Spurs Brazil
05-14-2007, 06:38 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051407.1C.spurs.355591d.html
'Soft' Spurs chuckle at their newer, tougher reputation
Web Posted: 05/13/2007 11:19 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
They are a motley collection of spindly foreign parts and past-their-primers waiting for their Social Security to kick in, many of them still a couple value meals shy of 200 pounds.
Their coach calls them soft twice a season, and their star forward's rap sheet begins and ends with an ejection for laughing. They have been branded too nice, too boring — the NBA's Milk & Cookies Gang, a label affixed by one of their own.
And yet the Spurs have somehow arrived here, dirty and bruised, one eye nearly swollen shut, their backs stiff from pushing and being pushed, their elbows (and at least one knee) allegedly sharpened to a razor's edge.
The Spurs lead the Phoenix Suns 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series with Game 4 tonight at the AT&T Center, and if you ask their opponent, the difference has been fouls, physicality and toughness.
"We realize for a long time people want to call the West soft, call the Spurs soft," Robert Horry said. "We're just going out trying to play hard."
Manu Ginobili's puffy left eye was the latest piece of evidence. Raked in the face Saturday night by Suns forward Shawn Marion, Ginobili began his Sunday morning with a visit to the doctor.
When he later met reporters, his eye was narrowly opened, and the welt underneath had turned from red to purple to green. He said the eye has bothered him when he moves his head quickly but that the doctor told him those symptoms should clear before tonight's game.
"I just felt a little pressure inside the eye, but no big deal," Ginobili said. "I'm good to go."
From Ginobili's eye to Steve Nash's split nose to Bruce Bowen's "clip" of Amare Stoudemire, the series has had its share of spilled blood and raised tempers. Stoudemire called the Spurs dirty, saying Bowen intentionally kicked him, and Bowen didn't help his reputation Saturday when he kneed Nash in the crotch — an incident the NBA is investigating, a league spokesman said Sunday night.
As a result, the Suns spent much of their pre-practice media session talking about their need to get tougher.
"I don't think it's matching elbow for elbow," Phoenix guard Raja Bell said. "Look, you get caught up in that with them and you will lose. They're good at it.
"You can't get caught up in that as much as everyone would like to spin it and have us out there fighting tomorrow night. I hope guys understand that's not the answer.
"More so, the answer is being mentally tough against a team like that."
The Spurs have shot 45.6 percent in the series to Phoenix's 49.2 percent, but have outrebounded the Suns by an average 53.3-44.0. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni expects his team to raise its physicality tonight, but also wants to cut back its fouls.
"That's what San Antonio does," D'Antoni said. "Or they don't get called. You just can't get called on your fouls. You've got to be smart."
Stoudemire has had a difficult time following that edict. His 3.6 fouls per game were the league's fourth-highest average during the regular season. Further foul trouble limited him to 21 minutes Saturday, including just eight in the second half.
"There's just a few possessions that you have let players dunk or score to stay out of foul trouble," Stoudemire said. "I think giving up two points, if it helps me stay on the court, is more important. I've got to stay on the court."
The Spurs, who have been called for 65 fouls in the series to the Suns' 62, have laughed at their sudden makeover. In past seasons, they shouldered criticism for being a finesse team. Now they're rugged or, at least in Stoudemire's opinion, dirty.
Duncan couldn't stifle a laugh Saturday when asked if this was one of the most physical playoff series of his career.
"Did you watch last series?" Duncan said, referring to the Spurs' first-round tussle with the Denver Nuggets. "Those guys last series were a lot more physical than these guys."
That said, the Spurs also know they're facing a defense much better than its reputation. They've already succumbed to Phoenix's aggressiveness in Game 2 and the Suns — not wanting to go home in a 3-1 hole — will be playing even more desperate tonight.
"Every time you cut down the lane you're going to feel a bump," Ginobili said. "We can't set clear screens because everybody is in the paint, trying to push each other. ... so it's hard to get easy layups and stuff like that.
"That's how it usually is in the playoffs: Nobody wants to give anything."
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'Soft' Spurs chuckle at their newer, tougher reputation
Web Posted: 05/13/2007 11:19 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
They are a motley collection of spindly foreign parts and past-their-primers waiting for their Social Security to kick in, many of them still a couple value meals shy of 200 pounds.
Their coach calls them soft twice a season, and their star forward's rap sheet begins and ends with an ejection for laughing. They have been branded too nice, too boring — the NBA's Milk & Cookies Gang, a label affixed by one of their own.
And yet the Spurs have somehow arrived here, dirty and bruised, one eye nearly swollen shut, their backs stiff from pushing and being pushed, their elbows (and at least one knee) allegedly sharpened to a razor's edge.
The Spurs lead the Phoenix Suns 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series with Game 4 tonight at the AT&T Center, and if you ask their opponent, the difference has been fouls, physicality and toughness.
"We realize for a long time people want to call the West soft, call the Spurs soft," Robert Horry said. "We're just going out trying to play hard."
Manu Ginobili's puffy left eye was the latest piece of evidence. Raked in the face Saturday night by Suns forward Shawn Marion, Ginobili began his Sunday morning with a visit to the doctor.
When he later met reporters, his eye was narrowly opened, and the welt underneath had turned from red to purple to green. He said the eye has bothered him when he moves his head quickly but that the doctor told him those symptoms should clear before tonight's game.
"I just felt a little pressure inside the eye, but no big deal," Ginobili said. "I'm good to go."
From Ginobili's eye to Steve Nash's split nose to Bruce Bowen's "clip" of Amare Stoudemire, the series has had its share of spilled blood and raised tempers. Stoudemire called the Spurs dirty, saying Bowen intentionally kicked him, and Bowen didn't help his reputation Saturday when he kneed Nash in the crotch — an incident the NBA is investigating, a league spokesman said Sunday night.
As a result, the Suns spent much of their pre-practice media session talking about their need to get tougher.
"I don't think it's matching elbow for elbow," Phoenix guard Raja Bell said. "Look, you get caught up in that with them and you will lose. They're good at it.
"You can't get caught up in that as much as everyone would like to spin it and have us out there fighting tomorrow night. I hope guys understand that's not the answer.
"More so, the answer is being mentally tough against a team like that."
The Spurs have shot 45.6 percent in the series to Phoenix's 49.2 percent, but have outrebounded the Suns by an average 53.3-44.0. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni expects his team to raise its physicality tonight, but also wants to cut back its fouls.
"That's what San Antonio does," D'Antoni said. "Or they don't get called. You just can't get called on your fouls. You've got to be smart."
Stoudemire has had a difficult time following that edict. His 3.6 fouls per game were the league's fourth-highest average during the regular season. Further foul trouble limited him to 21 minutes Saturday, including just eight in the second half.
"There's just a few possessions that you have let players dunk or score to stay out of foul trouble," Stoudemire said. "I think giving up two points, if it helps me stay on the court, is more important. I've got to stay on the court."
The Spurs, who have been called for 65 fouls in the series to the Suns' 62, have laughed at their sudden makeover. In past seasons, they shouldered criticism for being a finesse team. Now they're rugged or, at least in Stoudemire's opinion, dirty.
Duncan couldn't stifle a laugh Saturday when asked if this was one of the most physical playoff series of his career.
"Did you watch last series?" Duncan said, referring to the Spurs' first-round tussle with the Denver Nuggets. "Those guys last series were a lot more physical than these guys."
That said, the Spurs also know they're facing a defense much better than its reputation. They've already succumbed to Phoenix's aggressiveness in Game 2 and the Suns — not wanting to go home in a 3-1 hole — will be playing even more desperate tonight.
"Every time you cut down the lane you're going to feel a bump," Ginobili said. "We can't set clear screens because everybody is in the paint, trying to push each other. ... so it's hard to get easy layups and stuff like that.
"That's how it usually is in the playoffs: Nobody wants to give anything."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[email protected]