Knicks-Spurs Preview

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/games/20080104/NYKSAS/preview.html?nav=scoreboardhome

Knicks-Spurs Preview
By Brett Huston, STATS Writer

Even though his team continues to struggle, New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas spoke recently about wanting to leave a "championship legacy" when he's done coaching.

He'll get a close look at the modern-day blueprint Friday when his Knicks visit the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio won its first NBA championship in 1999, defeating the Knicks in five games in the finals. Since that series, the Spurs are 487-199 in the regular season and have won three more titles. New York, meanwhile, has gone 301-385 and now appears headed to its seventh consecutive losing season.

The Knicks (8-22) have dropped five straight games - their third losing streak this season of at least that length. Wednesday's 107-97 home loss to Sacramento was New York's league-high 15th defeat by double-digits.

Nonetheless, Thomas said he still believes his club is capable of a championship.

"I know people will laugh even more at me, but I'm hell bent on getting this accomplished and making sure that we get it done,'' said Thomas, who is 41-71 as New York's head coach. "And I'm not leaving until we get it done.''

His team appeared far from getting it done Wednesday, falling behind by as many as 23 points to an injury-riddled Sacramento team. Forward Zach Randolph, the Knicks' second-leading scorer with 17.7 points per game, was ejected in the third quarter for tossing his headband at a referee who called him for a foul.

"There's a refusal to come together and play collectively,'' Thomas said. "We do it in spurts, but then we sit back and we watch. Just somehow got to push through this and get them playing together as a group, because individually they do have talent.''

The Knicks are 1-11 on the road, where they've been outscored by 12.1 points per game.

The Spurs (21-9) started the season 17-3, looking much like the team that won 16 of its 20 playoff games a season ago en route to its second title in three years.

They're just 4-6 since then, though, and have failed to reach 80 points in their past two losses, including an 80-77 defeat at Denver on Thursday night. San Antonio led by four in the final two minutes, but the Nuggets scored the last seven points.

"It came down to us turning the ball over in rotations," said Spurs star Tim Duncan, who had 20 points but shot just 7-for-20 from the floor. "A lot of it down the stretch was my fault. I'll take a lot of responsibility for it.''

Injuries have played a part in San Antonio's struggles. Manu Ginobili has missed the last four games with a sprained index finger and Tony Parker and Duncan missed four games apiece in December. The Spurs haven't had their three leading scorers healthy for an entire game since a 106-91 win at Minnesota on Nov. 30.

Duncan has averaged 21.6 points and 11.8 rebounds in his career against the Knicks. The Spurs have won seven of their last eight games versus New York.

[Dex]

Nonetheless, Thomas said he still believes his club is capable of a championship.

"I know people will laugh even more at me, but I'm hell bent on getting this accomplished and making sure that we get it done,'' said Thomas, who is 41-71 as New York's head coach. "And I'm not leaving until we get it done.''

:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

Somehow, Isiah manages to continually and consistently be dumber than I thought.

[duncan228]

http://www.miamiherald.com/859/story/367144.html

New York Knicks (8-22) at San Antonio Spurs (21-9), 8:30 p.m. EST

By Sports Network

The slumping New York Knicks open a three-game road trip when they visit the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs tonight at the AT&T Center.

This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. New York is scheduled to host the Spurs on February 8th at historic Madison Square Garden.

The Spurs have won four in a row and seven of the last eight contests in the series. New York has lost four straight and five of its last six at San Antonio.

New York enters tonight's game on a five-game losing streak. John Salmons had a career-high 32 points and added 11 rebounds and six assists as the Sacramento Kings downed the Knicks, 107-97, on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Eddy Curry finished with 24 points in the loss, while Nate Robinson collected 19 points off the bench for the Knicks, who have dropped 11 of their last 13 games overall.

The Knicks, who have dropped four in a row as the visitor, are a dismal 1-11 on the road this season. They will visit the Houston Rockets on Saturday at the Toyota Center and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at the United Center.

San Antonio tries to get back on the winning track against New York. Allen Iverson scored 29 points, including the final two free throws, as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Spurs, 80-77, on Thursday at the Pepsi Center.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker paced San Antonio with 20 points apiece, and Duncan also pulled down 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who played without Manu Ginobili.

Ginobili, who has missed four straight games, is sidelined with a sprained left index finger. He is averaging 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season.

The Spurs are 16-2 at home this season. They will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at the Staples Center and the Golden State Warriors on Monday at ORACLE Arena.

[duncan228]

Also from The Sports Network, the first mention I've found that Duncan is "probable" because of his thumb.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/gaming/NBA-GMATCHUP-NYK-SAN.htm

Injuries

New York
- *Forward Renaldo Balkman (1/4, flu-like symptoms) is probable for Friday's game against San Antonio. *Forward Zach Randolph (1/4, flu-like symptoms) is probable for Friday's game against San Antonio. *Center Jerome James (1/4, swollen foot) is questionable for Friday's game against San Antonio.

San Antonio

Forward Tim Duncan (1/4, thumb) is probable for Friday s game against New York. Guard Brent Barry (12/27, torn left calf) is expected to miss two weeks. *Guard Manu Ginobili (1/4, sprained left index finger) is questionable for Friday's game against New York.

[duncan228]

Spurs.com has Duncan starting, and Horry is starting again.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/080104.html

Spurs vs. Knicks Preview

Probable Starters

T. Parker
Guard
20.3 PPG
M. Finley
Guard
10.7 PPG
B. Bowen
Forward
6.0 PPG
T. Duncan
Forward
18.4 PPG
R. Horry
Forward
1.1 PPG

Injury/Inactive Report
Manu Ginobili (sprained left index finger) is out.
Barry (torn plantaris muscle, left calf) is out.

The Knicks (8-22) have dropped five straight games - their third losing streak this season of at least that length. Wednesday's 107-97 home loss to Sacramento was New York's league-high 15th defeat by double-digits.

The Knicks are 1-11 on the road, where they've been outscored by 12.1 points per game.

The Spurs (21-9) started the season 17-3, looking much like the team that won 16 of its 20 playoff games a season ago en route to its second title in three years.

They're just 4-6 since then, though, and have failed to reach 80 points in their past two losses, including an 80-77 defeat at Denver on Thursday night. San Antonio led by four in the final two minutes, but the Nuggets scored the last seven points.

Injuries have played a part in San Antonio's struggles. Manu Ginobili has missed the last four games with a sprained index finger and Tony Parker and Duncan missed four games apiece in December. The Spurs haven't had their three leading scorers healthy for an entire game since a 106-91 win at Minnesota on Nov. 30.

Duncan has averaged 21.6 points and 11.8 rebounds in his career against the Knicks. The Spurs have won seven of their last eight games versus New York.

Did You Know...
The Spurs beat the Knicks 4-1 in the 1999 NBA Finals to claim the first NBA Championship in franchise history … Tim Duncan was the Finals MVP, averaging 27.4 points and 14.0 rebounds in the five-game series … the 39, 554 fans that packed the Alamodome to see the Spurs defeat the Knicks 80-67 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on 6/18/99 was the largest crowd to ever witness an NBA Finals game… the last player to score 50 points against the Spurs was Bernard King playing for the Knicks on 1/31/84 … King is one of just four players to score 50+ against the Spurs … Knicks forward Malik Rose played for the Spurs from 1997-98 through 2004-05 … Spurs forward Matt Bonner and Knicks forward David Lee both played at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan.

[boutons_]

January 4, 2008

Knicks Stuck in a Loop of Defeat and Despair

By HOWARD BECK

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — As the television cameras panned the Knicks’ bench in search of vital signs late Wednesday night, one stubbornly optimistic face stood out in a sea of dour expressions. Malik Rose, on the fringe of the rotation but still vital for all of the right reasons, was urging aggression over passivity, belief over doubt, as he addressed his bedraggled teammates.

“Pep talk was accurate,” Rose said Thursday in confirming his impromptu speech. “Some of the guys were a little down.”

The Knicks’ 107-97 loss to the Sacramento Kings did not rank among their worst in terms of the final margin or the raw statistics. It was their fifth consecutive defeat, but they have already seen worse in that category, too (eight straight in November). But the Knicks lost to a middling Kings team that was missing its three best players — on their home court and on the heels of too many other heartbreaks to count. Symbolically, it was as crushing a defeat as the Knicks have had.

So late in the game, as the deficit climbed to 24 points, Rose said his piece.

“Just telling them to go in there and just be aggressive, try to stay with the positive attitude, and if you’re going to make a mistake, make an aggressive mistake,” Rose said.

Those problems may be amplified quickly on a three-game trip that starts Friday night in San Antonio, against the defending champion Spurs. The Knicks (8-22) then travel to Houston on Saturday and end the trip in Chicago on Tuesday. They have won only 1 of 12 road games; the victory came in East Rutherford, N.J., against a Nets team that was missing Jason Kidd.

The Knicks may well return to New York with their second eight-game losing streak of the season. They almost certainly will if they show the same alarming lack of aggression that Rose and Coach Isiah Thomas saw Wednesday night. As a small early deficit ballooned to 15 points, and later went from 15 to 20, the Knicks appeared too fragile or too psychologically damaged to make a stand. Thomas used the word tentative multiple times to describe his team Thursday.

It came across in the number of layups the Knicks missed (17, by Thomas’s count) and the number of shots they passed up. It might also have played a role in the number of unforced errors. The Knicks had 21 turnovers, many of them resulting from lazy, looping passes — “turnovers you wouldn’t see high school kids make,” Thomas said.

“It’s almost like we’re playing afraid,” he said. “Last night, we were playing not to lose. We’re not playing to win games. We’re playing not to make a mistake.”

Then Thomas offered his latest indictment of his team’s character.

“I think right now, it’s really about their mental makeup and their mental toughness, as opposed to physical skills,” he said. “Can you gut your way through this?”

So far, the answer is no. Thomas’s lack of faith can be seen in his ever-changing starting lineup (four in the past four games) and in his ever-evolving rotation. He gave the rookie Wilson Chandler an early look Wednesday and — despite a number of nervous moments — let him play almost 16 minutes. Chandler had two turnovers and missed 5 of 8 field-goal attempts, but he was one of the few Knicks to play aggressively.

Chandler received his playing time at the expense of Quentin Richardson, who no longer looks like a reliable everyday player. Richardson went scoreless in 13 minutes and had 3 turnovers. Richardson has gone 9 for 36 (.250) over his past four games.

“We’re a team that’s gone from easily being able to score 100 points to some nights barely getting 75,” Thomas said. “We’re not shooting the ball well. Quentin’s not shooting the ball well. So you got to find some people that can make shots — or in last night’s game, take the shot.”

REBOUNDS

Zach Randolph and Renaldo Balkman had flulike symptoms and did not practice, a team spokesman said. Both players, however, made the flight to San Antonio and were expected to be available for Friday’s game.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/sports/basketball/04knicks.html?ei=5088&en=0c10b7827f3e89b8&ex=1357189200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

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Poor Malik, preaching to the un-choir. He's seems to fancy himself as a leader, but he's a better leader than he is a player.

If he could lead by example of hustle-playing, but at 10 MPG, not much chance to show his hustle, not much confidence from his coach. If the coach has no confidence in Malik, why should his teammates? And would the Knicks follow his example? Because he ha 2 rings? Not likely.

[duncan228]

Hoopsworld...

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/CourtsideBlog.asp?GAME_ID=21468&LEAGUE_CODE=NBA

NBA's Best, Worst Square off in San Antonio
By: Bill Ingram

The San Antonio Spurs had a rough night in Denver, but the good news is they come home tonight to play the New York Knicks. Despite Isiah Thomas' irrational claim that the Knicks are contenders, they're a franchise in complete disarray. They've merged non-complementary talent with overrated or over-the-hill leadership and the result is an 8-22 record. On the injury-depleted Miami Heat are worse.

For San Antonio it's probably going to be one of those cameo appearance nights for Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who will get to catch up with old friend and fan favorite Malik Rose after the game.

One franchise in its prime, winning championships on a regular basis. One franchise in ruins and getting worse.

It's a get-well game for the Spurs tonight.

[duncan228]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/scores/Preview.asp?GAME_ID=21468

Knicks look to snap five-game losing streak

New York (8-22) at San Antonio (21-9) 8:30 pm EST

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) - The New York Knicks look to snap a five-game losing streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

New York has lost its last three games by double digits, including a 107-97 setback against Sacramento on Wednesday. The Knicks are currently on their third losing streak of at least five games this season.

Point guard Stephon Marbury returned to the Knicks' lineup for the first time since December 17, and scored 16 points in 30 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's loss.

The Knicks have lost four straight and seven of eight against the Spurs, who are coming off an 80-77 loss to Denver on Thursday.

San Antonio is just 4-6 after a 17-3 start but boast the Western Conference's best home record at 16-2.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker each scored 20 points in Thursday's loss but the Spurs have been without Manu Ginobili, who has missed the last four games with a sprained left index finger.

[urunobili]

thank you very much! love having all of those in one place :)

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

:lol Zach Randolph is suspended. Spurs should win by no less than 20

[duncan228]

thank you very much! love having all of those in one place :)

I got carried away today! Trying to avoid what I should be doing and posting a bunch of previews that all say pretty much the same thing. :lol

I like doing it, it gives us a place to hang out until the game blog is posted.
And even though they're all similar I find it interesting how different writers/sites approach the same game.

[duncan228]

Fox Sports chimes in...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/teamReport?categoryId=71098&type=InsideSlant

Team Report: Getting Inside

An injury-riddled season will present many different challenges for the Spurs. Friday's home game against the Knicks doesn't figure to be one of them.

OK, Tim Duncan and three fellow starters, all of whom played 38 or more minutes Thursday in Denver's thin air, might be tired on the second night of a back-to-back.
And, yes, the long post-game bus ride to the Denver airport, the two-hour flight home and the lost hour from the Mountain to Central time zone aren't ideal.

But these are, after all, the Knicks. And that should be that.

Oh, and it's possible Manu Ginobili will return Friday for the Spurs. He put in a full practice at the most recent full-scale workout Monday and stamped himself ready to return, even if it's with his left index finger in a splint.

"If it's a choice between (wearing the splint) and sitting, the choice is easy," the left-hander announced.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chose not to use the league's most productive sixth man in Denver, noting, "He's trying to get comfortable with that thing on his hand. It will probably take him awhile before he feels totally comfortable."

Friday's game qualifies as nothing more than a glorified scrimmage against an outmanned opponent, so it might be a good testing ground for Ginobili. Popovich won't have the luxury of taking any chances when the team heads west to face the Clippers and Warriors on Sunday and Monday.

NUGGETS 80, SPURS 77: Tim Duncan heated up at just the right time Thursday night. Then something strange happened.

He failed when the Spurs needed him most.

After hitting three key hoops in a fourth-quarter comeback, Duncan had the ball stolen by the Nuggets' Anthony Carter, leading to a fast-break hoop with 45 seconds to go that gave Denver the lead for good in its narrow victory.

Duncan had missed 12 of his first 16 shots before temporarily erasing the bad taste with three consecutive Spurs hoops, single-handedly turning a two-point deficit into a late two-point lead.

The stage appeared set for another impressive road victory without a key player (Manu Ginobili), but Carter followed a three-pointer with his steal, which quickly got turned into a Kenyon Martin lay-up.

The Spurs had three subsequent chances to reclaim the lead or force overtime, but they missed their final three shots, including a potential game-tying three-pointer by Michael Finley just before the final horn.

Duncan finished with 20 points, but shot just 7-for-20.


Team Report: Notes and Quotes

--Their loss in Denver on Thursday night dropped the Spurs (21-9) a full game behind Phoenix (23-9) in the battle for best record in the Western Conference.

--The loss was just the Spurs' 14th in their last 39 trips to Denver.
The Spurs had thumped the Nuggets 102-91 in a December meeting in San Antonio.

--The shift on the All-Star ballot from center to forward has paid immediate dividends for Tim Duncan, who was the leading vote-getter among forwards in the tabulations announced Thursday by the NBA. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker moved up to fifth and sixth, respectively, among the guards.

Since the Spurs successfully convinced the NBA that Duncan was a forward rather than a center, prompting the change on the All-Star ballot, the perennial All-Star has started the last two games at center.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It came down to us turning the ball over. A lot of it down the stretch was my fault." -- Spurs center Tim Duncan, whose final-minute turnover led to the Nuggets' game-winning hoop.

Team Report: Roster Report

ROTATION: Starters -- Point guard Tony Parker, Shooting guard Michael Finley, Small forward Bruce Bowen, Power forward Robert Horry, Center Tim Duncan. Bench -- Guard Jacque Vaughn, Guard DerMarr Johnson, Forward Ime Udoka, Forward Matt Bonner, Center Francisco Elson, Center Fabricio Oberto.

PLAYER NOTES:

--C Tim Duncan had four turnovers, including a key one in the final minute, in the Spurs' loss at Denver. He's now had 19 giveaways in the last four games. :dizzy

--G Michael Finley continued to improve his scoring average with 18 points. After beginning the season with a total of 140 points (7.8 average) in the first 18 games, he has poured in 179 (14.9 average) in the last 12.

--G Tony Parker didn't have his best shooting night (8-of-19), but he nonetheless managed 20 points to go with nine assists. He remains the only player in the league to shoot at least 49 percent and average at least 20 points and five assists.

--F Robert Horry made his second consecutive start, relegating Fabricio Oberto to the bench, and was thoroughly outplayed by the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin. Horry had three assists and two rebounds to show for 13 scoreless minutes. Meanwhile, Martin dominated inside with seven boards and seven blocked shots.

[duncan228]

Randolph suspended one game, not playing tonight.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/01/04/randolph.suspended.ap/index.html

Randolph suspended for one game

NEW YORK (AP) -- Knicks forward Zach Randolph was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Friday for throwing his headband at a referee.

Randolph was called for a foul by Tony Brothers with 1:47 remaining in the third quarter of the Knicks' 107-97 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday. Randolph took off his headband and threw it in the direction of Brothers, landing near his feet.

Though Brothers didn't appear to notice at first, the NBA said in releasing the penalty that the headband hit the official.

Randolph, who averages 17.7 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds, will miss New York's game at San Antonio on Friday.

[ancestron]

Stop!!! lol
just kidding