Spurs at Wizards Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Saturday, 7:00 CST.


Saturday: Spurs (44-9) at Wizards (14-37) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/11/saturday-spurs-44-9-at-wizards-14-37/)
Jeff McDonald

...Spurs have won nine in a row vs. Wizards, dating to Nov. 12, 2005 loss at Washington...Wizards are 14-12 at home this season...They are 4-25 against teams over .500...Spurs are 6-4 on second nights of back-to-backs...

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/11/saturday-spurs-44-9-at-wizards-14-37/

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Hit the link for the whole piece.


McDyess joins Spurs’ walking wounded (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/11/mcdyess-joins-spurs%e2%80%99-walking-wounded/)
Jeff McDonald

...McDyess had his right thumb wrapped after the Spurs’ 77-71 loss at Philadelphia on Friday, after jamming it sometime in the second half.

X-rays taken at the Wells Fargo Center were negative, and McDyess appeared confident he would be able to play in tonight’s back-to-back closer at Washington.

“It’s not really all that swollen,” McDyess said. “I think I’ll be all right.”


... Splitter’s status is uncertain for Washington as well.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/02/11/mcdyess-joins-spurs%e2%80%99-walking-wounded/

[GrandeDavid]

This game can't tip off soon enough!

[cutewizard]

this is the reason we need another big.....

[duncan228]

San Antonio (44-9) at Washington (14-37) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011021227)
Tipoff: 8:00 pm EST Sat Feb 12, 2011
TV: CW35, CSW
By Noey Kupchan

After snapping their longest losing streak of the season, the Washington Wizards have a chance to end a skid against the San Antonio Spurs that’s lasted more than five years.

The Wizards try to avoid an 11th straight loss to the Spurs when the teams meet Saturday night in the nation’s capital.

Six players scored in double figures for Washington (14-37) as its eight-game losing streak came to an end with a 100-85 home win over Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

“What happens is, you keep on saying ‘hey, we’re getting better’ but sometimes you gotta have a win to show it,” said coach Flip Saunders, whose club now has a chance to win consecutive games for only the second time this season. “That’s something that is optical that you can see. Players need to get those and I thats something they can build (on).”

Nick Young scored 26 points in Wednesday’s win, while JaVale McGee had 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Wizards, who remain the only winless road team in the league, improved to 14-12 on their home court.

“We’ve gotta worry about San Antonio, because they’re the team thats here,” Saunders said. “We’ve played against good teams pretty well at home and we’d like to get a signature win at home against a very good team - best team in the league.”

Saunders’ club is all too familiar with how good the Spurs are. The Wizards have averaged 82.8 points during their 10-game losing streak in this series. They haven’t defeated San Antonio since a 110-95 home victory Nov. 12, 2005.

It’s possible Washington may be without Rashard Lewis, averaging 18.1 points in his last seven games against the Spurs. Dealing with tendinitis in his right knee, Lewis managed three points Wednesday and is uncertain for this contest.

San Antonio (44-9) boasts a strong defense and the league’s best record, but had a terrible time scoring Friday night in a 77-71 loss at Philadelphia. The Spurs, who had their four-game winning streak snapped, shot a season-worst 33.3 percent from the floor - including a 3-of-17 effort from 3-point range - en route to their lowest scoring output since a 90-64 loss at Utah on April 4, 2008.

“I think it set offensive basketball back a decade or so,” coach Gregg Popovich said as his team fell to 4-2 on its current nine-game “Rodeo Road Trip”.

Manu Ginobili had eight points while shooting 2 of 10 from the floor, and Tony Parker finished with nine points.

While his teammates couldn’t get anything going, Tim Duncan recorded his 19th double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds. It was the Spurs’ first loss of the season in a game where Duncan had a double-double.

The 13-time All Star had only five points when these teams met in San Antonio on Dec. 26, but the Spurs won 94-80. Young also had a tough night for Washington, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-19 shooting.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Manu Ginobili SA 18.2
Nick Young Was 17.6

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 9.2
Andray Blatche Was 8.1

Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.8
John Wall Was 9.0

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011021227

[phyzik]

this is the reason we need another big.....

Psshhh

Coach B has a 47" vertical and godly athleticism. We be alright. :toast
























































not a knock on Bonner, just trying to lighten things up around here. :lol

[duncan228]

Wizards can't overlook their next opponent, the NBA-leading Spurs (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/11/AR2011021106035.html)
By Gene Wang
Washington Post

The Washington Wizards have been so dreadful away from home this season that it's only natural for them to peek ahead to Sunday's game at Cleveland, which snapped its 26-game losing skid Friday night against the Clippers (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/11/AR2011021107340.html), to seek that elusive road victory. Yet another glance at the schedule reveals imminent ruin should players discount the next opponent, which brings the league's best record to Verizon Center on Saturday night.

That would be the San Antonio Spurs, the four-time NBA champions who just won't go away despite reports of their demise. They were supposed to be way too old this season, with Manu Ginobili and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan into their 30s and point guard Tony Parker almost there.

But the Spurs (44-9) continue to remain relevant largely because of that experience while a youth movement sweeps through much of the rest of the league. Top players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony are in their early or mid-20s, and even younger players such as Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose and Wizards rookie John Wall often are headline grabbers, as well.

"It's incredible," Wizards shooting guard Nick Young said of the Spurs' dynasty now built around aging players. "I was a kid when they were playing. I've been watching Tim do backboard shots all his career. It's a pleasure to play against them. I know how great they've been together, how much chemistry they've got."

The Wizards (14-37), on the other hand, have labored to find much if any structure this season, mostly because of injuries. They've fielded more starting lineups than Coach Flip Saunders cares to document, and it appears there will be more shuffling against San Antonio.

Swingman Josh Howard had been in line to come back perhaps this weekend, but Saunders did not sound optimistic (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2011/02/josh-howard-rashard-lewis-unce.html) when evaluating the 2007 all-star's chances. Howard has not played since Jan. 5 against Philadelphia, when he logged just 12 minutes before discomfort from left knee tendinitis forced him from the game. He has played in just eight of the Wizards' 51 games this season.

"I don't know. We'll just wait and see," Saunders said of Howard, who practiced on Friday. "Who knows? He might wake up tomorrow and might feel good, so we'll see."

There's also a wait-and-see circumstance with starting forward Rashard Lewis, who has been playing through tendinitis in his right knee. Lewis is averaging 7.8 points over his past four games, including three points on 1-for-5 shooting in nearly 29 minutes during Wednesday's 100-85 victory over visiting Milwaukee (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906803.html).

Lewis had his knee wrapped in bags of ice during breaks in that game and afterward said it didn't look good. He missed practice on Friday, although Lewis indicated the plan was for him to play on Saturday and evaluate his status for Sunday based on how his knee holds up.

Lewis led the Wizards with 21 points and 12 rebounds the first time they played San Antonio this season. Washington lost, 94-80, at AT&T Center in Lewis's first start for the team after it acquired the two-time all-star by sending Gilbert Arenas to Orlando on Dec. 18.

The Wizards are certain they'll be without Al Thornton on Saturday. The reserve small forward dislocated his right middle finger in practice on Monday while attempting a steal and missed the game against the Bucks. Thornton's finger was in a splint on Friday, and he won't play again until the swelling subsides.

While Washington has grown accustomed to playing without Howard, the absence of Thornton and perhaps Lewis couldn't come at worse juncture. Before Friday night's loss to Philadelphia snapped its four-game winning streak, San Antonio had won each of its past three games by double figures, and all were on the road. The Spurs' only victory by single digits during the winning streak was 89-88 over the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, also on the road.

The Spurs played their sixth consecutive road game Friday in Philadelphia and will have completed nine straight once this lengthy trip concludes at Chicago on Thursday. San Antonio, which has been traveling while a rodeo takes place at its arena, also is nearing the end of a stretch of 12 of 13 games on the road.

"We're playing the best team in the league," Saunders said. "They don't sugarcoat it. You know how they're going to play. They're going to defend. They're going to get up and down the floor a little bit more. They're a very veteran team, very savvy. That's the type of team where you've got to eliminate your mental mistakes."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/11/AR2011021106035.html

[polandprzem]

14-12 at home and have some crazy shooters and athletic freaks

And spurs are on a b2b and washington is not :)



Might consider a bad loss

[ManuTastic]

Really sux that Splitter got hurt. I had him penciled in for big minutes last night vs. Philly and tonight vs. Wiz.
As crappy as last night was, I have a bad feeling about tonight...

[easy7]

Last nights game was uglier than your sister. I hope this game is better.

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Sat. Feb. 12
San Antonio @ Washington: Derrick Stafford; Nick Buchert; Leroy Richardson

[Fireball]

If the Spurs had won in Philly, this would be a trap game ... now I hope they are looking for some kind of redemption for this ugly ugly game last night. Go Spurs Go

[crc21209]

Gotta get this one tonight after losing last night...

[Budkin]

It will be a complete disaster if we lose this game. Confidence will be shaken and other teams will begin to smell blood. Oh and the trolls... the trolls...

[GrandeDavid]

Spurs got this one.

[kaji157]

I think the team was dead tired last night, i don´t see the point of straight back to backs, and all of them on the road. But whatever.

They will still be dead tired tonight and will lose, i hope pop is smart enough to play Tony and Manu limited minutes, an let Hill carry the backcourt a little more. Its time for him to remove his head from his arse offensivelly.

Tim seems to be the only fresh leg of our big 3, plus RJ should remove some of the funk out of him.

I doubt we win on a Duncan-Hill-Jefferson based offense, but this is what i would try with a couple of 20 minutes stints of Tony and Manu.

Hope we get the win, but doubt it.

[nkdlunch]

goin to this game :D

[Blackjack]

Advanced Scouting: San Antonio Spurs at Washington Wizards
by Scott Sereday - 48MoH

San Antonio Spurs at Washington Wizards 7:00 CST February 12, 2011

Tony Parker scored 20 points and dished out a season high 14 assists as the Spurs cruised to a 94-80 victory over the Washington Wizards on Boxing Day (better known as December 26th). Manu Ginobili contributed 21 points with 5 three pointers and 3 steals.

The Spurs faced a Wizards team that was not at 100%. They had recently acquired Rashard Lewis for Gilbert Arenas in a blockbuster deal and John Wall was returning from a bruised knee (scoring 4 points in limited action). They were also playing without suspended forwards Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-stats-advanced-scouting-washington-wizards#more-12869)