timvp
05-27-2007, 06:14 PM
Suddenly flappable: Popovich reboots the Spurs
Buck Harvey
San Antonio Express-News
SALT LAKE CITY — These are the nights when they've disagreed. Gregg Popovich gets harsh, and Tim Duncan sees the gray area.
They've done it for a decade now. They did it after a notably disappointing loss in Miami this season, and they did it again Saturday night. Then Popovich talked about rear ends being kicked, and Duncan chose other words.
Among them were "foul" and "trouble."
But Duncan has said this is mostly semantics. He doesn't question Popovich's tough-love direction, and he won't this time.
The worst loss of the season will have that effect.
No one should be surprised Utah responded. This isn't the first round, after all, and the Jazz did something right to get to the conference finals.
And when the Spurs countered in the third quarter with two measly rebounds? This playoff game looked like the last one that Popovich and Duncan had in Utah.
Then, in 1998, they were eliminated by the Stockton-Malone Jazz, and Avery Johnson framed it afterward. "It's like they're the parents and we're the children," AJ said then. "One of these days the children have to grow up."
Duncan had an excuse then, suffering from a badly sprained ankle in that series. Saturday, instead, he had a normal excuse.
Credit Mehmet Okur. He couldn't score a point, but he seemingly scored every time he reached in against Duncan. He stripped Duncan when he wasn't punching the ball out of Duncan's grasp, and it didn't take long before Duncan looked frustrated.
It was a startling reversal after the first two games of the series, when Duncan had been in control. But Popovich, an hour before the game began, acknowledged that these things happen.
"We're unflappable at times and other times we're flappable," Popovich said. "We are human. We aren't automatons."
For those wondering about automatons: It's another word for robot.
On this night, Duncan was closer to being robotic. And he brought this on himself. He fouled Jarron Collins on a score in the first quarter and, just a minute later, he foolishly went over the back of Andrei Kirilenko to draw another.
Flappable, all right.
From there Duncan sat until he bumped his body into Matt Harpring with about four minutes left in the first half. This wasn't an officiating mess; these three calls against Duncan were legit.
Given that, given the blue-shirted atmosphere in this arena, the Spurs still led at half. It was also a two-point game midway through the third quarter. Then, pivoting inside, Duncan banged Collins and drew his fourth foul.
Collins afterward credited some film work. Collins said he studied Duncan over these last few days, and he said he noticed how much Duncan "likes his left shoulder."
Meaning, Duncan spins that way. So Collins planted, squared up and took Duncan's charge. Yet again, it was a good call.
Duncan's didn't dispute any of this afterward. But he admitted the foul situation changed more than the obvious, which was his limited time on the court. He was as out of rhythm Saturday as he was with a sprained ankle here as a rookie.
Asked if the fouls and the Jazz defense got in his head, Duncan said: "I think the fouls did. It's tough to get going and to stay aggressive when you have fouls on you like that."
Collins saw the same. "He was pressing a little bit because he couldn't find his shots, and being in foul trouble probably played into it."
Duncan sat again, then started the fourth quarter only to pick up his fifth. From there everything caved. Or, as Popovich chose to frame it, "They upped the stakes and we folded, both mentally and physically."
It could have been another February when Popovich throws out the annual "soft" slur. And just as Duncan plays the good cop in those times, he did again Saturday.
The farthest Duncan would go: "They just played a better game than us for a longer time."
Again, Popovich and Duncan have done this for a long time. And however they differ, Duncan typically follows Popovich's lead. He takes the words to heart, and he responds accordingly.
That comes Monday.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052707.01X.COL.BKNharvey.spurs.3af1597.html
Buck Harvey
San Antonio Express-News
SALT LAKE CITY — These are the nights when they've disagreed. Gregg Popovich gets harsh, and Tim Duncan sees the gray area.
They've done it for a decade now. They did it after a notably disappointing loss in Miami this season, and they did it again Saturday night. Then Popovich talked about rear ends being kicked, and Duncan chose other words.
Among them were "foul" and "trouble."
But Duncan has said this is mostly semantics. He doesn't question Popovich's tough-love direction, and he won't this time.
The worst loss of the season will have that effect.
No one should be surprised Utah responded. This isn't the first round, after all, and the Jazz did something right to get to the conference finals.
And when the Spurs countered in the third quarter with two measly rebounds? This playoff game looked like the last one that Popovich and Duncan had in Utah.
Then, in 1998, they were eliminated by the Stockton-Malone Jazz, and Avery Johnson framed it afterward. "It's like they're the parents and we're the children," AJ said then. "One of these days the children have to grow up."
Duncan had an excuse then, suffering from a badly sprained ankle in that series. Saturday, instead, he had a normal excuse.
Credit Mehmet Okur. He couldn't score a point, but he seemingly scored every time he reached in against Duncan. He stripped Duncan when he wasn't punching the ball out of Duncan's grasp, and it didn't take long before Duncan looked frustrated.
It was a startling reversal after the first two games of the series, when Duncan had been in control. But Popovich, an hour before the game began, acknowledged that these things happen.
"We're unflappable at times and other times we're flappable," Popovich said. "We are human. We aren't automatons."
For those wondering about automatons: It's another word for robot.
On this night, Duncan was closer to being robotic. And he brought this on himself. He fouled Jarron Collins on a score in the first quarter and, just a minute later, he foolishly went over the back of Andrei Kirilenko to draw another.
Flappable, all right.
From there Duncan sat until he bumped his body into Matt Harpring with about four minutes left in the first half. This wasn't an officiating mess; these three calls against Duncan were legit.
Given that, given the blue-shirted atmosphere in this arena, the Spurs still led at half. It was also a two-point game midway through the third quarter. Then, pivoting inside, Duncan banged Collins and drew his fourth foul.
Collins afterward credited some film work. Collins said he studied Duncan over these last few days, and he said he noticed how much Duncan "likes his left shoulder."
Meaning, Duncan spins that way. So Collins planted, squared up and took Duncan's charge. Yet again, it was a good call.
Duncan's didn't dispute any of this afterward. But he admitted the foul situation changed more than the obvious, which was his limited time on the court. He was as out of rhythm Saturday as he was with a sprained ankle here as a rookie.
Asked if the fouls and the Jazz defense got in his head, Duncan said: "I think the fouls did. It's tough to get going and to stay aggressive when you have fouls on you like that."
Collins saw the same. "He was pressing a little bit because he couldn't find his shots, and being in foul trouble probably played into it."
Duncan sat again, then started the fourth quarter only to pick up his fifth. From there everything caved. Or, as Popovich chose to frame it, "They upped the stakes and we folded, both mentally and physically."
It could have been another February when Popovich throws out the annual "soft" slur. And just as Duncan plays the good cop in those times, he did again Saturday.
The farthest Duncan would go: "They just played a better game than us for a longer time."
Again, Popovich and Duncan have done this for a long time. And however they differ, Duncan typically follows Popovich's lead. He takes the words to heart, and he responds accordingly.
That comes Monday.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052707.01X.COL.BKNharvey.spurs.3af1597.html