23 LeBron James (6-8, 7th yr)
Cavs rested James in loss to Milwaukee; should be fresh for Spurs.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 4 Antawn Jamison (6-9, 12th yr)
Cavs are 6-4 since acquiring Jamison at trade deadline.

C - 34 Antonio McDyess (6-10, 15th yr) - 21 J.J. Hickson (6-9, 2nd yr)
McDyess scoreless at Memphis in return from hyperextended left knee.

SPURS RESERVES

15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 6th yr
45 DeJuan Blair, C/F, 6-7, 1st yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
24 Richard Jefferson, F, 6-7, 9th yr
28 Ian Mahinmi, F/C, 6-11, 3rd yr
9 Tony Parker, G, 6-2, 9th yr

CAVALIERS RESERVES

14 Danny Green, G/F, 6-6, 1st yr
00 Darnell Jackson, F, 6-9, 2nd yr
15 Jamario Moon, F, 6-8, 3rd yr
44 Leon Powe, F, 6-8, 4th yr
17 A. Varejao, F/C, 6-11, 6th yr
13 Delonte West, G, 6-3, 6th yr
31 Jawad Williams, F, 6-9, 2nd yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Cavaliers: Mike Brown

INJURIES

Spurs: Parker (fractured fourth metacarpal, right hand) is out.
Cavaliers: Shaquille O’Neal (right thumb surgery) and Sebastian Telfair (ruptured groin) are out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: None
Cavaliers: O’Neal, Telfair, Daniel Gibson

NOTABLE

A tough game got tougher for the Spurs when Parker left Saturday’s win at Memphis with a fractured hand. He is no longer with the team, having returned to San Antonio to be re-examined. ... Spurs are looking to extend their winning streak to five games, which would match season high. ... At 27-4, Cleveland owns NBA’s best home record.

—Jeff McDonald

[Fpoonsie]

31g0YE61PLQ

[lennyalderette]

we can beat this team, as long as manus playing good and we all know timmy always plays good

[TD 21]

I expect a monster game out of Duncan. Only Varejao has a shot at guarding him amongst Cavs bigs and I suspect he'll want to show that this team is not going to just automatically fold because Parker is lost for (likely) the remainder of the regular season. Also, he's been biding his time, pacing himself in recent games, playing limited minutes, letting other guys pick up the slack. Expect him to be on beast mode in this one and against the center-less Knicks.

[duncan228]

Cavs-Spurs preview (http://www.cantonrep.com/cavaliers/x324651495/Cavs-Spurs-preview)
By Chris Beaven
CantonRep.com

NOTABLE The Cavs (49-15) had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 92-85 loss Saturday at Milwaukee. Cleveland Head Coach Mike Brown held LeBron James out of the game. The Cavs have lost 10 straight games when James does not play, a streak that dates to 2007. James, the NBA’s leading scorer at 30 points per game, also could sit out this game. He rolled his right ankle Friday, though, Brown says that’s not why James sat Saturday. ... Antawn Jamison and Delonte West combined for 57 points at Milwaukee, but no other Cavalier scored double figures. ... Jamison’s 30 points were his high since coming to the Cavs, while West scored a season-high 27 points. ... Jamison is averaging 21.0 points and 9.4 rebounds over the last five games, shooting 52.4 percent from the floor. He has three double-doubles in that stretch. ... West has scored at least 13 points in six of his last eight games. But after four straight games with no turnovers, West turned it over six times Saturday. ... The Cavs won both meetings with the Spurs a season ago, their second 2-0 sweep of San Antonio in three seasons. James averaged 34 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in last season’s two games, shooting 59.1 percent from the floor. West averaged 19.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting. ... Tony Parker averaged 17.5 points against Cleveland last season, but shot only 37.5 percent from the floor. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili each played in just one game against the Cavs and were less than 100 percent in the other matchup. ... Parker, though, broke a bone in his right hand in Saturday’s win over Memphis and is out for at least a month. ... The Spurs (36-24) have won four straight and seven of their last 10. They are 14-14 on the road. The Cavs are 27-4 at home.

[spurs10]

This is going to be a hard fought battle. I agree with TD 21 that we are going to make a statement about losing TP.....hope Dice can play.

[duhoh]

it'll be interesting that's for sure

[Chico]

Think this game is on NBA TV for anyone who doesn't catch FSNSW..

[timtonymanu]

Spurs will play hard, but I still see the Cavs winning.

[Manu-of-steel]

I bet Lebron won't be allowed to play. Mike Brown should be smart enough to risk further injury on lbj.

[silverblackfan]

Should be a good game with the Spurs trying to show that they have the tools to continue without Tony for a while. If James is held out, it should be a win. If James plays, it will be interesting to see how the Spurs defense handles him.
Hoping for the win!

[TDomination]

I honestly don't know what to expect from tonight. The spurs have been playing better, but we'll see what happens to night. All i can say is Go Spurs go!

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Mon. Mar 8
San Antonio @ Cleveland: :depressed Joe Crawford; Olandis Poole; Zach Zarba

[FalleNxWiZarDx]

good luck guys, may the best team win

[nkdlunch]

may the best team win

I hope you're wrong

[Mel_13]

Referee Assignments
Mon. Mar 8
San Antonio @ Cleveland: :depressed Joe Crawford; Olandis Poole; Zach Zarba

Perfect game to get Joey, road game that figured to be a loss anyway. Better than getting him for a close home game.

If they get far enough behind early in the game, Tim and Manu can rest and we can a good look at Malik and Ian.

[sananspursfan21]

no lebron is a bigger loss than no parker. parker is a huge piece of the puzzle but lebron is still the whole team

[Muser]

LeBron might not play according to NBA.com.

[ace3g]

Manu to start vs. Cavs



Morning shootaround didn't do much to clear up the greatest mystery surrounding the Cavaliers: LeBron James' status for tonight's game will be decided at tipoff.

Shootaround did provide one pressing answer for the Spurs: With Tony Parker out for the foreseeable future, Manu Ginobili will return to the starting lineup.

Ginobili will start at shooting guard in Cleveland, with George Hill shifting to the point. It will mark just the second start of the season for Ginobili, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The other start, Ginobili notes, "was not a happy one" -- he left that Nov. 18 game at Dallas after 7:28 with a groin strain.

Ginobili admits returning to the starting lineup will be an adjustment.

"I'm afraid I'm going to shoot at the wrong rim," he joked. "I'm used to seeing the guys do it first, and then I come in off the bench."

The choice of Ginobili as a new starter -- over say, Roger Mason Jr. or Richard Jefferson -- says a couple things. Gregg Popovich obviously believes, with Parker shelved, he needs a creator in the starting lineup. This also seems to signal a plan to increase Ginobili's minutes from the 27:30 per game he'd been averaging.

It will be interesting to see how Ginobili's elevation to the starting lineup affects a bench that was leading the league in most relevant categories, in part because of his developing rapport with DeJuan Blair and Richard Jefferson.

"The minutes are going to be different, for sure," Ginobiili said. "But it's not a game between benches -- it's between starters, too. You just have to find a way where the team is most balanced."
****

More on LeBron: Cavs coach Mike Brown said after shootaround that if he had his druthers, James would sit tonight against the Spurs, just as he did Saturday at Milwaukee.

Brown would not close the door completely on the prospects of James playing, however. "If he fights me hard enough," Brown said, "maybe I'll let him play."

James is dealing with some nagging ailments -- a twisted ankle and a bruised quad -- but Brown is most concerned about limiting his MVP's minutes with the playoffs on the horizon. The way Cleveland's schedule works out, if James sits tonight, he could enjoy a full week off.

"The thing that really spurs this is the schedule," Brown said. "This is the opportune time for him to get some rest."

James did not participate in the Cavs' shootaround this morning, and left without speaking to reporters, except to offer a polite, "I'm good," when asked how he felt.

"We'll talk again this evening and see how he feels," Brown said. "It's a decision he and I will talk about. The doctors aren't even involved in this."

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/03/manu-to-start-v.html

[ace3g]

Ginobili admits returning to the starting lineup will be an adjustment.

"I'm afraid I'm going to shoot at the wrong rim," he joked. "I'm used to seeing the guys do it first, and then I come in off the bench."

lol

[DesignatedT]

Duncan and Manu need to go for 25/each for a W.

[Mel_13]

Manu to start vs. Cavs

The choice of Ginobili as a new starter -- over say, Roger Mason Jr. or Richard Jefferson -- says a couple things. Gregg Popovich obviously believes, with Parker shelved, he needs a creator in the starting lineup. This also seems to signal a plan to increase Ginobili's minutes from the 27:30 per game he'd been averaging.



This reminds of 2008 when Tony missed the RRT with the heel problems. Manu's minutes went way up and he played great only to break down later in the season. With all the insanity with the line-ups this season, Pop has protected Tim (only 2 games more than 40 minutes) and Manu (only three games more than 34 minutes). With Tony out for most of the remaining games, it will be harder to limit minutes for Tim and Manu.

[ace3g]

that is why during this stretch without Parker, it is key for Mason and hopefully Hairston play well and get some minutes, so Pop doesn't have to force extra minutes on Manu and Hill, and get them tired before the playoffs

[duncan228]

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Windhorst Beat Blog (http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/03/cleveland_cavaliers_vs_san_ant.html)
By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND -- Pre-game from The Q:

Projected starting lineups

Spurs: George Hill, Manu Ginobili, Keith Bogans, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess

Cavs: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Jawad Williams, Antawn Jamison, JJ Hickson

Officials

Joe Crawford, Zach Zarba, Olandis Poole


* LeBron James is a gametime decision. He didn't take part in shootaround and it doesn't sound like Mike Brown wants to play him. So that starting lineup, a shell of what is was just two weeks ago, looks like it is going to take on the Spurs, who have won four in a row. Daniel Gibson is back after missing a week for the birth of his son. The Spurs, however, are without Tony Parker, who broke his hand on Saturday. The guess is that Ginobili will move into starting lineup but the Spurs haven't made their plans known yet.

* Makes sense for Mike Brown to sit LeBron at this point. There could be a short-term cost in the standings. Don't look just at the Lakers, the bigger issue for the Cavs is the Magic, who are now five games make and have just eight games left against teams with winning records and just eight road games. The Cavs have 12 games left against teams with winning records and eight road games. But the Cavs have a cushion and they'll need to use it. Having LeBron healthy is most important, even more than the seeding. LeBron hasn't had more than 2-3 days off since September and this could refresh him.

* Not having Parker is a blow to the Spurs, especially against the Cavs. As he showed in the Finals, Parker's ability to get inside the defense and distribute can be devastating. Mo Williams, who has been in a terrible offensive slump, is also played some of his worst defense in the last two seasons since coming back from that shoulder injury. He's had a few possessions that were horrible. Not having to deal with Parker will limit that damage.

* Williams is feeling pressure to perform right now. Last season when he felt that pressure, in the playoffs, he did not react well to it. His first chance this season in Milwaukee was not good. Let's see how this develops. This is an excellent test to see where he's at after last season, when the pressure in the postseason clearly got the better of him.

* The Spurs have been a big disappointment and not just because they've had injuries. Richard Jefferson has not made an offensive impact, though he has played better in the last few weeks after Gregg Popovich moved him to the bench and brought him off with Ginobili. Ginobili, who struggled with injuries earlier this season, has been excellent recently and that is why the Spurs have been winning.

* Biggest challenge tonight will be for Hickson to deal with Duncan. It is a terrible matchup for the Cavs. If Duncan is feeling good, and that is a question mark because this is his third game in four days and that type of schedule wears on his knees, then the Cavs may have to bring double teams. It would make sense for the Spurs game plan, especially without Parker, to include a lot of Duncan early in the game. Hickson ought to get ready for the challenge from the start.

[Bukefal]

Come on Spurs!!! Step up your game, we need it!! :flag:

[duncan228]

Cavaliers want James to rest (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-james&prov=ap&type=lgns)
Tom Withers

LeBron James left Quicken Loans Arena with a custom-designed Snuggie draped over his shoulder. The Cavaliers are hoping he takes it home, throws it on and gets some rest.

James did not take part in the morning's shootaround and there's a strong possibility he will sit out Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs. Cleveland coach Mike Brown said James will be a game-time decision, but indicated he's leaning toward resting the league MVP.

"If he fights me hard enough, maybe I'll let him play," said Brown, who sat James on Saturday in Milwaukee. "But this is an opportune time for him to get some rest."

While his teammates shot around and went through offensive sets, James lifted weights, a sign he'll be in street clothes to watch the Spurs.

Asked how he was feeling, James, who rolled his ankle on Friday night against Detroit, said, "I'm good."

After facing San Antonio, the Cavaliers do not play again until Friday. Brown said in addition to a tender ankle, his All-Star forward has some soreness in his back. However, it's nothing he couldn't play through and Brown said if this were the playoffs, James would be on the floor.

But the postseason isn't here yet, and that's the point. Brown wants to take advantage of a break in the schedule to get James healthier.

"My gut feeling is that this is the right time for this to happen," Brown said. "He (James) wants to play. He doesn't like sitting."

Brown said it was his decision to have James take the night off against the Bucks, who beat the LeBron-less Cavaliers 92-85. The two will have a similar discussion before Monday's game, and Brown is trusting that James will do what's best for himself -- and the Cavs.

"He bought into it a little bit," Brown said. "Hopefully, he will continue to buy into it."

Brown said Cleveland's postseason seeding is not a factor in any decisions he makes about James, who is averaging 39 minutes per game. The Cavs have a five-game lead over Orlando for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and they hold a three-game advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers for the league's best mark, which would guarantee Cleveland home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

"If I was concerned about that, then I would've said, 'Tape that bad boy up against Milwaukee,"' Brown said. "He could play if it was a playoff game. With all the bumps and bruises he does have and the minutes he's logged ... I know he wouldn't say this, but his body has to be feeling the effects from playing all those minutes."