Solid D
12-10-2004, 01:17 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA121004.1C.BKNspurs.rockets.gamer.2077cc8.html
Late rally stuns Spurs
Web Posted: 12/10/2004 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
HOUSTON — It took a remarkable combination of unlikely occurrences for the Houston Rockets even to have a chance to score 13 points in the final 35 seconds Thursday night to defeat the Spurs 81-80 at the Toyota Center.
Mostly, it took unreal shooting by Tracy McGrady. McGrady, the two-time NBA scoring champion, made four 3-point shots and scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including a 26-footer with 1.7seconds remaining, to send the Spurs to San Antonio with a second loss in as many nights.
The Spurs, for their part, were disheartened after watching a game that seemed to be in their grasp — they were up 10 with 1:02 remaining — snatched away by McGrady's heroics.
McGrady got the ball a final time after Spurs guard Devin Brown fell down in the corner of the Spurs' frontcourt with 7.9 seconds remaining, the Spurs leading 80-78. Brown had received an in-bounds pass from Brent Barry on a play started with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Brown was about to be double-teamed by Scott Padgett and Ryan Bowen when he spun to his right and slipped. As he lost control of the ball, he could only watch in horror as it rolled right into McGrady's hands.
McGrady headed straight upcourt when he picked up Brown's fumble. Though the Rockets didn't need a 3-pointer to tie, McGrady pulled up 26 feet away, nevertheless, and who could blame him?
"Man, to be honest with you this really hasn't hit me yet," McGrady said when asked about his scoring binge, "but what am I thinking? I'm just thinking, 'Don't quit. Just get the ball up and just try to get a shot off. When they take the ball out, try to get a steal. And if we don't get a steal, foul and put them on the free-throw line.'"
Ordinarily, putting the Spurs on the line in a close game is great strategy. The Spurs have been better this season than last, when they were last in the NBA in free-throw percentage, but their 72.1 percentage heading into the game still ranked 26th out of 30 teams.
This time, the Spurs were perfect on six free throws in the final 44 seconds, and they made 7 of 8 in the final minute.
None of it mattered, though, because McGrady could not miss from long range — and two of his 3-pointers came from 3 feet behind the line.
The most damaging was a 3-pointer that turned into a rare four-point play. McGrady pump-faked Tim Duncan off his feet, leaned into him to make sure there was contact and tossed up an off-balance shot as he was falling down.
It went in, and he was perfect on the free throw, too, trimming a seven-point Spurs lead to three with 24.3 seconds left.
The Spurs contributed to McGrady's heroics by committing two turnovers in the final 47 seconds. Even worse than Brown's slip at the end was an errant inbounds pass by Tony Parker after a basket by Yao Ming. It went straight to Padgett, who dunked it just three seconds after Yao's score.
"I thought we got a little sloppy, obviously, down the stretch," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "and Tracy took advantage of it and was unbelievable.
"End of story."
It wasn't quite that simple, and Popovich knew it.
"A lot of things had to happen for that outcome in the game," he said. "I think we took eight or 10 free throws down the stretch and didn't miss a one, but a couple of sloppy passes, and Devin Brown caught the ball at the end and had to be fouled, and he fell down.
"All those things had to happen, and Tracy had to make all those shots. And he got Timmy in an awkward way and made the four-point play down the stretch."
Duncan regretted going for McGrady's fake but said there was little he could do to avoid contact once he left his feet.
"He pump-faked me and I went for it, and he jumped into me," Duncan said. "It was a great play by him."
Popovich most regretted that his club's effort and defensive intensity — before that final burst the Spurs had been as stingy as they had been all season — went for naught.
"That's an awful lot of stuff to have to happen," Popovich said, "but we contributed and Tracy was great."
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Late rally stuns Spurs
Web Posted: 12/10/2004 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
HOUSTON — It took a remarkable combination of unlikely occurrences for the Houston Rockets even to have a chance to score 13 points in the final 35 seconds Thursday night to defeat the Spurs 81-80 at the Toyota Center.
Mostly, it took unreal shooting by Tracy McGrady. McGrady, the two-time NBA scoring champion, made four 3-point shots and scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including a 26-footer with 1.7seconds remaining, to send the Spurs to San Antonio with a second loss in as many nights.
The Spurs, for their part, were disheartened after watching a game that seemed to be in their grasp — they were up 10 with 1:02 remaining — snatched away by McGrady's heroics.
McGrady got the ball a final time after Spurs guard Devin Brown fell down in the corner of the Spurs' frontcourt with 7.9 seconds remaining, the Spurs leading 80-78. Brown had received an in-bounds pass from Brent Barry on a play started with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Brown was about to be double-teamed by Scott Padgett and Ryan Bowen when he spun to his right and slipped. As he lost control of the ball, he could only watch in horror as it rolled right into McGrady's hands.
McGrady headed straight upcourt when he picked up Brown's fumble. Though the Rockets didn't need a 3-pointer to tie, McGrady pulled up 26 feet away, nevertheless, and who could blame him?
"Man, to be honest with you this really hasn't hit me yet," McGrady said when asked about his scoring binge, "but what am I thinking? I'm just thinking, 'Don't quit. Just get the ball up and just try to get a shot off. When they take the ball out, try to get a steal. And if we don't get a steal, foul and put them on the free-throw line.'"
Ordinarily, putting the Spurs on the line in a close game is great strategy. The Spurs have been better this season than last, when they were last in the NBA in free-throw percentage, but their 72.1 percentage heading into the game still ranked 26th out of 30 teams.
This time, the Spurs were perfect on six free throws in the final 44 seconds, and they made 7 of 8 in the final minute.
None of it mattered, though, because McGrady could not miss from long range — and two of his 3-pointers came from 3 feet behind the line.
The most damaging was a 3-pointer that turned into a rare four-point play. McGrady pump-faked Tim Duncan off his feet, leaned into him to make sure there was contact and tossed up an off-balance shot as he was falling down.
It went in, and he was perfect on the free throw, too, trimming a seven-point Spurs lead to three with 24.3 seconds left.
The Spurs contributed to McGrady's heroics by committing two turnovers in the final 47 seconds. Even worse than Brown's slip at the end was an errant inbounds pass by Tony Parker after a basket by Yao Ming. It went straight to Padgett, who dunked it just three seconds after Yao's score.
"I thought we got a little sloppy, obviously, down the stretch," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "and Tracy took advantage of it and was unbelievable.
"End of story."
It wasn't quite that simple, and Popovich knew it.
"A lot of things had to happen for that outcome in the game," he said. "I think we took eight or 10 free throws down the stretch and didn't miss a one, but a couple of sloppy passes, and Devin Brown caught the ball at the end and had to be fouled, and he fell down.
"All those things had to happen, and Tracy had to make all those shots. And he got Timmy in an awkward way and made the four-point play down the stretch."
Duncan regretted going for McGrady's fake but said there was little he could do to avoid contact once he left his feet.
"He pump-faked me and I went for it, and he jumped into me," Duncan said. "It was a great play by him."
Popovich most regretted that his club's effort and defensive intensity — before that final burst the Spurs had been as stingy as they had been all season — went for naught.
"That's an awful lot of stuff to have to happen," Popovich said, "but we contributed and Tracy was great."
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