Kori Ellis
05-25-2005, 01:48 AM
Another Sun downer: Spurs pull off second comeback
Web Posted: 05/25/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052505.1S.BKNspurs.suns.gamer2.2a97e20e2.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
PHOENIX — Tony Parker grabbed his jersey and sucked in a deep breath. Tim Duncan stared, longingly, at the Spurs' bench. Manu Ginobili brushed aside his long, sweat-soaked hair and set his jaw. Robert Horry looked into the stands, his nerves having disappeared in one more pressure-packed moment.
The fourth quarter came and went Tuesday night, and when it did the Spurs stood in the same place they did two days earlier. Exhausted, yet victorious, having once again overtaken the Phoenix Suns in the closing minutes, winning a down-to-the-last-shot 111-108 thriller that gave them a commanding 2-0 advantage in the Western Conference finals.
"At some point, you have to say they deserved to win," said Suns point guard Steve Nash, his 25-foot desperation 3-pointer having glanced off the rim to preserve the Spurs' victory. "Experience gives them a lot of confidence."
The Spurs won, as they did Sunday afternoon, shooting better than 70 percent in the final quarter. They won with Duncan scoring 25 of his 30 points after halftime, surviving five fouls and two bad ankles.
They won with Ginobili going behind his back and through Amare Stoudemire, making one play after another. They won with Horry sticking one more heart-in-your-throat 3-pointer. They won with Parker chasing Nash until he could barely stand.
Afterward, the Spurs boarded their chartered jet and flew home, needing only two more victories to reach their second NBA Finals in three years. They will have three days to rest before the next two games of the best-of-seven series move to the SBC Center, where the Spurs are 43-4 this season.
As for the Suns, no team has rallied to win a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.
Phoenix shot 55.7 percent. Stoudemire scored 37 points. Nash had 29 and 15 assists. Quentin Richardson and Shawn Marion, who combined for 10 points in Game 1, totaled 29. Only one of the Suns' starters failed to make at least half his shots.
And Phoenix still lost.
"We're the same team," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "doing, you know, what we do."
What the Spurs did is run down Phoenix in the final quarter. Again. In the two fourth quarters, the Spurs have outscored the Suns 74-55 while shooting a combined 71.8 percent. On Tuesday, the Spurs scored on 12 of their final 13 possessions.
Duncan deserves as much credit as anyone for the team's clutch-time play. Twenty-five of his 58 points have come in the two fourth quarters.
"He's our guy," Popovich said. "The ball is going to go through him."
Considering the way Duncan was going through fouls, he was fortunate to be on the floor in the final quarter.
While Duncan had tormented the Suns on Sunday, he certainly didn't pick up Tuesday where he left off. He labored through much of the first half, making only 1 of 7 shots and taking just two rebounds. Even worse, he drew his third foul underneath the Spurs' basket with 1.2 seconds remaining in the half.
Duncan finally seemed to settle into a rhythm at the start of the third quarter, scoring seven quick points, until Stoudemire drew his fourth foul on a drive to the rim.
Forced to the bench with 8:41 left in the third quarter, Duncan returned about 41/2 minutes later to find his team trailing 79-70. He immediately went to work, posting up Stoudemire and Steven Hunter, making open jump shots. His 20-footer with 6:35 remaining pulled the Spurs within 93-92.
Duncan then drew his fifth foul with 4:15 remaining, but stayed on the floor. After Nash stepped behind a screen and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Suns the lead, Horry answered with one of his own.
The pivotal shot followed a timeout. As the Spurs walked onto the floor, Horry told Ginobili to find him.
Said Duncan: "I told him, 'Dude, I'm so glad you shot that ball.' I was so tired at that point."
Ginobili, who had gotten a longer-than-usual rest on the bench, had plenty of energy. He drove down the right side of the lane, went behind his back and powered in a bank shot over Stoudemire.
"That was tough," Stoudemire said. "I had my whole hand on the ball and he was strong enough to stay focused on it and get it to go in."
Ginobili followed with a 20-footer then found Duncan for a layup. The Suns had one final opportunity to send the game into overtime as Nash drove the length of the court while Parker and Bruce Bowen chased him. His 3-pointer bounced off the rim, leaving the Spurs to celebrate.
"They have just been phenomenal in the fourth quarter," Nash said. "I mean, what can you say?"
Web Posted: 05/25/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052505.1S.BKNspurs.suns.gamer2.2a97e20e2.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
PHOENIX — Tony Parker grabbed his jersey and sucked in a deep breath. Tim Duncan stared, longingly, at the Spurs' bench. Manu Ginobili brushed aside his long, sweat-soaked hair and set his jaw. Robert Horry looked into the stands, his nerves having disappeared in one more pressure-packed moment.
The fourth quarter came and went Tuesday night, and when it did the Spurs stood in the same place they did two days earlier. Exhausted, yet victorious, having once again overtaken the Phoenix Suns in the closing minutes, winning a down-to-the-last-shot 111-108 thriller that gave them a commanding 2-0 advantage in the Western Conference finals.
"At some point, you have to say they deserved to win," said Suns point guard Steve Nash, his 25-foot desperation 3-pointer having glanced off the rim to preserve the Spurs' victory. "Experience gives them a lot of confidence."
The Spurs won, as they did Sunday afternoon, shooting better than 70 percent in the final quarter. They won with Duncan scoring 25 of his 30 points after halftime, surviving five fouls and two bad ankles.
They won with Ginobili going behind his back and through Amare Stoudemire, making one play after another. They won with Horry sticking one more heart-in-your-throat 3-pointer. They won with Parker chasing Nash until he could barely stand.
Afterward, the Spurs boarded their chartered jet and flew home, needing only two more victories to reach their second NBA Finals in three years. They will have three days to rest before the next two games of the best-of-seven series move to the SBC Center, where the Spurs are 43-4 this season.
As for the Suns, no team has rallied to win a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.
Phoenix shot 55.7 percent. Stoudemire scored 37 points. Nash had 29 and 15 assists. Quentin Richardson and Shawn Marion, who combined for 10 points in Game 1, totaled 29. Only one of the Suns' starters failed to make at least half his shots.
And Phoenix still lost.
"We're the same team," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "doing, you know, what we do."
What the Spurs did is run down Phoenix in the final quarter. Again. In the two fourth quarters, the Spurs have outscored the Suns 74-55 while shooting a combined 71.8 percent. On Tuesday, the Spurs scored on 12 of their final 13 possessions.
Duncan deserves as much credit as anyone for the team's clutch-time play. Twenty-five of his 58 points have come in the two fourth quarters.
"He's our guy," Popovich said. "The ball is going to go through him."
Considering the way Duncan was going through fouls, he was fortunate to be on the floor in the final quarter.
While Duncan had tormented the Suns on Sunday, he certainly didn't pick up Tuesday where he left off. He labored through much of the first half, making only 1 of 7 shots and taking just two rebounds. Even worse, he drew his third foul underneath the Spurs' basket with 1.2 seconds remaining in the half.
Duncan finally seemed to settle into a rhythm at the start of the third quarter, scoring seven quick points, until Stoudemire drew his fourth foul on a drive to the rim.
Forced to the bench with 8:41 left in the third quarter, Duncan returned about 41/2 minutes later to find his team trailing 79-70. He immediately went to work, posting up Stoudemire and Steven Hunter, making open jump shots. His 20-footer with 6:35 remaining pulled the Spurs within 93-92.
Duncan then drew his fifth foul with 4:15 remaining, but stayed on the floor. After Nash stepped behind a screen and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Suns the lead, Horry answered with one of his own.
The pivotal shot followed a timeout. As the Spurs walked onto the floor, Horry told Ginobili to find him.
Said Duncan: "I told him, 'Dude, I'm so glad you shot that ball.' I was so tired at that point."
Ginobili, who had gotten a longer-than-usual rest on the bench, had plenty of energy. He drove down the right side of the lane, went behind his back and powered in a bank shot over Stoudemire.
"That was tough," Stoudemire said. "I had my whole hand on the ball and he was strong enough to stay focused on it and get it to go in."
Ginobili followed with a 20-footer then found Duncan for a layup. The Suns had one final opportunity to send the game into overtime as Nash drove the length of the court while Parker and Bruce Bowen chased him. His 3-pointer bounced off the rim, leaving the Spurs to celebrate.
"They have just been phenomenal in the fourth quarter," Nash said. "I mean, what can you say?"