Kori Ellis
05-29-2005, 01:26 AM
Tough 'D' in Game 3: Focused Spurs shut down Suns, move one win from Finals
Web Posted: 05/29/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052905.1S.BKNspurs.suns.gamer3.2be204b39.html
Sometime Saturday night, between Manu Ginobili grabbing the opening tip and bolting to the rim and Tim Duncan sprinting past Amare Stoudemire on two bad ankles, it became evident. Not only had the Spurs played the Western Conference finals at the Phoenix Suns' frenetic pace, they had beaten them with it.
By the second quarter, Phoenix's laser-like passing had disintegrated into clumsy one-on-one moves and forced shots. On those rare times when the Suns did get the ball to go through the rim, they tapped it through the net or into the seats, buying them a couple more precious seconds to get down court before the Spurs roared back, once again.
The Spurs took away the Suns' will to run Saturday, then took over the game and, it appears, the series. In front of a delirious, sellout crowd of 18,797 at the SBC Center, they beat Phoenix 102-92 to move within a single victory of the NBA Finals.
No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. The Spurs can close out the Suns on Monday night at the SBC Center.
"We want to finish this thing here," said Tim Duncan, having tormented Phoenix, again, with 33 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. "Everyone has that focus."
On Saturday, the Spurs also brought their defense. They limited Phoenix to 10 points in the second quarter, matching the Suns' lowest quarter of the season, before turning back one last Phoenix rally in the game's closing minutes.
"It seemed," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said, "like we just got rattled."
Duncan had a lot to do with that, totaling 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone, sealing off Stoudemire time and again. Duncan got such good position, he came close to pinning the Suns' forward to the basket support. On more than one occasion, Duncan was so far under the rim, he had difficulty attempting a shot.
Stoudemire frequently glanced around as if he were looking for help.
"Tim just puts so much pressure on our defense in every situation," Suns point guard Steve Nash said. "Everyone is leaning toward him. ... When you don't lean toward him, he can destroy a team."
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili took advantage, scoring 18 points apiece. Even with 6-foot-7 guard Joe Johnson back in the lineup, and with Johnson shadowing him instead of Nash, Parker had little trouble getting to the rim. On the game's second possession, he drove for a reverse layup.
Parker also did his best to find Nash and harass him the length of the court. Nash finished with 20 points and three assists, a sharp reduction from the 29 and 14 he averaged in the series' first two games.
"I just make sure to not give him any easy stuff," Parker said. "Basically I just try to frustrate him."
Bruce Bowen, while helping limit Shawn Marion to six points, and Ginobili, who matched a franchise playoff record with four first-half steals, did the same.
Ginobili took the opening tip, nearly stumbled, regained his balance and bolted to the rim for a layup. He spent the rest of the game as a human pinball.
In the third quarter, Ginobili careened down the middle of the lane, glanced off Nash, bumped into Stoudemire and somehow still finished the layin while drawing a foul. In the fourth, he dove headfirst into the scorer's table in an unsuccessful attempt to save a loose ball.
"We had a good team performance tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
That included the defense. The Spurs led 56-39 at intermission after flustering the Suns into their lowest-scoring first half of the season. Phoenix's 10 points in the second quarter matched another low.
The Suns shot only 34.9 percent in the first two quarters, and further compounded their problems with nine turnovers. Phoenix misfired on 19 of its final 24 shots in the half, going 5 of 16 in the second quarter.
The Spurs also outrebounded Phoenix 49-35. Robert Horry came off the bench to take 11 boards.
"At some point I just think we get into a macho kind of thing that, 'I have got to show you,'" D'Antoni said. "It's almost when we get a rebound, we don't make an effort to run."
The Suns rediscovered their running ways in the fourth quarter. After the Spurs took an 83-63 lead, Phoenix ran off nine unanswered points. With Stoudemire scoring 16 of his 34 points in the quarter, Phoenix closed the gap to six.
Duncan, however, steadied the Spurs. With a jump hook. Or a pair of free throws. He went 15 of 15 from the line to set a franchise playoff record.
When he was done, and the final horn had sounded, he waved to Stoudemire. Stoudemire waved back — then slowly walked off.
Web Posted: 05/29/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052905.1S.BKNspurs.suns.gamer3.2be204b39.html
Sometime Saturday night, between Manu Ginobili grabbing the opening tip and bolting to the rim and Tim Duncan sprinting past Amare Stoudemire on two bad ankles, it became evident. Not only had the Spurs played the Western Conference finals at the Phoenix Suns' frenetic pace, they had beaten them with it.
By the second quarter, Phoenix's laser-like passing had disintegrated into clumsy one-on-one moves and forced shots. On those rare times when the Suns did get the ball to go through the rim, they tapped it through the net or into the seats, buying them a couple more precious seconds to get down court before the Spurs roared back, once again.
The Spurs took away the Suns' will to run Saturday, then took over the game and, it appears, the series. In front of a delirious, sellout crowd of 18,797 at the SBC Center, they beat Phoenix 102-92 to move within a single victory of the NBA Finals.
No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. The Spurs can close out the Suns on Monday night at the SBC Center.
"We want to finish this thing here," said Tim Duncan, having tormented Phoenix, again, with 33 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. "Everyone has that focus."
On Saturday, the Spurs also brought their defense. They limited Phoenix to 10 points in the second quarter, matching the Suns' lowest quarter of the season, before turning back one last Phoenix rally in the game's closing minutes.
"It seemed," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said, "like we just got rattled."
Duncan had a lot to do with that, totaling 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone, sealing off Stoudemire time and again. Duncan got such good position, he came close to pinning the Suns' forward to the basket support. On more than one occasion, Duncan was so far under the rim, he had difficulty attempting a shot.
Stoudemire frequently glanced around as if he were looking for help.
"Tim just puts so much pressure on our defense in every situation," Suns point guard Steve Nash said. "Everyone is leaning toward him. ... When you don't lean toward him, he can destroy a team."
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili took advantage, scoring 18 points apiece. Even with 6-foot-7 guard Joe Johnson back in the lineup, and with Johnson shadowing him instead of Nash, Parker had little trouble getting to the rim. On the game's second possession, he drove for a reverse layup.
Parker also did his best to find Nash and harass him the length of the court. Nash finished with 20 points and three assists, a sharp reduction from the 29 and 14 he averaged in the series' first two games.
"I just make sure to not give him any easy stuff," Parker said. "Basically I just try to frustrate him."
Bruce Bowen, while helping limit Shawn Marion to six points, and Ginobili, who matched a franchise playoff record with four first-half steals, did the same.
Ginobili took the opening tip, nearly stumbled, regained his balance and bolted to the rim for a layup. He spent the rest of the game as a human pinball.
In the third quarter, Ginobili careened down the middle of the lane, glanced off Nash, bumped into Stoudemire and somehow still finished the layin while drawing a foul. In the fourth, he dove headfirst into the scorer's table in an unsuccessful attempt to save a loose ball.
"We had a good team performance tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
That included the defense. The Spurs led 56-39 at intermission after flustering the Suns into their lowest-scoring first half of the season. Phoenix's 10 points in the second quarter matched another low.
The Suns shot only 34.9 percent in the first two quarters, and further compounded their problems with nine turnovers. Phoenix misfired on 19 of its final 24 shots in the half, going 5 of 16 in the second quarter.
The Spurs also outrebounded Phoenix 49-35. Robert Horry came off the bench to take 11 boards.
"At some point I just think we get into a macho kind of thing that, 'I have got to show you,'" D'Antoni said. "It's almost when we get a rebound, we don't make an effort to run."
The Suns rediscovered their running ways in the fourth quarter. After the Spurs took an 83-63 lead, Phoenix ran off nine unanswered points. With Stoudemire scoring 16 of his 34 points in the quarter, Phoenix closed the gap to six.
Duncan, however, steadied the Spurs. With a jump hook. Or a pair of free throws. He went 15 of 15 from the line to set a franchise playoff record.
When he was done, and the final horn had sounded, he waved to Stoudemire. Stoudemire waved back — then slowly walked off.