duncan228
02-01-2008, 11:19 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA020208_SpursUpdate.en.7ed4b855.html
Pro basketball: Spurs reach turning point?
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
The Spurs had played as inefficiently as humanly possible in the first half of their game Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.
Eleven turnovers led to 15 Suns points. Tim Duncan had scored only six points. Manu Ginobili, starting at point guard, was scoreless.
Somehow, the Spurs trailed the team with the best record in the Western Conference by only six points.
Inside the Spurs locker room, an air of calm prevailed because a team that had been adrift for more than a month was rediscovering its core identity.
Ginobili, guilty of six first-half turnovers, sensed corporate metamorphosis.
“Our big thing at halftime,” he said, “was this: I was scoreless, Tim had six points, we gave them 15 points out of turnovers and we were only six down.
“That was something that kept us optimistic, knowing that if we started playing a little better, and stepped up, we could get a win.”
With four days in between the third and fourth games of the nine-game rodeo road trip, the Spurs are enjoying some rest and relaxation at home.
Beginning with a Sunday practice, they will continue the annual journey that seems to enhance the focus that has made them NBA champions three times since the rodeo excursion showed up on their schedule. One of their best wins of the season could be a springboard to a successful conclusion to the trip.
If Ginobili and his teammates needed a reminder that the Spurs are, at heart, defensive demons with just enough firepower to win consistently, Thursday's game provided proof.
“Yes, of course, that is true,” Ginobili said. “If we can hold Phoenix under 90 points, it's always a great thing. Our chance of winning is huge, even though we didn't play good offensively for most of the game.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich never has understated his team's reliance on defense. Let NBA Commissioner David Stern and his TV network partners fret about low-scoring games ugly enough to drive down the ratings. Popovich couldn't care less.
Thursday's game, he said, was a prime example of how the Spurs must play to win.
“That's what we depend on,” he said. “We have to make stops. We're OK, offensively, but we don't impress too many people. But we did execute down the stretch in the fourth quarter. I thought our guys executed very well and created some problems.
“But we did a good job defensively against a team that can really score, and that's most important for us, because it gives us our confidence as the playoffs approach.
“That,” he said, with emphasis, “is who we have to be.”
The playoffs are nearly three months away, with 37 regular season games yet to play. Popovich would prefer the postseason arrive much sooner. Its approach automatically heightens the value of each remaining game.
He understands how difficult it is for a veteran team defending a championship to bring what he calls the right kind of juice required to win on a nightly basis.
His team's two most recent games — a loss in Seattle to a team that had lost 14 in a row, followed by Thursday's gem of determination and execution — were Exhibits A and B.
“There were some games we lost we were probably a little complacent at times,” he said, “and we just thought it was going to happen and really didn't execute well enough or be aggressive enough to get it done.
“Obviously, (the Phoenix) game was more important to them than the Seattle game the other night. If you can beat Phoenix on the road, obviously you ought to be able to beat a team that's struggling.”
Notebook: Popovich scrapped plans for a Saturday practice at which point guard Damon Stoudamire would be introduced to his new teammates. Instead, the Spurs will practice Sunday and depart for Indiana after a Monday workout.
Tuesday's game against the Pacers begins the six-game Eastern swing that will close out the rodeo road trip. Stoudamire, who said he was to arrive in San Antonio on Friday evening, is expected to sign his Spurs contract Saturday.
The Spurs reassigned rookie forward Ian Mahinmi to the Austin Toros for the second time. Mahinmi spent five days with the Spurs, but did not play. This is his second assignment to the Toros.
According to the NBA's agreement with the D-League and with the players' association, the Spurs can recall him and reassign him once more this season.
Mahinmi was expected to play in Austin's Friday night game against the Utah Flash.
Pro basketball: Spurs reach turning point?
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
The Spurs had played as inefficiently as humanly possible in the first half of their game Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.
Eleven turnovers led to 15 Suns points. Tim Duncan had scored only six points. Manu Ginobili, starting at point guard, was scoreless.
Somehow, the Spurs trailed the team with the best record in the Western Conference by only six points.
Inside the Spurs locker room, an air of calm prevailed because a team that had been adrift for more than a month was rediscovering its core identity.
Ginobili, guilty of six first-half turnovers, sensed corporate metamorphosis.
“Our big thing at halftime,” he said, “was this: I was scoreless, Tim had six points, we gave them 15 points out of turnovers and we were only six down.
“That was something that kept us optimistic, knowing that if we started playing a little better, and stepped up, we could get a win.”
With four days in between the third and fourth games of the nine-game rodeo road trip, the Spurs are enjoying some rest and relaxation at home.
Beginning with a Sunday practice, they will continue the annual journey that seems to enhance the focus that has made them NBA champions three times since the rodeo excursion showed up on their schedule. One of their best wins of the season could be a springboard to a successful conclusion to the trip.
If Ginobili and his teammates needed a reminder that the Spurs are, at heart, defensive demons with just enough firepower to win consistently, Thursday's game provided proof.
“Yes, of course, that is true,” Ginobili said. “If we can hold Phoenix under 90 points, it's always a great thing. Our chance of winning is huge, even though we didn't play good offensively for most of the game.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich never has understated his team's reliance on defense. Let NBA Commissioner David Stern and his TV network partners fret about low-scoring games ugly enough to drive down the ratings. Popovich couldn't care less.
Thursday's game, he said, was a prime example of how the Spurs must play to win.
“That's what we depend on,” he said. “We have to make stops. We're OK, offensively, but we don't impress too many people. But we did execute down the stretch in the fourth quarter. I thought our guys executed very well and created some problems.
“But we did a good job defensively against a team that can really score, and that's most important for us, because it gives us our confidence as the playoffs approach.
“That,” he said, with emphasis, “is who we have to be.”
The playoffs are nearly three months away, with 37 regular season games yet to play. Popovich would prefer the postseason arrive much sooner. Its approach automatically heightens the value of each remaining game.
He understands how difficult it is for a veteran team defending a championship to bring what he calls the right kind of juice required to win on a nightly basis.
His team's two most recent games — a loss in Seattle to a team that had lost 14 in a row, followed by Thursday's gem of determination and execution — were Exhibits A and B.
“There were some games we lost we were probably a little complacent at times,” he said, “and we just thought it was going to happen and really didn't execute well enough or be aggressive enough to get it done.
“Obviously, (the Phoenix) game was more important to them than the Seattle game the other night. If you can beat Phoenix on the road, obviously you ought to be able to beat a team that's struggling.”
Notebook: Popovich scrapped plans for a Saturday practice at which point guard Damon Stoudamire would be introduced to his new teammates. Instead, the Spurs will practice Sunday and depart for Indiana after a Monday workout.
Tuesday's game against the Pacers begins the six-game Eastern swing that will close out the rodeo road trip. Stoudamire, who said he was to arrive in San Antonio on Friday evening, is expected to sign his Spurs contract Saturday.
The Spurs reassigned rookie forward Ian Mahinmi to the Austin Toros for the second time. Mahinmi spent five days with the Spurs, but did not play. This is his second assignment to the Toros.
According to the NBA's agreement with the D-League and with the players' association, the Spurs can recall him and reassign him once more this season.
Mahinmi was expected to play in Austin's Friday night game against the Utah Flash.