Bruno
03-22-2008, 06:49 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032208.01C.BKNspurs.kings.gamer.38ff95b.html
Web Posted: 03/22/2008 12:15 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
The NBA's most impetuous and unpredictable player was inside the AT&T Center on Friday night and, sure enough, there were fireworks wrought from temper and testiness.
Sacramento's Ron Artest, though, was a model of decorum and competitive excellence.
But angry words from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and his defensive stopper, Bruce Bowen, produced technical fouls on consecutive possessions in the third quarter against the Kings.
The words also produced an intensified response by the Spurs after the Kings had eliminated a nine-point lead and tied the game at 58 in the third quarter with the technical foul shot Popovich's tirade mandated.
The positive response produced a 102-89 victory for the Spurs, their second straight after four consecutive losses.
Friday's win was the Spurs' 11th victory of the season in the second game of a back-to-back, against only five losses.
"The guys have focused on the second night," Popovich said.
Tim Duncan certainly did. He scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, following his strong showing in Thursday's victory in Chicago with an equally productive game 24 hours later.
If there was negative carryover from Thursday night, it appeared to be petulance built from the Spurs' fifth back-to-back of March, a month that has presented them an 18-game slate that still has five games to go.
Duncan was incensed that no foul was called when Sacramento's Brad Miller manhandled him as he drove to the basket with 7:48 left in the third period.
Likewise, Popovich was in no mood to see his star power forward roughed up without appropriate protection from the game's arbiters. He leaped from his seat on the Spurs' bench and screamed at referee Derrick Stafford, who wasted no time zapping him with a technical.
Stafford, it should be noted, showed restraint by abstaining from a second technical while Popovich's rant continued, sparing the coach automatic ejection.
Bowen, who had been jawing with Stafford about a foul call moments before Popovich's technical, followed Kevin Martin's score-tying foul shot by nailing a 3-pointer. Bowen drew a technical foul of his own when he punctuated the shot with a few more words for Stafford.
Their effort intensified by perceived injustice, the Spurs outscored the Kings 21-10 in the final seven minutes of the third.
"Maybe it did fire us up," guard Manu Ginobili said. "I think there were three or four plays that got us fired up, and the fans, too. That changed the rhythm of the game."
Ginobili was the focus of a third heated incident in the third period. He was whistled for a technical foul for responding too vociferously after being slammed to the floor by Miller, who was assessed a flagrant foul.
"I don't know what they saw," said Spurs guard Michael Finley, "but from the bench it just looked like Manu was protecting himself. They thought he was a little outrageous in his reaction to being flagrantly fouled.
"I guess when you get flagrantly fouled you're supposed to thank the guy or be happy, but Manu was just the opposite."
Ginobili said Stafford told him he had taken a swipe at Miller after picking himself off the floor.
The Spurs reacted to that incident by extending a three-point lead to 11 in the 4:25 after Ginobili's technical foul.
The often-tempestuous Artest, meanwhile, did his level best to keep his head and keep his team in the game. He made 10 of 20 shots and scored 21 points in the first three periods.
Technically speaking, he even managed to avoid a technical of his own when the refereeing crew showed its own brand of petulance. The Kings were given a technical for delay of game when Artest refused to give referee Monty McCutcheon the ball after a turnover.
Web Posted: 03/22/2008 12:15 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News
The NBA's most impetuous and unpredictable player was inside the AT&T Center on Friday night and, sure enough, there were fireworks wrought from temper and testiness.
Sacramento's Ron Artest, though, was a model of decorum and competitive excellence.
But angry words from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and his defensive stopper, Bruce Bowen, produced technical fouls on consecutive possessions in the third quarter against the Kings.
The words also produced an intensified response by the Spurs after the Kings had eliminated a nine-point lead and tied the game at 58 in the third quarter with the technical foul shot Popovich's tirade mandated.
The positive response produced a 102-89 victory for the Spurs, their second straight after four consecutive losses.
Friday's win was the Spurs' 11th victory of the season in the second game of a back-to-back, against only five losses.
"The guys have focused on the second night," Popovich said.
Tim Duncan certainly did. He scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, following his strong showing in Thursday's victory in Chicago with an equally productive game 24 hours later.
If there was negative carryover from Thursday night, it appeared to be petulance built from the Spurs' fifth back-to-back of March, a month that has presented them an 18-game slate that still has five games to go.
Duncan was incensed that no foul was called when Sacramento's Brad Miller manhandled him as he drove to the basket with 7:48 left in the third period.
Likewise, Popovich was in no mood to see his star power forward roughed up without appropriate protection from the game's arbiters. He leaped from his seat on the Spurs' bench and screamed at referee Derrick Stafford, who wasted no time zapping him with a technical.
Stafford, it should be noted, showed restraint by abstaining from a second technical while Popovich's rant continued, sparing the coach automatic ejection.
Bowen, who had been jawing with Stafford about a foul call moments before Popovich's technical, followed Kevin Martin's score-tying foul shot by nailing a 3-pointer. Bowen drew a technical foul of his own when he punctuated the shot with a few more words for Stafford.
Their effort intensified by perceived injustice, the Spurs outscored the Kings 21-10 in the final seven minutes of the third.
"Maybe it did fire us up," guard Manu Ginobili said. "I think there were three or four plays that got us fired up, and the fans, too. That changed the rhythm of the game."
Ginobili was the focus of a third heated incident in the third period. He was whistled for a technical foul for responding too vociferously after being slammed to the floor by Miller, who was assessed a flagrant foul.
"I don't know what they saw," said Spurs guard Michael Finley, "but from the bench it just looked like Manu was protecting himself. They thought he was a little outrageous in his reaction to being flagrantly fouled.
"I guess when you get flagrantly fouled you're supposed to thank the guy or be happy, but Manu was just the opposite."
Ginobili said Stafford told him he had taken a swipe at Miller after picking himself off the floor.
The Spurs reacted to that incident by extending a three-point lead to 11 in the 4:25 after Ginobili's technical foul.
The often-tempestuous Artest, meanwhile, did his level best to keep his head and keep his team in the game. He made 10 of 20 shots and scored 21 points in the first three periods.
Technically speaking, he even managed to avoid a technical of his own when the refereeing crew showed its own brand of petulance. The Kings were given a technical for delay of game when Artest refused to give referee Monty McCutcheon the ball after a turnover.