timvp
03-02-2008, 03:38 AM
I was having major déjà vu watching the Spurs take on the Bucks in Milwaukee. Not only were the Spurs in a dogfight, like they are every year in Milwaukee, the specifics of the game were amazingly similar.
Last season, the Bucks had the lead in the third quarter when Mo Williams fouled Tony Parker, picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected. The Bucks then turned to their third string point guard (Lynn Greer) to lead an inspired fourth quarter run which resulted in a victory.
Tonight, the Bucks had the lead in the third quarter when Mo Williams fouled Tony Parker, picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected. The Bucks then turned to their third string point guard (Royal Ivey) to lead an inspired fourth quarter run. Luckily, this time the Spurs withstood the run and escaped with a 96-94 victory. It was the Spurs’ first victory in Milwaukee since 2004.
The Bucks actually have a few nice pieces on their team. They aren’t much of threat to do anything in the playoffs but the talent is there. If Andrew Bogut would play every game as hard as he plays against the Spurs, he wouldn’t be considered such a bust. Bogut (17 points, 15 rebound) was easily the best player on the court for the Bucks.
The thing I was happiest with about this win was the cohesiveness between Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. This was the best combined effort we’ve seen out of the All-World backcourt since November. While Parker isn’t 100% yet, this gave a glimpse of how good the two players can be and how well they can work together. Ginobili and Parker took turns slicing up Milwaukee’s defense and applied constant pressure all game long.
Overall, it was a very nice win. The Bucks seemingly always beat the Spurs so I’ll take a victory in whatever package it wants to present itself. The first step toward the Spurs peaking after March was a success.
-Tim Duncan had his worst game in a long while. Bogut thoroughly outplayed him on both ends of the court. With Bogut being physical with Duncan and the Bucks packing the lane, Duncan never got into any sort of rhythm. In 33 minutes, Duncan finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, while shooting 4-for-11 from the field. Last year when the Spurs lost to the Bucks, Duncan had a similarly bad outing (13 points on 5-for-12 shooting). Despite all the pounding Duncan took this game, he only got to the free throw line twice all night. That said, at least the refs were consistent in allowing physical play on both ends of the court. On the whole, it was a bad game by Duncan. Although I guess it’s a good sign for the team that Duncan can lay an egg on the road and the Spurs can still pull out the victory.
-Manu Ginobili is starting to play like an assassin. When the Spurs need a hoop, Ginobili has been almost automatic. The Spurs were down one with less than fifteen seconds to go in the game when Ginobili buried a leaner from about 18-feet. The shot usually would have been a highlight but as Spurs fans we’ve seen it so often recently that a clutch shot by Ginobili is almost routine. For the game, Ginobili finished with 30 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while shooting 10-for-17 from the field. It was another great game for Ginobili. Now that he’s hitting jumpers in crunch time again, he’s really reminding me of how he played in the 2005 playoffs. In that playoff run, he was lights out on jumpers during crunch time. Since then he has struggled with his jumper in crunch time in both the regular season and the playoffs. However this season, he’s even more automatic than he was during the 2005 playoffs. I just hope he can keep up this level of play for the rest of the year.
-Tony Parker took a big step forward in his recovery from his ankle injury. He looked as healthy as he has since November. Parker raced up and down the court and stayed in attack mode all game long. While his poor free throw shooting, especially in the fourth quarter, was disappointing, you have to be ecstatic with how he played overall. He totaled 26 points, five assists and two rebounds, while shooting 11-for-16 from the field. Perhaps most noteworthy was the fact that he was 4-for-5 on jumpers during the game, an area he has struggled mightily in for the last couple months. In the first half I thought his defense was pathetic but he really picked in up in the second half. Obviously he’s going to have to improve his 4-for-10 shooting from the free throw line but I’m really starting to believe Parker has a chance to be 100% by the time the playoffs roll around.
-I was impressed with how Bruce Bowen defended Michael Redd. For the first 19 minutes of the game, Bowen held Redd without a basket. Redd eventually got going (he had 25 points on 8-for-19 shooting from the field) but Bowen was defending him about as well as possible. You have to tip your hat to Redd for being one of the best scorers in the league that nobody talks about. Offensively, Bowen hit a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter. He finished with six points on 2-for-6 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds in 31 minutes. It wasn’t a great game by Bowen but it was a nice showing overall.
-Fabricio Oberto finally had a good game against a small ball team. Small ball teams have been exploiting Oberto as of late but in this contest, Oberto had the upper hand. Matched up against Charlie Villanueva, Oberto was partially responsible for Villanueva shooting 1-for-9 from the field. Oberto also made his mark on the glass, pulling down eight boards in 21 minutes of play. His offensive output on the night consisted of only two free throws but overall Oberto played a really solid game.
-Michael Finley is quietly becoming a dependable source of offense on a nightly basis. Besides Ginobili and Parker, Finley was the only other Spur to hit double-figures tonight. In 28 minutes, Finley had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field. He had a couple stretches where he turned the ball over and forced bad shots but on the whole, Finley was one of the better players for the Spurs against the Bucks.
-Ime Udoka is now playing like he has always been a part of this team. It’s barely noticeable that he’s a new player in the system. His defense was good all night and his offense was solid. For the contest, Udoka had eight points, five rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in 19 minutes of action. On Bogut’s last second attempt to tie the game, Udoka did a good job of making it a more difficult shot.
-Damon Stoudamire had his ups and downs this game. Defensively, he was poor for most of the night. The effort was there for the most part but his lack of size hurt him. Offensively, Ivey did a good job of hounding him and making it difficult for Stoudamire to bring the ball up the court. In 17 minutes, Stoudamire scored two points, grabbed two rebounds and handed out two assists. Overall it was a sub par game for Stoudamire but I liked that he kept competing throughout.
-In 14 minutes, Robert Horry wasn’t too helpful. He had two points, two rebounds and two turnovers, while shooting 1-for-4 from the field. After going through a stretch of the season where he was hitting his shots, Horry is now just two for his last ten on his field goal attempts. However, I’ve seen enough life out of him that I hope Pop keeps him in shape for when the playoffs roll around.
-Kurt Thomas played like Wilt Chamberlain reincarnate in his first game with the Spurs but has come back down to earth over his last two outings. Against the Bucks, Thomas played nine minutes and didn’t play that well. He’s still learning the system and obviously has no chemistry with his teammates on either end of the floor. There will be some growing pains but Thomas should eventually help this team come playoff time.
-Pop coached a solid ballgame. He tried to stay big against the Bucks early on but eventually relented and went small. Going small ended up being the winning potion for the Spurs tonight.
I really like how he kept the minutes low even though it was a close game. Tony Parker led the team with 35 minutes, which should bode well heading into tomorrow’s back-to-back contest. The 33 minutes Ginobili played was the fewest minutes he’s played in a close game in over a month.
Pop gave Jacque Vaughn a DNP-CD, which could signal that Stoudamire has the backup job. More likely, however, is that Pop wants Stoudamire to get minutes now so that he can get more comfortable with his teammates.
The bottomline is the Spurs have now won eight games in a row and sit atop the Western Conference standings. For a team that looked to be in trouble not too long ago, you have to be thrilled with this turnaround. Tomorrow, the Spurs play Devin Harris and the New Jersey Nets as they try to extend the winning streak to nine.
Believe.
Last season, the Bucks had the lead in the third quarter when Mo Williams fouled Tony Parker, picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected. The Bucks then turned to their third string point guard (Lynn Greer) to lead an inspired fourth quarter run which resulted in a victory.
Tonight, the Bucks had the lead in the third quarter when Mo Williams fouled Tony Parker, picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected. The Bucks then turned to their third string point guard (Royal Ivey) to lead an inspired fourth quarter run. Luckily, this time the Spurs withstood the run and escaped with a 96-94 victory. It was the Spurs’ first victory in Milwaukee since 2004.
The Bucks actually have a few nice pieces on their team. They aren’t much of threat to do anything in the playoffs but the talent is there. If Andrew Bogut would play every game as hard as he plays against the Spurs, he wouldn’t be considered such a bust. Bogut (17 points, 15 rebound) was easily the best player on the court for the Bucks.
The thing I was happiest with about this win was the cohesiveness between Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. This was the best combined effort we’ve seen out of the All-World backcourt since November. While Parker isn’t 100% yet, this gave a glimpse of how good the two players can be and how well they can work together. Ginobili and Parker took turns slicing up Milwaukee’s defense and applied constant pressure all game long.
Overall, it was a very nice win. The Bucks seemingly always beat the Spurs so I’ll take a victory in whatever package it wants to present itself. The first step toward the Spurs peaking after March was a success.
-Tim Duncan had his worst game in a long while. Bogut thoroughly outplayed him on both ends of the court. With Bogut being physical with Duncan and the Bucks packing the lane, Duncan never got into any sort of rhythm. In 33 minutes, Duncan finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, while shooting 4-for-11 from the field. Last year when the Spurs lost to the Bucks, Duncan had a similarly bad outing (13 points on 5-for-12 shooting). Despite all the pounding Duncan took this game, he only got to the free throw line twice all night. That said, at least the refs were consistent in allowing physical play on both ends of the court. On the whole, it was a bad game by Duncan. Although I guess it’s a good sign for the team that Duncan can lay an egg on the road and the Spurs can still pull out the victory.
-Manu Ginobili is starting to play like an assassin. When the Spurs need a hoop, Ginobili has been almost automatic. The Spurs were down one with less than fifteen seconds to go in the game when Ginobili buried a leaner from about 18-feet. The shot usually would have been a highlight but as Spurs fans we’ve seen it so often recently that a clutch shot by Ginobili is almost routine. For the game, Ginobili finished with 30 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while shooting 10-for-17 from the field. It was another great game for Ginobili. Now that he’s hitting jumpers in crunch time again, he’s really reminding me of how he played in the 2005 playoffs. In that playoff run, he was lights out on jumpers during crunch time. Since then he has struggled with his jumper in crunch time in both the regular season and the playoffs. However this season, he’s even more automatic than he was during the 2005 playoffs. I just hope he can keep up this level of play for the rest of the year.
-Tony Parker took a big step forward in his recovery from his ankle injury. He looked as healthy as he has since November. Parker raced up and down the court and stayed in attack mode all game long. While his poor free throw shooting, especially in the fourth quarter, was disappointing, you have to be ecstatic with how he played overall. He totaled 26 points, five assists and two rebounds, while shooting 11-for-16 from the field. Perhaps most noteworthy was the fact that he was 4-for-5 on jumpers during the game, an area he has struggled mightily in for the last couple months. In the first half I thought his defense was pathetic but he really picked in up in the second half. Obviously he’s going to have to improve his 4-for-10 shooting from the free throw line but I’m really starting to believe Parker has a chance to be 100% by the time the playoffs roll around.
-I was impressed with how Bruce Bowen defended Michael Redd. For the first 19 minutes of the game, Bowen held Redd without a basket. Redd eventually got going (he had 25 points on 8-for-19 shooting from the field) but Bowen was defending him about as well as possible. You have to tip your hat to Redd for being one of the best scorers in the league that nobody talks about. Offensively, Bowen hit a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter. He finished with six points on 2-for-6 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds in 31 minutes. It wasn’t a great game by Bowen but it was a nice showing overall.
-Fabricio Oberto finally had a good game against a small ball team. Small ball teams have been exploiting Oberto as of late but in this contest, Oberto had the upper hand. Matched up against Charlie Villanueva, Oberto was partially responsible for Villanueva shooting 1-for-9 from the field. Oberto also made his mark on the glass, pulling down eight boards in 21 minutes of play. His offensive output on the night consisted of only two free throws but overall Oberto played a really solid game.
-Michael Finley is quietly becoming a dependable source of offense on a nightly basis. Besides Ginobili and Parker, Finley was the only other Spur to hit double-figures tonight. In 28 minutes, Finley had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field. He had a couple stretches where he turned the ball over and forced bad shots but on the whole, Finley was one of the better players for the Spurs against the Bucks.
-Ime Udoka is now playing like he has always been a part of this team. It’s barely noticeable that he’s a new player in the system. His defense was good all night and his offense was solid. For the contest, Udoka had eight points, five rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in 19 minutes of action. On Bogut’s last second attempt to tie the game, Udoka did a good job of making it a more difficult shot.
-Damon Stoudamire had his ups and downs this game. Defensively, he was poor for most of the night. The effort was there for the most part but his lack of size hurt him. Offensively, Ivey did a good job of hounding him and making it difficult for Stoudamire to bring the ball up the court. In 17 minutes, Stoudamire scored two points, grabbed two rebounds and handed out two assists. Overall it was a sub par game for Stoudamire but I liked that he kept competing throughout.
-In 14 minutes, Robert Horry wasn’t too helpful. He had two points, two rebounds and two turnovers, while shooting 1-for-4 from the field. After going through a stretch of the season where he was hitting his shots, Horry is now just two for his last ten on his field goal attempts. However, I’ve seen enough life out of him that I hope Pop keeps him in shape for when the playoffs roll around.
-Kurt Thomas played like Wilt Chamberlain reincarnate in his first game with the Spurs but has come back down to earth over his last two outings. Against the Bucks, Thomas played nine minutes and didn’t play that well. He’s still learning the system and obviously has no chemistry with his teammates on either end of the floor. There will be some growing pains but Thomas should eventually help this team come playoff time.
-Pop coached a solid ballgame. He tried to stay big against the Bucks early on but eventually relented and went small. Going small ended up being the winning potion for the Spurs tonight.
I really like how he kept the minutes low even though it was a close game. Tony Parker led the team with 35 minutes, which should bode well heading into tomorrow’s back-to-back contest. The 33 minutes Ginobili played was the fewest minutes he’s played in a close game in over a month.
Pop gave Jacque Vaughn a DNP-CD, which could signal that Stoudamire has the backup job. More likely, however, is that Pop wants Stoudamire to get minutes now so that he can get more comfortable with his teammates.
The bottomline is the Spurs have now won eight games in a row and sit atop the Western Conference standings. For a team that looked to be in trouble not too long ago, you have to be thrilled with this turnaround. Tomorrow, the Spurs play Devin Harris and the New Jersey Nets as they try to extend the winning streak to nine.
Believe.