jmard5
04-29-2007, 01:13 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA042907.01C.BKNspurs.nuggets.gamer3.3564341.htm l
Web Posted: 04/29/2007 12:20 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
DENVER Robert Horry is four months shy of his 37th birthday and a little less than a year removed from proclaiming himself "a dinosaur." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich became so protective of his elder statesman this season, he stopped letting him play on consecutive nights.
But April is about to give way to May, the NBA playoffs are well under way, and Horry appears to have caught scent of them once again. He swatted away a shot from a player 15 years his junior Saturday night, swiped an inbounds pass and, yes, raised those endless arms of his more than once to throw in another cold-blooded 3-pointer.
Big Shot Rob lived again, and as a result, the Spurs walked out of the Pepsi Center with a 96-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series and reclaim the home-court advantage they had lost six days earlier.
"I guess you could say this was one for the old guys," said 34-year-old Michael Finley, who made five 3-pointers and scored 16 points.
Finley's young(er) teammates also weren't too bad. Tim Duncan weathered a tough first half to finish with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Manu Ginobili scored 19, and Tony Parker overcame his own shooting woes to drive for a couple of crucial layups in the closing minutes.
The Spurs also leaned on their defense, limiting the Nuggets to 42.9 percent shooting and nine fast-break points in the frenzied environment.
"We knew their fans were going to be behind them, and it was going to be crazy here, and they were going to give them the energy we had when we were at home," said Bruce Bowen, who again did his best to make Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson work for their shots and points. "Everybody understood we had to have that bunker mentality tonight. It was just us."
Horry has thrived in such pressure situations throughout his 15-season career. Two years ago, in the same building, with the Spurs facing the same challenge, he threw in a couple of late 3-pointers to hold off Denver.
On Saturday, the Nuggets had reason to wonder whether they were watching a replay of that game. After Ginobili made a pair of free throws with 1:46 left in the third quarter,
Horry stole an inbounds pass from Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, then promptly buried a 3-pointer.
"It's one of those things where you use your knowledge," said Horry, who adheres to a my-steal-my-shot philosophy. "When you've been in the league 15 years, you can kind of read situations because you've been in so many situations.
"I've been watching J.R. play, and he kind of does the same moves every time, so I was looking to get my hands on one."
Horry followed by blocking a shot by Smith who doesn't turn 22 until September which led to a 3-pointer by Finley. After Smith intercepted a pass from Finley and drove for a layup and foul, Horry erased the three-point play by making another 3-pointer.
What had been a tie game less than two minutes earlier ballooned to a 75-67 lead for the Spurs. When Smith opened the fourth quarter by throwing Ginobili to the court for a flagrant foul, the Spurs led by 10.
"We had to fight ever since," said Anthony, who scored 28 points. "I think that was the turning point of the game."
The game began with Nuggets center Marcus Camby receiving the Defensive Player of the Year award from NBA commissioner David Stern. To commemorate the event, the two teams then produced another blue-collar slugfest.
Neither team really ever settled into a rhythm, and neither could keep the other off the offensive boards.
Anthony and Iverson, who scored 12 of his 20 points in the third quarter, combined to miss eight free throws.
After Denver coach George Karl complained that Iverson didn't get a single free throw in Game 2 despite attempting 25 shots, the Nuggets made 30 trips to the foul line to the Spurs' 14. Duncan took 21 shots but two free throws. Parker didn't get one free throw to go with his 23 shots, only 10 of which he made.
"Sometimes, it's just about moving on," Bowen said.
Horry did just that. After committing a needless foul to allow Denver to draw within 92-87 with 1:04 to play, he had the ball with the shot clock ticking down.
Horry dribbled through the lane, turned, faded and fired, burying a 20-footer.
"That was huge," Ginobili said. "It was a play we couldn't get anything done. He just shot it probably without looking at the rim."
Another victory for age over experience?
"When we lose, we're older than dirt," Popovich said. "When we win, we're really experienced, executing fools. So write it any way you want."
------------
So you Spurs haters, make up your mind. Are the Spurs older than dirt and on the way out, or are they experienced, executing fools breaking your hearts day in and day out? :lol
Web Posted: 04/29/2007 12:20 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
DENVER Robert Horry is four months shy of his 37th birthday and a little less than a year removed from proclaiming himself "a dinosaur." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich became so protective of his elder statesman this season, he stopped letting him play on consecutive nights.
But April is about to give way to May, the NBA playoffs are well under way, and Horry appears to have caught scent of them once again. He swatted away a shot from a player 15 years his junior Saturday night, swiped an inbounds pass and, yes, raised those endless arms of his more than once to throw in another cold-blooded 3-pointer.
Big Shot Rob lived again, and as a result, the Spurs walked out of the Pepsi Center with a 96-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series and reclaim the home-court advantage they had lost six days earlier.
"I guess you could say this was one for the old guys," said 34-year-old Michael Finley, who made five 3-pointers and scored 16 points.
Finley's young(er) teammates also weren't too bad. Tim Duncan weathered a tough first half to finish with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Manu Ginobili scored 19, and Tony Parker overcame his own shooting woes to drive for a couple of crucial layups in the closing minutes.
The Spurs also leaned on their defense, limiting the Nuggets to 42.9 percent shooting and nine fast-break points in the frenzied environment.
"We knew their fans were going to be behind them, and it was going to be crazy here, and they were going to give them the energy we had when we were at home," said Bruce Bowen, who again did his best to make Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson work for their shots and points. "Everybody understood we had to have that bunker mentality tonight. It was just us."
Horry has thrived in such pressure situations throughout his 15-season career. Two years ago, in the same building, with the Spurs facing the same challenge, he threw in a couple of late 3-pointers to hold off Denver.
On Saturday, the Nuggets had reason to wonder whether they were watching a replay of that game. After Ginobili made a pair of free throws with 1:46 left in the third quarter,
Horry stole an inbounds pass from Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, then promptly buried a 3-pointer.
"It's one of those things where you use your knowledge," said Horry, who adheres to a my-steal-my-shot philosophy. "When you've been in the league 15 years, you can kind of read situations because you've been in so many situations.
"I've been watching J.R. play, and he kind of does the same moves every time, so I was looking to get my hands on one."
Horry followed by blocking a shot by Smith who doesn't turn 22 until September which led to a 3-pointer by Finley. After Smith intercepted a pass from Finley and drove for a layup and foul, Horry erased the three-point play by making another 3-pointer.
What had been a tie game less than two minutes earlier ballooned to a 75-67 lead for the Spurs. When Smith opened the fourth quarter by throwing Ginobili to the court for a flagrant foul, the Spurs led by 10.
"We had to fight ever since," said Anthony, who scored 28 points. "I think that was the turning point of the game."
The game began with Nuggets center Marcus Camby receiving the Defensive Player of the Year award from NBA commissioner David Stern. To commemorate the event, the two teams then produced another blue-collar slugfest.
Neither team really ever settled into a rhythm, and neither could keep the other off the offensive boards.
Anthony and Iverson, who scored 12 of his 20 points in the third quarter, combined to miss eight free throws.
After Denver coach George Karl complained that Iverson didn't get a single free throw in Game 2 despite attempting 25 shots, the Nuggets made 30 trips to the foul line to the Spurs' 14. Duncan took 21 shots but two free throws. Parker didn't get one free throw to go with his 23 shots, only 10 of which he made.
"Sometimes, it's just about moving on," Bowen said.
Horry did just that. After committing a needless foul to allow Denver to draw within 92-87 with 1:04 to play, he had the ball with the shot clock ticking down.
Horry dribbled through the lane, turned, faded and fired, burying a 20-footer.
"That was huge," Ginobili said. "It was a play we couldn't get anything done. He just shot it probably without looking at the rim."
Another victory for age over experience?
"When we lose, we're older than dirt," Popovich said. "When we win, we're really experienced, executing fools. So write it any way you want."
------------
So you Spurs haters, make up your mind. Are the Spurs older than dirt and on the way out, or are they experienced, executing fools breaking your hearts day in and day out? :lol