duncan228
05-05-2008, 02:03 PM
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/?/base/sports-3/1209964866137180.xml&coll=1
Duncan's weak start no concern to Spurs
S.A. seeks to improve inside game, expects series to get physical
By Nakia Hogan
Throughout his stellar career, San Antonio Spurs All-Star forward Tim Duncan has had a few poor games.
Given the circumstances, perhaps none was worse than Saturday night's performance when Duncan did little to help the Spurs in their 101-82 loss to the Hornets in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Duncan was ineffective in the post against the Hornets' Tyson Chandler, scoring just five points on 1-of-9 shooting and grabbing three rebounds. The point total tied his career playoff low. Duncan also scored five points in a Western Conference finals game against Portland in 1999, but the Spurs won that game 85-63.
While the Hornets used Chandler and some well-timed double-teams to fluster Duncan, some of his ineptness was his own doing. Duncan missed several shots around the basket and was a non-factor on the boards.
"Things just didn't go my way," he said after the game. "They did a great job. . . . I played badly, so credit to them."
Duncan gets a chance to redeem himself tonight, as the Hornets host the Spurs in Game 2 at the New Orleans Arena. Duncan's teammates said they expect him to bounce back with a strong performance. In the four regular-season games against the Hornets, Duncan averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.
"They took away our inside game," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "Timmy had a rough night. They double-teamed him every time he caught the ball. We need to do a better job to get him the ball and try to get him some shots, basically. New Orleans did a good job to take that away from us. That's not Timmy. So I expect him to me very aggressive and come back strong in Game 2."
LET'S GET PHYSICAL: Players from both teams said they expected this seven-game series to be a physical one, with players being slammed to the floor. Game 1 lived up to those expectations.
When the teams met in the regular season March 12, Spurs forward Bruce Bowen received a one-game suspension for kicking Hornets points guard Chris Paul.
This time, though, it was Parker and Bowen who were bumped hard.
In the second quarter, Parker went down and banged his head on the court. Bowen was taken down by a flagrant foul by Bonzi Wells.
But the Spurs insist it wasn't as bad as it looked.
"That's nothing. That's nothing compared to what I went through in the first round against Phoenix," Parker said. "We just finished a very, very tough first round. It was very, very physical. So we expect the same thing against New Orleans. They play very good at home. They play with a lot of confidence. They did a good job. They played physical."
PRACTICE CANCELED: After a long and physical game Saturday that included a 20-minute delay to clean the court of residue left by fire extinguishers after a stunt by Hornets mascot Super Hugo, the Spurs canceled their Sunday afternoon practice at the New Orleans Arena. The team will convene for a shoot-around this morning at the arena.
NO ADDED PRESSURE: The Spurs are trying to avoid opening a playoff series with consecutive losses for the first time since dropping back-to-back games to Utah in 1998 in the Western Conference semifinals. The Spurs lost that series 4-1. But Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said there is no added pressure on the defending NBA champions.
"Every game is important," Popovich said. "You can think of reasons why every single game is important. That's not even a consideration. Just go play the games. You all (media) will make up stories about who's under pressure and who's not. But both teams want to win every game. That's just a bunch of psychobabble. . . . But we'll be fine, and the Hornets will be fine."
Duncan's weak start no concern to Spurs
S.A. seeks to improve inside game, expects series to get physical
By Nakia Hogan
Throughout his stellar career, San Antonio Spurs All-Star forward Tim Duncan has had a few poor games.
Given the circumstances, perhaps none was worse than Saturday night's performance when Duncan did little to help the Spurs in their 101-82 loss to the Hornets in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Duncan was ineffective in the post against the Hornets' Tyson Chandler, scoring just five points on 1-of-9 shooting and grabbing three rebounds. The point total tied his career playoff low. Duncan also scored five points in a Western Conference finals game against Portland in 1999, but the Spurs won that game 85-63.
While the Hornets used Chandler and some well-timed double-teams to fluster Duncan, some of his ineptness was his own doing. Duncan missed several shots around the basket and was a non-factor on the boards.
"Things just didn't go my way," he said after the game. "They did a great job. . . . I played badly, so credit to them."
Duncan gets a chance to redeem himself tonight, as the Hornets host the Spurs in Game 2 at the New Orleans Arena. Duncan's teammates said they expect him to bounce back with a strong performance. In the four regular-season games against the Hornets, Duncan averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.
"They took away our inside game," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "Timmy had a rough night. They double-teamed him every time he caught the ball. We need to do a better job to get him the ball and try to get him some shots, basically. New Orleans did a good job to take that away from us. That's not Timmy. So I expect him to me very aggressive and come back strong in Game 2."
LET'S GET PHYSICAL: Players from both teams said they expected this seven-game series to be a physical one, with players being slammed to the floor. Game 1 lived up to those expectations.
When the teams met in the regular season March 12, Spurs forward Bruce Bowen received a one-game suspension for kicking Hornets points guard Chris Paul.
This time, though, it was Parker and Bowen who were bumped hard.
In the second quarter, Parker went down and banged his head on the court. Bowen was taken down by a flagrant foul by Bonzi Wells.
But the Spurs insist it wasn't as bad as it looked.
"That's nothing. That's nothing compared to what I went through in the first round against Phoenix," Parker said. "We just finished a very, very tough first round. It was very, very physical. So we expect the same thing against New Orleans. They play very good at home. They play with a lot of confidence. They did a good job. They played physical."
PRACTICE CANCELED: After a long and physical game Saturday that included a 20-minute delay to clean the court of residue left by fire extinguishers after a stunt by Hornets mascot Super Hugo, the Spurs canceled their Sunday afternoon practice at the New Orleans Arena. The team will convene for a shoot-around this morning at the arena.
NO ADDED PRESSURE: The Spurs are trying to avoid opening a playoff series with consecutive losses for the first time since dropping back-to-back games to Utah in 1998 in the Western Conference semifinals. The Spurs lost that series 4-1. But Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said there is no added pressure on the defending NBA champions.
"Every game is important," Popovich said. "You can think of reasons why every single game is important. That's not even a consideration. Just go play the games. You all (media) will make up stories about who's under pressure and who's not. But both teams want to win every game. That's just a bunch of psychobabble. . . . But we'll be fine, and the Hornets will be fine."