Kori Ellis
12-01-2004, 01:50 AM
Spurs spoil Mavs' plan
Web Posted: 12/01/2004 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA120104.1C.BKNspurs.mavs.gamer.abed4796.html
DALLAS — About 90 minutes before he would coach his first regular-season game, Avery Johnson leaned back in his chair in one of the Dallas Mavericks' offices and pointed to the large board directly behind him.
Neatly diagrammed were a half-dozen of the Spurs' plays, most of which Johnson probably drew from memory.
"Everybody has this stuff on the board," Johnson said, shaking his head. "But you still have to stop it."
And, as Johnson would testify later, stopping the Spurs isn't easy these days. Overwhelming Dallas in the fourth quarter, they rolled to a 107-89 victory that silenced a sellout crowd of 19,455 and spoiled their longtime point guard's coaching debut.
The Spurs' fourth consecutive victory — and second over Dallas in a week — gave them a 2½-game lead in the Southwest Division. It also sends them into their first game of December, tonight against Philadelphia, with a 12-3 record, matching the fewest losses the team has had in an opening month.
"We're getting there," said Tim Duncan, who had 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. "But we still have some learning and growing to do."
Two of the youngest Spurs played beyond their years Tuesday. Devin Brown and Beno Udrih each scored 16 points and helped turn a four-point game at the start of the fourth quarter into a rout.
"They didn't just play aggressively," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They played smart."
The Spurs' team defense wasn't too bad, either. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points for the Mavericks but didn't get as many looks as he would have liked. The Spurs frequently double-teamed him and brought the help from different areas of the court than they usually do.
"They bring all those crazy things on offense," Malik Rose said, "so we did some things unconventionally. I think it confused them a little bit."
Said Mavericks guard Jerry Stackhouse of the Spurs: "They can get away with a lot of that stuff, because at the end of the day they still have Tim Duncan at the basket."
No one needed to tell Johnson that. He played four seasons with Duncan and helped the Spurs win their first championship.
Mavericks coach Don Nelson delegated his duties to Johnson on Tuesday, in part, because of his history with the Spurs.
"Nellie's in Hawaii all summer thinking this stuff up," Popovich said. "He has one of those pink drinks or whatever and thinks something up and writes it down."
Considering how the Mavericks played at times Tuesday night, Johnson might have preferred Nelson postpone his debut. On one possession, Erick Dampier, Dallas' new 6-foot-11 center, let Rasho Nesterovic break the length of the court for a dunk because he was trying to pull on his shoe.
Dampier, signed to a $63million contract this summer presumably to help the Mavericks measure up to the Spurs, totaled six points, five rebounds and five turnovers in 27 minutes.
One of the Spurs' newest additions fared much better. While Udrih's teammates have raved about his passing since training camp, the rookie showed he can shoot a little, too. He hit a 14-footer at the first-quarter buzzer and went on to score nine points in eight minutes in the half, matching his previous high.
"The bench guys did a great job," said Manu Ginobili, who combined for 28 points with Tony Parker. "They were the key of the game."
That included Brown. As the Spurs left the locker room after halftime, Popovich whispered in his ear, "Be ready."
After Dallas reduced the Spurs' 16-point lead to 69-65 heading into the final quarter, Brown took his cue. He scored 10 points in the next five minutes, 15 seconds. The Mavericks never recovered.
Brown's heroics came at the expense of Johnson, who went to school with his mother.
"He's been a longtime friend of the family," Brown said. "He's going to be a great coach. If I know Avery he's going to take advantage of it."
Nelson served as Johnson's assistant, giving him a suggestion from time to time. Johnson occasionally sprang out of his chair to yell at an official or bark instructions to his players.
"He was up every time we made a call," Duncan said. "He knew what we were doing."
Knew but couldn't stop.
Web Posted: 12/01/2004 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA120104.1C.BKNspurs.mavs.gamer.abed4796.html
DALLAS — About 90 minutes before he would coach his first regular-season game, Avery Johnson leaned back in his chair in one of the Dallas Mavericks' offices and pointed to the large board directly behind him.
Neatly diagrammed were a half-dozen of the Spurs' plays, most of which Johnson probably drew from memory.
"Everybody has this stuff on the board," Johnson said, shaking his head. "But you still have to stop it."
And, as Johnson would testify later, stopping the Spurs isn't easy these days. Overwhelming Dallas in the fourth quarter, they rolled to a 107-89 victory that silenced a sellout crowd of 19,455 and spoiled their longtime point guard's coaching debut.
The Spurs' fourth consecutive victory — and second over Dallas in a week — gave them a 2½-game lead in the Southwest Division. It also sends them into their first game of December, tonight against Philadelphia, with a 12-3 record, matching the fewest losses the team has had in an opening month.
"We're getting there," said Tim Duncan, who had 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. "But we still have some learning and growing to do."
Two of the youngest Spurs played beyond their years Tuesday. Devin Brown and Beno Udrih each scored 16 points and helped turn a four-point game at the start of the fourth quarter into a rout.
"They didn't just play aggressively," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They played smart."
The Spurs' team defense wasn't too bad, either. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points for the Mavericks but didn't get as many looks as he would have liked. The Spurs frequently double-teamed him and brought the help from different areas of the court than they usually do.
"They bring all those crazy things on offense," Malik Rose said, "so we did some things unconventionally. I think it confused them a little bit."
Said Mavericks guard Jerry Stackhouse of the Spurs: "They can get away with a lot of that stuff, because at the end of the day they still have Tim Duncan at the basket."
No one needed to tell Johnson that. He played four seasons with Duncan and helped the Spurs win their first championship.
Mavericks coach Don Nelson delegated his duties to Johnson on Tuesday, in part, because of his history with the Spurs.
"Nellie's in Hawaii all summer thinking this stuff up," Popovich said. "He has one of those pink drinks or whatever and thinks something up and writes it down."
Considering how the Mavericks played at times Tuesday night, Johnson might have preferred Nelson postpone his debut. On one possession, Erick Dampier, Dallas' new 6-foot-11 center, let Rasho Nesterovic break the length of the court for a dunk because he was trying to pull on his shoe.
Dampier, signed to a $63million contract this summer presumably to help the Mavericks measure up to the Spurs, totaled six points, five rebounds and five turnovers in 27 minutes.
One of the Spurs' newest additions fared much better. While Udrih's teammates have raved about his passing since training camp, the rookie showed he can shoot a little, too. He hit a 14-footer at the first-quarter buzzer and went on to score nine points in eight minutes in the half, matching his previous high.
"The bench guys did a great job," said Manu Ginobili, who combined for 28 points with Tony Parker. "They were the key of the game."
That included Brown. As the Spurs left the locker room after halftime, Popovich whispered in his ear, "Be ready."
After Dallas reduced the Spurs' 16-point lead to 69-65 heading into the final quarter, Brown took his cue. He scored 10 points in the next five minutes, 15 seconds. The Mavericks never recovered.
Brown's heroics came at the expense of Johnson, who went to school with his mother.
"He's been a longtime friend of the family," Brown said. "He's going to be a great coach. If I know Avery he's going to take advantage of it."
Nelson served as Johnson's assistant, giving him a suggestion from time to time. Johnson occasionally sprang out of his chair to yell at an official or bark instructions to his players.
"He was up every time we made a call," Duncan said. "He knew what we were doing."
Knew but couldn't stop.