spursupporter
11-20-2005, 03:50 AM
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
As Steve Nash dribbled on the right wing and the Spurs clung to a three-point lead over the Phoenix Suns late Saturday, Tony Parker knew this much: No way was he going to allow the NBA's reigning MVP to send the game into overtime.
Not with Eva Longoria about to host "Saturday Night Live."
Parker forced Nash into hoisting a difficult fadeaway that glanced harmlessly off the rim, helping preserve not only the Spurs' 97-91 victory, but also his date with a large-screen TV.
Before darting out of the locker room to watch his A-list girlfriend, Parker turned back the Suns with 19 points, two of which came on a jump hook with 35.9 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, he blanketed Nash, preventing him from either getting a game-tying 3-pointer or an easy shot at the rim.
Parker's performance came in front of a sellout crowd of 18,797 at the SBC Center, as well as a presumably large TV audience in France. Saturday's game was broadcast live in Parker's native country with his brother providing commentary.
"I thought Tony finally woke up," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who challenged Parker at halftime, "and competed his butt off."
Parker wasn't alone. Tim Duncan contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds. Nazr Mohammed added nine points and five rebounds in 11 minutes, helping jump-start the Spurs' second-half comeback. Michael Finley scored 11 points after missing the previous five games with a groin strain.
"When we couldn't score," Popovich said, "(Finley) saved our butts."
After struggling to keep pace with the smaller Suns in the first half, the Spurs took advantage of their own size to score 21 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. The Spurs held the league's highest-scoring team to only 38 points in the second half.
"That's why we lost, because our offense wasn't high octane," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said after watching his team shoot 39.5 percent in the second half. "We also played one of the best, if not the best, defenses."
As if the Suns didn't already have enough problems — All-Star center Amare Stoudemire isn't expected to return until February at the earliest after undergoing surgery on his left knee — they lost starting guard Leandro Barbosa for the game after Manu Ginobili rolled into his left knee in the final seconds of the first half. After being helped to the locker room, Barbosa was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He will undergo an MRI today.
Up to that point, Barbosa led Phoenix with 14 points. The Spurs struggled to corral both him and swingman Boris Diaw, who was acquired in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Joe Johnson to Atlanta.
"I think in the first half we were just going through the motions, expecting Phoenix to just come in and give us the win being that they were undermanned," Finley said. "Pop got on us at halftime and told us that every man had to pick up their game."
Popovich particularly challenged Parker, who had missed 6 of 10 shots and grabbed only a single rebound in the first half.
Popovich "thought he was playing a little soft," Duncan said. "He really answered the call and got after it. He got on the boards and made some plays and dug us out of a hole there at the end."
After Diaw missed an open jump shot that would have given Phoenix the lead with less than a minute remaining, Parker took the ball into the middle of the lane. When Nash blocked him, Parker pivoted away from him and tossed in the soft hook shot.
"The play broke down and he just made a great play on his own," Popovich said. "It was all him."
Popovich could have said the same about Parker on the next possession. Nash kept dribbling but couldn't find a way around Parker and had to fade deep on an off-balance shot.
"Obviously Steve Nash was going to take the last shot, so I just tried to stay in front of him," Parker said. "It was kind of tough, because he kept reversing, reversing — kind of like me."
Afterward, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford congratulated Parker. Parker told him he wanted the game over as soon as possible.
"I have to get home," he said, "to watch Eva." :lol
Express-News Staff Writer
As Steve Nash dribbled on the right wing and the Spurs clung to a three-point lead over the Phoenix Suns late Saturday, Tony Parker knew this much: No way was he going to allow the NBA's reigning MVP to send the game into overtime.
Not with Eva Longoria about to host "Saturday Night Live."
Parker forced Nash into hoisting a difficult fadeaway that glanced harmlessly off the rim, helping preserve not only the Spurs' 97-91 victory, but also his date with a large-screen TV.
Before darting out of the locker room to watch his A-list girlfriend, Parker turned back the Suns with 19 points, two of which came on a jump hook with 35.9 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, he blanketed Nash, preventing him from either getting a game-tying 3-pointer or an easy shot at the rim.
Parker's performance came in front of a sellout crowd of 18,797 at the SBC Center, as well as a presumably large TV audience in France. Saturday's game was broadcast live in Parker's native country with his brother providing commentary.
"I thought Tony finally woke up," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who challenged Parker at halftime, "and competed his butt off."
Parker wasn't alone. Tim Duncan contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds. Nazr Mohammed added nine points and five rebounds in 11 minutes, helping jump-start the Spurs' second-half comeback. Michael Finley scored 11 points after missing the previous five games with a groin strain.
"When we couldn't score," Popovich said, "(Finley) saved our butts."
After struggling to keep pace with the smaller Suns in the first half, the Spurs took advantage of their own size to score 21 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. The Spurs held the league's highest-scoring team to only 38 points in the second half.
"That's why we lost, because our offense wasn't high octane," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said after watching his team shoot 39.5 percent in the second half. "We also played one of the best, if not the best, defenses."
As if the Suns didn't already have enough problems — All-Star center Amare Stoudemire isn't expected to return until February at the earliest after undergoing surgery on his left knee — they lost starting guard Leandro Barbosa for the game after Manu Ginobili rolled into his left knee in the final seconds of the first half. After being helped to the locker room, Barbosa was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He will undergo an MRI today.
Up to that point, Barbosa led Phoenix with 14 points. The Spurs struggled to corral both him and swingman Boris Diaw, who was acquired in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Joe Johnson to Atlanta.
"I think in the first half we were just going through the motions, expecting Phoenix to just come in and give us the win being that they were undermanned," Finley said. "Pop got on us at halftime and told us that every man had to pick up their game."
Popovich particularly challenged Parker, who had missed 6 of 10 shots and grabbed only a single rebound in the first half.
Popovich "thought he was playing a little soft," Duncan said. "He really answered the call and got after it. He got on the boards and made some plays and dug us out of a hole there at the end."
After Diaw missed an open jump shot that would have given Phoenix the lead with less than a minute remaining, Parker took the ball into the middle of the lane. When Nash blocked him, Parker pivoted away from him and tossed in the soft hook shot.
"The play broke down and he just made a great play on his own," Popovich said. "It was all him."
Popovich could have said the same about Parker on the next possession. Nash kept dribbling but couldn't find a way around Parker and had to fade deep on an off-balance shot.
"Obviously Steve Nash was going to take the last shot, so I just tried to stay in front of him," Parker said. "It was kind of tough, because he kept reversing, reversing — kind of like me."
Afterward, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford congratulated Parker. Parker told him he wanted the game over as soon as possible.
"I have to get home," he said, "to watch Eva." :lol