ducks
12-02-2006, 01:29 PM
Sacramento (8-6) at San Antonio (11-5)
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Sat Dec 2, 2006
TV: NBATV, MyS35 Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets
By MATT BECKER, STATS Writer
After opening the season with one of the best starts in the league, the San Antonio Spurs are in a funk.
The Spurs look to avoid losing three straight for the first time since late last season when they meet the Sacramento Kings at the AT&T Center on Saturday.
San Antonio (11-5) began this season winning 10 of its first 12 games, including a 108-99 victory over Sacramento (8-6) on Nov. 19. The Spurs, who eliminated the Kings in the opening round of last year's playoffs, have won five of the last six regular-season meetings from them.
Lately, though, San Antonio hardly looks like a team that has made nine straight playoff appearances resulting in three NBA championships. The Spurs have dropped three of their last four games, and are in danger of losing three straight for the first time since March 20-23, 2005.
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"We're just kind of in a bad stretch right now. Not too much you can do," said three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan. "You've just kind of got to take a step back and that's what practice will do for us."
In an 83-75 loss to Utah on Wednesday, Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the Spurs still managed to score their fewest points since an 83-68 loss to Detroit on Jan. 12.
Duncan has played well against the Kings, though, as he scored a season-high 35 points on 13 of 17 shooting from the field and grabbed 14 rebounds in last month's win against them.
In 34 career games against the Kings, Duncan is averaging 24.7 points, his second-highest average against any opponent. He also has a career-best four 20-point, 20-rebound games against Sacramento.
The Spurs will likely be without guard Manu Ginobili, who is listed as doubtful for this game. Ginobili, third on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, has missed the last three games with a bruised lower back.
On Friday, Sacramento had its three-game winning streak snapped with its most lopsided loss of the season, a 109-90 defeat to surging Dallas -- which won its 12th in a row and has a one-game lead over the Spurs in the Southwest Division.
The Kings had 41 points at halftime -- only three more than the Mavericks had in the first quarter -- and trailed by as many as 32. Once the game got out of hand, Sacramento coach Eric Musselman emptied his bench.
"I'm going to remember this game," said Ron Artest, who didn't start because of a flare-up of an ongoing back problem, but led the Kings with 15 points. "I want to come back to Dallas and take a victory."
Over the last four games with his back injury, Artest has missed one game and come off the bench in two others. Musselman did not say if Artest, who is averaging 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in his last five starts, would start this game.
Artest had 22 points, five rebounds and two steals against the Spurs last month.
Kevin Martin was the only Sacramento starter to crack double-digits on Friday, scoring 13. Martin has totaled just 15 points in his last two games after averaging 26.5 points in his previous eight.
Updated on Saturday, Dec 2, 2006 2:27 am EST
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Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Sacramento 8-6 3rd Pacific / 8th West 98.5 97.4 Road 2-4 Lost 1 6-4
San Antonio 11-5 2nd Southwest / 4th West 98.1 92.2 Home 4-3 Lost 2 6-4
Sacramento Notes
Dec 2 Friday's game was the first leg of a Dallas-San Antonio back-to-back. The Kings are 3-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 1-2 in the second this season. ... The Kings are 3-1 in games on Fridays. ... Sacramento is in a very tough part of its schedule. Dallas is 12-4, San Antonio is 11-5 and Orlando is 13-4. ... G Kevin Martin is the only player in the league currently averaging over 20 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 90 percent from the line and 40 percent from 3-point range.
st 12-02-06 1:51 et
San Antonio Notes
Nov 30 Despite losing Wednesday night, the Spurs have dominated the Jazz in recent years, winning 21 of the last 24 meetings. Utah won twice in 2004-05 but the Spurs swept the season series four straight years from 2000-2004, as well as last season. ... G Beno Udrih was the Spurs' only offensive spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. ... G Manu Ginobili missed his third game in a row with a lower back contusion. G-F Michael Finley started in his place but was held to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting. ... This is the Spurs' first two-game losing streak of the season. Last season, San Antonio had just three losing streaks, all of which did not exceed more than two losses. ... F Robert Horry shot just 1-of-5 from the floor but did grab eight rebounds, tying his season high.
st 11-30-06 3:24 et
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Sat Dec 2, 2006
TV: NBATV, MyS35 Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets
By MATT BECKER, STATS Writer
After opening the season with one of the best starts in the league, the San Antonio Spurs are in a funk.
The Spurs look to avoid losing three straight for the first time since late last season when they meet the Sacramento Kings at the AT&T Center on Saturday.
San Antonio (11-5) began this season winning 10 of its first 12 games, including a 108-99 victory over Sacramento (8-6) on Nov. 19. The Spurs, who eliminated the Kings in the opening round of last year's playoffs, have won five of the last six regular-season meetings from them.
Lately, though, San Antonio hardly looks like a team that has made nine straight playoff appearances resulting in three NBA championships. The Spurs have dropped three of their last four games, and are in danger of losing three straight for the first time since March 20-23, 2005.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We're just kind of in a bad stretch right now. Not too much you can do," said three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan. "You've just kind of got to take a step back and that's what practice will do for us."
In an 83-75 loss to Utah on Wednesday, Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the Spurs still managed to score their fewest points since an 83-68 loss to Detroit on Jan. 12.
Duncan has played well against the Kings, though, as he scored a season-high 35 points on 13 of 17 shooting from the field and grabbed 14 rebounds in last month's win against them.
In 34 career games against the Kings, Duncan is averaging 24.7 points, his second-highest average against any opponent. He also has a career-best four 20-point, 20-rebound games against Sacramento.
The Spurs will likely be without guard Manu Ginobili, who is listed as doubtful for this game. Ginobili, third on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, has missed the last three games with a bruised lower back.
On Friday, Sacramento had its three-game winning streak snapped with its most lopsided loss of the season, a 109-90 defeat to surging Dallas -- which won its 12th in a row and has a one-game lead over the Spurs in the Southwest Division.
The Kings had 41 points at halftime -- only three more than the Mavericks had in the first quarter -- and trailed by as many as 32. Once the game got out of hand, Sacramento coach Eric Musselman emptied his bench.
"I'm going to remember this game," said Ron Artest, who didn't start because of a flare-up of an ongoing back problem, but led the Kings with 15 points. "I want to come back to Dallas and take a victory."
Over the last four games with his back injury, Artest has missed one game and come off the bench in two others. Musselman did not say if Artest, who is averaging 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in his last five starts, would start this game.
Artest had 22 points, five rebounds and two steals against the Spurs last month.
Kevin Martin was the only Sacramento starter to crack double-digits on Friday, scoring 13. Martin has totaled just 15 points in his last two games after averaging 26.5 points in his previous eight.
Updated on Saturday, Dec 2, 2006 2:27 am EST
Email to a Friend | View Popular
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Sacramento 8-6 3rd Pacific / 8th West 98.5 97.4 Road 2-4 Lost 1 6-4
San Antonio 11-5 2nd Southwest / 4th West 98.1 92.2 Home 4-3 Lost 2 6-4
Sacramento Notes
Dec 2 Friday's game was the first leg of a Dallas-San Antonio back-to-back. The Kings are 3-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 1-2 in the second this season. ... The Kings are 3-1 in games on Fridays. ... Sacramento is in a very tough part of its schedule. Dallas is 12-4, San Antonio is 11-5 and Orlando is 13-4. ... G Kevin Martin is the only player in the league currently averaging over 20 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 90 percent from the line and 40 percent from 3-point range.
st 12-02-06 1:51 et
San Antonio Notes
Nov 30 Despite losing Wednesday night, the Spurs have dominated the Jazz in recent years, winning 21 of the last 24 meetings. Utah won twice in 2004-05 but the Spurs swept the season series four straight years from 2000-2004, as well as last season. ... G Beno Udrih was the Spurs' only offensive spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. ... G Manu Ginobili missed his third game in a row with a lower back contusion. G-F Michael Finley started in his place but was held to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting. ... This is the Spurs' first two-game losing streak of the season. Last season, San Antonio had just three losing streaks, all of which did not exceed more than two losses. ... F Robert Horry shot just 1-of-5 from the floor but did grab eight rebounds, tying his season high.
st 11-30-06 3:24 et