timvp
11-25-2006, 02:59 AM
Dallas thwarts Spurs' comeback
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
As the Spurs huddled in their locker room early Friday evening, Gregg Popovich told them to remember the seventh and final game of last season's epic series with Dallas.
He told the Spurs to remember how the Mavericks began that game and the furious tempo at which they played. And he told them to brace for it again.
The Spurs did their coach one better. Not only did they remember Game 7, they nearly re-enacted it, right down to the frustrating finish in the Mavericks' 95-92 victory at the AT&T Center.
After digging themselves a 17-point hole, the Spurs rallied to take the lead, watched Dirk Nowitzki make one pressure-packed shot after another, then leaned on a referee to bail them out with a call. In keeping with last season's theme, the referee didn't, and the Mavericks won.
"It's turning out to be a great soap opera between the two teams," Brent Barry said.
The Spurs naturally would prefer to make a few changes to the opening and closing acts.
Trailing by four with less than 12 seconds left, Tim Duncan took the inbounds pass with Devin Harris on his hip and turned and fired a 3-pointer. Harris was called for a foul and Duncan — surprise, surprise — made all three of his free throws.
After two foul shots by Nowitzki, who scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, the Spurs took the court with 10.7 seconds left needing a 3-pointer to tie. Robert Horry forced a 25-footer from above the key, Tony Parker grabbed the rebound, took a couple dribbles and swung the ball to Michael Finley.
With Nowitzki crowding him, Finley initially hesitated and looked to pass. Not finding an outlet, he raised and squeezed off a shot that fell well short as Nowitzki appeared to bump him with his lower body.
"I would have loved to have gotten that call," Popovich said. "I think the last call of the game is just as important as any other call. But we didn't get the call and that's what can happen if you don't take care of business yourself.
"In the first half we gave up a ridiculous number of points — fast-break points, points off turnovers, points off offensive rebounds. We had to dig out of that, and that made us have to be perfect down the stretch, and we couldn't quite get that done."
Manu Ginobili wasn't around for the finish after bruising his lower back late in the third quarter, but that was one of the few differences between Friday's game and the one six months ago. Depending on how sore he is today, Ginobili could miss Sunday's game in Seattle.
The Spurs lamented a non-call on Nowitzki at the end of regulation in their Game 7 loss. They also nearly allowed the Mavericks to run them off the court in the first quarter in both games.
Dallas' 37 points were six more than the Spurs have given up in any quarter this season. The Mavericks hiked their lead to 44-27 early in the second. By then Popovich had benched Beno Udrih for Jacque Vaughn and burned a pair of timeouts to rip the team.
His message? Wake up.
"We say no transition and the first basket is transition," Barry said. "We say at halftime, 'How many times do we want to dig ourselves out?'
"It's been a trend not only tonight, but in other games we've played. We're a good enough team to win games against other teams, but against a team like this we can't do that."
Vaughn helped steady the Spurs while Fabricio Oberto (14 points, 10 rebounds) provided the energy. The Spurs pushed ahead briefly in the third quarter and seemed headed into the fourth with the lead after Oberto banked in a layup at the buzzer. After reviewing replays, referee Joe Forte disallowed the shot, saying the ball was still on Oberto's fingertips when time expired.
"In close games," Finley said, "one shot like that makes a difference."
Nowitzki made more than a few that counted, burying back-to-back jump shots to keep the Spurs at bay in the fourth. With Francisco Elson not leaving the bench in the second half, Oberto was left guarding Nowitzki.
"I thought Fabricio did an incredible job on him all night," Duncan said. "I thought Dirk was given difficult shots to make and he made them."
Duncan kept the Spurs close by scoring 11 of his 29 in the fourth quarter. But Parker and Ginobili both turned in ordinary performances, combining for 24 points and 10 of the team's 19 turnovers.
"Boy, our team showed a lot of guts in the fourth quarter," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "Two warrior-like teams refusing to lose."
Just like six months ago.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA112506.01C.BKNspurs.mavs.gamer.331a7e5.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
As the Spurs huddled in their locker room early Friday evening, Gregg Popovich told them to remember the seventh and final game of last season's epic series with Dallas.
He told the Spurs to remember how the Mavericks began that game and the furious tempo at which they played. And he told them to brace for it again.
The Spurs did their coach one better. Not only did they remember Game 7, they nearly re-enacted it, right down to the frustrating finish in the Mavericks' 95-92 victory at the AT&T Center.
After digging themselves a 17-point hole, the Spurs rallied to take the lead, watched Dirk Nowitzki make one pressure-packed shot after another, then leaned on a referee to bail them out with a call. In keeping with last season's theme, the referee didn't, and the Mavericks won.
"It's turning out to be a great soap opera between the two teams," Brent Barry said.
The Spurs naturally would prefer to make a few changes to the opening and closing acts.
Trailing by four with less than 12 seconds left, Tim Duncan took the inbounds pass with Devin Harris on his hip and turned and fired a 3-pointer. Harris was called for a foul and Duncan — surprise, surprise — made all three of his free throws.
After two foul shots by Nowitzki, who scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, the Spurs took the court with 10.7 seconds left needing a 3-pointer to tie. Robert Horry forced a 25-footer from above the key, Tony Parker grabbed the rebound, took a couple dribbles and swung the ball to Michael Finley.
With Nowitzki crowding him, Finley initially hesitated and looked to pass. Not finding an outlet, he raised and squeezed off a shot that fell well short as Nowitzki appeared to bump him with his lower body.
"I would have loved to have gotten that call," Popovich said. "I think the last call of the game is just as important as any other call. But we didn't get the call and that's what can happen if you don't take care of business yourself.
"In the first half we gave up a ridiculous number of points — fast-break points, points off turnovers, points off offensive rebounds. We had to dig out of that, and that made us have to be perfect down the stretch, and we couldn't quite get that done."
Manu Ginobili wasn't around for the finish after bruising his lower back late in the third quarter, but that was one of the few differences between Friday's game and the one six months ago. Depending on how sore he is today, Ginobili could miss Sunday's game in Seattle.
The Spurs lamented a non-call on Nowitzki at the end of regulation in their Game 7 loss. They also nearly allowed the Mavericks to run them off the court in the first quarter in both games.
Dallas' 37 points were six more than the Spurs have given up in any quarter this season. The Mavericks hiked their lead to 44-27 early in the second. By then Popovich had benched Beno Udrih for Jacque Vaughn and burned a pair of timeouts to rip the team.
His message? Wake up.
"We say no transition and the first basket is transition," Barry said. "We say at halftime, 'How many times do we want to dig ourselves out?'
"It's been a trend not only tonight, but in other games we've played. We're a good enough team to win games against other teams, but against a team like this we can't do that."
Vaughn helped steady the Spurs while Fabricio Oberto (14 points, 10 rebounds) provided the energy. The Spurs pushed ahead briefly in the third quarter and seemed headed into the fourth with the lead after Oberto banked in a layup at the buzzer. After reviewing replays, referee Joe Forte disallowed the shot, saying the ball was still on Oberto's fingertips when time expired.
"In close games," Finley said, "one shot like that makes a difference."
Nowitzki made more than a few that counted, burying back-to-back jump shots to keep the Spurs at bay in the fourth. With Francisco Elson not leaving the bench in the second half, Oberto was left guarding Nowitzki.
"I thought Fabricio did an incredible job on him all night," Duncan said. "I thought Dirk was given difficult shots to make and he made them."
Duncan kept the Spurs close by scoring 11 of his 29 in the fourth quarter. But Parker and Ginobili both turned in ordinary performances, combining for 24 points and 10 of the team's 19 turnovers.
"Boy, our team showed a lot of guts in the fourth quarter," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "Two warrior-like teams refusing to lose."
Just like six months ago.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA112506.01C.BKNspurs.mavs.gamer.331a7e5.html