duncan228
05-06-2008, 11:43 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.050708_SpursNotes.en.d6b2f901.html
NBA: Duncan, Ginobili among top 10 in MVP voting
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Led by Hornets point guard Chris Paul, the runner-up to Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in voting for the NBA’s 2007-08 Most Valuable Player award, three participants in the Spurs-Hornets Western Conference semifinal series finished in the top 10.
Former MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs power forward who won the award in 2001 and 2002, finished seventh. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, the only non-starter to receive any votes, finished 10th.
Paul, who had 30 points and 12 assists in Monday’s Game 2, finished second to Bryant, followed by Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Orlando’s Dwight Howard.
The Spurs and Phoenix Suns were the only teams with more than one player receiving votes. Suns forward Amare Stoudemire finished sixth, and point guard Steve Nash was ninth.
A media panel of 124 voted for the award, ranking players one through five. First-place votes were worth 10 points, with remaining votes counting seven, five, three and one.
Duncan received two fourth-place votes and 19 fifth-place votes, for a total of 25. Ginobili, named winner of the league’s Sixth Man award, received nine fifth-place votes, for a total of nine. Bryant, who got 82 first-place votes to Paul’s 28, had 1,105 points. Paul had 894 points. Garnett and James were the only other players receiving first-place votes.
Tall order: Coming off a five-game first-round series against Phoenix in which he averaged 29.6 points, Spurs point guard Tony Parker has scored only 34 points in the first two games of the series against the Hornets.
He has had difficulty getting to the basket, and when he has gotten there, Hornets center Tyson Chandler, one of the league’s best shot blockers, has made things difficult for him.
Chandler has blocked three of Parker’s shots in the first two games and changed others. Parker has made 14 of 31 shots.
“He got me two times (in Game 2), and they were good blocks,” Parker said of Chandler. “The second one I thought was goaltending, but you can’t argue.
Parker said he will need to be more aware of passing when Chandler leaves whomever he is guarding to get in position to block one of Parker’s attempts.
“When they’re coming weak side maybe I have to pay more attention to it,” Parker said, “but I’m used to it, with (Nuggets center) Marcus Camby last year and Shaq and (Amare) Stoudemire in the first round. He just did two good plays.”
Fever pitch: TNT network reporter Craig Sager reported Monday that Duncan had been battling a high fever during his five-point, three-rebound performance in Game 1 against the Hornets. Both Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Duncan downplayed the report without specifically denying its veracity.
“We’re fine,” Popovich said after Game 2 when questioned about the TNT report. “No injuries. No problems, besides the two losses.
Asked if the report were erroneous, Popovich said, “We’re fine. We’re healthy, and no excuses.”
NBA: Duncan, Ginobili among top 10 in MVP voting
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Led by Hornets point guard Chris Paul, the runner-up to Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in voting for the NBA’s 2007-08 Most Valuable Player award, three participants in the Spurs-Hornets Western Conference semifinal series finished in the top 10.
Former MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs power forward who won the award in 2001 and 2002, finished seventh. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, the only non-starter to receive any votes, finished 10th.
Paul, who had 30 points and 12 assists in Monday’s Game 2, finished second to Bryant, followed by Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Orlando’s Dwight Howard.
The Spurs and Phoenix Suns were the only teams with more than one player receiving votes. Suns forward Amare Stoudemire finished sixth, and point guard Steve Nash was ninth.
A media panel of 124 voted for the award, ranking players one through five. First-place votes were worth 10 points, with remaining votes counting seven, five, three and one.
Duncan received two fourth-place votes and 19 fifth-place votes, for a total of 25. Ginobili, named winner of the league’s Sixth Man award, received nine fifth-place votes, for a total of nine. Bryant, who got 82 first-place votes to Paul’s 28, had 1,105 points. Paul had 894 points. Garnett and James were the only other players receiving first-place votes.
Tall order: Coming off a five-game first-round series against Phoenix in which he averaged 29.6 points, Spurs point guard Tony Parker has scored only 34 points in the first two games of the series against the Hornets.
He has had difficulty getting to the basket, and when he has gotten there, Hornets center Tyson Chandler, one of the league’s best shot blockers, has made things difficult for him.
Chandler has blocked three of Parker’s shots in the first two games and changed others. Parker has made 14 of 31 shots.
“He got me two times (in Game 2), and they were good blocks,” Parker said of Chandler. “The second one I thought was goaltending, but you can’t argue.
Parker said he will need to be more aware of passing when Chandler leaves whomever he is guarding to get in position to block one of Parker’s attempts.
“When they’re coming weak side maybe I have to pay more attention to it,” Parker said, “but I’m used to it, with (Nuggets center) Marcus Camby last year and Shaq and (Amare) Stoudemire in the first round. He just did two good plays.”
Fever pitch: TNT network reporter Craig Sager reported Monday that Duncan had been battling a high fever during his five-point, three-rebound performance in Game 1 against the Hornets. Both Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Duncan downplayed the report without specifically denying its veracity.
“We’re fine,” Popovich said after Game 2 when questioned about the TNT report. “No injuries. No problems, besides the two losses.
Asked if the report were erroneous, Popovich said, “We’re fine. We’re healthy, and no excuses.”