CubanMustGo
03-19-2006, 09:46 AM
I think angel_luv :princess must have written this article ... :lol
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031906.1C.BKNspurs.rockets.gamer.312b732.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
HOUSTON — Thirty-five seconds into the Spurs' game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Saturday night, point guard Tony Parker made a hard cut off the right hip of power forward Tim Duncan, freeing him from his defender, Rafer Alston.
Duncan dropped a slick pass to Parker, who scored an easy layin.
There wasn't much easy for the Spurs thereafter.
Their 92-77 victory owed plenty to perseverance and resilience, precious little to basketball artistry.
"Houston is always very difficult for us to score against," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's always a grind when the Rockets and Spurs play each other."
It is even more of a grind when the Spurs are playing the second game of a back-to-back set, and all the problems were there in the first quarter. When that period ended, mercifully for eyewitnesses, the Spurs had missed 14 of 18 shots and scored only 11 points, setting a standard for first-quarter offensive futility against the Rockets this season.
The fact they trailed by only six points typified the ugly nature of Spurs-Rockets games for the past three seasons.
Popovich had to probe his bench to find a lineup capable of offensive efficiency. He discovered it after center Rasho Nesterovic replaced Friday night's hero, Nazr Mohammed.
One night after sitting the entire 48 minutes of the Spurs' 108-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns, in which Mohammed scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Nesterovic logged 19 1/2 solid minutes Saturday. He made 5 of 7 shots, scored 10 points and did a solid defensive job on Houston's 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, who has been the NBA's highest-scoring center since the All-Star break, averaging 28.9 points and making 54.3 percent of his shots.
Yao scored 20 points Saturday, but it was the first time in seven games he scored fewer than 25.
Nesterovic did not get the least bit angry when Popovich held him out Friday. Rather, he looked at the decision as logical, especially knowing that Yao awaited the next night.
"Yeah, I understood," Nesterovic said. "Their (Suns') biggest guy was, what, 6-foot-something? Here, their biggest guy is 7-6. There's a need for big guys against the Rockets.
"But that is part of the game. There are 82 games, and you must be ready, night in and night out."
Limiting Yao was vital to the Spurs' chances of finally winning the second game of a back-to-back. They had lost the second game of back-to-back sets twice in the previous 12 days and their record in the second game of such sets was at 4-8 this season. With Tracy McGrady missing from the Rockets' lineup, Houston's chances were tied to Yao's success.
Yao got off to a quick start against Mohammed on Saturday, but Nesterovic did a good job fronting him on defense and keeping him from getting deep defensive position.
"Rasho deserves a lot of credit, because he's a pro," Popovich said. "He sat last night, didn't play a minute. Then we put him in there to front Yao tonight, and I thought he worked hard and made Yao work hard.
"Yao's been the best center in the league for whatever period of time, and he had to work for everything he got tonight, mostly because of Rasho fronting him."
Nesterovic's ability to step out on the perimeter and make three 15-foot jumpers also opened the middle for Tim Duncan, who had one of his more lively performances in the second game of any back-to-back this season, scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
"It was huge for Rasho and for us," Duncan said. "He understood that role and understood tonight would be a lot more minutes for him than last night. That's the kind of guys we have, players who will allow themselves to be put in that position and be ready, no matter what."
Mohammed, so hot around the basket Friday, didn't score until Parker penetrated and dropped a perfect pass for a layin that went down with one second remaining in the third quarter.
"I was happy just to get one to hit the bottom of the rim," said Mohammed, who didn't come close on his first four shots.
The victory put the Spurs back into a tie with the Mavericks for first place in the Southwest Division. Both teams are 52-14.
[email protected]
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031906.1C.BKNspurs.rockets.gamer.312b732.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
HOUSTON — Thirty-five seconds into the Spurs' game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Saturday night, point guard Tony Parker made a hard cut off the right hip of power forward Tim Duncan, freeing him from his defender, Rafer Alston.
Duncan dropped a slick pass to Parker, who scored an easy layin.
There wasn't much easy for the Spurs thereafter.
Their 92-77 victory owed plenty to perseverance and resilience, precious little to basketball artistry.
"Houston is always very difficult for us to score against," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's always a grind when the Rockets and Spurs play each other."
It is even more of a grind when the Spurs are playing the second game of a back-to-back set, and all the problems were there in the first quarter. When that period ended, mercifully for eyewitnesses, the Spurs had missed 14 of 18 shots and scored only 11 points, setting a standard for first-quarter offensive futility against the Rockets this season.
The fact they trailed by only six points typified the ugly nature of Spurs-Rockets games for the past three seasons.
Popovich had to probe his bench to find a lineup capable of offensive efficiency. He discovered it after center Rasho Nesterovic replaced Friday night's hero, Nazr Mohammed.
One night after sitting the entire 48 minutes of the Spurs' 108-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns, in which Mohammed scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Nesterovic logged 19 1/2 solid minutes Saturday. He made 5 of 7 shots, scored 10 points and did a solid defensive job on Houston's 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, who has been the NBA's highest-scoring center since the All-Star break, averaging 28.9 points and making 54.3 percent of his shots.
Yao scored 20 points Saturday, but it was the first time in seven games he scored fewer than 25.
Nesterovic did not get the least bit angry when Popovich held him out Friday. Rather, he looked at the decision as logical, especially knowing that Yao awaited the next night.
"Yeah, I understood," Nesterovic said. "Their (Suns') biggest guy was, what, 6-foot-something? Here, their biggest guy is 7-6. There's a need for big guys against the Rockets.
"But that is part of the game. There are 82 games, and you must be ready, night in and night out."
Limiting Yao was vital to the Spurs' chances of finally winning the second game of a back-to-back. They had lost the second game of back-to-back sets twice in the previous 12 days and their record in the second game of such sets was at 4-8 this season. With Tracy McGrady missing from the Rockets' lineup, Houston's chances were tied to Yao's success.
Yao got off to a quick start against Mohammed on Saturday, but Nesterovic did a good job fronting him on defense and keeping him from getting deep defensive position.
"Rasho deserves a lot of credit, because he's a pro," Popovich said. "He sat last night, didn't play a minute. Then we put him in there to front Yao tonight, and I thought he worked hard and made Yao work hard.
"Yao's been the best center in the league for whatever period of time, and he had to work for everything he got tonight, mostly because of Rasho fronting him."
Nesterovic's ability to step out on the perimeter and make three 15-foot jumpers also opened the middle for Tim Duncan, who had one of his more lively performances in the second game of any back-to-back this season, scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
"It was huge for Rasho and for us," Duncan said. "He understood that role and understood tonight would be a lot more minutes for him than last night. That's the kind of guys we have, players who will allow themselves to be put in that position and be ready, no matter what."
Mohammed, so hot around the basket Friday, didn't score until Parker penetrated and dropped a perfect pass for a layin that went down with one second remaining in the third quarter.
"I was happy just to get one to hit the bottom of the rim," said Mohammed, who didn't come close on his first four shots.
The victory put the Spurs back into a tie with the Mavericks for first place in the Southwest Division. Both teams are 52-14.
[email protected]