Game Blog: Spurs @ Kings - Feb.4

[Chase_the_Bass]

Why does everyone in the league hate Tiago?

[benefactor]

wtf Landry

[Muser]

Landry the faggot

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

lol tp kicking owens off his seat

[HarlemHeat37]

Chris Quinn is so ugly, they should blur his face out during games..

[NRHector]

did you all see that? Tony has some authority

[100%duncan]

choo choo

[Josepatches_]

lol tp kicking owens off his seat

:lol

[Chase_the_Bass]

Is that jumper part of Cousins game? That was nice

[100%duncan]

Blair!

[HighLowLobForBig-50]

haha nice blair

[Chase_the_Bass]

Lol Blair, just messing around out there

[Muser]

No double double for Splitter.

[NRHector]

lol tp kicking owens off his seat:lol that shit was funny

[100%duncan]

best thing of our win Duncan-12 minutes

[benefactor]

Great, great win.

[HighLowLobForBig-50]

good win.

[8FOR!3]

I look at Sacramento's bigs and see a lot of depth. DeMarcus Cousins, Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Hassan Whiteside. Plenty of talent.

[mystargtr34]

Chris Quinn is so ugly, they should blur his face out during games..

:rollin

[Libri]

This is the most minutes Splitter has played this season.

27+ minutes

[Spurs Brazil]

Great win, we gave them no chance

Tiago with his best game in the NBA

RJ and TP were solid

[HarlemHeat37]

Great W..I thought the Spurs would struggle in this game..nice to see that they showed a tough mentality and a lot of energy, unlike Spurs teams of the past few years..

[Budkin]

Damn I thought this game was going to be neck and neck... major props for coming out of the game strong and never letting up. And nice to see Splitter getting some burn finally.

[BOHOLANO#21]

lol pop helping tony get to the ASG in case DW is out..... playing in garbage time padding his stats lol... i'st too obvious.
WTF...DW is back in the JAZZ line up hello!:lol

[Josepatches_]

best thing of our win Duncan-12 minutes

He could have had a night off but i'll take those 12 minutes

[Capt Bringdown]

Pop uncharacteristically gave Splitter a chance - perhaps trying to light a fire under Bonner's ass?

[Spurologist]

His second tonight.

must've missed it


His hooks are usually off. Hopefully this game builds his confidence. He seemed very comfortable out there. Good passing, better rebounding, and even had a nice cut in the lane....as long as he's battling out there, there's not much more to be expected.

[Muser]

Pop uncharacteristically gave Splitter a chance - perhaps trying to light a fire under Bonner's ass?

Why would he light a fire under an injured player?

[Capt Bringdown]

Why would he light a fire under an injured player?

He's taking an awfully long time to recover from anal warts, isn't he?

[Muser]

Why rush him back if the Spurs are still winning?...

[NRHector]

Damn I thought this game was going to be neck and neck... major props for coming out of the game strong and never letting up. And nice to see Splitter getting some burn finally.Spurs confidence is high after last night win hopefully we'll keep playing like that the rest of the RRT

[dbreiden83080]

42-8 baby...

[NRHector]

:spam: coming soon

[ElNono]

Good win. If there's something this team has been fairly consistent about this season is beating the teams they're supposed to beat. :tu

[duncan228]

Rookie Anderson awaits chance (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/04/rookie-anderson-awaits-chance/)
Mike Monroe

...Popovich has no plan to force-feed Anderson back into the playing rotation.

“If there’s an opportunity to get him back in there, we’ll do it,” Popovich said, “but we’re not going to change things around just to get him back in.”


..."I just do what the coaches tell me to do, just getting up shots and doing as much as I can, since we’re on the road. Then, when they call my name, just embrace those minutes and do what I can to help in those minutes.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/04/rookie-anderson-awaits-chance/

[Capt Bringdown]

Spurs don't play again until Tuesday? Harsh realm!

[awktalk]

Spurs don't play again until Tuesday? Harsh realm!

they just played 6/7 on the road going 5-2 and play 7 more straight away from home. hope they are fucking their wives/girlfriends/hookers soon.

[duncan228]

Some post-game quotes.


Spurs too much for Kings 113-100 (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2011020423)

Tony Parker said he was disappointed he didn’t make the All-Star team. However, the silver lining for the talented San Antonio Spurs veteran point guard is he’s playing on the NBA’s top team.

Parker scored 25 points and had seven assists to help the Spurs defeat the Sacramento Kings 113-100 on Friday night.

One night after squeaking by the Los Angeles Lakers 89-88 on Antonio McDyess’ tip at the buzzer, the Spurs built an early double-digit lead against the Kings.

And it was Parker setting the tone early, getting through the Kings’ defense for driving layups, hitting medium-range jumpers, and finding open teammates for easy baskets.

Parker made 11 of 17 shots and hit both his 3-point attempts against a Kings defense that couldn’t find a way to stop him.

“Tony has been playing at an All-Star level all season,” Spurs teammate Richard Jefferson said. “On another team he would be averaging 25 points a game.”

Yet on the deep and talent-laden Spurs, Parker’s regular contributions can be overshadowed at times. However against the Kings, Parker didn’t shy away from attacking early. Told by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to be offensive-minded to start the game, Parker followed the game plan perfectly.

“With back-to-back games, Pop told me to make sure I was aggressive early,” said Parker, a three-time All-Star who admitted he was “disappointed” about the All-Star omission. “It’s great when I hear that. When he wants me to be aggressive, I’m aggressive.”

Jefferson had 16 points and Tiago Splitter also had 16 and tied a career high with nine rebounds for the Spurs, who shot 57 percent. Tim Duncan added 12 points and played only 12 minutes, while DeJuan Blair added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Spurs (42-8) own the NBA’s best record and have won two straight and 13 of 15. They are 2-1 on their nine-game road trip, their longest of the season.

However, a break in the schedule had them flying back to San Antonio for three days before returning for a stretch of four road games in five nights.

“For me the break is huge,” said Manu Ginobili, who had nine points and six assists. “The Laker game was tough for me. I’m very happy, we’re playing really well and now we go home and have three days off.”

Tyreke Evans had 25 points and Beno Udrih scored 18 for the Kings. Carl Landry scored 17 points and Darnell Jackson added 11. Rookie center DeMarcus Cousins was limited to seven points and 10 rebounds.

The loss was the second straight for Sacramento, which has dropped 11 consecutive games to the Spurs. The Kings’ last win over the Spurs was Nov. 26, 2007.

“They know how to run their offense and they know the system because they’ve been running it for a long time,” Evans said. “When they are running their offense that well there is nothing we can do about it.”

In building an early cushion, the Spurs were able to give Duncan a rest. Duncan played the first six minutes of the game and didn’t return in the first half, then played another six minutes in the third before leaving the game.

With Splitter playing so well, Duncan wasn’t really missed.

“Tiago, he’s an animal. He just plays so hard and does so many little things,” Jefferson said. “He was huge for us tonight. He gave us a chance to give Tim (Duncan) a break, which is something that goes a long way when you talk about how long the season is.”

Trailing by 24 points midway through the third quarter, the Kings finally got going offensively. Evans scored 12 points to help the Kings cut the margin to 91-75 entering the fourth quarter.

Jefferson made a 3-pointer from the corner to ignite a 9-0 third-quarter run at the 8:33 mark, building the Spurs’ lead to 74-50. Three minutes later from nearly the exact spot, Jefferson was knocked to the floor after making another 3-pointer. He added a free throw for a four-point play and a 82-57 Spurs lead.

“I thought they put on a clinic tonight in the first quarter against us,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said. “After that we just tried to play catch-up the rest of the game, they’re too good to do that against. We could never really stop them all night.”

Parker scored 16 points and the Spurs went to their bench frequently in the first half when they led 61-43. San Antonio made its first six shots and built a 49-26 lead in the opening four minutes of the second quarter.

Notes: The Spurs are in the midst of their annual “Rodeo Road Trip.” Their next home game is Feb. 23 against Oklahoma City. … San Antonio shot 58 percent in the first quarter and led 34-19. … Kings forward Francisco Garcia missed his ninth straight game with a strained left calf. … The Kings shot 2 of 12 on 3-pointers.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2011020423

[crc21209]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/04/rookie-anderson-awaits-chance/

I thought Pop shouldve played Anderson more in the 2nd half. Especially in the 4th, when the game was well at hand. I would've put him in at around the 6-7 minute mark. Anderson will get his chance though, especially with the next 4 games being in a 5 night stretch....

[duncan228]

View from the other side.


Spurs cruise past Kings (http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/05/3379337/spurs-cruise-past-kings.html)
By Jason Jones
Sacramento Bee

The Kings probably would have been fine knowing San Antonio Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan would play less than 13 minutes against them Friday night.

But it's not as if the Spurs needed Duncan to do much.

San Antonio took the suspense out of the game early as every Spur who stepped on the floor seemed to do his job right. San Antonio started the game on a 12-2 run, and the Kings never got closer than seven points after the first quarter in the Spurs' 113-100 victory Friday night at Arco Arena.

The Kings trailed 34-19 after the first quarter. San Antonio moved the ball well and found good shots. Sacramento did the opposite.

"In the first quarter, I thought it was one pass and a shot way too often," said Kings coach Paul Westphal. "Or no passes and a shot, and we played right into their hands. They're too good a defensive team to not make them work a little bit more."

Westphal said the Spurs did a good job of forcing the Kings to take tough shots. The coach added that the Kings needed to set better screens and move the ball better to deal with San Antonio's formidable defense.

The Kings also struggled to stop the Spurs' pick-and-roll offense. It was a big reason Tony Parker finished with 25 points and seven assists.

And though Manu Ginobili scored only nine points on eight shots, the Spurs All-Star had six assists.

The Kings had reason for optimism Friday night. Sacramento had won three of its last five with road wins over Portland and the Los Angeles Lakers and a home win over New Orleans.

The Kings also had been competitive Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, who lead the Eastern Conference.

San Antonio was playing its third game in four nights. The Spurs had narrowly beaten the Lakers on Thursday thanks to a tipin at the buzzer by Antonio McDyess.

But the Spurs didn't look tired in shooting 57.1 percent and taking away the Kings' strengths.

"They came out like they didn't play (Thursday) night," said Kings guard Tyreke Evans. "Just pick-and-rolls, spread the court and get in the lane and knock down open shots."

By time the Kings found a rhythm and got within 12 points late in the third quarter, the Spurs were cruising after leading by 25 points.

Evans scored 14 of his team-high 25 points in the second half. But the Spurs made it tough on him and the Kings.

"They do a good job with the scouting report," said Kings forward Carl Landry. "I know they did a good job of forcing 'Reke left. They really didn't let me drive baseline. That's something that I like to do; (they were) just taking us out of our strengths."

Rookie Tiago Splitter came off the bench for the Spurs to score 16 points and match his season high with nine rebounds.

"(Splitter) allowed us to give Timmy some rest," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He was fantastic."

Duncan had 12 points and five rebounds in 12:47. DeJuan Blair had 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Beno Udrih had 18 points for the Kings, and Landry scored 17 off the bench. After scoring 20 or more points in three consecutive games, DeMarcus Cousins had seven points and 10 rebounds.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/05/3379337/spurs-cruise-past-kings.html

[DrSteffo]

Splitter shitting all over the haters in this game. No surprises there.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5416928120_1f49264391.jpg

[TampaDude]

Easy win. NEXT!

GO SPURS GO!!!!!

[birdy219]

Something I noticed last night. When Tony came out of the game for good, he made Owens give up his seat. They were laughing on the bench about it. Definite, rookie treatment. :lol
:flag:

[duncan228]

San Antonio Spurs 113, Sacramento Kings 100: With help from Splitter, Parker keeps Spurs copacetic (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/)
by Jesse Blanchard
48 Minutes of Hell

So far as praise goes, there are a lot of words more flattering to a point guard than copacetic, but then, when it comes to giving praise to his own team, there are a lot more liberal coaches than San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

Still, when Popovich was asked about his star point guards performance after the Spurs 113-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=310204023), his assessment was pretty spot on.

“Tony has been doing a great job of keeping everything copacetic,” Popovich said. “He is good in charge. He shared the ball, scored when we needed it. Again, tonight he gave us the energy to get us through the back-to-back.”

Keep reading (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/san-antonio-spurs-113-sacramento-kings-100-with-help-from-splitter-parker-keeps-spurs-copacetic#more-12736)

[ducks]

Popovich stated, it’s Tony Parker that keeps everything copacetic.

More so than in any of his previous All-Star seasons, Parker is walking that fine line between distribution and scoring to near perfection most games, as he did last night. There has not been any specific improvement in his passing or court vision, but the decision making has been honed and the options around him vastly improved.

Read more: http://www.48minutesofhell.com/san-antonio-spurs-113-sacramento-kings-100-with-help-from-splitter-parker-keeps-spurs-copacetic#ixzz1D9A80Umh

[duncan228]

When the whole is better than the sum of the parts. (http://www.cowbellkingdom.com/2011/02/07/when-the-whole-is-better-than-the-sum-of-the-parts/)
James Ham
Cowbell Kingdom
A Sacramento Kings Blog

In case you missed it, the Sacramento Kings got taken to the woodshed by the NBA’s best team on Friday night. The game was over before the first quarter expired as the 42-8 Spurs toyed with the Kings on their home floor for the rest of the game.

Sure-fire Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan played less than thirteen minutes as Coach Popovich was able to rest his stars after a tough win the night before in Los Angeles against the Lakers. It was at this point that I started thinking -

How are the Spurs, as a whole, so much better than the sum of their parts?

I don’t want to come off as disrespectful toward a group of players who are winning at an alarming clip, but I don’t get it. The Spurs have three high quality players, but are any of the three elite? Do the Spurs defy all NBA logic? Let’s look at the three key pieces.

Tim Duncan, who turns 35 in April, is averaging career lows in minutes, points, rebounds and shooting percentage, just to name a few stats. Sure, playing only 29 minutes a game hurts the numbers, but his per 36 minute splits aren’t impressive either. An All-Star? Historically, and in name, yes. In functionality? No way is Duncan still an All-Star or even an elite player statistically.

Tony Parker isn’t an All-Star either, not in the Western Conference at least. He might be a top ten NBA point guard, but he isn’t an elite NBA player like a Chris Paul or a Daron Williams. Parker is solid both offensively and defensively and he has somehow been able to keep his public divorce from actress Eva Longoria from becoming a major distraction.

Manu Ginobili is an All-Star this season for the second time in his career at age 33. Like Duncan and Parker, he is a very good NBA player at this point in his career, but not a superstar. If the Spurs didn’t have 42 wins before the break or if Brandon Roy was healthy, Manu probably would not have been given the All-Star nod.

In a league that is seeing its star players join forces to create super teams, the Spurs are proving that there is another way. And they are doing it with players like DeJuan Blair, Richard Jefferson, George Hill, Antonio McDyess, Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal.

Since this a Sacramento Kings blog, I will now attempt to tie this back to the home team. If the Spurs are so obviously a case of the whole being better than the sum of its parts, are the Kings a case of the sum of the parts being better than the whole?

Keep Reading... (http://www.cowbellkingdom.com/2011/02/07/when-the-whole-is-better-than-the-sum-of-the-parts/)

http://www.cowbellkingdom.com/2011/02/07/when-the-whole-is-better-than-the-sum-of-the-parts/