FoxPerez
03-29-2011, 03:56 PM
From The Daily Six Shooter (http://bit.ly/gdX94m) at PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/):
Speaking of basketball in San Antonio, the Spurs suffered yet another tough loss last night. The Portland Trailblazers beat San Antonio for the 2nd time in less than a week. They only won by eight and were down late in the 4th quarter, which is impressive for San Antonio considering that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Antonio McDyess were all in street clothes for this game. On top of the Duncan and Ginobili injuries we talked about in yesterday’s Daily Six Shooter (http://bit.ly/hZPiPe), Tony Parker suffered a leg contusion and Antonio McDyess was given the night off to rest up for the playoffs.
Four starters out. This felt like an early preseason game where guys were fighting to make the roster or at least get some time off the bench during the season. And that squad had to play against one of the six Western Conference teams playing great basketball right now.
It goes to show that the Spurs have plenty of depth with the ability to contribute, but it also proves that the “Big 3″ of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are important not because of how they play in the first 43 minutes, but of how they affect the game in the last five. San Antonio grabbed almost as many rebounds and scored more points in the paint than Portland despite not having Duncan or McDyess. While free throws did hurt them (Spurs made 10, Blazers made 24) and they didn’t shoot as well from the three-point line as usual, the difference was San Antonio’s inability to get a basket during a long stretch in the 4th quarter. With seven minutes left in the game, the Spurs were up by seven points and then allowed the Trailblazers to go on a 13-0 run.
San Antonio’s stars are closers. And while some people think that they’ll struggle once everyone comes back for the playoffs, the fact that a team like the one they fielded on Monday night could hold a lead on the Portland Trailblazers in the 4th quarter proves that when everyone is back for the playoffs, they’ll be able to close out those games and will have a successful run in the playoffs that won’t be cut short.
For more Spurs coverage, check out PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/)
Playmaker Magazine: The Source for Sports in Texas
Speaking of basketball in San Antonio, the Spurs suffered yet another tough loss last night. The Portland Trailblazers beat San Antonio for the 2nd time in less than a week. They only won by eight and were down late in the 4th quarter, which is impressive for San Antonio considering that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Antonio McDyess were all in street clothes for this game. On top of the Duncan and Ginobili injuries we talked about in yesterday’s Daily Six Shooter (http://bit.ly/hZPiPe), Tony Parker suffered a leg contusion and Antonio McDyess was given the night off to rest up for the playoffs.
Four starters out. This felt like an early preseason game where guys were fighting to make the roster or at least get some time off the bench during the season. And that squad had to play against one of the six Western Conference teams playing great basketball right now.
It goes to show that the Spurs have plenty of depth with the ability to contribute, but it also proves that the “Big 3″ of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are important not because of how they play in the first 43 minutes, but of how they affect the game in the last five. San Antonio grabbed almost as many rebounds and scored more points in the paint than Portland despite not having Duncan or McDyess. While free throws did hurt them (Spurs made 10, Blazers made 24) and they didn’t shoot as well from the three-point line as usual, the difference was San Antonio’s inability to get a basket during a long stretch in the 4th quarter. With seven minutes left in the game, the Spurs were up by seven points and then allowed the Trailblazers to go on a 13-0 run.
San Antonio’s stars are closers. And while some people think that they’ll struggle once everyone comes back for the playoffs, the fact that a team like the one they fielded on Monday night could hold a lead on the Portland Trailblazers in the 4th quarter proves that when everyone is back for the playoffs, they’ll be able to close out those games and will have a successful run in the playoffs that won’t be cut short.
For more Spurs coverage, check out PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/)
Playmaker Magazine: The Source for Sports in Texas