MaNuMaNiAc
05-18-2005, 10:27 AM
Mohammed steps up in victory
Web Posted: 05/18/2005 01:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051805.8C.BKNspurs.mohammed.2858c3746.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Nazr Mohammed calls himself a laid-back guy who does not get too excited about one big game.
That includes, he insists, perhaps the finest playoff performance of his seven-year NBA career, the 19-point, seven-rebound showing in 20 remarkably efficient minutes in the Spurs' 103-90 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 5 of the teams' NBA Western Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.
Some day — in about 30 more days, if Mohammed gets his way — he may be able to look back and call Game 5 the highlight of his playoff career, but for now he is maintaining the low profile he prefers.
"It's a great experience and I'm happy," Mohammed said after his effort, which prompted Tim Duncan to declare that Mohammed had played a great all-around game. Still, Mohammed said "I don't want to put a best moment on this. I'll tell you if we get nine more wins if this was the best moment of my playoff life.
"It definitely feels good to win, but I'm not satisfied just to win this game. If we win on Thursday (in Game 6) I'll feel a little relieved."
Mohammed had done little in the first four games of the series, averaging only 4.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. But he scored seven points in the first quarter and exploded in the third quarter for 10, mostly off assists from Manu Ginobili, whose penetrations from the perimeter forced the Sonics to send a second defender, often Mohammed's, to cut off Ginobili's drives.
"Manu did a great job of finding me," Mohammed said. "Give the credit to Manu. I just let him know I was open in the middle, and Manu just was threading the needle, getting it there."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Mohammed had done a good job of finding seams in the Seattle defense, but Mohammed said it was Duncan's presence that created his openings.
"We talked to him a lot over the last couple of games about finding spots and not being afraid to take shots if they were there, and I thought he did a great job of that tonight," Duncan said. "They over-rotated a little bit, and he was able to step into those holes and finish baskets."
Sonics coach Nate McMillan thought Mohammed's finding open spots had more to do with his defense breaking down and allowing Ginobili's penetrations.
"Basically, their guards getting into the paint forced our bigs to step up, and that left (Mohammed) underneath the basket," McMillan said. "Then there were times we just got outworked."
The real benefit of Mohammed's big game Tuesday may come when the series returns to Seattle for Game 6.
"It's something that has been open a little bit," Mohammed said of his offensive opportunities, "but it's also a product of having a great player like Tim. You don't want to go one-on-one on a great player like Tim, so they sent another man over and I was open tonight.
"Of course, we expect them to make adjustments. If that adjustment is Tim being open in the post, that's an adjustment we're willing to accept."
Web Posted: 05/18/2005 01:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051805.8C.BKNspurs.mohammed.2858c3746.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Nazr Mohammed calls himself a laid-back guy who does not get too excited about one big game.
That includes, he insists, perhaps the finest playoff performance of his seven-year NBA career, the 19-point, seven-rebound showing in 20 remarkably efficient minutes in the Spurs' 103-90 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 5 of the teams' NBA Western Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.
Some day — in about 30 more days, if Mohammed gets his way — he may be able to look back and call Game 5 the highlight of his playoff career, but for now he is maintaining the low profile he prefers.
"It's a great experience and I'm happy," Mohammed said after his effort, which prompted Tim Duncan to declare that Mohammed had played a great all-around game. Still, Mohammed said "I don't want to put a best moment on this. I'll tell you if we get nine more wins if this was the best moment of my playoff life.
"It definitely feels good to win, but I'm not satisfied just to win this game. If we win on Thursday (in Game 6) I'll feel a little relieved."
Mohammed had done little in the first four games of the series, averaging only 4.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. But he scored seven points in the first quarter and exploded in the third quarter for 10, mostly off assists from Manu Ginobili, whose penetrations from the perimeter forced the Sonics to send a second defender, often Mohammed's, to cut off Ginobili's drives.
"Manu did a great job of finding me," Mohammed said. "Give the credit to Manu. I just let him know I was open in the middle, and Manu just was threading the needle, getting it there."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Mohammed had done a good job of finding seams in the Seattle defense, but Mohammed said it was Duncan's presence that created his openings.
"We talked to him a lot over the last couple of games about finding spots and not being afraid to take shots if they were there, and I thought he did a great job of that tonight," Duncan said. "They over-rotated a little bit, and he was able to step into those holes and finish baskets."
Sonics coach Nate McMillan thought Mohammed's finding open spots had more to do with his defense breaking down and allowing Ginobili's penetrations.
"Basically, their guards getting into the paint forced our bigs to step up, and that left (Mohammed) underneath the basket," McMillan said. "Then there were times we just got outworked."
The real benefit of Mohammed's big game Tuesday may come when the series returns to Seattle for Game 6.
"It's something that has been open a little bit," Mohammed said of his offensive opportunities, "but it's also a product of having a great player like Tim. You don't want to go one-on-one on a great player like Tim, so they sent another man over and I was open tonight.
"Of course, we expect them to make adjustments. If that adjustment is Tim being open in the post, that's an adjustment we're willing to accept."