duncan228
04-07-2008, 09:13 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040708.04D.BKNspurs.notebook.3e1740e.html
Notebook: Spurs knew they were a lock for playoff spot
Mike Monroe
Express-News
As tight as the Western Conference playoff race has been all season, the Spurs never really believed they would not be one of the eight teams to make the postseason.
The Spurs officially qualified for a Western Conference playoff berth on Saturday night, when they were idle, when Denver lost to Sacramento.
There was no real sense of relief from the Spurs.
"From day one," said Manu Ginobili, "we knew we were going to make the playoffs, so I don't feel relief from that."
Ginobili allowed that a twinge of doubt crept into his thinking when the Spurs lost six of seven games in March, but only for a moment.
"We kind of knew we were going to change that," Ginobili said. "And now the difference is, at which spot. Is it going to be one, two, six? So we've got to fight as much as we can to get a good spot."
Finally: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has tickets for tonight's NCAA championship game at the Alamodome, but said he was undecided about attending.
One member of the Spurs, though, will be there for sure, hoping to celebrate.
Former Kansas star Jacque Vaughn, whose Jayhawks teams got to the NCAA Sweet 16, but never made it to the Final Four, has tickets to see the championship game between Kansas and Memphis.
"I wouldn't miss it," Vaughn said. "I will be there."
Vaughn refused to make a prediction about the game, for fear of jinxing his alma mater.
"I have a prediction," he said, "but I have nothing to say on the record."
Vaughn watched Kansas' NCAA semifinal victory Saturday night over North Carolina alone in his room at the Spurs' hotel in Portland, enjoying the Jayhawks' early domination as they ran to a 40-12 lead.
And when North Carolina roared back in the second half and cut Kansas' lead to four points?
"I was never nervous," he insisted.
Vaughn said he got plenty of text messages from his teammates during the Tar Heels' comeback.
"Everybody was texting me," he said, " but I knew they were going to withstand that run."
Spurs captain Tim Duncan was asked for his prediction on tonight's game, but declared himself incapable of even an educated guess.
"I've watched two minutes of the NCAA tournament this year," he said. "That was (Saturday) night, the end of the Kansas-UNC game. That's the extent of my knowledge of the brackets. So I can't make an educated prediction."
Notebook: Spurs knew they were a lock for playoff spot
Mike Monroe
Express-News
As tight as the Western Conference playoff race has been all season, the Spurs never really believed they would not be one of the eight teams to make the postseason.
The Spurs officially qualified for a Western Conference playoff berth on Saturday night, when they were idle, when Denver lost to Sacramento.
There was no real sense of relief from the Spurs.
"From day one," said Manu Ginobili, "we knew we were going to make the playoffs, so I don't feel relief from that."
Ginobili allowed that a twinge of doubt crept into his thinking when the Spurs lost six of seven games in March, but only for a moment.
"We kind of knew we were going to change that," Ginobili said. "And now the difference is, at which spot. Is it going to be one, two, six? So we've got to fight as much as we can to get a good spot."
Finally: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has tickets for tonight's NCAA championship game at the Alamodome, but said he was undecided about attending.
One member of the Spurs, though, will be there for sure, hoping to celebrate.
Former Kansas star Jacque Vaughn, whose Jayhawks teams got to the NCAA Sweet 16, but never made it to the Final Four, has tickets to see the championship game between Kansas and Memphis.
"I wouldn't miss it," Vaughn said. "I will be there."
Vaughn refused to make a prediction about the game, for fear of jinxing his alma mater.
"I have a prediction," he said, "but I have nothing to say on the record."
Vaughn watched Kansas' NCAA semifinal victory Saturday night over North Carolina alone in his room at the Spurs' hotel in Portland, enjoying the Jayhawks' early domination as they ran to a 40-12 lead.
And when North Carolina roared back in the second half and cut Kansas' lead to four points?
"I was never nervous," he insisted.
Vaughn said he got plenty of text messages from his teammates during the Tar Heels' comeback.
"Everybody was texting me," he said, " but I knew they were going to withstand that run."
Spurs captain Tim Duncan was asked for his prediction on tonight's game, but declared himself incapable of even an educated guess.
"I've watched two minutes of the NCAA tournament this year," he said. "That was (Saturday) night, the end of the Kansas-UNC game. That's the extent of my knowledge of the brackets. So I can't make an educated prediction."