spursupporter
11-21-2005, 03:24 AM
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nick Van Exel stood in front of his locker late Saturday, explaining how a member of the Phoenix Suns had inadvertently, and rather unfortunately, kneed him in the one place least equipped to handle a kneeing.
Van Exel had hobbled to the bench shortly after the second-quarter collision and remained there for the game's duration. Now, someone wanted to know if he had been too sore to return.
Robert Horry leaned over from the next locker with his own answer.
"He didn't come back in," Horry said, "because he's too old."
Van Exel naturally reminded his teammate that he wasn't the oldest player in the room. That distinction belonged to Horry himself.
Not that it's been easy to tell. Through 10 games, the eldest Spur is also one of the most consistent.
Less than three months removed from his 35th birthday, Horry played a season-high 27 minutes Saturday against Phoenix, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds. Two nights earlier against Houston he scored 16 points on only six shots, none more important than the 3-pointer he stuck late in the fourth quarter.
After not playing at all in the first half of Monday's victory over Atlanta, Horry started the third quarter defending 22-year-old Hawks forward Josh Childress. From game to game, regardless of the opponent or the assignment, little has fazed him.
"If we win five in a row or lose 'X' in a row, he's the same guy," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Most of us are crazy. We're up, we're down, we're all over the map. But he's the same individual with the same smile every day.
"He keeps the ship pretty steady."
Horry's composure has helped make him one of the league's most-feared late-game shooters. His memorable performance in Game 5 of last season's NBA Finals began with him failing to make one shot for all but the final second of the first three quarters. By the end of the game, he had scored 21 points, the final three of which came on a series-changing 25-footer with 5.8 seconds left in overtime.
The shot propelled the Spurs to their third NBA title in seven years. Horry walked away with his sixth championship ring. A month later, he pocketed a three-year, $10 million contract.
"Whenever his career is over, he's got to go down as one of the greatest clutch shooters that's ever played," Chicago coach Scott Skiles said. "He's been able to make unbelievable clutch threes time after time after time.
"You know it's an emphasis not to let him do that, and he's still somehow able to do it."
Popovich did his best to preserve Horry for such pressure-packed moments by playing him a career-low 18.6 minutes per game last season. After averaging nearly 30 minutes during his final year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Horry spent his first 11/2 seasons with the Spurs splitting time with Malik Rose.
Horry admitted he had to adjust to being on the court less, but he's seen the benefits. During his farewell season in Los Angeles, he missed 36 of 38 3-point attempts in the playoffs. Last season, he set a Finals record by making 15 of 31 3-pointers (48.4 percent).
"It's funny when I first got here it was like, 'I want to play, I want to play, I want to play,'" Horry said. "You know you have guys on the team just as good as you, but it's your competitive nature that makes you want to help your team win.
"It didn't hit me until after we got in the playoffs and I was like, 'Damn, I feel really good.' I compare that to my last year with the Lakers. When we played the Spurs in the playoffs, I was so tired I couldn't hear."
Popovich hopes to again keep Horry fresh for the postseason. With Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed both healthy and capable of contributing, and Fabricio Oberto having joined the team, Horry's minutes even figured to drop somewhat.
So far that hasn't been the case. For the season, he's averaging an efficient 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. With the Suns' undersized yet fast lineup causing matchup problems Saturday night, Popovich had Horry chase Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw for almost all of the fourth quarter.
With 26 seconds remaining, and Phoenix having climbed within three points, Steve Nash bounced a shot off the rim. Horry tracked down the rebound then braced himself as Raja Bell fouled him.
After walking across the court, he rattled in the two free throws, chalking up another victory for the Spurs and their old guys.
Express-News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nick Van Exel stood in front of his locker late Saturday, explaining how a member of the Phoenix Suns had inadvertently, and rather unfortunately, kneed him in the one place least equipped to handle a kneeing.
Van Exel had hobbled to the bench shortly after the second-quarter collision and remained there for the game's duration. Now, someone wanted to know if he had been too sore to return.
Robert Horry leaned over from the next locker with his own answer.
"He didn't come back in," Horry said, "because he's too old."
Van Exel naturally reminded his teammate that he wasn't the oldest player in the room. That distinction belonged to Horry himself.
Not that it's been easy to tell. Through 10 games, the eldest Spur is also one of the most consistent.
Less than three months removed from his 35th birthday, Horry played a season-high 27 minutes Saturday against Phoenix, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds. Two nights earlier against Houston he scored 16 points on only six shots, none more important than the 3-pointer he stuck late in the fourth quarter.
After not playing at all in the first half of Monday's victory over Atlanta, Horry started the third quarter defending 22-year-old Hawks forward Josh Childress. From game to game, regardless of the opponent or the assignment, little has fazed him.
"If we win five in a row or lose 'X' in a row, he's the same guy," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Most of us are crazy. We're up, we're down, we're all over the map. But he's the same individual with the same smile every day.
"He keeps the ship pretty steady."
Horry's composure has helped make him one of the league's most-feared late-game shooters. His memorable performance in Game 5 of last season's NBA Finals began with him failing to make one shot for all but the final second of the first three quarters. By the end of the game, he had scored 21 points, the final three of which came on a series-changing 25-footer with 5.8 seconds left in overtime.
The shot propelled the Spurs to their third NBA title in seven years. Horry walked away with his sixth championship ring. A month later, he pocketed a three-year, $10 million contract.
"Whenever his career is over, he's got to go down as one of the greatest clutch shooters that's ever played," Chicago coach Scott Skiles said. "He's been able to make unbelievable clutch threes time after time after time.
"You know it's an emphasis not to let him do that, and he's still somehow able to do it."
Popovich did his best to preserve Horry for such pressure-packed moments by playing him a career-low 18.6 minutes per game last season. After averaging nearly 30 minutes during his final year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Horry spent his first 11/2 seasons with the Spurs splitting time with Malik Rose.
Horry admitted he had to adjust to being on the court less, but he's seen the benefits. During his farewell season in Los Angeles, he missed 36 of 38 3-point attempts in the playoffs. Last season, he set a Finals record by making 15 of 31 3-pointers (48.4 percent).
"It's funny when I first got here it was like, 'I want to play, I want to play, I want to play,'" Horry said. "You know you have guys on the team just as good as you, but it's your competitive nature that makes you want to help your team win.
"It didn't hit me until after we got in the playoffs and I was like, 'Damn, I feel really good.' I compare that to my last year with the Lakers. When we played the Spurs in the playoffs, I was so tired I couldn't hear."
Popovich hopes to again keep Horry fresh for the postseason. With Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed both healthy and capable of contributing, and Fabricio Oberto having joined the team, Horry's minutes even figured to drop somewhat.
So far that hasn't been the case. For the season, he's averaging an efficient 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. With the Suns' undersized yet fast lineup causing matchup problems Saturday night, Popovich had Horry chase Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw for almost all of the fourth quarter.
With 26 seconds remaining, and Phoenix having climbed within three points, Steve Nash bounced a shot off the rim. Horry tracked down the rebound then braced himself as Raja Bell fouled him.
After walking across the court, he rattled in the two free throws, chalking up another victory for the Spurs and their old guys.