Manu20
04-27-2006, 10:29 AM
Season of surprises continues for Spurs' Barry
Web Posted: 04/27/2006 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA042706.1C.BKNspurs.barry.f0198a9.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Quin Barry had long since fallen asleep by the time his father's game-saving shot bounced high off the rim, kissed the backboard and dropped through the net Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, he greeted news of dad's heroics with a yawn.
"Mom says you made a 3-pointer," Quin, who is 5 1/2, told his father. "Do you want to see my light saber?"
Even in Brent Barry's household the message was clear: Don't bask too long in victories when more battles, intergalactic or otherwise, are left to fight.
As of Wednesday morning, Barry had to yet to watch a replay of the 24-foot shot, which forced overtime and helped the Spurs to a rousing 128-119 victory and 2-0 lead in their first-round series with Sacramento.
"The first time," Barry said, "was scary enough."
Given the time and circumstances, Barry called the shot the "most important" of his 11-season NBA career. Had he missed, the Spurs would be headed to Arco Arena for two games with the series split and the Kings regaining the services of suspended forward Ron Artest.
"First and foremost," Barry said, "it was just nice to be on the floor."
After Kevin Martin made two free throws to extend the Kings' lead to 109-106 with 14.6 seconds left, the Spurs called a timeout. Coach Gregg Popovich had a decision: Call on Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Michael Finley or Nick Van Exel, each of whom had authored playoff heroics? Or look to Barry, who had played well Tuesday but rarely had been placed in such a high-pressure situation?
Even though Finley had buried a 20-footer seconds earlier, Popovich chose Barry, in part, because he thought Barry possessed the length and quick release needed to get off the shot.
"I think mostly my confidence in him has grown," Popovich said. "He hasn't turned down any shots in a while. When you have somebody who's playing aggressive, I think he deserves that opportunity."
Popovich also put Ginobili, Horry, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker on the floor. After Parker isolated atop the key, the ball swung to Ginobili, who ran a pick-and-roll with Horry. As Ginobili started to drive baseline, Barry darted to the right corner.
Kings point guard Mike Bibby was assigned to Barry but reacted a step late. When he tried to recover, Duncan crunched him with a backpick and he stumbled.
"When you see Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry in a pick-and-roll, there's probably a good chance one of those guys is shooting the ball," Barry said. "Tim and I just had to make sure I got open somehow. If you don't get open, Manu's stuck (under the basket)."
After Barry popped free, Ginobili threaded the ball to him. Barry launched the shot.
"When Manu got the ball and went to the basket, I could see Brent Barry, I could see Tim Duncan stepping up," Kings coach Rick Adelman said, "and I could see myself dying."
Said Barry: "When I let it go, it felt good. But I thought it was going to go in cleanly."
Instead, the ball skipped off both sides of the rim, bounced into the air, glanced off the backboard then fell straight down. Ginobili already had positioned himself for the rebound and was surprised to see the ball drop through the net.
"It was like, 'Awww,'" Parker said, "and then, 'Yeah!'"
Said Barry: "I haven't got a bounce like that all year."
The Spurs were fortunate he was even around to take the shot. On Feb. 23, Barry was minutes from being traded to New Orleans for J.R. Smith and Arvydas Macijauskas. The deal collapsed at the NBA's deadline because the Spurs and Hornets ran out of time while trying to get Atlanta to use its salary-cap room to help the trade.
Had Hawks general manager Billy Knight not been at a funeral and unavailable that afternoon, Barry might have been a week into his summer vacation Tuesday.
The Spurs had reasons for making the trade, knowing, at some point, they will need to get younger and more athletic on the perimeter. But they also knew the deal might weaken this season's team because Smith probably wouldn't be ready to contribute on an every-day basis.
Barry, however, has done just that. In the 29 games after the trade, he averaged 7.7 points while making 45 of 98 3-pointers (45.9 percent). His 22 points Tuesday were a playoff career high.
Popovich particularly has liked using Barry when the team goes small because "the ball just moves better — bodies move — when he's on the floor."
"He stepped up," Popovich said. "He didn't shy away. I'm proud of him."
On Wednesday morning, it was business as usual for Barry. He accompanied Quin to school for a show-and-tell session. Quin talked to classmates about the arrowheads he had brought from his grandmother's house. No one asked about his dad's shot.
"The young ones," Barry said, "they forget so quickly."
Web Posted: 04/27/2006 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA042706.1C.BKNspurs.barry.f0198a9.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Quin Barry had long since fallen asleep by the time his father's game-saving shot bounced high off the rim, kissed the backboard and dropped through the net Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, he greeted news of dad's heroics with a yawn.
"Mom says you made a 3-pointer," Quin, who is 5 1/2, told his father. "Do you want to see my light saber?"
Even in Brent Barry's household the message was clear: Don't bask too long in victories when more battles, intergalactic or otherwise, are left to fight.
As of Wednesday morning, Barry had to yet to watch a replay of the 24-foot shot, which forced overtime and helped the Spurs to a rousing 128-119 victory and 2-0 lead in their first-round series with Sacramento.
"The first time," Barry said, "was scary enough."
Given the time and circumstances, Barry called the shot the "most important" of his 11-season NBA career. Had he missed, the Spurs would be headed to Arco Arena for two games with the series split and the Kings regaining the services of suspended forward Ron Artest.
"First and foremost," Barry said, "it was just nice to be on the floor."
After Kevin Martin made two free throws to extend the Kings' lead to 109-106 with 14.6 seconds left, the Spurs called a timeout. Coach Gregg Popovich had a decision: Call on Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Michael Finley or Nick Van Exel, each of whom had authored playoff heroics? Or look to Barry, who had played well Tuesday but rarely had been placed in such a high-pressure situation?
Even though Finley had buried a 20-footer seconds earlier, Popovich chose Barry, in part, because he thought Barry possessed the length and quick release needed to get off the shot.
"I think mostly my confidence in him has grown," Popovich said. "He hasn't turned down any shots in a while. When you have somebody who's playing aggressive, I think he deserves that opportunity."
Popovich also put Ginobili, Horry, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker on the floor. After Parker isolated atop the key, the ball swung to Ginobili, who ran a pick-and-roll with Horry. As Ginobili started to drive baseline, Barry darted to the right corner.
Kings point guard Mike Bibby was assigned to Barry but reacted a step late. When he tried to recover, Duncan crunched him with a backpick and he stumbled.
"When you see Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry in a pick-and-roll, there's probably a good chance one of those guys is shooting the ball," Barry said. "Tim and I just had to make sure I got open somehow. If you don't get open, Manu's stuck (under the basket)."
After Barry popped free, Ginobili threaded the ball to him. Barry launched the shot.
"When Manu got the ball and went to the basket, I could see Brent Barry, I could see Tim Duncan stepping up," Kings coach Rick Adelman said, "and I could see myself dying."
Said Barry: "When I let it go, it felt good. But I thought it was going to go in cleanly."
Instead, the ball skipped off both sides of the rim, bounced into the air, glanced off the backboard then fell straight down. Ginobili already had positioned himself for the rebound and was surprised to see the ball drop through the net.
"It was like, 'Awww,'" Parker said, "and then, 'Yeah!'"
Said Barry: "I haven't got a bounce like that all year."
The Spurs were fortunate he was even around to take the shot. On Feb. 23, Barry was minutes from being traded to New Orleans for J.R. Smith and Arvydas Macijauskas. The deal collapsed at the NBA's deadline because the Spurs and Hornets ran out of time while trying to get Atlanta to use its salary-cap room to help the trade.
Had Hawks general manager Billy Knight not been at a funeral and unavailable that afternoon, Barry might have been a week into his summer vacation Tuesday.
The Spurs had reasons for making the trade, knowing, at some point, they will need to get younger and more athletic on the perimeter. But they also knew the deal might weaken this season's team because Smith probably wouldn't be ready to contribute on an every-day basis.
Barry, however, has done just that. In the 29 games after the trade, he averaged 7.7 points while making 45 of 98 3-pointers (45.9 percent). His 22 points Tuesday were a playoff career high.
Popovich particularly has liked using Barry when the team goes small because "the ball just moves better — bodies move — when he's on the floor."
"He stepped up," Popovich said. "He didn't shy away. I'm proud of him."
On Wednesday morning, it was business as usual for Barry. He accompanied Quin to school for a show-and-tell session. Quin talked to classmates about the arrowheads he had brought from his grandmother's house. No one asked about his dad's shot.
"The young ones," Barry said, "they forget so quickly."