Kori Ellis
05-10-2005, 12:15 AM
Allen blames Bowen for injury
Web Posted: 05/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051005.5D.spurs.bowen.25bc15b69.html
If the NBA were professional wrestling, Bruce Bowen might be its most highly paid performer.
In pro wrestling, the premium pay often goes to the villains.
As long as Seattle's Ray Allen has anything to say about it, Bowen, the Spurs' defensive standout, is going to be NBA Villain No. 1.
The latest in the Allen-Bowen feud that serves as a sub-plot to the Spurs-Seattle Western Conference semifinals series: Allen's accusation that Bowen somehow caused him to sprain his right ankle in the second quarter of Sunday's Game 1.
"Same old Bruce," Allen was quoted by the Seattle Times after Game 1. "I got caught on his foot, and it just turned. He's good for that. He's done that before."
Bowen insists he did nothing to cause Allen's injury and says he is tired of the whole affair. Shown Allen's quote after the Spurs' practice session Monday morning, Bowen just rolled his eyes.
"You see what's going on," Bowen said. "At this point it's like, 'Whatever, Ray.'"
You might think Bowen would accept such criticism as acclimation, proof his defensive work had frustrated his opponent to the point of distraction.
In fact, Bowen is ready for "the chirping" to end.
"It's frustrating, because I work hard at what I do, and I didn't know that because of what I do, I would be labeled the villain," Bowen said.
"Early on, it really bothered me, because I was trying to prove I wasn't a bad guy. I'm just going out and trying to play as hard as I can. Then it got to the point I realized no one was listening to that. So at some point, I just said they will either keep saying it, or they won't. There is nothing I can do about it."
As for Allen's misfortune when he sprained his right ankle Sunday, Bowen said that, if anything, he was trying to avoid contact with Allen as the SuperSonics guard drove to the basket.
"Honestly, I don't know what happened," Bowen said. "I was in transition. I was trying to make sure he couldn't use me to draw a foul or whatever. I was trying to get out of the way. Next thing I know, he goes down, and I hear his coach say, 'Oh, he tripped him.'"
Bowen said he was gratified Allen's pre-game "chirping" had not been able to influence the referees who worked Sunday's game. When Allen jumped hard into Bowen on a drive to the basket in the first quarter, he was called for an offensive foul.
"I must say the officials have done a great job," Bowen said.
Bowen said he hopes Allen's injury does not keep him from playing tonight.
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http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051005.4D.sonics.injuries.25bc15959.html
Sonics lack panacea for injuries
Web Posted: 05/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Finger
San Antonio Express-News
After the Seattle SuperSonics woke up Monday morning with all sorts of aches and sprains — to their ankles, their psyches, their running game and their defense — they began their search for a cure-all.
Coach Nate McMillan didn't have one. Nor did overworked team trainers Frank Furtado and Mike Shimensky.
In fact, it was getting to the point where Flora Allen, the mother of Seattle's gimpy star guard, might have been closer to convincing the Sonics to try her own multi-purpose remedy:
Clay dirt.
"She says that every time," said Ray Allen, who sprained his ankle Sunday in the Spurs' 103-81 victory over the Sonics in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. "Every time I'm sore, or anything happens, or I get elbowed, Mom says to put clay dirt on it. I'm like, 'Mom, we've got highly trained people who have gone to school for many years. I'm not putting clay dirt on my body.'"
Even if the Sonics aren't panicked enough to start scouring South Texas for good soil, they do realize they need to find a solution to their Game 1 woes in a hurry.
Allen, who led the NBA in scoring during the first round of the playoffs, did not practice Monday and is questionable for tonight's Game 2. Vladimir Radmanovic, who sprained his ankle moments before Allen, is almost certainly out for the rest of the series, McMillan said.
Injuries aren't the Sonics' only problems. In Game 1, they allowed Tony Parker (29 points) and Tim Duncan (22 points) to get to the basket just about any time they wanted. They were out-rebounded by the Spurs 46-31. They had only four fast-break points and two 3-pointers, both crucial areas in their efforts to beat the Spurs.
And now they have to address all of those issues while possibly going without their best player, even though McMillan said Allen's potential absence won't change the Sonics' approach.
"Basically, our attack won't be much different," McMillan said. "We'll be going with the same schemes and the same strategy."
That strategy clearly has a better chance to work if it includes Allen, who rolled his ankle while driving past Bruce Bowen in the second quarter. Allen, a longtime critic of Bowen's style of play, initially blamed the Spurs forward for the injury.
Regardless of how it happened, Allen said he won't know his availability for tonight until shortly before tipoff. He sounded confident in his ability to contribute even if he isn't 100 percent.
"You just have to respond to it," Allen said. "I've twisted my ankle before. It's not anything that's going to send me into a downward spiral."
If Allen can't play, Ronald Murray — an accomplished scorer — and Damien Wilkins will see more time. And Allen doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing.
"They've won without me before," Allen said. "They (the reserves) know what they're capable of doing. ... I think it could make them more dangerous because it could potentially cause the other team to let up a little bit, thinking these guys can't play, but they can."
Web Posted: 05/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051005.5D.spurs.bowen.25bc15b69.html
If the NBA were professional wrestling, Bruce Bowen might be its most highly paid performer.
In pro wrestling, the premium pay often goes to the villains.
As long as Seattle's Ray Allen has anything to say about it, Bowen, the Spurs' defensive standout, is going to be NBA Villain No. 1.
The latest in the Allen-Bowen feud that serves as a sub-plot to the Spurs-Seattle Western Conference semifinals series: Allen's accusation that Bowen somehow caused him to sprain his right ankle in the second quarter of Sunday's Game 1.
"Same old Bruce," Allen was quoted by the Seattle Times after Game 1. "I got caught on his foot, and it just turned. He's good for that. He's done that before."
Bowen insists he did nothing to cause Allen's injury and says he is tired of the whole affair. Shown Allen's quote after the Spurs' practice session Monday morning, Bowen just rolled his eyes.
"You see what's going on," Bowen said. "At this point it's like, 'Whatever, Ray.'"
You might think Bowen would accept such criticism as acclimation, proof his defensive work had frustrated his opponent to the point of distraction.
In fact, Bowen is ready for "the chirping" to end.
"It's frustrating, because I work hard at what I do, and I didn't know that because of what I do, I would be labeled the villain," Bowen said.
"Early on, it really bothered me, because I was trying to prove I wasn't a bad guy. I'm just going out and trying to play as hard as I can. Then it got to the point I realized no one was listening to that. So at some point, I just said they will either keep saying it, or they won't. There is nothing I can do about it."
As for Allen's misfortune when he sprained his right ankle Sunday, Bowen said that, if anything, he was trying to avoid contact with Allen as the SuperSonics guard drove to the basket.
"Honestly, I don't know what happened," Bowen said. "I was in transition. I was trying to make sure he couldn't use me to draw a foul or whatever. I was trying to get out of the way. Next thing I know, he goes down, and I hear his coach say, 'Oh, he tripped him.'"
Bowen said he was gratified Allen's pre-game "chirping" had not been able to influence the referees who worked Sunday's game. When Allen jumped hard into Bowen on a drive to the basket in the first quarter, he was called for an offensive foul.
"I must say the officials have done a great job," Bowen said.
Bowen said he hopes Allen's injury does not keep him from playing tonight.
----------------------------
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051005.4D.sonics.injuries.25bc15959.html
Sonics lack panacea for injuries
Web Posted: 05/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Finger
San Antonio Express-News
After the Seattle SuperSonics woke up Monday morning with all sorts of aches and sprains — to their ankles, their psyches, their running game and their defense — they began their search for a cure-all.
Coach Nate McMillan didn't have one. Nor did overworked team trainers Frank Furtado and Mike Shimensky.
In fact, it was getting to the point where Flora Allen, the mother of Seattle's gimpy star guard, might have been closer to convincing the Sonics to try her own multi-purpose remedy:
Clay dirt.
"She says that every time," said Ray Allen, who sprained his ankle Sunday in the Spurs' 103-81 victory over the Sonics in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. "Every time I'm sore, or anything happens, or I get elbowed, Mom says to put clay dirt on it. I'm like, 'Mom, we've got highly trained people who have gone to school for many years. I'm not putting clay dirt on my body.'"
Even if the Sonics aren't panicked enough to start scouring South Texas for good soil, they do realize they need to find a solution to their Game 1 woes in a hurry.
Allen, who led the NBA in scoring during the first round of the playoffs, did not practice Monday and is questionable for tonight's Game 2. Vladimir Radmanovic, who sprained his ankle moments before Allen, is almost certainly out for the rest of the series, McMillan said.
Injuries aren't the Sonics' only problems. In Game 1, they allowed Tony Parker (29 points) and Tim Duncan (22 points) to get to the basket just about any time they wanted. They were out-rebounded by the Spurs 46-31. They had only four fast-break points and two 3-pointers, both crucial areas in their efforts to beat the Spurs.
And now they have to address all of those issues while possibly going without their best player, even though McMillan said Allen's potential absence won't change the Sonics' approach.
"Basically, our attack won't be much different," McMillan said. "We'll be going with the same schemes and the same strategy."
That strategy clearly has a better chance to work if it includes Allen, who rolled his ankle while driving past Bruce Bowen in the second quarter. Allen, a longtime critic of Bowen's style of play, initially blamed the Spurs forward for the injury.
Regardless of how it happened, Allen said he won't know his availability for tonight until shortly before tipoff. He sounded confident in his ability to contribute even if he isn't 100 percent.
"You just have to respond to it," Allen said. "I've twisted my ankle before. It's not anything that's going to send me into a downward spiral."
If Allen can't play, Ronald Murray — an accomplished scorer — and Damien Wilkins will see more time. And Allen doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing.
"They've won without me before," Allen said. "They (the reserves) know what they're capable of doing. ... I think it could make them more dangerous because it could potentially cause the other team to let up a little bit, thinking these guys can't play, but they can."