Spurs Brazil
11-24-2007, 08:26 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA112407.SpursNotes.en.32215fa.html
Spurs Notebook: Elson wears mask after elbow shot
Web Posted: 11/24/2007 01:18 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News staff writer
Spurs center Francisco Elson had played three-plus games without his protective facemask, but a forearm to the face from Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay prompted him to don the custom-fitted clear plastic device for the second half of the Spurs' game on Saturday night at the AT&T Center.
The mask was fashioned for Elson late this summer after he fractured the orbital bone around his left eye while playing for the Dutch national team in a tournament that preceded the FIBA European championships.
Elson had complained the mask gave him double vision as he looked upward for rebounds and occasionally bothered him when he could not keep sweat out of his eyes. He stopped wearing it three games ago and had not had any problems before Friday.
Gay nailed Elson with the forearm as the Spurs' center scored on a layin with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter. He converted the three-point play after Gay was whistled for a foul and remained in the game for the first 5:03 of the second quarter.
"I dunked it and he popped me," Elson said, "so it was kind of sore and swollen. But it's fine now."
Trainer Will Sevening examined Elson's face and found no damage, but Elson decided at halftime to wear the mask in the second half.
"It scared me a little bit, of course," Elson said. "It's my eye."
The mask didn't seem to impede his vision when he stole a pass under the Grizzlies' basket and started a fast break, finishing at the other end by taking a tough bounce pass from Manu Ginobili and dunking.
"I was coming full stride," Elson said. "Any pass Manu throws is tough, but I had to catch that. I had to get my hands ready for that one."
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/aa/fullj.27b14d5cccfd8c3832bd8dd9cb1083d9/27b14d5cccfd8c3832bd8dd9cb1083d9-getty-76075822ce008_griz_spur.jpg
Tough transition: Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni, in his first season as head coach in Memphis after five seasons as an assistant in Phoenix, said he has gained a greater appreciation for the success the Suns have enjoyed under Mike D'Antoni.
"I am having some fun," Iavaroni said. "I don't like some of the results, but I like being in the middle of it.
"You appreciate what you had more, in terms of those (Suns) earning their stripes. Now we're having these guys earn their stripes. It makes you appreciate it more, and you know it doesn't happen overnight."
Honest ref: Referee Gary Zielinski had to admit his error when he missed an obvious double-dribble by Memphis' Mike Miller late in the third quarter. The play happened right in front of the Spurs' bench, so coach Gregg Popovich and his assistants were on their feet protesting the call.
When Tim Duncan stole the ball from Miller after the missed violation and a time out was called, Zielinski shook his head and acknowledged to the Spurs that he had missed the call.
Spurs Notebook: Elson wears mask after elbow shot
Web Posted: 11/24/2007 01:18 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News staff writer
Spurs center Francisco Elson had played three-plus games without his protective facemask, but a forearm to the face from Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay prompted him to don the custom-fitted clear plastic device for the second half of the Spurs' game on Saturday night at the AT&T Center.
The mask was fashioned for Elson late this summer after he fractured the orbital bone around his left eye while playing for the Dutch national team in a tournament that preceded the FIBA European championships.
Elson had complained the mask gave him double vision as he looked upward for rebounds and occasionally bothered him when he could not keep sweat out of his eyes. He stopped wearing it three games ago and had not had any problems before Friday.
Gay nailed Elson with the forearm as the Spurs' center scored on a layin with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter. He converted the three-point play after Gay was whistled for a foul and remained in the game for the first 5:03 of the second quarter.
"I dunked it and he popped me," Elson said, "so it was kind of sore and swollen. But it's fine now."
Trainer Will Sevening examined Elson's face and found no damage, but Elson decided at halftime to wear the mask in the second half.
"It scared me a little bit, of course," Elson said. "It's my eye."
The mask didn't seem to impede his vision when he stole a pass under the Grizzlies' basket and started a fast break, finishing at the other end by taking a tough bounce pass from Manu Ginobili and dunking.
"I was coming full stride," Elson said. "Any pass Manu throws is tough, but I had to catch that. I had to get my hands ready for that one."
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/aa/fullj.27b14d5cccfd8c3832bd8dd9cb1083d9/27b14d5cccfd8c3832bd8dd9cb1083d9-getty-76075822ce008_griz_spur.jpg
Tough transition: Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni, in his first season as head coach in Memphis after five seasons as an assistant in Phoenix, said he has gained a greater appreciation for the success the Suns have enjoyed under Mike D'Antoni.
"I am having some fun," Iavaroni said. "I don't like some of the results, but I like being in the middle of it.
"You appreciate what you had more, in terms of those (Suns) earning their stripes. Now we're having these guys earn their stripes. It makes you appreciate it more, and you know it doesn't happen overnight."
Honest ref: Referee Gary Zielinski had to admit his error when he missed an obvious double-dribble by Memphis' Mike Miller late in the third quarter. The play happened right in front of the Spurs' bench, so coach Gregg Popovich and his assistants were on their feet protesting the call.
When Tim Duncan stole the ball from Miller after the missed violation and a time out was called, Zielinski shook his head and acknowledged to the Spurs that he had missed the call.