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01-25-2008, 09:20 AM
Pro basketball: Duncan gets starting nod for All-Star Game
Web Posted: 01/24/2008 11:30 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
MIAMI — Call him a center or call him a forward. Just make sure you call the Spurs' Tim Duncan an All-Star starter.
Despite a snafu that rendered him a center on the paper ballots supplied by the NBA, Duncan finished second among Western Conference forwards in the final tally with 1,712,800 votes.
The results of the fan voting, released before the Spurs' game at Miami on Thursday, set Duncan up to make his 10th consecutive All-Star appearance and ninth consecutive start.
Duncan says he is flattered by the invitation.
“That's something chosen by the fans,” he said after Thursday's 90-89 victory over the Heat. “To be chosen by the fans, for that many years, year in and year out, it's a great honor.”
After a final-week push, Denver's Carmelo Anthony finished ahead of Duncan with 1,723,701 for the forward vote.
Duncan joins Anthony and his Denver teammate Allen Iverson, as well as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Houston's Yao Ming as starters for the West.
Miami's Dwyane Wade, New Jersey's Jason Kidd, Cleveland's LeBron James, Boston's Kevin Garnett and Orlando's Dwight Howard will start for the East.
Garnett, after helping lead the Celtics to a 33-7 start, was the NBA's leading vote-earner with 2,399,148.
Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker finished sixth and seventh, respectively, among Western Conference guards. The coaches will fill out the roster of reserves in a vote, the results of which will be announced Jan. 31.
Given the glut of worthy guards in the West this season, it would be surprising to see Ginobili or Parker added to the team.
Bad news for Barry: Spurs reserve Brent Barry was forced to leave Thursday's game after aggravating a left calf injury.
Barry, who had played in just four games after missing the previous 10 with a torn calf muscle, limped off the floor in the third quarter and did not return.
“It's not good,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It's the same thing that kept him out before.”
Barry left the arena on crutches. There is no immediate timetable for his return.
Lineup shuffle: Popovich trotted out his third different starting lineup in as many games Thursday at Miami. The Spurs' new lineup, however, looked a lot like the old one.
Fabricio Oberto returned to the starting five, as the Spurs neglected to open the game with a small lineup. In the previous two games, Oberto had been replaced by a guard — first Jeremy Richardson, then Barry.
Easy does it: Oberto scored a basket in the first quarter without even being within 10 feet of the goal or the ball.
Miami's Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount simultaneously went up for the same defensive rebound, inadvertently knocking the ball into the goal.
Oberto, the closet Spurs player to the scrum, was credited with the basket.
Parker ailing: Spurs point guard Tony Parker played Thursday despite being under the weather.
“He almost didn’t make the trip,” Popovich said.
Parker finished with 12 points and one assist in 35 minutes, 34 seconds.
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LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012508_SpursNotes.en.564ab8e3.html
Web Posted: 01/24/2008 11:30 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
MIAMI — Call him a center or call him a forward. Just make sure you call the Spurs' Tim Duncan an All-Star starter.
Despite a snafu that rendered him a center on the paper ballots supplied by the NBA, Duncan finished second among Western Conference forwards in the final tally with 1,712,800 votes.
The results of the fan voting, released before the Spurs' game at Miami on Thursday, set Duncan up to make his 10th consecutive All-Star appearance and ninth consecutive start.
Duncan says he is flattered by the invitation.
“That's something chosen by the fans,” he said after Thursday's 90-89 victory over the Heat. “To be chosen by the fans, for that many years, year in and year out, it's a great honor.”
After a final-week push, Denver's Carmelo Anthony finished ahead of Duncan with 1,723,701 for the forward vote.
Duncan joins Anthony and his Denver teammate Allen Iverson, as well as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Houston's Yao Ming as starters for the West.
Miami's Dwyane Wade, New Jersey's Jason Kidd, Cleveland's LeBron James, Boston's Kevin Garnett and Orlando's Dwight Howard will start for the East.
Garnett, after helping lead the Celtics to a 33-7 start, was the NBA's leading vote-earner with 2,399,148.
Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker finished sixth and seventh, respectively, among Western Conference guards. The coaches will fill out the roster of reserves in a vote, the results of which will be announced Jan. 31.
Given the glut of worthy guards in the West this season, it would be surprising to see Ginobili or Parker added to the team.
Bad news for Barry: Spurs reserve Brent Barry was forced to leave Thursday's game after aggravating a left calf injury.
Barry, who had played in just four games after missing the previous 10 with a torn calf muscle, limped off the floor in the third quarter and did not return.
“It's not good,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It's the same thing that kept him out before.”
Barry left the arena on crutches. There is no immediate timetable for his return.
Lineup shuffle: Popovich trotted out his third different starting lineup in as many games Thursday at Miami. The Spurs' new lineup, however, looked a lot like the old one.
Fabricio Oberto returned to the starting five, as the Spurs neglected to open the game with a small lineup. In the previous two games, Oberto had been replaced by a guard — first Jeremy Richardson, then Barry.
Easy does it: Oberto scored a basket in the first quarter without even being within 10 feet of the goal or the ball.
Miami's Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount simultaneously went up for the same defensive rebound, inadvertently knocking the ball into the goal.
Oberto, the closet Spurs player to the scrum, was credited with the basket.
Parker ailing: Spurs point guard Tony Parker played Thursday despite being under the weather.
“He almost didn’t make the trip,” Popovich said.
Parker finished with 12 points and one assist in 35 minutes, 34 seconds.
[email protected]
LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012508_SpursNotes.en.564ab8e3.html