Spurzilla
12-08-2005, 04:55 AM
Posted on Thu, Dec. 08, 2005
SPURS 98, HEAT 84
Failing to change history
Miami Herald (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/)
Miami dropped its third straight, thanks to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who collectively scored 69 points.
BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
[email protected]
SAN ANTONIO - The date was Dec. 23, 1996.
No, that's not the last time Shaquille O'Neal played for the Heat. It only feels like that long.
It was the last time the Heat won a game in San Antonio. And without O'Neal this time around, the team had almost no chance to win Wednesday.
With Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and the officials all doing their part to frustrate the Heat, the team lost its third straight, 98-84 to the Spurs, dropping Miami to 2-3 on its first extended road trip of the season.
Parker knifed through the Heat defense seemingly at will on his way to 14 points and 11 assists, and Duncan had a typical Duncan game, finishing with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Ginobili added 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
''We've got a long way to go with our game to get to this level,'' Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Dwyane Wade put together a strong game despite being annoyed with officials throughout the contest, scoring 31 points with 10 assists and six rebounds. He had little help on the offensive end, however.
Antoine Walker missed his first four shots of the game, making it 14 consecutive shots he missed after hitting a running hook shot at the end of the Heat loss to Denver that temporarily gave his team the lead.
Walker changed his approach offensively, though, aggressively attacking the basket throughout the game rather than taking a handful of three-pointers. But even his shots near the rim were constantly fluttering in and out, as he finished 3 of 15 from the field for 10 points in 26 minutes.
Walker made his first basket at the 9:19 mark of the second quarter, breaking his string of misses and giving the Heat its only lead of the game, 20-19. Walker wasn't getting the benefit of many calls despite his aggressive style, aggravating the forward. He certainly wasn't alone in his frustration.
Wade, who had a powerful dunk in the first quarter over an outstretched Duncan, spent much of his time pleading with officials. With no help from the referees, the Heat shot just 30.3 percent in a first half that featured a 22-5 Spurs run, turning a tie score into a 47-30 San Antonio lead at halftime.
The frustration with the officiating spilled into the second half. After Wade grabbed a rebound and began dribbling out with two Spurs around him, he stumbled and eventually committed a turnover.
Parker recovered the loose ball and went to the rim for a layup, where Michael Doleac sent him to the floor with a hard foul that was ruled a Level 2 flagrant foul, which meant an automatic ejection. Parker hit his two free throws, extending the Spurs' lead to 59-43.
The Heat narrowed the Spurs lead to seven points, 90-83, with 1:52 left in the game but could get no closer, giving the Heat its first three-game losing streak of the season.
Jason Williams was noticeably limping throughout and, for the second time in three games, couldn't finish the game with tendinitis in his right knee.
For the first time this season, Alonzo Mourning did not have a blocked shot, which Van Gundy said is all part of playing against the defending champs.
''It comes down to exceptional players,'' Van Gundy said. ``Ginobili is an exceptional finisher, one of the best in the game. And Duncan, obviously, is going to go over the top. It's a different world in here. It's a different world playing the Spurs.''
SPURS 98, HEAT 84
Failing to change history
Miami Herald (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/)
Miami dropped its third straight, thanks to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who collectively scored 69 points.
BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
[email protected]
SAN ANTONIO - The date was Dec. 23, 1996.
No, that's not the last time Shaquille O'Neal played for the Heat. It only feels like that long.
It was the last time the Heat won a game in San Antonio. And without O'Neal this time around, the team had almost no chance to win Wednesday.
With Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and the officials all doing their part to frustrate the Heat, the team lost its third straight, 98-84 to the Spurs, dropping Miami to 2-3 on its first extended road trip of the season.
Parker knifed through the Heat defense seemingly at will on his way to 14 points and 11 assists, and Duncan had a typical Duncan game, finishing with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Ginobili added 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
''We've got a long way to go with our game to get to this level,'' Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Dwyane Wade put together a strong game despite being annoyed with officials throughout the contest, scoring 31 points with 10 assists and six rebounds. He had little help on the offensive end, however.
Antoine Walker missed his first four shots of the game, making it 14 consecutive shots he missed after hitting a running hook shot at the end of the Heat loss to Denver that temporarily gave his team the lead.
Walker changed his approach offensively, though, aggressively attacking the basket throughout the game rather than taking a handful of three-pointers. But even his shots near the rim were constantly fluttering in and out, as he finished 3 of 15 from the field for 10 points in 26 minutes.
Walker made his first basket at the 9:19 mark of the second quarter, breaking his string of misses and giving the Heat its only lead of the game, 20-19. Walker wasn't getting the benefit of many calls despite his aggressive style, aggravating the forward. He certainly wasn't alone in his frustration.
Wade, who had a powerful dunk in the first quarter over an outstretched Duncan, spent much of his time pleading with officials. With no help from the referees, the Heat shot just 30.3 percent in a first half that featured a 22-5 Spurs run, turning a tie score into a 47-30 San Antonio lead at halftime.
The frustration with the officiating spilled into the second half. After Wade grabbed a rebound and began dribbling out with two Spurs around him, he stumbled and eventually committed a turnover.
Parker recovered the loose ball and went to the rim for a layup, where Michael Doleac sent him to the floor with a hard foul that was ruled a Level 2 flagrant foul, which meant an automatic ejection. Parker hit his two free throws, extending the Spurs' lead to 59-43.
The Heat narrowed the Spurs lead to seven points, 90-83, with 1:52 left in the game but could get no closer, giving the Heat its first three-game losing streak of the season.
Jason Williams was noticeably limping throughout and, for the second time in three games, couldn't finish the game with tendinitis in his right knee.
For the first time this season, Alonzo Mourning did not have a blocked shot, which Van Gundy said is all part of playing against the defending champs.
''It comes down to exceptional players,'' Van Gundy said. ``Ginobili is an exceptional finisher, one of the best in the game. And Duncan, obviously, is going to go over the top. It's a different world in here. It's a different world playing the Spurs.''