Spurs notebook: Duncan's injury brought cheers

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs notebook: Duncan's injury brought cheers
Web Posted: 05/21/2005 12:00 AM CDT

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052105.4C.BKNspurs.notebook.29474fd14.html


As Tim Duncan rolled on the floor clutching his left foot in pain Thursday night, some of the Spurs were surprised by what they heard.

Cheering.

The sellout crowd in KeyArena roared when it looked like Duncan might have to leave the game with a sprained ankle.

"There's something about good sportsmanship where you never like to see anybody go down," Bruce Bowen said. "But they chose to cheer, so be it."

The Spurs also had a plastic water bottle thrown toward their bench in the third quarter. All three games at KeyArena were among the most raucous the Spurs have experienced this season — and considerably more frenzied than any at the SBC Center.

"It's not the same as (Sacramento's) ARCO Arena," Tony Parker said. "When I got to the NBA, my first couple years, I thought that was loud. But KeyArena is pretty loud, especially tonight. It was very loud."

He kept on shooting: No matter how many times he missed Thursday night, Duncan said he never was frustrated enough to stop shooting.

Duncan went 1 of 13 in the first three quarters then 5 of 8 in the fourth. He finished with 26 points while making all but three of his 17 free throws.

"I took shots when they were there," Duncan said. "If I was taking bad shots, I would be more conscious. The shots I took were shots I usually take. They didn't go down for me, but, all in all, I liked all the shots I took."

Mistake not repeated: Manu Ginobili said his experience at the end of Game 4 of the Spurs' first-round series against Denver helped him create Thursday's game-winning shot.

Against the Nuggets, Ginobili penetrated into the lane and forced a shot that was blocked, sending the game into overtime. On a similar play, Thursday, he found Duncan under the basket.

"We went to overtime because I did not pass the ball," Ginobili said of the Denver game. "I wanted to be sure if somebody came to help I was going to try to find that open guy and get him the ball."

Snakebit: Aside from the ultimate outcome, the series against his former Seattle teammates likely is one Spurs guard Brent Barry will want to forget.

He made only one shot in Games 4 and 5, lost the starting job he had been given in Game 2 of the Denver series, and was treated by the referees like Sonics bruiser and foul magnet Danny Fortson in Game 6.

Barry was in foul trouble start to finish on Thursday at Key Arena, and when he finally had something going offensively — he made a runner in the lane and finally nailed a 3-point shot moments later — only to commit his sixth foul the next possession.

Relief for Rasho: Count center Rasho Nesterovic, the Spurs' worst foul shooter, the most relieved person in Key Arena when Duncan was able to get off the floor and shoot two free throws after spraining his ankle with 8:08 remaining and Seattle ahead by one point.

By rule, had Duncan come out of the game, the Sonics would have been able to choose any bench player to shoot Duncan's free throws, and Nesterovic clearly would have been the choice.

"It would have been a bad situation for Rasho having to come to shoot those free throws," Ginobili said. "So when we saw Tim laying on the floor, you always think the worst. But when he got up and came to shoot the free throws and made them, it was great for us, a great relief."

Why he coaches: Spurs coach Greg Popovich called the drama of the fourth quarter, with its back-and-forth action and lead changes, "why I love coaching."

"It's why you coach," Popovich said. "It's a real thrill to be in the playoffs and have a game that is going back and forth. To be involved in that kind of competitiveness is why I love coaching."

[SilverPlayer]

Glad the express picked it up. This kind of crap needs to be called out.



By rule, had Duncan come out of the game, the Sonics would have been able to choose any bench player to shoot Duncan's free throws, and Nesterovic clearly would have been the choice.


woah that would have been scary. Rasho at the line having not played the entire game.

[Obstructed_View]

The cheering was kind of tough to miss. It reminded me of Michael Irvin, except that the Philly fans were cheering when they took Irvin off on a backboard and loaded him into an ambulance. It's probably a good thing that the Sonics fans did that, because it woke Duncan up.

[Gerryatrics]

Not everyone was cheering, but the drunken idiots that were cheering were doing so loudly. I'm not certain they were cheering about Duncan anyway, for all I know Ichiro was throwing out T-shirts at the other end of the arena. Besides, it seemed pretty obvious the injury wasn't that bad from where I was sitting. The booing when he got up and started walking back and forth was because 1. He was writhing on the floor for about five minutes and was able to walk it off after about ten steps, and 2. The Spurs didn't have to call a timeout and weren't pegged with a delay of game when he was pacing back and forth. There was quite a bit of applause too when he did get up, which nobody seems to mention. I think the bottle was thrown at the refs who were huddling in front of the Spurs bench for some reason.

And the crowd was loud, incredibly loud. The refs took the crowd out of the game in the second quarter with too many whistles, but got the crowd back in the game with even more whistles. By the time Wilkins was called for an offensive foul for daring to attempt to dunk on the Spurs, the crowd was at a near riot level. I wish the Key was always that loud, well, without the drunken idiots shouting expletives and whatnot. There's a whole demographic in "Drunken Idiots" that the NBA needs to figure out how to dump, and quickly.

[picnroll]

Gerryatrics that's quite a load of .......... well let's just say piss poor and lame excuses.

btw since it looks like Daniels will be leaving you think your team may have any interest in taking Barry off the Spurs hands?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Gimme a break Gerryatrics.

There was more people cheering than anything else in that arena, and that's all that needs to be said.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

"I took shots when they were there," Duncan said. "If I was taking bad shots, I would be more conscious. The shots I took were shots I usually take. They didn't go down for me, but, all in all, I liked all the shots I took."


Also not quoted: "Fuck you, Ducks."

[ChumpDumper]

I'm not certain they were cheering about Duncan anyway.Lame, apologist crap. We'd be calling out SpurFans if they ever sunk that low.

[GrandeDavid]

Not everyone was cheering, but the drunken idiots that were cheering were doing so loudly. I'm not certain they were cheering about Duncan anyway, for all I know Ichiro was throwing out T-shirts at the other end of the arena. Besides, it seemed pretty obvious the injury wasn't that bad from where I was sitting. The booing when he got up and started walking back and forth was because 1. He was writhing on the floor for about five minutes and was able to walk it off after about ten steps, and 2. The Spurs didn't have to call a timeout and weren't pegged with a delay of game when he was pacing back and forth. There was quite a bit of applause too when he did get up, which nobody seems to mention. I think the bottle was thrown at the refs who were huddling in front of the Spurs bench for some reason.

And the crowd was loud, incredibly loud. The refs took the crowd out of the game in the second quarter with too many whistles, but got the crowd back in the game with even more whistles. By the time Wilkins was called for an offensive foul for daring to attempt to dunk on the Spurs, the crowd was at a near riot level. I wish the Key was always that loud, well, without the drunken idiots shouting expletives and whatnot. There's a whole demographic in "Drunken Idiots" that the NBA needs to figure out how to dump, and quickly.

Gerryatrics, I feel much better about this having read your explanation. Makes more sense. I did not watch that game but did follow it on audio. Judging by some Spurs fans (over)reactions or reactions, however you choose to see it, it seemed that it was totally classless. But emotions are high in critical playoff games on both sides. Its over and done with.

[maxpower]

IF that arena is as loud as they claim and you could hear the ''few" classless fans cheering...that would mean they were some loud mofo's OR there were more than a few fans cheering.

[ChumpDumper]

Alot of the "good" Sonic fans were stunned at the volume of the bad fans. You could see it on TV. It was clear the bad reached Philly-like proportions though, there is no denying that.

[Im Here Huckleberry]

http://img91.echo.cx/img91/7303/cryingsonic9kw.jpg

[FromWayDowntown]

Not everyone was cheering, but the drunken idiots that were cheering were doing so loudly. I'm not certain they were cheering about Duncan anyway, for all I know Ichiro was throwing out T-shirts at the other end of the arena. Besides, it seemed pretty obvious the injury wasn't that bad from where I was sitting. The booing when he got up and started walking back and forth was because 1. He was writhing on the floor for about five minutes and was able to walk it off after about ten steps, and 2. The Spurs didn't have to call a timeout and weren't pegged with a delay of game when he was pacing back and forth. There was quite a bit of applause too when he did get up, which nobody seems to mention. I think the bottle was thrown at the refs who were huddling in front of the Spurs bench for some reason.


I'm calling bullshit on this take.

I was at Key Arena for Game 4 and most of the fans sitting around me were actively calling for Fortson to injure players, particularly Ginobili and Duncan. At first, I thought that maybe it was joking, but each time that Manu and Tim hit the floor in Game 4, those guys were not only cheering but shouting for them to stay down and be injured. They were actually disappointed that players got up and could continue. In light of what I saw and heard last Sunday, I have no doubt that many, many Sonics fans were cheering with glee about Tim's being down and I have no doubt that they were bent to the point of booing when Tim pulled himself up and could continue.

As for the rationalization concerning an uncalled delay of game, I can't buy that either. Given the insipid stuff I heard throughout the day on Sunday, I'd be surprised if most of that crowd was aware of what a delay of game violation is, or the circumstances under which such violations are called. Those guys weren't upset with the lack of a delay of game warning -- which is all that the officials could have called, since the Spurs had not yet taken their warning, by the way -- they were pissed that Duncan could continue.

And I can't buy the rationalization that fans were throwing water bottles at the officials rather than the Spurs. The fans in Seattle had such irrational hatred of the Spurs that I'm surprised that the Spurs made it through the tunnel before and after halftime without facing some kind of incident. In Key, the tunnels going back to the locker rooms are also where the floor-seat fans enter and exit; at the end of halftime, players have to walk through the fans to get back to the floor. I'm sure a lot was said, but I'm thankful that the Spurs remained poised.

[Experiment2100]

In Seatle fan defense some people were cheering when Duncan got up.

[TOP-CHERRY]

In Seatle fan defense some people were cheering when Duncan got up.
They were Spurs fans. ;)

Yeah, Seattle fans are one of the worst I have seen and heard. I was actually scared for the Spurs; it was getting a little out of hand. I feared another Brawl like in Detroit. Damn.

Them cheering that Timmy got injured... classless. Seattle fans and their players should be ashamed.
Even Tolbert said something about that right? what exactly were his words?

[SPURS21]

well regardless of whether they were cheering or booing or what, they are out

see yah later seattle and all your fans :blah

[Mr Dio]

see yah later seattle and all your fans

:lol :elephant :spin :blah

[Obstructed_View]

Not everyone was cheering, but the drunken idiots that were cheering were doing so loudly. I'm not certain they were cheering about Duncan anyway, for all I know Ichiro was throwing out T-shirts at the other end of the arena. Besides, it seemed pretty obvious the injury wasn't that bad from where I was sitting. The booing when he got up and started walking back and forth was because 1. He was writhing on the floor for about five minutes and was able to walk it off after about ten steps, and 2. The Spurs didn't have to call a timeout and weren't pegged with a delay of game when he was pacing back and forth. There was quite a bit of applause too when he did get up, which nobody seems to mention. I think the bottle was thrown at the refs who were huddling in front of the Spurs bench for some reason.

And the crowd was loud, incredibly loud. The refs took the crowd out of the game in the second quarter with too many whistles, but got the crowd back in the game with even more whistles. By the time Wilkins was called for an offensive foul for daring to attempt to dunk on the Spurs, the crowd was at a near riot level. I wish the Key was always that loud, well, without the drunken idiots shouting expletives and whatnot. There's a whole demographic in "Drunken Idiots" that the NBA needs to figure out how to dump, and quickly.

What an incredibly apt representation of the Sonics fans you are. The reason the idiots that do it get away with it is the idiots that excuse it. Also a class move to say the refs took the crowd out of it instead of the team committed too many fouls. Again, very representative of being a good Nuggets fan, I mean, um, Sonics fan.

[Gerryatrics]

What an incredibly apt representation of the ass you are for generalizing an entire city and it's fans for behaviour you think you saw and heard on TV or heard about from other Spurs homers that did the same thing. I was there for Game 6, I was sitting in the stands among all those "evil" fans, I'm not making accusations based on what I could hear in the background audio on ESPN. There was one person in my row cheering while Duncan was down. One. His friend was telling him off, saying it wasn't cool to cheer for an injury, even if it's not that bad. There were like three or four fans in my entire section who were really cheering when Duncan went down and jeering him when he got back up. They were some of the above-mentioned drunken idiots. They were heckling me all three games for wearing a Brent Barry shirt, while most of the Sonics fans thought it was pretty cool, so they weren't exactly representative of the fans as a whole. I'm not excusing the behavior of the fans that were happy if they thought Duncan was seriously injured, I'm saying don't lump the entire city in with the hecklers.

As for the class move about the refs bullshit, most of the fans here have been whining about the refs all playoffs, even when the Spurs win. So drop the high and mighty crap. I've been one of the few posters here that has abstained from ripping the refereeing, I was just talking about how the fans were reacting at the game. And the offensive foul on Wilkins did look like quite possibly the worse call in NBA history.

Oh yeah, and I've been here since the preseason cheering on the Spurs, dumbass. I have the Sonics listed as my team so people will know I'm from Seattle. I've had the Spurs picked as Finals favourites all season, and I'll continue supporting them all the way to the Championship. So maybe next time you're patting yourself on the back for your oh-so-clever insults and comments against one of those low class Sonics fans, maybe you should stop and think about it before you stuff your foot in your mouth. Thanks.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

For someone who is being such a dick, you need to clean out all that ear wax that is building up. It wasn't ESPN background audio, it was loud enough that the announcers at the game had to speak up.

Just acknowledge that you've got a bunch of punk ass fans up there and be on your way.

I don't care who you support or where you live, fact remains the Seattle fans are assholes by and large. Deal with it.

Oh, and fuck the whole ESPN thing. One of my buds was at that game, and let's just say he wasn't priviliged enough to sit in your section apparently, because his entire section was cheering when Duncan went down.

[SilverPlayer]

I've been quick to try to defend the Seattle name since I live up here, but what happened was inexcusably low class. Maybe not all Seattle fans are like this, but from what I experienced the booing was prevalant (on tv), and was echoed in the attitudes of people around me (when I went to a game.) I heard several comments and saw several signs asking for our players to be knocked out. I wasn't in the cheap seats

I have been to Minnesota vs Spurs playoff games in the past, in MN, and never experienced something quite like Seattle. Seattle had louder fans than I have ever experienced, even in SA. That was about the only positive thing I can say about them after this fiasco.

[Gerryatrics]

For someone who is being such a baby... well, that's it. I couldn't make out anything else above all the crying. If I wanted to generalize Spurs fans I could say they're all assholes too, because you're a Spurs fan and you're acting like one. I don't care what your bud says, I don't care what you heard on ESPN or KENS or whatever. Some people were cheering, a lot of people weren't. A couple hundred hecklers out of 17,000 does not a concensus make. Nobody in Seattle is proud of the fact that some people were making fools of themselves, but we aren't whining about it like little bitches. Neither is Duncan, maybe you should take a page out of his book. So you can take your bogus "facts", and deal with it.

[Gerryatrics]

Calling for Fortson to knock Ginobili down when he tries to stroll down the paint for an easy layup is a little bit different then hoping a player is seriously injured when he goes down. As for the booing being prevalent, there were upwards of 16,000 fans standing or sitting in silence waiting to see if the injury is serious. So yeah, I'm sure the cheering and booing during the sequence of events came across pretty clearly on TV. But it wasn't anywhere near the level it was during the course of the game. It wasn't even close. Some people acted like idiots, that was bad. Some people called them out, that was good. Some people took the oppurtunity to label the entire City and it's fans classless and assholes and you can take your pick of what else, that's bullshit, plain and simple.

[baseline bum]

Fuck the whole city of Seattle and all your dickhead fans. I know exactly what the fuck I heard and it wasn't just a few fans. I hope Ray Allen walks out on your sorry asses and I hope you get stuck back with Barry.

[Gerryatrics]

Ah, thank God. Just when I thought the thread was on the verge of turning into an immature shouting match, we have one of the truely classy Spurs fans to bring reason into the debate. So because he's loud he represents Spurs fans as a whole right? Isn't that how it works now?

[baseline bum]

There's a lot of drunk idiot in Staples too and I never heard Duncan get booed after getting up from an injury there even though he has much more history with LA than he'll ever have with a loser franchise like the Sonics. Your fans cheered our franchise going down, so fuck them.

[AlamoSpursFan]

I think the main reason Timmy stayed in the game instead of going to the bench to get checked on was because of the a-hole fans. Thank you a-hole fans. Enjoy the Storm season.

:lol

[Obstructed_View]

What an incredibly apt representation of the ass you are for generalizing an entire city and it's fans for behaviour you think you saw and heard on TV or heard about from other Spurs homers that did the same thing. I was there for Game 6, I was sitting in the stands among all those "evil" fans, I'm not making accusations based on what I could hear in the background audio on ESPN. There was one person in my row cheering while Duncan was down. One. His friend was telling him off, saying it wasn't cool to cheer for an injury, even if it's not that bad. There were like three or four fans in my entire section who were really cheering when Duncan went down and jeering him when he got back up. They were some of the above-mentioned drunken idiots. They were heckling me all three games for wearing a Brent Barry shirt, while most of the Sonics fans thought it was pretty cool, so they weren't exactly representative of the fans as a whole. I'm not excusing the behavior of the fans that were happy if they thought Duncan was seriously injured, I'm saying don't lump the entire city in with the hecklers.

As for the class move about the refs bullshit, most of the fans here have been whining about the refs all playoffs, even when the Spurs win. So drop the high and mighty crap. I've been one of the few posters here that has abstained from ripping the refereeing, I was just talking about how the fans were reacting at the game. And the offensive foul on Wilkins did look like quite possibly the worse call in NBA history.

Oh yeah, and I've been here since the preseason cheering on the Spurs, dumbass. I have the Sonics listed as my team so people will know I'm from Seattle. I've had the Spurs picked as Finals favourites all season, and I'll continue supporting them all the way to the Championship. So maybe next time you're patting yourself on the back for your oh-so-clever insults and comments against one of those low class Sonics fans, maybe you should stop and think about it before you stuff your foot in your mouth. Thanks.
You just keep on proving my case every time you start to type. Now you are calling me names in addition to trying to alibi for the classless Seattle fans and complaining about the "worse (sic) call in NBA history." You didn't stop what you've been doing, but now you are adding insults to it. Again, you are class with a capital "K". Enjoy rooting for both of your WNBA teams.