Bruno
12-17-2006, 05:36 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA121706.11C.BKNspurs.finley.36e1014.html
Web Posted: 12/17/2006 02:04 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Michael Finley had made only 6 of 24 shots in the four games that preceded the Spurs' 103-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at the AT&T Center.
His shooting going into the game was a career-low 34.1 percent; his success from 3-point range a dismal 26.3 percent, also a career low for a player whose 11 previous NBA seasons stamped him as one of the league's best shooters.
After Finley's 6-for-10, 14-point performance in nearly 26 minutes against Philadelphia it seemed fair to ask: Who was that guy wearing that No. 4 Spurs' uniform?
"Same guy," Finley said. "Same shots, too. All my shots, even in the past, have felt good. It's just they wouldn't go down."
Finley never has averaged fewer than 10.1 points in a season, but entered Saturday's game with an average of just 7.0. It has been one of the toughest stretches of his career.
"Oh, yeah, by any stretch of the imagination it's been tough," Finley said. "But the factor that makes it good is that we're winning. That heals any slump. Winning heals all wounds. If we were losing it would be even more of a slump."
Finley said he got himself untracked Saturday by focusing on every aspect of the game but shooting. After replacing Bruce Bowen with 2:09 left in the first quarter, he played more than nine minutes without taking a shot. His first shot, a jumper just inside the 3-point arc, was perfect. By game's end he even was 2 of 5 on 3-point attempts.
"He's a big part of what we do," Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich said. "He and Brent (Barry) have to make those shots out there because of the double teams and attention that Timmy (Duncan) gets. It was nice to see Michael feel more at ease and knock some down tonight."
Finley did more than find his shooting stroke against an undermanned 76ers team that pushed the Spurs right to the finish, looking anything but dispirited because they were playing their sixth-straight game without deactivated scoring leader Allen Iverson.
"People always want to just talk about Michael's scoring," said Barry, whose league-leading 3-point shooting has contributed to the truncation of Finley's court time during his shooting slump. "There's things that guys who play alongside Tony (Parker), Manu (Ginobili) and Tim can do, little things. Sometimes you don't see those things unless you're either a player on that team or an opposing player. They're the little things that get you victories."
Finley said Popovich had advised him to get his offense untracked by focusing on rebounding and passing, rather than shooting.
"He told me to let other parts of the game get me going offensively, whether it's rebounding, defending or just getting knocked around a little bit," Finley said. "I just came into the game and whatever happens, happens."
Web Posted: 12/17/2006 02:04 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Michael Finley had made only 6 of 24 shots in the four games that preceded the Spurs' 103-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at the AT&T Center.
His shooting going into the game was a career-low 34.1 percent; his success from 3-point range a dismal 26.3 percent, also a career low for a player whose 11 previous NBA seasons stamped him as one of the league's best shooters.
After Finley's 6-for-10, 14-point performance in nearly 26 minutes against Philadelphia it seemed fair to ask: Who was that guy wearing that No. 4 Spurs' uniform?
"Same guy," Finley said. "Same shots, too. All my shots, even in the past, have felt good. It's just they wouldn't go down."
Finley never has averaged fewer than 10.1 points in a season, but entered Saturday's game with an average of just 7.0. It has been one of the toughest stretches of his career.
"Oh, yeah, by any stretch of the imagination it's been tough," Finley said. "But the factor that makes it good is that we're winning. That heals any slump. Winning heals all wounds. If we were losing it would be even more of a slump."
Finley said he got himself untracked Saturday by focusing on every aspect of the game but shooting. After replacing Bruce Bowen with 2:09 left in the first quarter, he played more than nine minutes without taking a shot. His first shot, a jumper just inside the 3-point arc, was perfect. By game's end he even was 2 of 5 on 3-point attempts.
"He's a big part of what we do," Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich said. "He and Brent (Barry) have to make those shots out there because of the double teams and attention that Timmy (Duncan) gets. It was nice to see Michael feel more at ease and knock some down tonight."
Finley did more than find his shooting stroke against an undermanned 76ers team that pushed the Spurs right to the finish, looking anything but dispirited because they were playing their sixth-straight game without deactivated scoring leader Allen Iverson.
"People always want to just talk about Michael's scoring," said Barry, whose league-leading 3-point shooting has contributed to the truncation of Finley's court time during his shooting slump. "There's things that guys who play alongside Tony (Parker), Manu (Ginobili) and Tim can do, little things. Sometimes you don't see those things unless you're either a player on that team or an opposing player. They're the little things that get you victories."
Finley said Popovich had advised him to get his offense untracked by focusing on rebounding and passing, rather than shooting.
"He told me to let other parts of the game get me going offensively, whether it's rebounding, defending or just getting knocked around a little bit," Finley said. "I just came into the game and whatever happens, happens."