TMTTRIO
04-24-2007, 11:43 AM
Spurs notebook: Bowen frustrated by fouls, limited minutes
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA042407.04D.BKNspurs.notebook.3ac5b89.html
Web Posted: 04/24/2007 12:21 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Watching Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combine to score 61 points Sunday wasn't any fun for Bruce Bowen.
Watching from the bench didn't make it more enjoyable.
Bowen played just 19 minutes, and was limited, in part, by two fouls he collected in the first quarter. Excluding the final two regular-season games in which Bowen made only brief appearances, it was the second-fewest minutes the Spurs' top perimeter defender played all season.
Bowen went to the bench with 5:08 to play in the first quarter after picking up his second foul. He played three minutes in the second quarter before returning to the bench.
After the Spurs fell behind by 10 in the fourth quarter, coach Gregg Popovich stuck with Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley to try to get the team back in the game.
"You don't ever want a player you want to be out on the floor to get three (fouls) in the first half," Bowen said. "So I'm sure after it's all said and done the coaches look at it like, 'Wow, he finished with three fouls and we had him on the floor for 19 minutes. It wasn't like he had five fouls.' It's a coaching situation where they go with their feel.
"Despite that, to the team's credit we were still in the game. Yes, I'd like to be out there. Now it's like what can I do to keep from being in those situations?"
Overpowered: The Spurs were outrebounded 44-35 on Sunday, and were often overpowered by Denver forward Nenê, who had 13 points and 12 boards, eight offensive.
"I was disappointed in our physicality and pursuit of the basketball," Popovich said. "The only one who was there in a playoff sense was Jacque Vaughn. There was no one else in that category."
Vaughn crunched Denver point guard Steve Blake against the scorer's table while diving for the ball. He also slammed into Iverson while trying to make a steal.
Ginobili a runner-up: Ginobili finished second to Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa in Sixth Man of the Year balloting.
Barbosa received 578 of a possible 635 points, including 101 first-place votes, from a panel of 127 sportswriters and broadcasters. Ginobili received 18 first-place votes and 269 points.
Barbosa averaged 18.1 points, 4.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds while coming off the bench in 62 of the 80 games he played. Ginobili averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds, but came off the bench for just 39 of his 75 games.
No to Argentina: Ginobili said he won't play for Argentina in this summer's Olympic-qualifying tournament in Las Vegas.
Spurs officials had encouraged Ginobili to use this summer to rest while acknowledging he probably would play in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing should Argentina qualify at the Tournament of Americas.
Changes in order?: Acutely aware that Popovich moved Ginobili to a bench role after the Nuggets defeated the Spurs in Game 1 of a first-round series in 2005, Denver coach George Karl said he anticipates something similar from Popovich for Wednesday's Game 3.
"If I was in Vegas, I'd probably bet there is a change," Karl said. "Maybe I'm a dumb coach, because I don't think it's that much of a factor. It's just how you rotate your team."
Karl said he will be surprised if Popovich changes Ginobili's role this time around.
"I'm not sure it will be Ginobili," Karl said. "It might be some other position."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA042407.04D.BKNspurs.notebook.3ac5b89.html
Web Posted: 04/24/2007 12:21 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Watching Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combine to score 61 points Sunday wasn't any fun for Bruce Bowen.
Watching from the bench didn't make it more enjoyable.
Bowen played just 19 minutes, and was limited, in part, by two fouls he collected in the first quarter. Excluding the final two regular-season games in which Bowen made only brief appearances, it was the second-fewest minutes the Spurs' top perimeter defender played all season.
Bowen went to the bench with 5:08 to play in the first quarter after picking up his second foul. He played three minutes in the second quarter before returning to the bench.
After the Spurs fell behind by 10 in the fourth quarter, coach Gregg Popovich stuck with Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley to try to get the team back in the game.
"You don't ever want a player you want to be out on the floor to get three (fouls) in the first half," Bowen said. "So I'm sure after it's all said and done the coaches look at it like, 'Wow, he finished with three fouls and we had him on the floor for 19 minutes. It wasn't like he had five fouls.' It's a coaching situation where they go with their feel.
"Despite that, to the team's credit we were still in the game. Yes, I'd like to be out there. Now it's like what can I do to keep from being in those situations?"
Overpowered: The Spurs were outrebounded 44-35 on Sunday, and were often overpowered by Denver forward Nenê, who had 13 points and 12 boards, eight offensive.
"I was disappointed in our physicality and pursuit of the basketball," Popovich said. "The only one who was there in a playoff sense was Jacque Vaughn. There was no one else in that category."
Vaughn crunched Denver point guard Steve Blake against the scorer's table while diving for the ball. He also slammed into Iverson while trying to make a steal.
Ginobili a runner-up: Ginobili finished second to Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa in Sixth Man of the Year balloting.
Barbosa received 578 of a possible 635 points, including 101 first-place votes, from a panel of 127 sportswriters and broadcasters. Ginobili received 18 first-place votes and 269 points.
Barbosa averaged 18.1 points, 4.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds while coming off the bench in 62 of the 80 games he played. Ginobili averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds, but came off the bench for just 39 of his 75 games.
No to Argentina: Ginobili said he won't play for Argentina in this summer's Olympic-qualifying tournament in Las Vegas.
Spurs officials had encouraged Ginobili to use this summer to rest while acknowledging he probably would play in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing should Argentina qualify at the Tournament of Americas.
Changes in order?: Acutely aware that Popovich moved Ginobili to a bench role after the Nuggets defeated the Spurs in Game 1 of a first-round series in 2005, Denver coach George Karl said he anticipates something similar from Popovich for Wednesday's Game 3.
"If I was in Vegas, I'd probably bet there is a change," Karl said. "Maybe I'm a dumb coach, because I don't think it's that much of a factor. It's just how you rotate your team."
Karl said he will be surprised if Popovich changes Ginobili's role this time around.
"I'm not sure it will be Ginobili," Karl said. "It might be some other position."