SpursFreak1320
10-29-2005, 09:31 PM
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Thankfully having reached the end of their exhibition schedule, the Spurs used their final dress rehearsal Thursday night to beat not only the Philadelphia 76ers, but also their biggest adversary of the preseason.
Boredom.
“I think some of the guys are real anxious to start playing and try to pick up where they left off,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I just get the feeling the preseason isn't really very interesting to them.”
The Spurs tried to sharpen their focus during Thursday's 101-98 victory at the SBC Center. Brent Barry scored 21 points and made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 37.9 seconds left, Tim Duncan totaled 26 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and Tony Parker had 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter.
While the exhibition, like most, wasn't a true test — Allen Iverson remained home in Philadelphia with a right knee injury and Samuel Dalembert left early with a quadriceps strain — the Spurs were glad to end the preseason on a positive note. In four days, they will return to the SBC Center to receive their 2005 championship rings and begin their title defense against Denver.
“We're lucky that the season is 82 games because we need some time to get everybody together,” Popovich said. “But it was a step in the right direction.”
A day after cutting the team's final three training-camp invitees, Popovich left his regulars on the floor for the duration. Duncan, who helped cement the victory with a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds left, played 38 minutes.
With the exception of Bruce Bowen, who missed the game because of a death in his family, Thursday's starting lineup should look similar to opening night.
Nazr Mohammed, who has been in Kentucky with his family, is expected to rejoin the team before Tuesday. But because he played in only three exhibitions and missed so much practice time, Popovich said Rasho Nesterovic will probably start against the Nuggets.
Popovich has been pleased with the strides Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and Fabricio Oberto have made in adjusting to the team, as well as the Spurs' work in practice. Even if that effort didn't necessarily show in the team's 2-7 preseason record.
“Defensively, we have a lot of work to do,” Duncan said. “We haven't gotten to the point where we're comfortable playing quarter in and quarter out. People are scoring way too many points on us.”
That was evident Tuesday when Indiana ripped the Spurs for 30 points in a brutal 7-minute, 37-second stretch. Popovich called the loss to the Pacers “a great wakeup call” for what the team can expect during the season.
“They came in here the other night and just manhandled us,” Popovich said. “They were more aggressive, they were physically intimidating. They just broke our defense down totally. And it's not like we weren't trying. We had actually talked that it would be nice to win, create a nice little atmosphere and all that sort of stuff.
“It didn't matter a lick. They just beat the holy, living (bleep) out of us in every way, shape or form.”
The Spurs, though still somewhat sloppy, played with more emotion Thursday. Manu Ginobili swept through the lane in the third quarter to throw down an emphatic left-handed dunk. Late in the fourth quarter, Duncan bulled his way into the lane to throw in a jump hook and draw a foul. Clinging to a three-point lead, Parker took the ball out of Chris Webber's hands and raced the length of the floor for a layup.
Barry, however, proved to be the evening's star. In addition to missing only one of his nine shots and making five 3-pointers, he contributed six assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes.
After pressing for much of his first season with the Spurs, Barry has played confidently the past four weeks. He finished the preseason having made 42 percent of his 3-point attempts.
“I'm a little less stressed out,” Barry said. “At least my psychiatrist has told me that.”
As a team, the Spurs also have reason to exhale.
“We can officially declare the preseason over,” Popovich said. “Isn't that great?”
Express-News Staff Writer
Thankfully having reached the end of their exhibition schedule, the Spurs used their final dress rehearsal Thursday night to beat not only the Philadelphia 76ers, but also their biggest adversary of the preseason.
Boredom.
“I think some of the guys are real anxious to start playing and try to pick up where they left off,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I just get the feeling the preseason isn't really very interesting to them.”
The Spurs tried to sharpen their focus during Thursday's 101-98 victory at the SBC Center. Brent Barry scored 21 points and made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 37.9 seconds left, Tim Duncan totaled 26 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and Tony Parker had 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter.
While the exhibition, like most, wasn't a true test — Allen Iverson remained home in Philadelphia with a right knee injury and Samuel Dalembert left early with a quadriceps strain — the Spurs were glad to end the preseason on a positive note. In four days, they will return to the SBC Center to receive their 2005 championship rings and begin their title defense against Denver.
“We're lucky that the season is 82 games because we need some time to get everybody together,” Popovich said. “But it was a step in the right direction.”
A day after cutting the team's final three training-camp invitees, Popovich left his regulars on the floor for the duration. Duncan, who helped cement the victory with a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds left, played 38 minutes.
With the exception of Bruce Bowen, who missed the game because of a death in his family, Thursday's starting lineup should look similar to opening night.
Nazr Mohammed, who has been in Kentucky with his family, is expected to rejoin the team before Tuesday. But because he played in only three exhibitions and missed so much practice time, Popovich said Rasho Nesterovic will probably start against the Nuggets.
Popovich has been pleased with the strides Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and Fabricio Oberto have made in adjusting to the team, as well as the Spurs' work in practice. Even if that effort didn't necessarily show in the team's 2-7 preseason record.
“Defensively, we have a lot of work to do,” Duncan said. “We haven't gotten to the point where we're comfortable playing quarter in and quarter out. People are scoring way too many points on us.”
That was evident Tuesday when Indiana ripped the Spurs for 30 points in a brutal 7-minute, 37-second stretch. Popovich called the loss to the Pacers “a great wakeup call” for what the team can expect during the season.
“They came in here the other night and just manhandled us,” Popovich said. “They were more aggressive, they were physically intimidating. They just broke our defense down totally. And it's not like we weren't trying. We had actually talked that it would be nice to win, create a nice little atmosphere and all that sort of stuff.
“It didn't matter a lick. They just beat the holy, living (bleep) out of us in every way, shape or form.”
The Spurs, though still somewhat sloppy, played with more emotion Thursday. Manu Ginobili swept through the lane in the third quarter to throw down an emphatic left-handed dunk. Late in the fourth quarter, Duncan bulled his way into the lane to throw in a jump hook and draw a foul. Clinging to a three-point lead, Parker took the ball out of Chris Webber's hands and raced the length of the floor for a layup.
Barry, however, proved to be the evening's star. In addition to missing only one of his nine shots and making five 3-pointers, he contributed six assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes.
After pressing for much of his first season with the Spurs, Barry has played confidently the past four weeks. He finished the preseason having made 42 percent of his 3-point attempts.
“I'm a little less stressed out,” Barry said. “At least my psychiatrist has told me that.”
As a team, the Spurs also have reason to exhale.
“We can officially declare the preseason over,” Popovich said. “Isn't that great?”