Kori Ellis
05-09-2005, 12:29 AM
Buck Harvey: Of blood, sweat and fears: Spurs survive latest turns
Web Posted: 05/09/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA050905.1C.COL.BKNharvey.256fe4af9.html
San Antonio Express-News
Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan walked out after a timeout in the first half, and Bowen wanted to make sure he had enough traction.
He wiped his hands on Duncan's sweaty shoulders, then transferred the sweat to the bottom of his sneakers.
Veteran move?
"If he's moist," Bowen said, laughing, "why not?"
The veteran move comes with a few analogies, too, including one about the parasitic nature of the other Spurs. They literally live off Duncan.
And on a night when two Seattle ankles bent, the move also restated what is still the Spurs' greatest fear.
What if Duncan isn't standing upright, shoulders steady, ready for use?
The fear went away during the Nuggets series. When Duncan scored 39 points in an overtime win in Denver, the box score became a mimeographed bill of health.
Few had reason to worry Sunday night, either. Duncan moved well, once leading a fast break, and ended with 22 points and four blocks. He survived the night with only a gash on his face, as well as a few moments when Gregg Popovich got in his face.
In the second half, when the Spurs had trouble staying awake, Popovich let everyone have it.
The Spurs had excuses, beginning with the start to this game. They were so determined not to repeat the Denver opener that they came out with speed that shocked the Sonics.
They should remember this feeling when Tuesday comes.
Then Vladimir Radmanovic fell to a right ankle sprain, and seconds later, Ray Allen fell to a right ankle sprain. For those captivated by the eerie details: Duncan's injury in March was a right ankle sprain.
No, Bowen didn't cause either Radmanovic's or Allen's injury. Yes, the Sonics looked like a team in need of an emotional ice pack. Little wonder the Spurs put their feet up with a 62-35 halftime lead.
Radmanovic was carried off and later walked around on crutches, and Allen never returned. Both were listed as day-to-day, but then so was Duncan in a news release on that notorious night in Detroit.
That means this series could be just starting, or it could be over after one game. "(Allen) means to them," Popovich said afterward, "what Timmy means to us."
After March, San Antonio knows precisely what Popovich means.
Past Spurs know, too. In 1999, they were injury-free even with Sean Elliott on his way to a kidney transplant. In 2003, they were lucky, too, with David Robinson's on-off back spasms.
Would they have won either title had either broken down?
Elliott isn't sure. He remembers his title team as a deep one, but then the Sonics likely think their roster is, too. Truth is, there are some players who can't be replaced.
Duncan is one, Allen another.
Either way, Elliott says players never think about the dangers. "It's like a car accident. You don't drive around waiting to get hit."
But the Spurs have been driving around with a patched tire. They might not be waiting to get hit, but they still wince every time Duncan goes through an intersection.
Afterward, someone asked Bowen about karma, as if Allen's pre-series talk had somehow turned against him. Bowen didn't bite and for a good reason. He knows this has nothing to do with karma or who says or does what.
It's luck. It's one twist at one moment, an accident that changes everything, or the blessing that comes without pain.
It often makes no sense, too, as it didn't in 2003. Then, with Robinson somehow remaining limber, a young Dirk Nowitzki fell in the Western Conference finals with another sprained ankle.
Any explanation for that?
The Spurs were on their way to taking control of that Dallas series in that game, just as they were taking control of Game 1 on Sunday night. If Luke Ridnour can't get a handle on Tony Parker, then even medical miracles might not cure the Sonics.
But what happened Sunday can turn the other way, and that's why this series isn't over no matter how it appears to set up for the Spurs. There's sweat, and then there's reason to sweat.
Web Posted: 05/09/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA050905.1C.COL.BKNharvey.256fe4af9.html
San Antonio Express-News
Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan walked out after a timeout in the first half, and Bowen wanted to make sure he had enough traction.
He wiped his hands on Duncan's sweaty shoulders, then transferred the sweat to the bottom of his sneakers.
Veteran move?
"If he's moist," Bowen said, laughing, "why not?"
The veteran move comes with a few analogies, too, including one about the parasitic nature of the other Spurs. They literally live off Duncan.
And on a night when two Seattle ankles bent, the move also restated what is still the Spurs' greatest fear.
What if Duncan isn't standing upright, shoulders steady, ready for use?
The fear went away during the Nuggets series. When Duncan scored 39 points in an overtime win in Denver, the box score became a mimeographed bill of health.
Few had reason to worry Sunday night, either. Duncan moved well, once leading a fast break, and ended with 22 points and four blocks. He survived the night with only a gash on his face, as well as a few moments when Gregg Popovich got in his face.
In the second half, when the Spurs had trouble staying awake, Popovich let everyone have it.
The Spurs had excuses, beginning with the start to this game. They were so determined not to repeat the Denver opener that they came out with speed that shocked the Sonics.
They should remember this feeling when Tuesday comes.
Then Vladimir Radmanovic fell to a right ankle sprain, and seconds later, Ray Allen fell to a right ankle sprain. For those captivated by the eerie details: Duncan's injury in March was a right ankle sprain.
No, Bowen didn't cause either Radmanovic's or Allen's injury. Yes, the Sonics looked like a team in need of an emotional ice pack. Little wonder the Spurs put their feet up with a 62-35 halftime lead.
Radmanovic was carried off and later walked around on crutches, and Allen never returned. Both were listed as day-to-day, but then so was Duncan in a news release on that notorious night in Detroit.
That means this series could be just starting, or it could be over after one game. "(Allen) means to them," Popovich said afterward, "what Timmy means to us."
After March, San Antonio knows precisely what Popovich means.
Past Spurs know, too. In 1999, they were injury-free even with Sean Elliott on his way to a kidney transplant. In 2003, they were lucky, too, with David Robinson's on-off back spasms.
Would they have won either title had either broken down?
Elliott isn't sure. He remembers his title team as a deep one, but then the Sonics likely think their roster is, too. Truth is, there are some players who can't be replaced.
Duncan is one, Allen another.
Either way, Elliott says players never think about the dangers. "It's like a car accident. You don't drive around waiting to get hit."
But the Spurs have been driving around with a patched tire. They might not be waiting to get hit, but they still wince every time Duncan goes through an intersection.
Afterward, someone asked Bowen about karma, as if Allen's pre-series talk had somehow turned against him. Bowen didn't bite and for a good reason. He knows this has nothing to do with karma or who says or does what.
It's luck. It's one twist at one moment, an accident that changes everything, or the blessing that comes without pain.
It often makes no sense, too, as it didn't in 2003. Then, with Robinson somehow remaining limber, a young Dirk Nowitzki fell in the Western Conference finals with another sprained ankle.
Any explanation for that?
The Spurs were on their way to taking control of that Dallas series in that game, just as they were taking control of Game 1 on Sunday night. If Luke Ridnour can't get a handle on Tony Parker, then even medical miracles might not cure the Sonics.
But what happened Sunday can turn the other way, and that's why this series isn't over no matter how it appears to set up for the Spurs. There's sweat, and then there's reason to sweat.