greens
03-18-2008, 01:05 AM
Notebook: Critical mental errors cost Spurs on last play
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031808.05D.BKNspurs.notebook.3f85e36.html
Web Posted: 03/18/2008 12:45 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Spurs defensive ace Bruce Bowen said he did not know the Spurs had one remaining timeout when he stole an in-bounds pass from Boston's Kevin Garnett with 4.5 seconds remaining in Monday's game at the AT&T Center.
It was a critical mental error in the Spurs' 93-91 loss, and Bowen made no attempt to hide the truth.
"No, I didn't (know)," he said. "When I caught the ball I didn't think I had time to look over (to the bench) to see if they were signaling (for a timeout)."
Instead, Bowen turned away from the bench and fired a pass to Robert Horry, who was behind the 3-point line on the right side of the court.
Horry did know the Spurs had a timeout to use, and wishes he had used it himself.
"(Bruce) should have called a timeout," he said, "and I should have called a timeout, too, because I had enough time to call it, also."
Instead, Horry fired up a long, high 3-point attempt that was far off target.
"As high as I shot the ball, and as bad as I shot it," Horry said, "when it hit the board there was still a second left. So I had plenty of time (to call a timeout)."
Boston's Eddie House went to the foul line with 9.6 seconds remaining, his team leading, 91-89. As he prepared for his free throws, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich scribbled a play on his whiteboard designed to get a 3-point shot if House missed either of his free throws.
He instructed Horry to in-bound the ball quickly if House made both shots, and that's what Horry did after House made the two free throws.
Popovich would have preferred a chance to draw up another play after Bowen's steal, too.
"It would have been good if one of them would have called a timeout, probably," he said. "But in the heat of battle, that doesn't always occur to you."
Especially if you don't know you have a timeout remaining.
Chuckles: Celtics guard Ray Allen, who has a long history of antipathy toward Bowen, once accusing the Spurs' defensive ace of playing "coward's basketball," said he laughed last weekend when he heard about Bowen's suspension for kicking Hornets guard Chris Paul.
"I've been on the other side of some of those kicks," he said.
Allen and Bowen have had problems for years. Bowen was fined $10,000 for kicking Allen in a game in Seattle on March 26, 2006. He apologized after that incident, which had prompted Allen's accusation that Bowen played "coward's basketball."
Bowen was suspended for a kicking action aimed at Paul in the Spurs' loss at New Orleans on Wednesday night. Bowen missed the Spurs' Friday game in Detroit, his first miss after 500 consecutive games.
"I did get a chuckle out of it," Allen said.
end of the article...
Somehow, I just knew they were going to ask Ray Allen about Bruce...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA031808.05D.BKNspurs.notebook.3f85e36.html
Web Posted: 03/18/2008 12:45 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Spurs defensive ace Bruce Bowen said he did not know the Spurs had one remaining timeout when he stole an in-bounds pass from Boston's Kevin Garnett with 4.5 seconds remaining in Monday's game at the AT&T Center.
It was a critical mental error in the Spurs' 93-91 loss, and Bowen made no attempt to hide the truth.
"No, I didn't (know)," he said. "When I caught the ball I didn't think I had time to look over (to the bench) to see if they were signaling (for a timeout)."
Instead, Bowen turned away from the bench and fired a pass to Robert Horry, who was behind the 3-point line on the right side of the court.
Horry did know the Spurs had a timeout to use, and wishes he had used it himself.
"(Bruce) should have called a timeout," he said, "and I should have called a timeout, too, because I had enough time to call it, also."
Instead, Horry fired up a long, high 3-point attempt that was far off target.
"As high as I shot the ball, and as bad as I shot it," Horry said, "when it hit the board there was still a second left. So I had plenty of time (to call a timeout)."
Boston's Eddie House went to the foul line with 9.6 seconds remaining, his team leading, 91-89. As he prepared for his free throws, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich scribbled a play on his whiteboard designed to get a 3-point shot if House missed either of his free throws.
He instructed Horry to in-bound the ball quickly if House made both shots, and that's what Horry did after House made the two free throws.
Popovich would have preferred a chance to draw up another play after Bowen's steal, too.
"It would have been good if one of them would have called a timeout, probably," he said. "But in the heat of battle, that doesn't always occur to you."
Especially if you don't know you have a timeout remaining.
Chuckles: Celtics guard Ray Allen, who has a long history of antipathy toward Bowen, once accusing the Spurs' defensive ace of playing "coward's basketball," said he laughed last weekend when he heard about Bowen's suspension for kicking Hornets guard Chris Paul.
"I've been on the other side of some of those kicks," he said.
Allen and Bowen have had problems for years. Bowen was fined $10,000 for kicking Allen in a game in Seattle on March 26, 2006. He apologized after that incident, which had prompted Allen's accusation that Bowen played "coward's basketball."
Bowen was suspended for a kicking action aimed at Paul in the Spurs' loss at New Orleans on Wednesday night. Bowen missed the Spurs' Friday game in Detroit, his first miss after 500 consecutive games.
"I did get a chuckle out of it," Allen said.
end of the article...
Somehow, I just knew they were going to ask Ray Allen about Bruce...