polandprzem
06-01-2005, 11:31 PM
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
PHOENIX — All in all, Monday was a forgettable night for Tim Duncan. He had missed nine free throws, even failing to draw iron on one attempt. He went to the rim late in the game, only to be stuffed by Amare Stoudemire.
In the two days after the loss, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knew enough not to give Duncan a pep talk.
"He's harder on himself than anybody could ever be on him," Popovich said. "I didn't even talk to him about free throws or anything like that after the game. He doesn't need any of it.
"He's grown. He's mature. He's incisive. He will take care of his own business."
Duncan took care of his business, as well as that of the Spurs. He totaled 31 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 101-95 series-clinching victory over the Phoenix Suns and into the NBA Finals.
The Spurs, who eliminated the Suns in five games and won the Western Conference title for the second time in three years, will have eight days before they face either defending champion Detroit or Miami in the Finals.
Manu Ginobili scored 19 points and Tony Parker added 18.
Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 42 points and 16 rebounds.
Duncan scored 10 consecutive points for the Spurs in the opening quarter, aggressively taking the ball into the lane.
With more than six minutes remaining in the first half, Duncan had already surpassed the 15 points he scored in Game 4. In the fourth quarter, he beat Stoudemire down the floor, posted deep, took the entry pass and scored while being fouled.
The three-point play, which followed one by Horry, gave the Spurs an 84-72 lead.
Stoudemire, however, wasn't done. He drove for a dunk then continued to torment the Spurs as he had all series long. His 17-footer with 5:10 remaining brought Phoenix within three points.
Duncan tipped in a missed shot. Bowen followed with a 3-pointer. But Stoudemire answered again, flushing a dunk after Nash's layup attempt rolled off the rim. The next time down the floor, he dunked over Duncan.
Ginobili drove for a layup. Jim Jackson buried a 3-pointer, pulling Phoenix within 93-90 with 2:45 remaining.
Forced to call a timeout with only three seconds left on the shot clock, Robert Horry lobbed the ball to Duncan, who had two defenders draped on him. He took a dribble, curled to the basket, threw up a jump hook that bounced off the rim then tipped in the miss.
Stoudemire had a layup somehow pop out of the rim, Duncan found Parker for a backdoor lay-in, giving the Spurs a 97-90 lead with about a minute remaining. After Stoudemire made his first free throw, he missed the second. The Spurs grabbed the rebound, but Ginobili got pinned on the baseline and his pass went through Duncan's hands. The turnover created a dunk for Shawn Marion, pulling Phoenix within four points with 26.4 seconds left.
Ginobili was fouled on a drive and made both free throws, giving the Spurs a little more breathing room.
Duncan endured one rather unfortunate moment when he came down, legs splayed, on the knee of Steven Hunter. He rolled on the court for a few moments before collecting himself.
Duncan didn't get much offensive support from his backcourt in the first half.
The Spurs jumped on Phoenix to start the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a double-digit lead
Express-News Staff Writer
PHOENIX — All in all, Monday was a forgettable night for Tim Duncan. He had missed nine free throws, even failing to draw iron on one attempt. He went to the rim late in the game, only to be stuffed by Amare Stoudemire.
In the two days after the loss, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knew enough not to give Duncan a pep talk.
"He's harder on himself than anybody could ever be on him," Popovich said. "I didn't even talk to him about free throws or anything like that after the game. He doesn't need any of it.
"He's grown. He's mature. He's incisive. He will take care of his own business."
Duncan took care of his business, as well as that of the Spurs. He totaled 31 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 101-95 series-clinching victory over the Phoenix Suns and into the NBA Finals.
The Spurs, who eliminated the Suns in five games and won the Western Conference title for the second time in three years, will have eight days before they face either defending champion Detroit or Miami in the Finals.
Manu Ginobili scored 19 points and Tony Parker added 18.
Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 42 points and 16 rebounds.
Duncan scored 10 consecutive points for the Spurs in the opening quarter, aggressively taking the ball into the lane.
With more than six minutes remaining in the first half, Duncan had already surpassed the 15 points he scored in Game 4. In the fourth quarter, he beat Stoudemire down the floor, posted deep, took the entry pass and scored while being fouled.
The three-point play, which followed one by Horry, gave the Spurs an 84-72 lead.
Stoudemire, however, wasn't done. He drove for a dunk then continued to torment the Spurs as he had all series long. His 17-footer with 5:10 remaining brought Phoenix within three points.
Duncan tipped in a missed shot. Bowen followed with a 3-pointer. But Stoudemire answered again, flushing a dunk after Nash's layup attempt rolled off the rim. The next time down the floor, he dunked over Duncan.
Ginobili drove for a layup. Jim Jackson buried a 3-pointer, pulling Phoenix within 93-90 with 2:45 remaining.
Forced to call a timeout with only three seconds left on the shot clock, Robert Horry lobbed the ball to Duncan, who had two defenders draped on him. He took a dribble, curled to the basket, threw up a jump hook that bounced off the rim then tipped in the miss.
Stoudemire had a layup somehow pop out of the rim, Duncan found Parker for a backdoor lay-in, giving the Spurs a 97-90 lead with about a minute remaining. After Stoudemire made his first free throw, he missed the second. The Spurs grabbed the rebound, but Ginobili got pinned on the baseline and his pass went through Duncan's hands. The turnover created a dunk for Shawn Marion, pulling Phoenix within four points with 26.4 seconds left.
Ginobili was fouled on a drive and made both free throws, giving the Spurs a little more breathing room.
Duncan endured one rather unfortunate moment when he came down, legs splayed, on the knee of Steven Hunter. He rolled on the court for a few moments before collecting himself.
Duncan didn't get much offensive support from his backcourt in the first half.
The Spurs jumped on Phoenix to start the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a double-digit lead