Spurs vs. Knicks Previews

[duncan228]

New York (22-41) at San Antonio (36-25) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010031024&prov=ap)
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Wed Mar 10, 2010
TV: MSG, FSSW
By Kate Hedlin

Tony Parker won’t need surgery on his broken right hand, which should be good news for the San Antonio Spurs come playoff time.

In the present, however, they will need to find ways to win without their second-leading scorer.

The Spurs, losers of three straight when Parker is out of the lineup, host the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Parker is expected to miss about six weeks, but may be able to return for the playoffs upon learning that he will not need surgery, which could have ended his season.

The Spurs (36-25) are in seventh place in the West, 4 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Memphis.

“Everything is by degrees. That would be worse if he needed surgery, so I guess it makes me feel better,” coach Gregg Popovich said.

Parker has dealt with injuries all season and San Antonio fell to 5-6 without him in a 97-95 loss to Cleveland on Monday. The Cavaliers played without LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal as they snapped the Spurs’ four-game winning streak.

Manu Ginobili, making his second start of the season, finished with a season-high 38 points. He has averaged 18.1 points in 10 games without Parker, up from his 14.6 season average.

Parker helped key a 95-88 win over the Knicks on Dec. 27, scoring 22 points while Ginobili had 17. The Spurs have won six straight against New York (22-41) in San Antonio.

The Knicks defeated Atlanta 99-98 on Monday and are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak Jan. 1-7.

New York shot 50.6 percent and was 10 of 15 from 3-point range in its third consecutive win over the Hawks. The Knicks bounced back from going 0 for 18 from beyond the arc in a 113-93 loss to league-worst New Jersey on Saturday.

Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points against Atlanta and David Lee had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who survived a replay of Al Horford’s basket that was ruled to have left his hands after the buzzer.

Gallinari, who went 4 of 5 from 3-point range, averaged 17.4 points in the last five games.

“He was the star of the game. He did an unbelievable job for us,” Lee said. “Gallo played well on both ends for us.”

Lee had 28 points and shot 11 of 13 while grabbing 10 rebounds against the Spurs in December. Gallinari added 19 points but was 5 of 13 from the floor, while Al Harrington scored 19.

Forward Tracy McGrady sat out Monday to rest his surgically repaired knee, and the Knicks said they will take it day by day with him. McGrady has a career 22.2-point average against the Spurs, although he has not faced them since Nov. 14, 2008, when he scored seven points and shot 2 of 12.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
David Lee NY 20.3
Tim Duncan SA 18.9

Rebounds
David Lee NY 11.6
Tim Duncan SA 10.7

Assists
Chris Duhon NY 6.1
Tony Parker SA 5.7

[bdictjames]

I didn't know David Lee has better stats than Timmy this season.

[duncan228]

Wednesday: Knicks (22-41) at Spurs (36-25) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Wednesday_Knicks_22-41_at_Spurs_36-25.html)

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - KNICKS

PG - 3 George Hill (6-2, 2nd yr) - 3 Tracy McGrady (6-8, 13th yr)
Hardly a traditional PG, McGrady averaging 12.4 points since joining N.Y.

SG - 20 Manu Ginobili (6-6, 8th yr) - 21 Wilson Chandler (6-8, 3rd yr)
Ginobili's return to starting lineup produced 38 points vs. Cleveland.

SF - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 8 Danilo Gallinari (6-10, 2nd yr)
Bogans held scoreless in three of past five games.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 7 Al Harrington (6-9, 11th yr)
Duncan has posted 30 double-doubles; Knicks' David Lee has 39.

C - 34 Antonio McDyess (6-10, 15th yr) - 42 David Lee (6-9, 5th yr)
McDyess 2 for 11 in two games since returning from hyperextended knee.

SPURS RESERVES

15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 6th yr
45 DeJuan Blair, C/F, 6-7, 1st yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th 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

KNICKS RESERVES

23 Toney Douglas, G, 6-2, 1st yr
1 Chris Duhon, G, 6-1, 6th yr
50 Eddie House, G, 6-1, 10th yr
13 Sergio Rodriguez, G, 6-3, 5th yr
5 Bill Walker, G/F, 6-6, 2nd yr
4 J.R. Giddens, G, 6-5, 2nd yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Knicks: Mike D'Antoni

INJURIES

Spurs: Parker (fractured fourth metacarpal, right hand) is out.
Knicks: Eddy Curry (left knee surgery) and Giddens (left knee surgery) are out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: None.
Knicks: Curry, Jonathan Bender (personal reasons).

NOTABLE

Spurs had four-game winning streak broken Monday at Cleveland. ... Knicks have dropped six straight in San Antonio, last winning 105-97 on March 18, 2003. ... This game marks first of three for Spurs against sub-.500 foes, followed by a game at Minnesota and a home contest against the L.A. Clippers. ... Knicks have lost seven of eight on road and set NBA record by going 0 for 18 on 3-pointers in Saturday loss to Nets.

- Jeff McDonald

[ffadicted]

Man and I thought our lineups were fucked, Knicks small forward is their biggest player, their center is 6'9, and both their backcourt players are 6'8 lol

Anyway, should be an easy win for the spurs, I hope McGrady plays I wanna see how he's doing

[duncan228]

Olympian's wisdom aids in one man's return to NBA (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Olympians_wisdom_aids_in_one_mans_return_to_NBA.ht ml)
By Jerry Briggs - Express-News

San Marcos resident Charles Austin is known by one member of the New York Knicks as a former Olympian, a gold-medal winning champion and “basically, the highest-jumping person in the United States.”

Austin is also credited as a man who showed 29-year-old Knicks forward Jonathan Bender the way back to the NBA.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Bender said. “When you're working out on your own, you can only go to a certain level. When you have someone who can come in and help you get there, it's a little different.”

A personal trainer and owner of So High Sports and Fitness in San Marcos, Austin told Bender in November 2008 that he could assist the former No. 5 overall NBA draft pick if he wanted to return to basketball.

The dream came true for Bender in December 2009 when he signed as a free agent with the Knicks.

A victim of chronic pain in both knees, Bender had been out of basketball since February 2006.

He won't be with the Knicks tonight at the AT&T Center due to personal reasons, a team spokesman said.

Still, it's something of a marvel that Austin's 7-foot reclamation project has played in 23 games this season, nearly four years after he was released by the Indiana Pacers.

Austin said that when he first met Bender, the 1999 first-round draft pick was living in Houston and was uncertain about his future as a player.

“He had told me he thought about playing again and how he had to retire due to his knee problems,” Austin said. “I just told him, ‘Well, if you decide to play again, I really believe that I can help you get back to where you can play at a high level and not have to worry about those knees bugging you again.'”

Bender listened intently because he knew that Austin once had recovered from a knee injury himself — with golden results.

In the summer of 1996, three years after surgery, Austin soared over the bar at 7 feet, 10 inches to win the gold medal and establish the Olympic record in the high jump at Atlanta.

During Austin's rehabilitation from an operation to repair a “shredded” patellar tendon, he talked to U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis and to track coaches from Europe and Russia.

He said he learned proper running technique, which allowed him to train at a higher level, which resulted in him nearly reaching the American record jump of 7-101/2 that he executed in 1991.

Bender said the technique, an exaggerated heel-to-toe gait, has allowed him to resume his career.

“I'm not saying I'm all the way healed, but I'm feeling 100 percent better,” Bender said.

Bender said he is uncertain whether he will try to play again next year. But if he gets a contract offer, he knows whom to call. He still has a 42-year-old retired high jumper's phone number.

“I talk to Charles every day, or, at least, every other day,” Bender said.

[timtonymanu]

meh two non contenders going at it.

[duncan228]

Curry Set to Return vs. Spurs (http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/nyksaspre100309.html)
by Mike Slane, nyknicks.com

Eddy Curry is looking forward to showing his teammates, coaches and the fans 
that he is ready to play a big role for the New York Knicks in their final 
19 games of the season.

After returning to practice last week following left knee surgery in 
January, the 7-foot center announced Tuesday that he will officially be back 
in the lineup when the Knicks tip off a five-game road trip against the Spurs Wednesday night in San Antonio.

"I'm definitely going to give it a shot tomorrow," Curry said after practice 
at the team's training facility. "I'm feeling pretty good, and I'll go out 
there tomorrow and see what I can do."

Curry, who last played on Dec. 17, will likely have to take it easy in his 
first game back to prevent any further setbacks. D'Antoni will closely 
monitor his minutes for the first week or so similar to what he's doing with 
Tracy McGrady, who underwent microfracture knee surgery last season.

"We'll just kind of feel it out and see how he goes, and he'll tell me and 
I'll look at him," D'Antoni said. "I do want to play him and keep amping up 
the minutes a little bit, but I would imagine the first week or some is 
going to be a little rocky."

Curry has been unable to stay on the court over the last two seasons. After 
being limited to three games last season with knee injuries, Curry worked 
hard over the summer to get back in basketball shape but missed the 
beginning of the year with a torn right plantaris muscle. He returned to 
play seven games, but was once again forced to sit out with knee problems 
and had surgery on Jan. 18.

All that is in the past now as the goal is to gain momentum heading into the summer and be ready to 
play a full season next year.

"My plan is once I'm back to be back for good," he said.

Curry will play a big role for the new-look Knicks in his latest comeback. 
With no real center on the roster following three trades last month, the 
Knicks could use Curry's size down low. He is expected to get quality 
playing time once he's back to basketball form.

"We'd like to post him up and he can run the floor a little bit," Knicks 
head coach D'Antoni said. "It's not like we're flying up and down the floor 
so I think it's perfect for him. We'll try to give him the ball a little bit 
better than the last time he came in and just see if we can integrate him 
well, get his confidence up and just get a lot of rust off him."

From what his teammates have seen in practice over the past couple of weeks, 
Curry is already showing promising signs that he will be able to contribute 
right away.

"He's strong as hell in the paint, there's no doubt about that," David Lee 
said. "He's getting his timing back with catching and finishing and things 
like that. Anytime you're a big body inside like he is inside and you have 
as quick as feet as he does, the only thing that's going to be a little bit 
short is cardio."

No one will benefit more from Curry's return than David Lee, who at 6-9 has 
been playing the center spot for the past two seasons. But Lee is more 
concerned about Curry getting back to his old self, when he averaged over 19 
points a game for the Knicks just a few years ago.

"I want to see Eddy back for Eddy more than anybody else," Lee said. "He's 
going to help our team and hopefully give us some good minutes."

Curry's return comes at a good time for New York, which could once again be 
shorthanded in San Antonio. McGrady, who sat out Monday's win over the 
Atlanta Hawks, warmed up before Tuesday's practice but did not participate. 
D'Antoni says he's a "game-time decision."

"I'm a little bit nervous because I haven't played in so long," Curry said. 
"But I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Wed. Mar 10
New York @ San Antonio: Sean Corbin; Tony Brown; Michael Smith