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03-07-2008, 01:33 AM
Spurs notebook: Ginobili can't save Popovich from ejection
Web Posted: 03/07/2008 12:08 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili filled the stat sheet with 28 points, five rebounds, three assists and, yes, five turnovers in Thursday night's 108-97 victory over Indiana.
What Gregg Popovich could have used most from his Argentine guard was a save.
Ginobili tried to intervene after Popovich picked up a technical for arguing a no-call in the second quarter, teaming with assistant Don Newman to try and keep his head coach away from referee Mark Wunderlich. The interference proved ineffective, and Popovich quickly drew a second technical and automatic ejection.
I tried to block him out, %Ginobili joked after the game. I could have done better.
Popovich's early exit was only sign of the fireworks to come.
With 1:23 left in the third quarter, Indiana coach Jim O'Brien got halfway to an ejection himself, drawing a technical foul himself. In the fourth, Indiana's Troy Murphy picked up a flagrant foul after a take-down of Ime Udoka.
Then came the biggest explosion.
With 25.6 seconds left in a game that had been long since decided, Indiana's David Harrison, who earlier in the quarter had taken an elbow from Bonner, turned to an official and declared, I'm going to (expletive) kill him.
That drew a technical foul for Harrison, who was immediately removed from the game. Harrison spent the next several seconds staring at Bonner before Indiana officials sent him to the locker room for medical treatment.
It surprised me, it looked like the game was over and it started to get a little rough, Ginobili said. But everyone is competing and I know that if I was 20 points down in a game, I'd compete to get it closer, too.
Sampson in town: Kelvin Sampson, whose forced resignation at Indiana last month as for the time being derailed his collegiate coaching career, has resurfaced in San Antonio.
Sampson, a friend of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's, has been in town observing the Spurs in games and practices this week. He and Popovich have known each other since serving together on George Karl's Team USA staff at the 2002 FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis.
He's a buddy, Popovich said. He's here and we're having fun together, and learning from each other. I want him to look at us, and if he's got a good suggestion, then great.
Sampson, who was asked to step down at Indiana after the NCAA alleged five major recruiting violations, has an open-ended invitation to stick around with the Spurs for as long as he wants, Popovich said.
Tough road behind: The Pacers, meanwhile, polished off the worst kind of Texas two-step.
On Wednesday night, they helped Houston extend its winning streak to a franchise-best 16 games. On Thursday, they helped the Spurs inflate their season-best winning streak to 11.
Clearly, playing both the Rockets and the Spurs is a very hard challenge for us right now, Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. We just didn't have what it took to get things done.
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Online at: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA030708.04C.SPURS_notebook_0307.en.130fa19.html
Web Posted: 03/07/2008 12:08 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili filled the stat sheet with 28 points, five rebounds, three assists and, yes, five turnovers in Thursday night's 108-97 victory over Indiana.
What Gregg Popovich could have used most from his Argentine guard was a save.
Ginobili tried to intervene after Popovich picked up a technical for arguing a no-call in the second quarter, teaming with assistant Don Newman to try and keep his head coach away from referee Mark Wunderlich. The interference proved ineffective, and Popovich quickly drew a second technical and automatic ejection.
I tried to block him out, %Ginobili joked after the game. I could have done better.
Popovich's early exit was only sign of the fireworks to come.
With 1:23 left in the third quarter, Indiana coach Jim O'Brien got halfway to an ejection himself, drawing a technical foul himself. In the fourth, Indiana's Troy Murphy picked up a flagrant foul after a take-down of Ime Udoka.
Then came the biggest explosion.
With 25.6 seconds left in a game that had been long since decided, Indiana's David Harrison, who earlier in the quarter had taken an elbow from Bonner, turned to an official and declared, I'm going to (expletive) kill him.
That drew a technical foul for Harrison, who was immediately removed from the game. Harrison spent the next several seconds staring at Bonner before Indiana officials sent him to the locker room for medical treatment.
It surprised me, it looked like the game was over and it started to get a little rough, Ginobili said. But everyone is competing and I know that if I was 20 points down in a game, I'd compete to get it closer, too.
Sampson in town: Kelvin Sampson, whose forced resignation at Indiana last month as for the time being derailed his collegiate coaching career, has resurfaced in San Antonio.
Sampson, a friend of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's, has been in town observing the Spurs in games and practices this week. He and Popovich have known each other since serving together on George Karl's Team USA staff at the 2002 FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis.
He's a buddy, Popovich said. He's here and we're having fun together, and learning from each other. I want him to look at us, and if he's got a good suggestion, then great.
Sampson, who was asked to step down at Indiana after the NCAA alleged five major recruiting violations, has an open-ended invitation to stick around with the Spurs for as long as he wants, Popovich said.
Tough road behind: The Pacers, meanwhile, polished off the worst kind of Texas two-step.
On Wednesday night, they helped Houston extend its winning streak to a franchise-best 16 games. On Thursday, they helped the Spurs inflate their season-best winning streak to 11.
Clearly, playing both the Rockets and the Spurs is a very hard challenge for us right now, Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. We just didn't have what it took to get things done.
[email protected]
Online at: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA030708.04C.SPURS_notebook_0307.en.130fa19.html