Kori Ellis
06-21-2005, 01:05 AM
Spurs turned Mr. Big Shot into Mr. Spectator
Web Posted: 06/21/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062105.5S.BKNspurs.bowen.2caea28e.html
When games are in the balance at crunch time, the Spurs have "Big Shot Bob" — or, as he apparently prefers, "Big Shot Rob."
Forward Robert Horry.
The Detroit Pistons have their own version of Mr. Clutch, but they call point guard Chauncey Billups "Mr. Big Shot."
That being the case, and with Billups having scored 32 points during regulation of Game 6 on Sunday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a defensive move in overtime that made it more difficult for the Pistons to score because it took Billups out of his comfort zone.
Mr. Big Shot, meet Mr. Pest, alias Bruce Bowen.
The runner-up to Pistons center Ben Wallace in voting for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Bowen used all his tricks and tenacity on Billups, the MVP of last year's NBA Finals.
Bowen said he suggested the change to Popovich and Popovich concurred.
"Because Chauncey was making some tough shots on Tony (Parker) and it was about me using my length against Chauncey," Bowen said. "I thought it would affect him a little bit because I feel like I'm quick enough to try to stay in front of him and, at the same time, put a hand up when he pulls up because he got deep in the paint a couple of times and he was already up, and Tony (Parker) did all he could."
The move, of course, left the 6-foot-2 Parker on 6-7 Richard Hamilton, a physical mismatch that Parker negated with his quickness and tenacity.
"Tony did a very good job," Popovich said. "Tony is going to have a size mismatch against almost anybody. At the time, we just felt that Billups was really hurting us and Tony was having a tough time with him at that point in the game.
"Tony is pretty quick, and we thought that he could chase Rip around a little bit."
The defensive stratagem worked to perfection when the Pistons ran their final play of overtime after Horry's 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining. After three timeouts — two by the Pistons, one by the Spurs — the Pistons could not get the ball to Billups, being shadowed by Bowen. Instead, Hamilton ended up with it, guarded by Parker. Hamilton drove into the lane and put up a contested shot that missed.
"On the last play, he played great position defense," Popovich said of Parker. "He kept his position, didn't foul and made it very difficult for Hamilton to get a shot off.
"Bruce followed that up with a rebound. Before that we had gotten a couple of stops, but Tayshaun (Prince) had gotten the rebound and put it back in. So Bruce's rebound was as critical to the final play as Tony's defense."
Popovich heaped praise on Bowen's willingness to do all the defensive dirty work, which typically goes unnoticed.
"Bruce sets such a tone for us by doing what he does night after night after night," Popovich said. "(Sunday) night, we asked him to do something that was a little different down the stretch, and I think that he responded very well.
"It is really important for us to have that individual on the team. He knows what his strengths are and he sticks with them. He doesn't get paranoid about the things that he doesn't do. We call zero plays for him.
"I think that the last time we called a play for him was a couple years ago. Most players can't handle that. You have to at least throw them a bone. He has had no bones."
Web Posted: 06/21/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062105.5S.BKNspurs.bowen.2caea28e.html
When games are in the balance at crunch time, the Spurs have "Big Shot Bob" — or, as he apparently prefers, "Big Shot Rob."
Forward Robert Horry.
The Detroit Pistons have their own version of Mr. Clutch, but they call point guard Chauncey Billups "Mr. Big Shot."
That being the case, and with Billups having scored 32 points during regulation of Game 6 on Sunday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a defensive move in overtime that made it more difficult for the Pistons to score because it took Billups out of his comfort zone.
Mr. Big Shot, meet Mr. Pest, alias Bruce Bowen.
The runner-up to Pistons center Ben Wallace in voting for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Bowen used all his tricks and tenacity on Billups, the MVP of last year's NBA Finals.
Bowen said he suggested the change to Popovich and Popovich concurred.
"Because Chauncey was making some tough shots on Tony (Parker) and it was about me using my length against Chauncey," Bowen said. "I thought it would affect him a little bit because I feel like I'm quick enough to try to stay in front of him and, at the same time, put a hand up when he pulls up because he got deep in the paint a couple of times and he was already up, and Tony (Parker) did all he could."
The move, of course, left the 6-foot-2 Parker on 6-7 Richard Hamilton, a physical mismatch that Parker negated with his quickness and tenacity.
"Tony did a very good job," Popovich said. "Tony is going to have a size mismatch against almost anybody. At the time, we just felt that Billups was really hurting us and Tony was having a tough time with him at that point in the game.
"Tony is pretty quick, and we thought that he could chase Rip around a little bit."
The defensive stratagem worked to perfection when the Pistons ran their final play of overtime after Horry's 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining. After three timeouts — two by the Pistons, one by the Spurs — the Pistons could not get the ball to Billups, being shadowed by Bowen. Instead, Hamilton ended up with it, guarded by Parker. Hamilton drove into the lane and put up a contested shot that missed.
"On the last play, he played great position defense," Popovich said of Parker. "He kept his position, didn't foul and made it very difficult for Hamilton to get a shot off.
"Bruce followed that up with a rebound. Before that we had gotten a couple of stops, but Tayshaun (Prince) had gotten the rebound and put it back in. So Bruce's rebound was as critical to the final play as Tony's defense."
Popovich heaped praise on Bowen's willingness to do all the defensive dirty work, which typically goes unnoticed.
"Bruce sets such a tone for us by doing what he does night after night after night," Popovich said. "(Sunday) night, we asked him to do something that was a little different down the stretch, and I think that he responded very well.
"It is really important for us to have that individual on the team. He knows what his strengths are and he sticks with them. He doesn't get paranoid about the things that he doesn't do. We call zero plays for him.
"I think that the last time we called a play for him was a couple years ago. Most players can't handle that. You have to at least throw them a bone. He has had no bones."