Game Blog: Hawks @ Spurs - Dec. 10

[GSH]

And we were one foul away from holding them to 90 points. It doesn't feel like it was a great defensive effort, but the results say differently.

[LeCrab]

No need to thank me for getting this w i took it for the team :toast

[peskypesky]

i smell another Championship, muthafuckas!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahha

[Fireball]

give RJ 20 millions ... I dont care

[L.I.T]

That was an unreal last 6 or so minutes to the game.

[timtonymanu]

That shit all happened so fast. Time felt so slow until we went on a run.

[peskypesky]

am i dreaming? i mean seriously. 19-3? love it.

[Horse]

I don't see how this team can consistently be defensed all the penetrators all the shooters those shots will be there against any team.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Grizzly is well and truly back. He is comfortable with starting now, and the NBA better watch out.

Similar with Hill - he's found his confidence again and now he's taking off.

Awesome. :D

[Dex]

Crazy fourth quarter. Spurs kick it from first gear to fourth.

[Crookshanks]

Spurs have pride - and they wanted to keep that scoring average up there!

[Chomag]

Who was that guy that wears number 22, I have never seen him before.

J/k Good win Spurs!

[Libri]

Blair with a GREAT game

He's on my fantasy team.

[Pauleta14]

These Spurs defenitely know how to close a game...

[LeCrab]

DeJuan Blair
7-10, 16 Pts
12 Rebs, 3 Assists
enough said
you forgot the 3 steals and about 5 tipped passes

[Fireball]

Spurs win ... Lakers lose ... have a good night

and I am gonna puke if Manu gets a better Quick Grade than a C-

[Spurs Brazil]

Great win

Blair with a big game. TP, Hill and RJ all solid

[Russ]

Bonner had a great game. :)

But looking at his baleful stare on the bench -- I must question his sentience.

[carina_gino20]

What a weird, weird game. Just one of those night, I guess. But it's good to see them win these grind it out games when things aren't going well the whole night.

[Capt Bringdown]

yeah, so good to see him get his shit together. i was a bit worried at the beginning of the season.
:flag:

Yep, I'm happy to be wrong, I thought he was a bust earlier. I hope he keeps working hard.

[spurs1990]

How bout the fact Duncan played like zero minutes in the 4th.

[DesignatedT]

Blair and Hill with awesome games. These 2 guys are playing some great basketball as of late... great things.

[janetcn12]

Hope we stay aggressive throughout the seasons..

[peskypesky]

talk about a supporting cast for the Big 3!! and we still don't have Anderson back. and Splitter is just getting his feet wet in the NBA. Can you imagine how well this Sherman tank's gonna be running by the playoffs?

[Crookshanks]

Blair is starting to remind me of Malik Rose. A little undersized for a PF - but a big, strong body and and a LOT of heart!

[peskypesky]

Spurs win ... Lakers lose ... have a good night

and I am gonna puke if Manu gets a better Quick Grade than a C-

Lakers lost? Seriously? :lmao

[peskypesky]

Blair is starting to remind me of Malik Rose. A little undersized for a PF - but a big, strong body and and a LOT of heart!

i think he's better than Malik

[duncan228]

Love that hug of Timmy on Blair. Those guys communicate really well, on and off the court. Lotsa love there.

Sweet moment. Duncan has been mentoring him, really took him in. Looks like it's good for both of them.

[Crookshanks]

Lakers lost? Seriously? :lmao

Yep - they lost to the Bulls in Chicago. :downspin:

[GSH]

How the Spurs won that by 16 is beyond me :lol

We started 6-14 at the FT line, then went 10-11 to close the game. And it helps when you shoot 48% from the 3P line for the game. Did we miss a 3-pointer in the 4th?

[peskypesky]

How bout the fact Duncan played like zero minutes in the 4th.

fucking icing on the cake!
:flag::flag:

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Hell of a win!

Nice to see Manu and Duncan just sitting there while we closed out the game.

[peskypesky]

talk about a fucking arsenal of weapons! Pop is gonna fucking mow down the NBA.

[DesignatedT]

great ending. RJ with those 3's is simply amazing.

[Crookshanks]

On nba.com: Hawks seek their first win in San Antonio since 1997 - NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!

[smeagol]

No TD and no Manu in the closing minutes . . .

[LeCrab]

That was amazing to watch love rj and parker

[Mal]

How bout the fact Duncan played like zero minutes in the 4th.

I dont know what to think about it. Is Duncan hurt, or Pop didn`t want to break this lineup and run

[Fireball]

On nba.com: Hawks seek their first win in San Antonio since 1997 - NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!

not even close :flag:

[carina_gino20]

Seriously though, was that Manu's worst effort so far this season? I haven't seen all the games. Save for a few Manu moments, he seemed very out of it tonight.

[Blake]

Hell of a win!

Nice to see Manu and Duncan just sitting there while we closed out the game.

George 37 min
RJ 34
TP 34

nobody else with more than 30.

very nice.

[Mal]

Seriously though, was that Manu's worst effort so far this season? I haven't seen all the games. Save for a few Manu moments, he seemed very out of it tonight.

He got moments.

[DPG21920]

Hill playing so well and soaking up minutes is a great thing.

[DesignatedT]

That was amazing to watch love rj and parker

lol

[ducks]

No TD and no Manu in the closing minutes . . .

gasp and the spurs won:downspin:

[janetcn12]

Yes, Hill has improved a lot

[spurs1990]

I dont know what to think about it. Is Duncan hurt, or Pop didn`t want to break this lineup and run

Definitely not injury related. Most likely D Blair was too good to take out.

Tim was jumping up and down on the bench cheering our boys throughout the 4th.

[black/silver rook]

good win, lakers lose, good night!

[Crookshanks]

Spurs only scored 18 points in the 3rd quarter - but then scored 37 in the 4th. Great, great effort!

[GSH]

Seriously though, was that Manu's worst effort so far this season? I haven't seen all the games. Save for a few Manu moments, he seemed very out of it tonight.

It seems wrong to call it Manu's worst game when he scored 18 points, and tied Jefferson for high point man. But, yeah, I think it was his worst game in all the other categories. I guess that's the opposite of the nights when he can't get a shot to fall, but still contributes everywhere else.

I really think the lack of whistles got in Manu's head tonight. I kept watching him lean in, trying to draw fouls, and he didn't get them. And in the second half, especially, it looked like he was trying to force the refs to make a call in his favor. He wound up not passing to the open man a bunch of times, and I think it had a big effect on his shots because he was leaning in stead of shooting.

[wijayas]

Seriously though, was that Manu's worst effort so far this season? I haven't seen all the games. Save for a few Manu moments, he seemed very out of it tonight.

he's got new babies who bawl every night asking for food. being a good father, he drags his body out of bed and prepares milk... my theory... :lol :lol :lol

he might be a lot efficient on the road... :lol

[Mal]

Definitely not injury related. Most likely D Blair was too good to take out.

Tim was jumping up and down on the bench cheering our boys throughout the 4th.

But Duncan can play with Blair, and Bonner wasnt something special. Duncan could have replaced him

[ducks]

It seems wrong to call it Manu's worst game when he scored 18 points, and tied Jefferson for high point man. But, yeah, I think it was his worst game in all the other categories. I guess that's the opposite of the nights when he can't get a shot to fall, but still contributes everywhere else.

I really think the lack of whistles got in Manu's head tonight. I kept watching him lean in, trying to draw fouls, and he didn't get them. And in the second half, especially, it looked like he was trying to force the refs to make a call in his favor. He wound up not passing to the open man a bunch of times, and I think it had a big effect on his shots because he was leaning in stead of shooting.

hello 6 turnovers and others had 16 and 17 points

[Crookshanks]

But Duncan can play with Blair, and Bonner wasnt something special. Duncan could have replaced him

Spurs won - and the lineup Pop had out there in the 4th got it done. Why must some people always moan and complain? How many championship teams have you coached?

[DesignatedT]

But Duncan can play with Blair, and Bonner wasnt something special. Duncan could have replaced him

lol we won by 16.. why does it matter.

[carina_gino20]

It seems wrong to call it Manu's worst game when he scored 18 points, and tied Jefferson for high point man. But, yeah, I think it was his worst game in all the other categories. I guess that's the opposite of the nights when he can't get a shot to fall, but still contributes everywhere else.

I really think the lack of whistles got in Manu's head tonight. I kept watching him lean in, trying to draw fouls, and he didn't get them. And in the second half, especially, it looked like he was trying to force the refs to make a call in his favor. He wound up not passing to the open man a bunch of times, and I think it had a big effect on his shots because he was leaning in stead of shooting.

Yeah, maybe not the worst game but I was wondering if it was the worst in terms of effort. I was pretty surprised when I checked the final box score and saw that he had collected 18pts. But 6 TO's and 0 assists...just strange to see from him.

He was very distracted in the 1st, seemed like he was gonna get it going a few times in the 2nd and 3rd but the TO's probably got to his head and at times he just seemed like he wasn't trying. Just one of those games, I guess.

[Pauleta14]

Seriously though, was that Manu's worst effort so far this season? I haven't seen all the games. Save for a few Manu moments, he seemed very out of it tonight.


I don't like the TO, he looked tired, but still a 18 pts on 50% game...

I take it any day, that's why it's a team game and the spurs look scary, we have a lot of guys who can step up when one of our leaders is having a "bad" game...

[wildbill2u]

There will be lulls during the season when we play like we did at the Clippers--but this team is building up a lot of confidence, especially in the role players on the bench.

There will be detractors and nay sayers, but this team still has tons of untapped potential still to be unveiled in Splitter and Anderson.

I can hardly wait for us to hit our peak and go into the playoffs.

[GSH]

hello 6 turnovers and others had 16 and 17 points

Don't read past the part where I said this, Ducks: I think it was his worst game in all the other categories

All through the game I commented that his decision making was terrible. It was more than just bad execution, he forced plays that weren't there and threw the ball away. In the first half, we had a chance to get some separation, and Manu chunked the ball away several times in a row.

But if you have the game on DVR, watch how much effort he put into trying to get whistles. I still think he let it get in his head.

I still say that if your worst game includes putting up 18 points, you're a badass.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

God dammit if only Anderson was healthy we'd be doused in depth right now.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

hello 6 turnovers and others had 16 and 17 points

You sir, are truly a wanking douchebag. 10 years with the same obsessive lunacy, get bent once and for all

[ducks]

You sir, are truly a wanking douchebag. 10 years with the same obsessive lunacy, get bent once and for all

just agreeded with the poster it was his worse outing this season HELLO

[HarlemHeat37]

Duncan looked fine from a physical standpoint..played good D..he moved very well on his moves, they were great, he just couldn't put the touch on them(it has been a problem all year, so far)..he definitely isn't hurt IMO..

It was a good move to keep him on the bench..the Spurs were starting to establish a rhythm, and any time you can limit his minutes(Manu's as well), obviously you take it..

[DesignatedT]

lol agreeded.

[wildbill2u]

Manu was taken into a UFO and inspected by aliens to see what kind of life form he is since he is more than human.

They simply wore him out with all their tests and took away his memory of them.

By the way, they decided he is a Narizian.

[Pauleta14]

God dammit if only Anderson was healthy we'd be doused in depth right now.


It's not that bad in a way that JA isn't playing now...

I mean, he can take time to learn, adapt to the team, to his new environment, the travels, bck to bck... without spending energy! He'll have a lot of energy and a better understanding of the team plays when he'll be back!

[PBEEZY]

It's not that bad in a way that JA isn't playing now...

I mean, he can take time to learn, adapt to the team, to his new environment, the travels, bck to bck... without spending energy! He'll have a lot of energy and a better understanding of the team plays when he'll be back!

Yea i think all that really helped Blake Griffin adapt to NBA life and he looks the most comfortable rookie in the game right now so hopefully it helps Anderson abit too

[carina_gino20]

I still say that if your worst game includes putting up 18 points, you're a badass.

No arguments here! :lol

In the words of Kobe Bryant, "That's a bad boy."

[GSH]

Somebody's gotta mention that we had 6 players in double figures again. This team is really starting to define itself with incredible balance.

And I honestly believe that they are the most explosive team in the entire league. The old Phoenix Suns put up a lot of points, because they just kept pushing the ball. But they did that by totally ignoring the defensive end of the court. This Spurs team can shut down an opponent while putting up points as quickly as I have ever seen.

[Libri]

It's not that bad in a way that JA isn't playing now...

I mean, he can take time to learn, adapt to the team, to his new environment, the travels, bck to bck... without spending energy! He'll have a lot of energy and a better understanding of the team plays when he'll be back!

And we don't have to wonder if he has NBA talent. He has already proven that he can play. :D

[TMTTRIO]

he's got new babies who bawl every night asking for food. being a good father, he drags his body out of bed and prepares milk... my theory...

he might be a lot efficient on the road...

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I was at the game tonight and he seemed stand offish and very quiet from everyone during the breaks. I did notice that his in-laws were in town too with the babies. Even before the season began I was wondering how becoming a new father to twins for the first time was going to affect his game now that life has really changed for him. Just wait until the rodeo road trip when he has to be away from them for a long time.

[duncan228]

Post-Game Video

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167995

Quotes

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167997


Spurs cruise past Hawks to keep NBA’s best record (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2010121024)
By Paul J. Weber

Dominant as the San Antonio Spurs have been, the only major category they’re atop the NBA so far is 3-point shooting.

The Atlanta Hawks learned that can be enough.

Richard Jefferson scored 18 points, hitting three of his five 3s in the fourth quarter, and the Spurs won their fourth straight to maintain the NBA’s best record with a 108-92 victory over the Hawks on Friday night.

Manu Ginobili also had 18 points. The Spurs at one point made 3-pointers on four of five possessions in the final six minutes to overwhelm the Hawks, who had taken the lead to start the fourth quarter.

“In the fourth quarter we found so many open 3s,” Ginobili said. “It’s something so basic, and so important on every team, because it makes everyone happy and feel involved in the offense.”

Tony Parker added 17 points for the Spurs, who again denied the Hawks their first victory in San Antonio since 1997. DeJuan Blair had 16 points and 12 rebounds, getting his third double-double of the season.

Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 23 points. Atlanta arrived as one of the hottest teams in the East, but lost for just the second time in nine games.

The Hawks dropped to 2-6 against teams currently with winning records, this time giving up a brief fourth-quarter lead against the NBA’s best. The Spurs are 19-3 and kept the fastest start in franchise history going.

Al Horford had 19 points and Josh Smith scored 15 for the Hawks, but Smith played just four minutes midway through the fourth before leaving with what he described as cramps.

He said he may have aggravated his hamstring but expects to play Saturday back home against Indiana.

“I felt like I could have done something for us to win that game and close that gap,” Smith said. “A couple blown coverages when I went out of the game. It’s always frustrating when you know you can help your team but I just wasn’t able to shake those cramps off.”

Atlanta looked like it might end 13 years of misery in San Antonio when Maurice Evans’ layup gave the Hawks a 73-71 lead to start the fourth, but it was short-lived.

Ginobili tied the game the next possession, and the Spurs went on a 18-6 run over the next six minutes to build their lead to double figures. Atlanta committed nearly half of their 15 turnovers in the fourth, when they turned the ball over seven times.

“The one thing we could not do was turn the basketball over, and in the fourth quarter we totally lost our composure,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “As I told the guys at halftime, all it takes is two or three short spans of possessions before the game can get out of hand.”

Jefferson finished 5 for 6 from behind the 3-point line for the Spurs, the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team. They entered the game shooting .407 from behind the arc, and made 10 of 21 against the Hawks.

The Hawks fell to 4-2 without All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who likely won’t return until at least January after having right elbow surgery. The Hawks again put Marvin Williams in the backcourt with Mike Bibby for a third straight game, but lost with that starting combo for the first time.

Williams had 15 points and seven rebounds, but Bibby had a bad night, scoring nine on just 4-of-12 shooting. Crawford was 8 of 18 from the floor.

Drew worried before the game about stopping Parker and the pick-and-roll, but the Spurs spread the damage around. They had six players in double figures, including George Hill’s 16 points off the bench. Tim Duncan scored 12 before resting the entire fourth quarter.

The Spurs are 4-0 on their six-game homestand. It’s their longest one this season, and they’ll only play three of their remaining 10 games in December on the road.

Notes: Duncan will play in his 1,000th regular-season game Sunday against Portland. … Hawks backup C ZaZa Pachulia (illness) didn’t make the trip to San Antonio. … It was the second time in two games the Spurs extended a team’s misery in San Antonio for a 13th straight year. Golden State couldn’t break the curse here this week, either.

[E-RockWill]

I did notice that his in-laws were in town too with the babies.

They actually have been here for the past few games & the babies have come to almost every game so far @ The Center.

[duncan228]

Notes on a scorecard: Why the Spurs’ offense is bigger than ‘The Big Three’ (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/10/notes-on-a-scorecard-why-san-antonios-offense-is-bigger-than-the-big-three/)
Tim Griffin

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/10/notes-on-a-scorecard-why-san-antonios-offense-is-bigger-than-the-big-three/

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs 108, Atlanta Hawks 92:Because the Spurs have Tony Parker, and the Hawks don’t (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/)
by Jesse Blanchard
48 Minutes of Hell

AT&T CENTER–The Atlanta Hawks have the sort of defensive length on the wings and mobile bigs along the front line that coaches dream about having and opposing ball handlers fear facing. For a night, at least, it was enough to give Manu Ginobili nightmares–the Hawks forcing Manu into six turnovers against no assists.

But all the athleticism in the world does not matter if you’re still relying on Mike Bibby to defend the point of attack, as the Atlanta Hawks asked him to do for much of the fourth quarter. In a game that featured a sloppy (14 turnovers against only 20 assists) and unfocused (16-25 from the free throw line) Spurs team, it was enough of a mistake from the Hawks for San Antonio to turn a grind-it-out game into the blowout victory the AT&T Center crowd is becoming accustomed to. And they did it without the benefit of Tim Duncan and only a brief cameo from Manu in the fourth.

The term plus/minus gets thrown around a bit through these pages, and admittedly, some of it is merely a running joke to get a rise out of Matt Bonner’s biggest critics. But while a player like Al Horford (-19) was far from the reason Atlanta lost, Mike Bibby earned every bit of the -17 he put up.

Both Bibby and Tony Parker checked into the fourth quarter at the 8:53 mark, and the Hawks spent much of the remaining time on their heels as the Spurs ran Bibby through repeated pick and rolls and isolations that ultimately ended in three-point shots–specifically Richard Jefferson from the baseline (5-6 from three, 18 points). The benefit of having so many mobile shooters this season is there is no longer a place to hide defensive liabilities like Bibby.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/san-antonio-spurs-108-atlanta-hawks-92because-the-spurs-have-tony-parker-and-the-hawks-dont#more-11797)

[jjktkk]

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I was at the game tonight and he seemed stand offish and very quiet from everyone during the breaks. I did notice that his in-laws were in town too with the babies. Even before the season began I was wondering how becoming a new father to twins for the first time was going to affect his game now that life has really changed for him. Just wait until the rodeo road trip when he has to be away from them for a long time.

I'm sure JA can get advice from Manu on and off the court, since Manu is a new dad as well.

[smeagol]

Spurs win ... Lakers lose ... have a good night

and I am gonna puke if Manu gets a better Quick Grade than a C-

I'd give him a C+ max. He did shoot 7/14, although 0 assits and 1 million TOs sucks badly . . .

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

This is really awesome to be seeing 6 players getting double figures. It looks like Blair is becoming a big force now. Crush Portland on Sunday! GO SPURS GO

[TampaDude]

Easy win...NEXT!

Spurs win and Lakers lose...it was another good night.

GO SPURS GO!!!!!