ShoogarBear
03-11-2007, 06:02 PM
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2007/03/11/booster_rockets_kicked_in/?page=2
Spurs dig in heels on defense
They're baaack! Not that they ever really left us, but with the Suns and Mavericks dominating the Western Conference, the Spurs tended to get overlooked in the championship discussion. But, true to their history in the Tim Duncan era, the Spurs have amped it up considerably since the All-Star Game and now are back in the picture.
They beat visiting New Jersey last night, 93-77, for their 12th straight win, including all 10 since the All-Star Game. What's getting it done? The Spurs' staple: defense. It had been an on-again, off-again enterprise for them for the first 45 games or so, but no longer. In their winning streak, the Spurs are holding teams to 82.3 points a game -- no one has scored more than 96.
After their win Thursday night in Sacramento, Duncan told reporters, "I don't know what it is, but we have turned the corner and been more consistent. We use the regular season to get into form and get ready for the playoffs. Maybe it's taken us that long to understand playing defense, but we're starting to do it."
Since Duncan arrived in 1997, the worst Spurs record after the All-Star break was 18-11 in 2005. (They won the title anyway.) San Antonio has won almost 74 percent of its post-All-Star break games since Duncan came on board. The best year was 2002-03 (another title year), when they won 27 of 33.
This latest run has coincided with coach Gregg Popovich's decision to bring Manu Ginobili off the bench; Ginobili is averaging almost 20 points a game during the streak while emerging as a possible Sixth Man Award winner.
The Celtics -- who, of course, never have beaten a Duncan team -- have one more shot at the Spurs this season when they play in San Antonio next Saturday night. The good news? It's St. Patrick's Day and the Celtics are 19-9 on March 17. The bad news? It doesn't matter what day it is because the Spurs finally are playing like the Spurs.
Spurs dig in heels on defense
They're baaack! Not that they ever really left us, but with the Suns and Mavericks dominating the Western Conference, the Spurs tended to get overlooked in the championship discussion. But, true to their history in the Tim Duncan era, the Spurs have amped it up considerably since the All-Star Game and now are back in the picture.
They beat visiting New Jersey last night, 93-77, for their 12th straight win, including all 10 since the All-Star Game. What's getting it done? The Spurs' staple: defense. It had been an on-again, off-again enterprise for them for the first 45 games or so, but no longer. In their winning streak, the Spurs are holding teams to 82.3 points a game -- no one has scored more than 96.
After their win Thursday night in Sacramento, Duncan told reporters, "I don't know what it is, but we have turned the corner and been more consistent. We use the regular season to get into form and get ready for the playoffs. Maybe it's taken us that long to understand playing defense, but we're starting to do it."
Since Duncan arrived in 1997, the worst Spurs record after the All-Star break was 18-11 in 2005. (They won the title anyway.) San Antonio has won almost 74 percent of its post-All-Star break games since Duncan came on board. The best year was 2002-03 (another title year), when they won 27 of 33.
This latest run has coincided with coach Gregg Popovich's decision to bring Manu Ginobili off the bench; Ginobili is averaging almost 20 points a game during the streak while emerging as a possible Sixth Man Award winner.
The Celtics -- who, of course, never have beaten a Duncan team -- have one more shot at the Spurs this season when they play in San Antonio next Saturday night. The good news? It's St. Patrick's Day and the Celtics are 19-9 on March 17. The bad news? It doesn't matter what day it is because the Spurs finally are playing like the Spurs.