boutons_
05-13-2007, 01:17 PM
May 13, 2007
Spurs 108, Suns 101
A Black Eye Is the Mark of a Winner for Ginóbili
By LIZ ROBBINS (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/liz_robbins/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
SAN ANTONIO, May 12 — Manu Ginóbili’s shiner bloomed immediately under his left eye, a dark mark of pride.
In a series emblazoned by bandages and bruises — on faces and egos — Ginóbili finally got into the fray Saturday night. He had been missing, literally and figuratively, in the Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ first two games of the Western Conference semifinals against the Phoenix Suns (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/phoenixsuns/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
But on one dynamic drive in the final minute and 33 seconds of the third quarter, Ginóbili, the Spurs guard from Argentina known as “El Contusion,” changed the game.
The Suns’ Shawn Marion, trying to strip the ball, swiped Ginóbili’s left eye instead. Ginóbili kept going, his eye starting to blur, and his shot was blocked by Raja Bell. The Spurs kept the ball and Ginóbili dropped in a floater, igniting a personal 8-0 run to end the third quarter that lifted San Antonio to a 108-101 victory in Game 3.
Ginóbili finished with 24 points, complementing Tim Duncan (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/tim_duncan/index.html?inline=nyt-per)’s monumental night of 33 points and 19 rebounds that enabled the Spurs to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“The eye still looks pretty bad,” Duncan said. “But it fixed his shot, so I might do the other eye on Monday.”
Ginóbili came into the game having shot 5 for 14 in the first two games against the Suns. He finished the night with his eye swollen and a deep purple bruise to show for his 8-for-19 performance. His scored 12 points in the crucial third quarter.
After he scored on the initial shot after the injury to put the Spurs ahead by 3, Ginóbili said his vision cleared. He drew a foul from Bell while shooting a 3-pointer and made all three free throws.
On the next play, propelled by a steal from Bowen, Ginóbili came down and made a 3-pointer to give the Spurs an 80-71 lead.
The arena erupted.
Upon further reflection — and medical attention after the game — Ginóbili had to agree that the shiner turned the game his way, and the Spurs’ way. “It really helped me,” he said, “because I got upset and I started attacking the rim harder.”
( fucking emotional Latins! http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif )
His aggressiveness was emblematic of a veteran team hungry to win its third N.B.A. title in five seasons. The Suns, meanwhile, struggled with foul trouble, with shooting and even with their emotions against a Spurs team that has won 7 of the past 10 playoff games against them in San Antonio.
The Suns’ center, Amare Stoudemire, who had called the Spurs dirty players — singling out Bruce Bowen — after the Suns’ 101-81 victory in Game 2, picked up two quick fouls in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter and was relegated to the bench.
Steve Nash, the Suns point guard and the league’s two-time most valuable player, uncharacteristically missed his first nine shots, going scoreless in the first half.
With a bandage on his nose covering the stitches he received in his gruesome collision with Tony Parker in Game 1, Nash tried to rally his team from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, bringing the Suns within 6 points.
But when Stoudemire failed to connect on an alley-oop pass from Nash with 1:18 remaining and the Suns trailing by 9 points, it told the story of Phoenix’s night.
“I just had a bad game; it’s just frustrating to have it at such a big game,” Nash said after finishing with 16 points, 11 assists and 5 turnovers. “I just have to be positive and aggressive and go for it. I can’t explain it. It just wasn’t my night.”
For a while, it appeared as if it would not be Ginóbili’s night either. He went 3 for 8 in the first half, missing easy layups and open jumpers, but the Spurs managed to take a 55-53 lead at halftime. “If Manu doesn’t score, we have a problem,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. “Manu was a big part of this.”
Stoudemire — who scored 21 points in 20 minutes — was absent when it counted. “We’ve just got to stay on the floor longer and play a little tougher,” Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni said. He was angry with his players for their lack of aggression, calling the series physical — on the Spurs side.
Stoudemire did not have to guard Duncan. That job went to the Suns’ Kurt Thomas (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/kurt_thomas/index.html?inline=nyt-per) for the second game in a row. Duncan started the game with two bank shots, setting the tone for the night.
When Thomas picked up his third foul, with 3:25 to play in the second quarter and the Suns ahead by 5 points, Boris Diaw struggled off the bench to contain Duncan.
Duncan scored 18 points in the first half and was just as steady in the second.
“Tim Duncan was Tim Duncan,” D’Antoni said. “He’s really good. No, he’s really great.”
While Duncan showed his veteran savvy and admitted that Stoudemire’s comments about his team being “dirty” gave the Spurs a chip on their shoulder, Stoudemire crumbled. “It’s tough,” Nash said. “I think he still trying to figure it out, but he’s a young player. He’ll have to try to not let it happen again.”
The Spurs called Stoudemire’s comments off-base, at best.
“We’re right up there with the Raiders and the old Pistons (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/detroitpistons/index.html?inline=nyt-org), no doubt about that,” Popovich said before the game, in a perfect deadpan. “We’ve been the Black and Silver Mean Machine for a decade now, everybody knows that.” http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif
Instead, for the last decade, the Spurs have crushed opponents in subtle ways: with stifling defense; with balanced scoring; and when they need it most, the Spurs seem to find the burst from their x-factor, the guard coming off the bench. At this time of year, Ginóbili is usually the one flinging himself to the basket and to the court, making plays happen. This night made his team come alive.
“El Contusion is still the same,” Duncan said. “He just added another body part to it.”
Spurs 108, Suns 101
A Black Eye Is the Mark of a Winner for Ginóbili
By LIZ ROBBINS (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/liz_robbins/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
SAN ANTONIO, May 12 — Manu Ginóbili’s shiner bloomed immediately under his left eye, a dark mark of pride.
In a series emblazoned by bandages and bruises — on faces and egos — Ginóbili finally got into the fray Saturday night. He had been missing, literally and figuratively, in the Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ first two games of the Western Conference semifinals against the Phoenix Suns (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/phoenixsuns/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
But on one dynamic drive in the final minute and 33 seconds of the third quarter, Ginóbili, the Spurs guard from Argentina known as “El Contusion,” changed the game.
The Suns’ Shawn Marion, trying to strip the ball, swiped Ginóbili’s left eye instead. Ginóbili kept going, his eye starting to blur, and his shot was blocked by Raja Bell. The Spurs kept the ball and Ginóbili dropped in a floater, igniting a personal 8-0 run to end the third quarter that lifted San Antonio to a 108-101 victory in Game 3.
Ginóbili finished with 24 points, complementing Tim Duncan (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/tim_duncan/index.html?inline=nyt-per)’s monumental night of 33 points and 19 rebounds that enabled the Spurs to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“The eye still looks pretty bad,” Duncan said. “But it fixed his shot, so I might do the other eye on Monday.”
Ginóbili came into the game having shot 5 for 14 in the first two games against the Suns. He finished the night with his eye swollen and a deep purple bruise to show for his 8-for-19 performance. His scored 12 points in the crucial third quarter.
After he scored on the initial shot after the injury to put the Spurs ahead by 3, Ginóbili said his vision cleared. He drew a foul from Bell while shooting a 3-pointer and made all three free throws.
On the next play, propelled by a steal from Bowen, Ginóbili came down and made a 3-pointer to give the Spurs an 80-71 lead.
The arena erupted.
Upon further reflection — and medical attention after the game — Ginóbili had to agree that the shiner turned the game his way, and the Spurs’ way. “It really helped me,” he said, “because I got upset and I started attacking the rim harder.”
( fucking emotional Latins! http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif )
His aggressiveness was emblematic of a veteran team hungry to win its third N.B.A. title in five seasons. The Suns, meanwhile, struggled with foul trouble, with shooting and even with their emotions against a Spurs team that has won 7 of the past 10 playoff games against them in San Antonio.
The Suns’ center, Amare Stoudemire, who had called the Spurs dirty players — singling out Bruce Bowen — after the Suns’ 101-81 victory in Game 2, picked up two quick fouls in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter and was relegated to the bench.
Steve Nash, the Suns point guard and the league’s two-time most valuable player, uncharacteristically missed his first nine shots, going scoreless in the first half.
With a bandage on his nose covering the stitches he received in his gruesome collision with Tony Parker in Game 1, Nash tried to rally his team from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, bringing the Suns within 6 points.
But when Stoudemire failed to connect on an alley-oop pass from Nash with 1:18 remaining and the Suns trailing by 9 points, it told the story of Phoenix’s night.
“I just had a bad game; it’s just frustrating to have it at such a big game,” Nash said after finishing with 16 points, 11 assists and 5 turnovers. “I just have to be positive and aggressive and go for it. I can’t explain it. It just wasn’t my night.”
For a while, it appeared as if it would not be Ginóbili’s night either. He went 3 for 8 in the first half, missing easy layups and open jumpers, but the Spurs managed to take a 55-53 lead at halftime. “If Manu doesn’t score, we have a problem,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. “Manu was a big part of this.”
Stoudemire — who scored 21 points in 20 minutes — was absent when it counted. “We’ve just got to stay on the floor longer and play a little tougher,” Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni said. He was angry with his players for their lack of aggression, calling the series physical — on the Spurs side.
Stoudemire did not have to guard Duncan. That job went to the Suns’ Kurt Thomas (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/kurt_thomas/index.html?inline=nyt-per) for the second game in a row. Duncan started the game with two bank shots, setting the tone for the night.
When Thomas picked up his third foul, with 3:25 to play in the second quarter and the Suns ahead by 5 points, Boris Diaw struggled off the bench to contain Duncan.
Duncan scored 18 points in the first half and was just as steady in the second.
“Tim Duncan was Tim Duncan,” D’Antoni said. “He’s really good. No, he’s really great.”
While Duncan showed his veteran savvy and admitted that Stoudemire’s comments about his team being “dirty” gave the Spurs a chip on their shoulder, Stoudemire crumbled. “It’s tough,” Nash said. “I think he still trying to figure it out, but he’s a young player. He’ll have to try to not let it happen again.”
The Spurs called Stoudemire’s comments off-base, at best.
“We’re right up there with the Raiders and the old Pistons (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/detroitpistons/index.html?inline=nyt-org), no doubt about that,” Popovich said before the game, in a perfect deadpan. “We’ve been the Black and Silver Mean Machine for a decade now, everybody knows that.” http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif
Instead, for the last decade, the Spurs have crushed opponents in subtle ways: with stifling defense; with balanced scoring; and when they need it most, the Spurs seem to find the burst from their x-factor, the guard coming off the bench. At this time of year, Ginóbili is usually the one flinging himself to the basket and to the court, making plays happen. This night made his team come alive.
“El Contusion is still the same,” Duncan said. “He just added another body part to it.”