Bruno
12-21-2006, 03:36 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA122106.01D.BKNspurs.grizzlies.gamer.307845a.ht ml
Web Posted: 12/20/2006 10:50 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Michael Finley didn't blame microfiber when he was missing shots. So he's not about to credit it now that he's making them.
"Same ball," Finley said. "Same player. Same shots."
Finley did allow for one noticeable change of late: Those same shots are now going in.
Finley made five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 20 points Wednesday as the Spurs fought off the Memphis Grizzlies for a 105-98 victory at the AT&T Center.
When Memphis erased a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game, Finley answered with a 3-pointer. When Memphis roared back one more time, wiping out a 10-point cushion by the Spurs to take the lead, Finley followed with another three.
"I think he got his shot back," Tony Parker said. "He hit big shot after big shot."
Bruce Bowen made four 3-pointers in the second half. Tim Duncan made all eight of his shots for a team-high 21 points. Parker, who totaled 18 points and 10 assists for his second double-double, buried a 20-foot jumper with 1:29 left.
Much like they did Saturday against Philadelphia, the Spurs needed it all. After blowing a 17-point lead in the second half before recovering to beat the down-and-out 76ers, the Spurs authored nearly the exact same story against the 6-20 Grizzlies.
For much of the first half, the Spurs appeared headed for their sixth rout of the month. Memphis didn't have much of an answer for either Duncan or Parker and had lost its lone consistent shooter when Chucky Atkins cussed his way into an ejection.
That, however, was before Mike Miller heated up. Miller scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half while making four 3-pointers. And while the Spurs contributed to some of their troubles with 10 second-half turnovers, they preferred to credit Memphis' torrid shooting in the final two quarters (60.6 percent) rather than breakdowns in their own defense.
"If they don't knock down two or three of those tough shots, we still have a nice lead," Finley said. "Unfortunately, they knocked them down. But we didn't crumble.
"We've been in the position before. I don't know if that's good or bad. But it's good that we know how to handle ourselves in those situations."
After Pau Gasol's layup gave Memphis a 92-90 lead with 5:18 left, Finley responded with his fifth and final 3-pointer. Miller answered with a jump shot, but the Grizzlies didn't hit another shot until Gasol — who had 16 points in 23 minutes in his fourth game since returning from a broken foot — tossed in a meaningless hook in the closing seconds.
With the Spurs clinging to a 100-96 lead, Miller drove to the rim only to have Bowen block his shot.
"A lot of guys executed well down the stretch, both defensively and offensively," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We were able to get it done. We did a good job when it mattered."
Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for 17 of the 30 assists the Spurs had on their 37 baskets. More than a few of those passes ended up in the hands of Bowen and Finley, who made a combined 8 of 9 3-pointers in the second half when Memphis aggressively double-teamed Duncan.
"I have to give San Antonio a lot of credit," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "They hit the open threes when they were there."
Finley made 7 of 10 shots and is 13 of 18 in the past two games for 34 points.
Unable to get untracked for much of the season, he began the evening shooting a career-worst 35.5 percent.
Throughout his struggles, Popovich and the other Spurs' coaches have given Finley the same advice: Let fly. Finley admitted that, at times, he had begun to pass up shots he normally takes.
"I think subconsciously when I would miss a couple, I was trying to make an easy shot easier, which in turn was making it more difficult," Finley said. "When I started doing that, it was like I was forcing something that wasn't there."
That wasn't the case Wednesday.
Finley shot aggressively — and confidently. And while Finley is among the many players who don't like the new synthetic basketball, he's also not counting down the days to when the league switches back to leather on Jan. 1.
"To me, it doesn't really matter," he said. "I still have to shoot it."
Web Posted: 12/20/2006 10:50 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Michael Finley didn't blame microfiber when he was missing shots. So he's not about to credit it now that he's making them.
"Same ball," Finley said. "Same player. Same shots."
Finley did allow for one noticeable change of late: Those same shots are now going in.
Finley made five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 20 points Wednesday as the Spurs fought off the Memphis Grizzlies for a 105-98 victory at the AT&T Center.
When Memphis erased a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game, Finley answered with a 3-pointer. When Memphis roared back one more time, wiping out a 10-point cushion by the Spurs to take the lead, Finley followed with another three.
"I think he got his shot back," Tony Parker said. "He hit big shot after big shot."
Bruce Bowen made four 3-pointers in the second half. Tim Duncan made all eight of his shots for a team-high 21 points. Parker, who totaled 18 points and 10 assists for his second double-double, buried a 20-foot jumper with 1:29 left.
Much like they did Saturday against Philadelphia, the Spurs needed it all. After blowing a 17-point lead in the second half before recovering to beat the down-and-out 76ers, the Spurs authored nearly the exact same story against the 6-20 Grizzlies.
For much of the first half, the Spurs appeared headed for their sixth rout of the month. Memphis didn't have much of an answer for either Duncan or Parker and had lost its lone consistent shooter when Chucky Atkins cussed his way into an ejection.
That, however, was before Mike Miller heated up. Miller scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half while making four 3-pointers. And while the Spurs contributed to some of their troubles with 10 second-half turnovers, they preferred to credit Memphis' torrid shooting in the final two quarters (60.6 percent) rather than breakdowns in their own defense.
"If they don't knock down two or three of those tough shots, we still have a nice lead," Finley said. "Unfortunately, they knocked them down. But we didn't crumble.
"We've been in the position before. I don't know if that's good or bad. But it's good that we know how to handle ourselves in those situations."
After Pau Gasol's layup gave Memphis a 92-90 lead with 5:18 left, Finley responded with his fifth and final 3-pointer. Miller answered with a jump shot, but the Grizzlies didn't hit another shot until Gasol — who had 16 points in 23 minutes in his fourth game since returning from a broken foot — tossed in a meaningless hook in the closing seconds.
With the Spurs clinging to a 100-96 lead, Miller drove to the rim only to have Bowen block his shot.
"A lot of guys executed well down the stretch, both defensively and offensively," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We were able to get it done. We did a good job when it mattered."
Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for 17 of the 30 assists the Spurs had on their 37 baskets. More than a few of those passes ended up in the hands of Bowen and Finley, who made a combined 8 of 9 3-pointers in the second half when Memphis aggressively double-teamed Duncan.
"I have to give San Antonio a lot of credit," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "They hit the open threes when they were there."
Finley made 7 of 10 shots and is 13 of 18 in the past two games for 34 points.
Unable to get untracked for much of the season, he began the evening shooting a career-worst 35.5 percent.
Throughout his struggles, Popovich and the other Spurs' coaches have given Finley the same advice: Let fly. Finley admitted that, at times, he had begun to pass up shots he normally takes.
"I think subconsciously when I would miss a couple, I was trying to make an easy shot easier, which in turn was making it more difficult," Finley said. "When I started doing that, it was like I was forcing something that wasn't there."
That wasn't the case Wednesday.
Finley shot aggressively — and confidently. And while Finley is among the many players who don't like the new synthetic basketball, he's also not counting down the days to when the league switches back to leather on Jan. 1.
"To me, it doesn't really matter," he said. "I still have to shoot it."