Spurs teach Rockets a lesson

[ducks]

Spurs teach Rockets a lesson
McGrady, Yao & Co. see value of not letting up after 19-point lead slips away


By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

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• ROCKETS NOTES: Regarding Bruce Bowen's `D'

This is the San Antonio Spurs' version of 13 points in 35 seconds.

It was not as highlight heavy, certainly not as sudden. But the Spurs appeared to be nearly as finished Tuesday night as the Rockets had seemed that night two seasons ago when Tracy McGrady swooped in.

The Rockets had the Spurs staggered on Tuesday. But when the Spurs hit back their way, with poise and precision, the Rockets could not take it. They and their 19-point lead collapsed nearly as spectacularly as in that last-minute comeback two years ago and the Spurs rolled to a 92-84 victory, stunning a Toyota Center sellout of 18,289.

"When things got tight, we folded," said McGrady, who followed a 21-point first half with a five-point second half. "For us to be at that level, we've got to learn how to close these games out.

"We kind of let our guard down, felt too good about ourselves. Those guys kept fighting. We were plus (19) with three minutes to go in the third and I look up and it's a two-point game. We stopped fighting, man. When you got a team down like that, however you got to that point, you got to continue to execute and provide that type of energy because that team, they're too good."

The Rockets proved again that they really can be pretty good, leading by as many as 19 points for the fifth time in this season's eight games. They liked it, too — probably too much. Then they saw up close what great looks like, and they were in awe.

"We just killed ourselves," Yao Ming said. "It was a frustrating game, particularly the end of the third quarter and the fourth quarter. Like we did the last home game against New York, we left a chance for them. They are not some normal team, they are the San Antonio Spurs. They are the best team in this league. They get their chance, they beat us."

Tim Duncan switched to Yao and shut him down. McGrady's shot left him as rapidly as it had returned. The Rockets' defense, menacing and precise while building the lead, turned to applesauce.


Dry spell of epic stature

After taking their largest lead, 74-55 with 4:57 to play in the third quarter, the Rockets made just two of their remaining 27 shots.

In nearly 17 minutes, they scored 10 points, just nine in the fourth quarter.

McGrady, who roared through a 21-point first half, made 1 of 11 shots in the second half.
Yao, who came in off his two-game roll past the New York Knicks and Miami Heat and with a fresh Player of the Week honor, made just 7 of 21 shots, getting 20 points and six rebounds.

The Rockets had 56 first-half points, their most this season, and 28 second-half points, their fewest. Their nine fourth-quarter points were just two more than the fewest in franchise history.

"Most important, it's still us," Yao said. "End of third quarter, they score 13 points in a row. That's a chance we gave to them. That's not a technique problem. It's mental. Milwaukee and New York, the same thing."


Defensive breakdowns, too

As horrible as the Rockets were offensively in the final 17 minutes, they cited their defense as worse. It certainly triggered the start of the Spurs' run.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich went with Manu Ginobili and four reserves — Beno Udrih, Michael Finley, Francisco Elson and Robert Horry — and suddenly, the Spurs were making all the hustle plays and shots.

The Rockets did not make another shot the rest of the quarter and for three minutes of the fourth with McGrady and especially Yao missing the sort of shots they live for.

The Spurs ended the third quarter with a 16-1 run and then scored the first four points of the fourth, removing the last bits of the Rockets' 19-point lead, with Horry's breakaway slam tying the game at 75.

"They made a run," Rockets guard Rafer Alston. "They hung tough and knew there was still another quarter to play and outworked us and outfought us to the finish. No matter if you're missing shots or turning the ball over, nothing should stop you from playing."

The Spurs' 20-1 second-half run was just the beginning. After Shane Battier put the Rockets back in front with a 3-pointer, the Spurs reeled off a 13-1 run, moving out to their largest lead, 88-79, with 4:11 left.

"It's all mental," McGrady said. "It's just a mental breakdown. You have to have guts, man. When the game started getting tough, we folded up. Those guys played hard and we lose."

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4335746.html

[Phenomanul]

Seems like the Mavericks need to take notes on learning how to be classy in defeat.

[1Parker1]

^Agreed. It's nice to hear a team own up after a bad defeat, instead of listening to constanting bitching about the officiating or Bruce Bowen's dirty tactics. :tu

[LilMissSPURfect]

Seems like the Mavericks need to take notes on learning how to be classy in defeat.
:tu :tu :tu :tu

[Borosai]

Although I don't love McGrady's play, I gotta say he isn't a whiny bitch like many other players...gotta respect that at least.

[SAGambler]

One thing they did forget though. The first half, every three pointer they were raining at the Spurs fell. As the game went on, and the legs got a bit weary, those 3 pointers were off.

I still contend Yao doesn't have the stamina to be very effective by the 4th quarter. And the thing is, I don't think there is a cure for it. Yao is what he is.....a great big man that really isn't built to run up and down a court for long periods of time.

[easjer]

That very attitude, accepting their contributions to their defeat is exactly why I fear the Rockets and think they stand a great chance this year. They will be the biggest threat to the Spurs, no doubt.

[ata]

Seems like the Mavericks need to take notes on learning how to be classy in defeat.

Maybe class comes with ring?

[wildbill2u]

Sours better learn something too. They aren't likely to come up again against the Rockets or any other good team and have them score only 16 points in the second half.

We played hard, didn't give up--and were lucky as shit.

[LilMissSPURfect]

San Antonio maintains its superiority


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/lopez/4335744.html

Nov. 15, 2006, 12:40AM
San Antonio maintains its superiority

By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle



DAVID J. PHILLIP: AP

Let us count the ways the Rockets had seen pressure before Tuesday night.

Shane Battier had to speak publicly, addressing the Toyota Center crowd on opening night.

Yao Ming had to deal with gimmies like the Knicks and Bucks and Shaquille O'Neal — a formidable opponent on any night, but one against whom Yao now can have his way.

Tracy McGrady had to deal with a self-inflicted shooting slump that hardly shook the earth under the Rockets' feet, given Yao's great play.

Ball movement was easy. The defense was good enough. Selflessness was an easy mantra.

Pressure? That's not pressure.

Early looks deceiving
It was as if the Rockets could play dress-up, looking like a team that could contend with the best in the NBA because it won early and went into Miami and knocked out the defending champs.

The Rockets looked like a title-caliber team or, at worst, something much more than your run-of-the mill pretender. They caught the slumping Dallas Mavericks, a couple of bad teams on the road, the dysfunctional New York Knicks and the suddenly one-dimensional Miami Heat — that is, Dwyane Wade's dimension — at the right times.

But Tuesday brought a dose of real pressure and reality. The Rockets came home and found two things they had not yet experienced.

Expectations. And the San Antonio Spurs.

This awful ending to what began as a bright night, this 92-84 Rockets disappointment, may well be called a flop or even a choke by some.

It wasn't that. It was the perfect picture of what makes good teams great and, until further notice, makes the Rockets a team that has the ingredients to reach the next level but not the thing that matters most.

Spurs know the drill
The Spurs have been there. They've won games like this a hundred times and drunk the champagne that champions drink on three occasions. The Rockets' taste of these point-of-reference nights has been little more than a sip.

Pressure is being down by 19 points in the third quarter, on the road, with your stars struggling and time running out. That's what the Spurs faced and ultimately conquered, just like the
kind of team the Rockets want to be.

With a legitimate home crowd roaring, Spurs stalwarts Tony Parker and Tim Duncan struggling, and big shots falling for the Rockets, they danced off the floor Tuesday night just like they hoped they would.

One problem: It was halftime.

McGrady knocked down a huge 3-pointer with a tenth of a second remaining before the break, pumped his fist and let out a huge scream. Everything looked peachy. The Rockets led 56-43, and a real statement-type win seemed just about a sure thing.

Meanwhile, the Spurs ambled off the floor like a bad martini — neither shaken nor stirred. That's the difference between what the Spurs are and what the Rockets must become.

"If you're only going to
play in this league hard and with great purpose when it's going well for you," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said, "then you're going to be limited."

The Spurs' flurry at the end of the third quarter became a dizzying display of might and depth, leaving the Rockets baffled over how to react and how to overcome pressure-situation guile, the one thing you cannot buy on the free-agent market.

The Spurs went on a 20-1 run after the Rockets led 74-55, forging a tie and wrestling away control the way teams that have their kind of playoff experience do. The Rockets, meanwhile, forgot how to play defense, started missing shots and were stunned over the blitz.

"We tried to pick and choose how hard we're going to play defensively," Van Gundy said. "When it got tough for them, they continued to play. When it got tough for us, we had a lot of give to us. It's the difference in the teams right now."

If the Rockets could purchase the thing that separates teams like San Antonio from others, rest assured owner Leslie Alexander would be cashing in some bonds and making a buy order.

But the only way to get the edge that pushes a team to strong performances — not just once against the Heat, but night after night, home or away — is to live it.

Put it this way: The best Spurs run came when their bench players, who outscored the Rockets' reserves 41-16, were on the floor. The Rockets countered with Yao (20 points), McGrady (26) and their front-line players.

But forget the likes of Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili. Counting only their bench players, the Spurs have experienced a whopping 367 playoff games combined. Rockets starters have played in a total of 81 playoff games.

It showed.

After scoring 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting in the first half, McGrady went just 1-for-11 in the second half with two rebounds.

Even worse over the final 24 minutes, the Spurs outscored the Rockets 49-28, outrebounded them 29-15 and shot 58 percent to the Rockets' 23 percent.

"It was unbelievable," McGrady said. "They didn't panic. They just took their time. They knew who they wanted to give the ball to, and that's the sign of a great team."

The Rockets played dress-up. For long stretches, they looked great. On any given night, or even for half a night in this case, this is a team that can look every bit like one of the best in the league.

The next step, though, is the hardest. Doing it every night. Like the Spurs.

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[sandman]

That very attitude, accepting their contributions to their defeat is exactly why I fear the Rockets and think they stand a great chance this year. They will be the biggest threat to the Spurs, no doubt.

Hear, hear. Was pleasantly surprised listening to John & Lance this morning and hearing the sound bites of Skip and T-Mac taking full responsibility. I have no doubt this team will learn from their mistakes. Certainly JVG won't let them forget it. The Rockets are clearly more of a threat than the Mavs, simply because they seem more hungry, more disciplined and most importantly, have grown a pair. All things that Dallas lacks.

[alamobear]

awesome game

[AFBlue]

Great articles and an even better win. I know it's early, but the Spurs showed that Championship poise last night...man it was fun to watch.

[boutons_]

"like a bad martini — neither shaken nor stirred."

groan!!! :lol

And little over the top and melodramatic, but not a bad article for a podunk tabloid. :lol

[ehz33satx]

both articles were awesome reads. makes me appreciate everything about the Spurs.

[ShoogarBear]

Lopez is being too hard on the Rockets. Their 19-point lead was 99% no fluke (they were too ridiculously hot from 3-land). If they learn from the experience of that game, look out.

And oh, yeah. One more thing to think about the next time they play:


http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2006/04/25/wells.jpg

[boutons_]

Fuck Bonzi, he didn't get the huge contract he was playing for last playoffs, so don't expect him to show up any more consistently this season.

Another amazing talent truncated by weak psychology.

[ShoogarBear]

You hope.

[Spurminator]

For almost three quarters, I was about ready to give the Championship to Houston. They looked really good. Their blowing a big lead was not that much different from some of the Spurs games during Championship seasons.

[Condemned 2 HelLA]

Seems like the Mavericks need to take notes on learning how to be classy in defeat.

Yeah.
That'll happen soon.
:rolleyes
BTW, anyone seen Louise2 yet?

[TDMVPDPOY]

lets hope this lesson, doesnt come back and haunt us in the next meetin or playoffs if we do meet

[TurkishTimDuncan]

espically duncan learns to yao how you can block :king