Spurs vs Cavs Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Saturday at 7:30, locally on KMYS.


Saturday: Cavaliers (5-6) at Spurs (10-1) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/19/saturday-cavaliers-5-6-at-spurs-10-1/)
by Jeff McDonald

...Both teams come in off a back-to-back, with Spurs playing Friday in Utah and Cleveland playing at New Orleans. …The Cavs’ bench is averaging a league-best 44.1 points.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/19/saturday-cavaliers-5-6-at-spurs-10-1/

[Chomag]

To bad Lebron isn't there anymore. I always got allot of gratification watching the Spurs stomp him and his team of dancers.

[duncan228]

Cleveland (5-6) at San Antonio (10-1) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010112024)
Tipoff: 8:30 pm EST Sat Nov 20, 2010
TV: FSOH, SUN+
By Alan Ferguson

After clinching the best start in team history, the San Antonio Spurs will try to extend their win streak into double digits when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

San Antonio improved to 10-1 for the first time with a 94-82 win in Utah on Friday night. Despite facing potential distractions surrounding his impending divorce, Tony Parker led the way with 24 points, his fifth straight game with at least 21.

Tim Duncan also surpassed David Robinson as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in the team’s ninth consecutive victory.

“It was a great win for us,” Duncan said. “It was not particularly pretty, kind of ups and downs, but great defensively and great to get that milestone behind me.”

The Spurs are on their longest run since winning 11 straight Feb. 11-March 6, 2008, but are no strangers to lengthy win streaks since coach Gregg Popovich took over during the 1996-97 campaign.

Popovich led San Antonio to an 11-game win streak to end the 2003-04 campaign then six more consecutive victories to open the playoffs. The Spurs have also won 13 in a row three times during his tenure.

San Antonio won a franchise-record 17 straight during the regular season Feb. 29-March 31, 1996.

A matchup with a Cleveland team that’s dropped three of four could help the Spurs extend their run, but they might not want to take the Cavaliers too lightly.

Cleveland fell 108-101 in New Orleans on Friday night but rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit to get within three with 21 seconds left. A turnover and a pair of missed shots kept the Cavaliers (5-6) from extending their road win streak to four.

With its late run, Cleveland became the first team to score at least 100 points on the Hornets, who had previously allowed an average of 91.3.

“I am very proud of our guys. We showed a lot of character tonight,” coach Byron Scott said. “We got down … and we didn’t mail it in. We kept playing and got it to where if we get a couple of breaks here and there, we had an opportunity. There were a lot of positives.”

The Cavaliers have won seven of nine over the Spurs but could struggle in their first matchup without LeBron James, who averaged 32.4 points over that stretch, on their roster. Cleveland, though, beat San Antonio 97-95 in his absence March 8 at home.

Despite three players putting up at least 20 points, the Cavaliers fell 102-97 on March 26 in San Antonio as Manu Ginobili scored half of his 30 in the fourth quarter. Ginobili has averaged 29.8 points on 57 percent shooting in his last five games against Cleveland.

Duncan, meanwhile, has averaged 11.7 points - nearly 10 below his career average - in his last three matchups with the Cavaliers.

Cleveland’s Antawn Jamison has scored in double digits off the bench in all five games since returning from a sore left knee Nov. 9. He had a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s loss and scored 24 points in his previous trip to San Antonio.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
J.J. Hickson Cle 15.2
Manu Ginobili SA 21.2

Rebounds
Anderson Varejao Cle 8.9
Tim Duncan SA 9.8

Assists
Mo Williams Cle 4.6
Tony Parker SA 7.6

[100%duncan]

we will dominate

[Bruno]

Spurs just need to stay focus for this game.

b2b and 3rd game in 4 days. Tim played 33 min in Utah and 34 minutes against Chicago. I guess Pop will be really tempted to give Tim this game off. The silver lining would be that Tiago would get significant minutes, unless Pop decides to play Bonner 45 minutes. :downspin:

[Gagnrath]

This Cleveland team is alot better than everyone predicted starting out the year I've watched a few games and they are defensively tough, and when their jumpshots are falling really dangerous. Hickson and Verejao aren't exactly all-stars but they can both put up a competent inside game over Bonner. I think with it being a back to backl and Duncan being very minutes limited we'll see a Blair on Verejao all energy match-up alot tonight and see splitter get alot of playing time.

[ElNono]

Trap game... their bench plays a lot better than their starters. Our bench can't come out like they did last night. Should be a lot less physical game than Utah though, so there should be more opportunities for everyone to score.

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Sat. Nov. 20
Cleveland @ San Antonio: Scott Foster; Tony Brothers; Scott Wall

[duncan228]

Advanced Scouting: Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-cleveland-cavaliers-at-san-antonio-spurs)
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of Hell

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-cleveland-cavaliers-at-san-antonio-spurs