DieMrBond
01-23-2007, 02:23 AM
Spurs lose lead, fend off Celtics
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012307.01D.spurs.20e8e52.html
Web Posted: 01/23/2007 12:16 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
BOSTON — By now, the Spurs have the script down cold: punish opposing team, preferably one already splintered by injuries, for better part of two quarters; allow large lead to almost completely evaporate; steady selves when necessary to win.
The Boston Celtics played the role of antagonists Monday, pushing the game to the final, tense seconds before the Spurs held on for a 93-89 victory at TD Banknorth Garden.
"It was great for the fans," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Tonight, they saw two games. I don't think it said that on the ticket."
While the Spurs beat Boston for the 18th consecutive time — keeping Tim Duncan unbeaten against the famed franchise for his career — neither the opponent nor the locale seem to matter anymore. The storyline remains the same.
On Friday against New Orleans, the Spurs let a 22-point lead dwindle to eight. On Sunday in Philadelphia, they were again up 22 only to watch the 76ers close within five.
One night later, it was more of the same. The Spurs' lead ballooned to 23 points midway through the third quarter. With a little less than two minutes left, it was down to three.
While the Spurs jetted home with a three-game winning streak, they had reason to wonder just how much progress they made during their two-night tour of the Eastern Conference basement.
"We're getting better for 24 minutes and worse for the other 24," Manu Ginobili said. "So we're always at the same point.
"But at least we're getting it done (in the end), and that's the only part of the game where we are kind of satisfied."
Duncan totaled 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks and helped save the victory when he spun by Celtics forward Al Jefferson for a dunk and a foul with 1:18 left. Ginobili and Tony Parker scored 15 points each, and Francisco Elson provided some much-needed energy off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds, including a key offensive board late in the game.
"I thought Francisco was our most impressive player tonight," Popovich said. "Coming back from the injury, he's still not totally strong in that shoulder. But he ran the floor, hit the boards, scored a little bit, changed some shots."
With his roster shredded by injuries — Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak, among others, are out — Boston coach Doc Rivers did his best to change the game by going small. Very small.
At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had four point guards on the floor. Jefferson, who totaled 26 points and 14 rebounds, was Boston's lone big man for much of the second half.
"The only way it worked was Al had to guard Duncan," Rivers said, "and he had to do a good job."
In spite of that, the Spurs took control in the second quarter with Brent Barry helping loosen the defense with a pair of 3-pointers. They looked ready to put the game away in the third, pushing their lead to 67-44 on a jumper by Parker.
But a turnover by Parker near the end of third quarter and two more by Beno Udrih to start the fourth started the Spurs' slide.
"We talk about what we did well and what we did poorly whether we win or lose a game," Popovich said. "And we did a lot of things great for quite a while, and we did a lot of things poorly for a shorter period of time.
"There were a couple decision-making things that weren't great."
Boston's Delonte West didn't help matters by scoring 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. After Rajon Rondo stripped the ball from Duncan, Ryan Gomes followed with a layup to cut the Spurs' lead to 85-82 with 1:58 left.
Ginobili drove for a layup, and the Celtics committed a costly turnover when the shot clock expired with the ball still in Allan Ray's hands.
After Duncan posted just outside the left block, Jefferson gambled and tried to poke the ball from his hands. Duncan spun left to find a clear lane to the basket, took one dribble and threw down a one-handed dunk as Jefferson fouled him.
Jefferson came back with his own three-point play, and West hit another toe-on-the-line 23-footer to again bring the Celtics within three with 29 seconds left, but the Spurs made three free throws to leave with the victory.
"Wins are wins, but it's frustrating not to be able to close people out," Duncan said. "It shouldn't have been that close, and we allowed them to get back into the game.
"Just another thing to work on."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012307.01D.spurs.20e8e52.html
Web Posted: 01/23/2007 12:16 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
BOSTON — By now, the Spurs have the script down cold: punish opposing team, preferably one already splintered by injuries, for better part of two quarters; allow large lead to almost completely evaporate; steady selves when necessary to win.
The Boston Celtics played the role of antagonists Monday, pushing the game to the final, tense seconds before the Spurs held on for a 93-89 victory at TD Banknorth Garden.
"It was great for the fans," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Tonight, they saw two games. I don't think it said that on the ticket."
While the Spurs beat Boston for the 18th consecutive time — keeping Tim Duncan unbeaten against the famed franchise for his career — neither the opponent nor the locale seem to matter anymore. The storyline remains the same.
On Friday against New Orleans, the Spurs let a 22-point lead dwindle to eight. On Sunday in Philadelphia, they were again up 22 only to watch the 76ers close within five.
One night later, it was more of the same. The Spurs' lead ballooned to 23 points midway through the third quarter. With a little less than two minutes left, it was down to three.
While the Spurs jetted home with a three-game winning streak, they had reason to wonder just how much progress they made during their two-night tour of the Eastern Conference basement.
"We're getting better for 24 minutes and worse for the other 24," Manu Ginobili said. "So we're always at the same point.
"But at least we're getting it done (in the end), and that's the only part of the game where we are kind of satisfied."
Duncan totaled 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks and helped save the victory when he spun by Celtics forward Al Jefferson for a dunk and a foul with 1:18 left. Ginobili and Tony Parker scored 15 points each, and Francisco Elson provided some much-needed energy off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds, including a key offensive board late in the game.
"I thought Francisco was our most impressive player tonight," Popovich said. "Coming back from the injury, he's still not totally strong in that shoulder. But he ran the floor, hit the boards, scored a little bit, changed some shots."
With his roster shredded by injuries — Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak, among others, are out — Boston coach Doc Rivers did his best to change the game by going small. Very small.
At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had four point guards on the floor. Jefferson, who totaled 26 points and 14 rebounds, was Boston's lone big man for much of the second half.
"The only way it worked was Al had to guard Duncan," Rivers said, "and he had to do a good job."
In spite of that, the Spurs took control in the second quarter with Brent Barry helping loosen the defense with a pair of 3-pointers. They looked ready to put the game away in the third, pushing their lead to 67-44 on a jumper by Parker.
But a turnover by Parker near the end of third quarter and two more by Beno Udrih to start the fourth started the Spurs' slide.
"We talk about what we did well and what we did poorly whether we win or lose a game," Popovich said. "And we did a lot of things great for quite a while, and we did a lot of things poorly for a shorter period of time.
"There were a couple decision-making things that weren't great."
Boston's Delonte West didn't help matters by scoring 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. After Rajon Rondo stripped the ball from Duncan, Ryan Gomes followed with a layup to cut the Spurs' lead to 85-82 with 1:58 left.
Ginobili drove for a layup, and the Celtics committed a costly turnover when the shot clock expired with the ball still in Allan Ray's hands.
After Duncan posted just outside the left block, Jefferson gambled and tried to poke the ball from his hands. Duncan spun left to find a clear lane to the basket, took one dribble and threw down a one-handed dunk as Jefferson fouled him.
Jefferson came back with his own three-point play, and West hit another toe-on-the-line 23-footer to again bring the Celtics within three with 29 seconds left, but the Spurs made three free throws to leave with the victory.
"Wins are wins, but it's frustrating not to be able to close people out," Duncan said. "It shouldn't have been that close, and we allowed them to get back into the game.
"Just another thing to work on."