CubanMustGo
04-05-2006, 08:17 AM
Thanks, NBA front office ... tho at least both teams are doing B2Bs tonight.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040506.7C.BKNspurs.notebook.45198f4.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
SALT LAKE CITY — The Spurs return to the court tonight to face Sacramento, and Tony Parker's glad about one thing: The court they step on will be their own.
Nine of the Spurs' losses have come in the second game of a back-to-back.
After playing Utah on Tuesday, the team wasn't expected to arrive in San Antonio until after 2:30a.m. The Kings lost to Dallas on Tuesday.
The NBA also has moved up the start time for tonight's game to 7 to accommodate ESPN. The game had been set to tip off at 8:30p.m.
We travel but at least we play at home," Parker said. "That helps."
The Spurs are 1-1 this season when playing the end of a back-to-back at the AT&T Center. They're 5-9 overall without a day of rest between games. [so 12 of their 14 B2B second games were on the road??]
Though he has felt better since the All-Star break, Tim Duncan has struggled in back-to-backs when the plantar fasciitis in his right foot flares up. He's averaging 14.9 points on 40.1-percent shooting in 14 games when the Spurs didn't have the preceding day off.
"Every time we have a back-to-back, we just didn't play with a lot of energy," Parker said. "It just happened this year. I don't know why. We can't control it."
Coach Gregg Popovich, among other things, has altered his substitution patterns and canceled the morning breakfast the team usually has when playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road in an effort to compensate for the team's fatigue. None of it has helped much.
The Spurs have one more back-to-back remaining after tonight: After playing in Minnesota on April 16, they face the Jazz the following night at the AT&T Center.
"I just think it's a bad year for back-to-backs," Parker said. "We just have to forget it."
"Crazy" fan: With 9:59 left in the game and Andrei Kirilenko at the free-throw line, a fan ran onto the court and began jumping up and down.
As the players stared incredulously, official Kevin Fehr grabbed the man's arm and twice motioned for security. When no one responded, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan stepped onto the court to try to corral the fan before a security guard finally intervened.
Armed police officers were positioned at each of the court's four corners after the incident.
"I thought he's crazy," Parker said. "He's going to jail. That's a waste of time. For two seconds on the court, you're going to have 48 hours of a pain in the butt."
Dining out: Parker had dinner with Kirilenko on Monday night after arriving in town.
The two have known each other from international competition since Parker was 14 and have become good friends.
They also almost became teammates. The Jazz drafted Kirilenko in 1999 and worked out Parker before the 2001 draft. They ended up taking Spanish point guard Raul Lopez instead because they already had 12 guaranteed contracts and could stash Lopez in Europe for another season.
Parker then dropped to the Spurs.
The Spurs also had hoped to draft Kirilenko in 1999, even assuring his agent they would take him if he fell to them at the bottom of the first round. After Utah picked him at No. 24, the Spurs traded their first-round selection to Dallas.
Briefly: Former Spurs guard Devin Brown, who now plays for Utah, will receive his 2005 championship ring when the Jazz visit the AT&T Center on April 17.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040506.7C.BKNspurs.notebook.45198f4.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
SALT LAKE CITY — The Spurs return to the court tonight to face Sacramento, and Tony Parker's glad about one thing: The court they step on will be their own.
Nine of the Spurs' losses have come in the second game of a back-to-back.
After playing Utah on Tuesday, the team wasn't expected to arrive in San Antonio until after 2:30a.m. The Kings lost to Dallas on Tuesday.
The NBA also has moved up the start time for tonight's game to 7 to accommodate ESPN. The game had been set to tip off at 8:30p.m.
We travel but at least we play at home," Parker said. "That helps."
The Spurs are 1-1 this season when playing the end of a back-to-back at the AT&T Center. They're 5-9 overall without a day of rest between games. [so 12 of their 14 B2B second games were on the road??]
Though he has felt better since the All-Star break, Tim Duncan has struggled in back-to-backs when the plantar fasciitis in his right foot flares up. He's averaging 14.9 points on 40.1-percent shooting in 14 games when the Spurs didn't have the preceding day off.
"Every time we have a back-to-back, we just didn't play with a lot of energy," Parker said. "It just happened this year. I don't know why. We can't control it."
Coach Gregg Popovich, among other things, has altered his substitution patterns and canceled the morning breakfast the team usually has when playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road in an effort to compensate for the team's fatigue. None of it has helped much.
The Spurs have one more back-to-back remaining after tonight: After playing in Minnesota on April 16, they face the Jazz the following night at the AT&T Center.
"I just think it's a bad year for back-to-backs," Parker said. "We just have to forget it."
"Crazy" fan: With 9:59 left in the game and Andrei Kirilenko at the free-throw line, a fan ran onto the court and began jumping up and down.
As the players stared incredulously, official Kevin Fehr grabbed the man's arm and twice motioned for security. When no one responded, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan stepped onto the court to try to corral the fan before a security guard finally intervened.
Armed police officers were positioned at each of the court's four corners after the incident.
"I thought he's crazy," Parker said. "He's going to jail. That's a waste of time. For two seconds on the court, you're going to have 48 hours of a pain in the butt."
Dining out: Parker had dinner with Kirilenko on Monday night after arriving in town.
The two have known each other from international competition since Parker was 14 and have become good friends.
They also almost became teammates. The Jazz drafted Kirilenko in 1999 and worked out Parker before the 2001 draft. They ended up taking Spanish point guard Raul Lopez instead because they already had 12 guaranteed contracts and could stash Lopez in Europe for another season.
Parker then dropped to the Spurs.
The Spurs also had hoped to draft Kirilenko in 1999, even assuring his agent they would take him if he fell to them at the bottom of the first round. After Utah picked him at No. 24, the Spurs traded their first-round selection to Dallas.
Briefly: Former Spurs guard Devin Brown, who now plays for Utah, will receive his 2005 championship ring when the Jazz visit the AT&T Center on April 17.