ducks
02-03-2006, 09:29 AM
San Antonio 89, Golden State 86
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
February 3, 2006
AP - Feb 3, 12:16 am EST
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- For most of the second half, Tim Duncan appeared to be shut down by Troy Murphy. As it turned out, Duncan simply was waiting until the last possible minute to put the San Antonio Spurs on his shoulders.
Tony Parker scored 23 points and Duncan shook off a terrible game to score the Spurs' final five points in their sixth straight victory, 89-86 over the slumping Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
Duncan managed just 16 points and 11 rebounds under tight defense from Murphy, but the All-Star game starter emerged from a 15-minute personal scoring drought just in time to secure San Antonio's 28th victory in 32 meetings with Golden State.
That was no surprise to his teammates, who were rewarded with a rare weekend off from coach Gregg Popovich after six straight road victories.
"He played great in the last two minutes," Parker said of Duncan, who has struggled with a foot injury for much of the year. "I'm predicting 50 points by Timmy in the next game. After the rest, he's going to be on fire."
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Duncan got a good start on that burst in the final 2:27 against Golden State. He also forced a key turnover in the final minutes by the Warriors, who lost for the sixth time in seven games despite plenty of chances to steal a win from the defending NBA champions.
"It's great to get these types of wins, because we haven't played well this season, but we've found a way to win, just like this," Duncan said.
Murphy scored 22 points and mostly shut down Duncan, who went 6-of-16 and didn't even take a shot for more than 16 minutes in the second half. Baron Davis scored 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting, but didn't take the Warriors' final shots after getting staggered by an inadvertent elbow from teammate Andris Biedrins in the final minute.
Jason Richardson sat out again with a sore back, leaving the Warriors without their leading scorer for the fourth straight game. The final minutes were fraught with the poor execution and bad decisions that have catalyzed their slump.
"It hurts, especially because I felt like we're playing better down the stretch," Davis said. "It's disappointing. We're gettting there, and we're learning. We've just got to keep ourselves in the game, and then we have to close it out."
Manu Ginobili scored 18 points for the Spurs, who went ahead 85-84 on Duncan's free throw with 2:27 to play. Duncan hit a jumper in traffic on the next possession, but Golden State got within a point on Derek Fisher's long jumper with his foot on the 3-point line with 34 seconds left.
Duncan then missed a jumper but got his own rebound while getting fouled, and he hit two free throws with 10.2 seconds left. Fisher and Mickael Pietrus missed potential tying 3-pointers in the final seconds.
AP - Feb 3, 12:03 am EST
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With seven games left before the All-Star break, the Warriors know they're running out of time to stay in the playoff race.
"We've said this a bunch this season ... but we really played the game well and came up a rebound or two short," said Mike Dunleavy, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. "If we can move on from this and build, then it's a good thing."
Rasho Nesterovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio in the third stop of an eight-game road trip required by the annual rodeo going on at the AT&T Center. But the Spurs got a mini-vacation from Popovich before their next game Wednesday in Toronto, allowing Parker to head away from Oakland with TV-star girlfriend Eva Longoria for a weekend off. "We're still searching, still trying to get to the level we were at last year," Popovich said. "We're not there yet, but they're finding ways to win games."
Both clubs also played in other cities on Wednesday night, and they traded the lead throughout a tight second half. San Antonio went ahead on Ginobili's three-point play early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors tied it at 84 on Murphy's jumper with 3:20 to play.
Notes
Former Warriors center Manute Bol got a standing ovation when he appeared near the tunnel to the locker room with Chris Mullin during the second quarter. The 7-foot-7 Bol played 10 NBA seasons with four teams. ... Spurs G Nick Van Exel missed his third straight game with a sore left elbow. ... Golden State C Adonal Foyle left the game in the third quarter with a bloody nose.
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
February 3, 2006
AP - Feb 3, 12:16 am EST
More Photos
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- For most of the second half, Tim Duncan appeared to be shut down by Troy Murphy. As it turned out, Duncan simply was waiting until the last possible minute to put the San Antonio Spurs on his shoulders.
Tony Parker scored 23 points and Duncan shook off a terrible game to score the Spurs' final five points in their sixth straight victory, 89-86 over the slumping Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
Duncan managed just 16 points and 11 rebounds under tight defense from Murphy, but the All-Star game starter emerged from a 15-minute personal scoring drought just in time to secure San Antonio's 28th victory in 32 meetings with Golden State.
That was no surprise to his teammates, who were rewarded with a rare weekend off from coach Gregg Popovich after six straight road victories.
"He played great in the last two minutes," Parker said of Duncan, who has struggled with a foot injury for much of the year. "I'm predicting 50 points by Timmy in the next game. After the rest, he's going to be on fire."
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Duncan got a good start on that burst in the final 2:27 against Golden State. He also forced a key turnover in the final minutes by the Warriors, who lost for the sixth time in seven games despite plenty of chances to steal a win from the defending NBA champions.
"It's great to get these types of wins, because we haven't played well this season, but we've found a way to win, just like this," Duncan said.
Murphy scored 22 points and mostly shut down Duncan, who went 6-of-16 and didn't even take a shot for more than 16 minutes in the second half. Baron Davis scored 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting, but didn't take the Warriors' final shots after getting staggered by an inadvertent elbow from teammate Andris Biedrins in the final minute.
Jason Richardson sat out again with a sore back, leaving the Warriors without their leading scorer for the fourth straight game. The final minutes were fraught with the poor execution and bad decisions that have catalyzed their slump.
"It hurts, especially because I felt like we're playing better down the stretch," Davis said. "It's disappointing. We're gettting there, and we're learning. We've just got to keep ourselves in the game, and then we have to close it out."
Manu Ginobili scored 18 points for the Spurs, who went ahead 85-84 on Duncan's free throw with 2:27 to play. Duncan hit a jumper in traffic on the next possession, but Golden State got within a point on Derek Fisher's long jumper with his foot on the 3-point line with 34 seconds left.
Duncan then missed a jumper but got his own rebound while getting fouled, and he hit two free throws with 10.2 seconds left. Fisher and Mickael Pietrus missed potential tying 3-pointers in the final seconds.
AP - Feb 3, 12:03 am EST
More Photos
With seven games left before the All-Star break, the Warriors know they're running out of time to stay in the playoff race.
"We've said this a bunch this season ... but we really played the game well and came up a rebound or two short," said Mike Dunleavy, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. "If we can move on from this and build, then it's a good thing."
Rasho Nesterovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio in the third stop of an eight-game road trip required by the annual rodeo going on at the AT&T Center. But the Spurs got a mini-vacation from Popovich before their next game Wednesday in Toronto, allowing Parker to head away from Oakland with TV-star girlfriend Eva Longoria for a weekend off. "We're still searching, still trying to get to the level we were at last year," Popovich said. "We're not there yet, but they're finding ways to win games."
Both clubs also played in other cities on Wednesday night, and they traded the lead throughout a tight second half. San Antonio went ahead on Ginobili's three-point play early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors tied it at 84 on Murphy's jumper with 3:20 to play.
Notes
Former Warriors center Manute Bol got a standing ovation when he appeared near the tunnel to the locker room with Chris Mullin during the second quarter. The 7-foot-7 Bol played 10 NBA seasons with four teams. ... Spurs G Nick Van Exel missed his third straight game with a sore left elbow. ... Golden State C Adonal Foyle left the game in the third quarter with a bloody nose.