Monroe: Bowen's Switch Keys Spurs' Turnaround Against Hornets

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA050908.07D.BKNspurs.bowen.e14aa1a6.html

Bowen's switch keys Spurs' turnaround against Hornets
By Mike Monroe

Bruce Bowen needed only two words to assess the Spurs’ transition defense in the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the New Orleans Hornets.

“It stunk,” he said.

After giving up 22 fast break points in losses in Games 1 and 2 in New Orleans, the Spurs limited the Hornets to seven transition points in their 110-99 victory Thursday night at AT&T Center.

The difference: This time, Bowen was locked up on Hornets’ forward Peja Stojakovic, start to finish, and especially when the Hornets tried to get their running game at full speed.

“It’s what he does for us,” said Spurs captain Tim Duncan. “He walks into someone and takes him out of the game.”

Stojakovic scored 47 in Games 1 and 2, tied for team scoring honors with Chris Paul. In Game 3, he made only two of seven shots and scored only eight.

Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich, who had Bowen on Paul in the first two games, switched other matchups for Thursday’s game. Tony Parker took over the defense on the All-NBA first team point guard. Manu Ginobili, starting instead of Michael Finley, defended Morris Peterson.

“He was next to me all the time,” said Stojakovic of Bowen.

It is the same lament Bowen has heard from such offensive stars as Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and Vince Carter, without the whining.

“More than anything else,” Bowen said, “I just tried to stay attached to him. He was the most consistent in the past two games in transition. They found him and I was able to stick with him in transition a lot of times, and the times I wasn’t, I was able to direct guys to him.”

In fact, Bowen rarely lost contact with Stojakovic, a three-time winner of the All-Star Weekend 3-point shootout.

In Game 3, Bowen outscored Stojakovic 12-8, and outshot him for long range. Stojakovic made only one of three 3-pointers. Bowen nailed four-of-nine.

“The (3-point) shot will be there against this team, the way they’re playing,” Bowen said. “The difference between this game and the other game: I had only one attempt (in Game 2).”

Bowen’s biggest 3-pointer came with 2.9 seconds left in the first half, with the Spurs trailing by seven points. It cut the lead to four points, and when the Hornets turned the ball over on the in-bounds pass, with eight-tenths of a second left, Ginobili turned that opportunity into a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer.

“That was real important,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “The things you do at the ends of quarters, and especially the ends of halves, do make a difference, emotionally and psychologically. We were fortunate there.”

[sprrs]

I feel really good about this series now that Bruce is on Peja. It was really a huge factor in this game.

[Brutalis]

Bowen locking up Peja now means it's a battle between our big three against Paul and West. Hopefully Duncan can get a big game in Sunday and get Chandler and West in foul trouble at the same time, if so... I see a nice win.

[Emeyin]

Aye, I stand corrected when I said Bowen on CP3. After game 2 I knew I was wrong. He can't fully shut down CP3 but he owns Peja.

Great adjustment by Pop.

[Obstructed_View]

Nobody can really shut down Chris Paul. He's simply too good right now to waste a defender on him if it's going to cause mismatches elsewhere. Play him straight up, make him work for his shots and slow down their fast break. The Spurs have beaten better running teams in the past couple of years, so there's not any mystery how to stop them.

Limit the three point shooting, hustle for rebounds and get back on defense and the Spurs have an excellent chance of winning this series in less than seven games.

[SenorSpur]

Many of us have been calling for Pop to make this switch of Bowen back to Peja. It worked. Too bad he didn't start the series out that way.

[ECZ]

Bowen locking up Peja now means it's a battle between our big three against Paul and West. Hopefully Duncan can get a big game in Sunday and get Chandler and West in foul trouble at the same time, if so... I see a nice win.

:hat

couldn't have said it better myself

[NoMoneyDown]

“He was next to me all the time,” said Stojakovic of Bowen.

It is the same lament Bowen has heard from such offensive stars as Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and Vince Carter, without the whining.

Give him another game or two.

[xtremesteven33]

im in love with bowen

[T Park]

Peja was so rattled from Bowen, when Bowen switched to Paul when Parker went out, he missed a pretty open three when guarded by Ginobili.

[ambchang]

Not to gloat, but I called Bowen on Peja and Parker on Paul before the series began, let Paul score, shut everyone down. Didn't call the start Ginobili bit though.

At this point, the Spurs need to work on their transition defense, defensive rebounding, and running more pick and rolls. MORE BARRY!

[boutons_]

Spurs were losing RB early, ended up 43 vs 41, the diff being +2 ORB.

stepped up the hustle!

Spurs AST 28 - 15 !

3Gs 11 - 2 ! 33 - 6 pts. That +25 won the game that was won by +11.

The stats are more impressive than the final score. A very solid, complete W.

[T Park]

MORE BARRY!

Instead of?


Barry last night was pathetic.

Passed up an open shot again and let Chris Paul get an offensive rebound that Pop rightfull so chewed his ass out for for 10 minutes.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Not to gloat, but I called Bowen on Peja and Parker on Paul before the series began, let Paul score, shut everyone down. Didn't call the start Ginobili bit though.

At this point, the Spurs need to work on their transition defense, defensive rebounding, and running more pick and rolls. MORE BARRY!

Not to gloat, but everyone with a brain called the same thing. The only person who didn't was Pop, unfortunately.

[loquats]

WAs it just me, or did I see Peja knock down a jumper in Bowen's face, and also "blow by" him to the rack a couple of times. Got fouled a few times by Bowen to boot.

IMO, in game 4, they will concentrate more on this matchup and will try to work Peja in the paint and work isos even MORE.

May also see Hilton Armstrong as the Melvin Ely experiment is drawing to a close. Armstrong is bigger and more athletic for rebounds and defense.

[tp2021]

why would you want peja in an iso situation in the paint? he is a shooter, not a penetrator, and by no means a post-up forward.

if we can have a full game where all of our big three show up, instead of separately and at different times, i have no doubt in this team. hopefully whatever it is that is bothering them, be it tim's supposed fever, manu's ankle, and tony hittin his head on the damn floor all the time, will be shaken off by them.
GO SPURS GO!

[loquats]

why would you want peja in an iso situation in the paint? he is a shooter, not a penetrator, and by no means a post-up forward.

if we can have a full game where all of our big three show up, instead of separately and at different times, i have no doubt in this team. hopefully whatever it is that is bothering them, be it tim's supposed fever, manu's ankle, and tony hittin his head on the damn floor all the time, will be shaken off by them.
GO SPURS GO!

My friend, you have not seen many Hornets games this year. Peja has routinely backed down smaller forwards and guards with surprising success. Has a nice touch near the goal. Missed a couple of easy ones yesterday, but he easily dsipatched of Bowen when doing so.

I expect the Hornets to actually exploit this matchup in game 4. He's 6'10" and has had no trouble at all pulling up in the face, or backing down his defender with success this season.

It just depends on if the Hornets decide to run that set.

[tp2021]

I'll take a contested jumpshot in the paint from Peja over a three pointer any day. even if he misses one of those, the long rebound could go to anyone.

[nfg3]

If Peja wants to go down low and do isos then I'm all for it. He is a much better perimeter player than a low post one IMO. And I've never seen him be a physical type of player. He is more of a finesse type that runs and guns rather than bangs down low.

[boutons_]

"never seen him be a physical type of player"

neither have I, until he was posting up and driving pretty hard and rebounding well in game1,2. He's seems to have gotten a little tougher and more aggressive. Since SAC.

[Obstructed_View]

My friend, you have not seen many Hornets games this year. Peja has routinely backed down smaller forwards and guards with surprising success. Has a nice touch near the goal. Missed a couple of easy ones yesterday, but he easily dsipatched of Bowen when doing so.

I expect the Hornets to actually exploit this matchup in game 4. He's 6'10" and has had no trouble at all pulling up in the face, or backing down his defender with success this season.

It just depends on if the Hornets decide to run that set.

I know you didn't watch basketball before the last month or so, but if the Hornets want to put Peja in the post to try to go at Bowen the Spurs will be positively giddy. Peja hit one shot on Bowen in the entire game as I recall, a really nice bucket with a hand in his face. What Bowen did against Peja (8 points on 7 shot attempts) is the same thing he's done against him his entire career, so attempting to make him a scorer by forcing him into the post means fewer touches for Paul and West. If Peja scores 25 points he's going to have to take about 25 shots to do it, and even Byron Scott would be smart enough to abandon the strategy before it got that far, if for no other reason than the huge hole it will put the team in.

[Brutalis]

Peja was so rattled from Bowen, when Bowen switched to Paul when Parker went out, he missed a pretty open three when guarded by Ginobili.

When I noticed Manu guarding Peja I was a tad nervous Peja would start dropping some 3s. Glad it didn't go that way.

Anyways, I am curious to see if Byron makes any changes? This game is so big, does he change this before we tie it up or after, or better question.. at all?

[loquats]

I know you didn't watch basketball before the last month or so, but if the Hornets want to put Peja in the post to try to go at Bowen the Spurs will be positively giddy. Peja hit one shot on Bowen in the entire game as I recall, a really nice bucket with a hand in his face. What Bowen did against Peja (8 points on 7 shot attempts) is the same thing he's done against him his entire career, so attempting to make him a scorer by forcing him into the post means fewer touches for Paul and West. If Peja scores 25 points he's going to have to take about 25 shots to do it, and even Byron Scott would be smart enough to abandon the strategy before it got that far, if for no other reason than the huge hole it will put the team in.

I already made my rant thread about retarded, dumbass San Antonio fans that assume basketball is a foreign object in New Orleans. The best player on that college team wearing burnt orange in Austin is from New Orleans. Guess he learned his skills on planet Mars eh dumbass?? There is more where that comes from.

I've also mentioned that the Hornets have a set DESIGNED for Peja in the post and have run it effectively all season long. They ran it in games 1 & 2, and a few times in game 3. Peja bullied right past Bowen and drew some fouls on him. Paul took more shots last game so Peja didn't get as many looks. He added weight this season so Bowen is nothing more than a mosquito to him.

You'll see it more in game 4...mark it!

[loquats]

"never seen him be a physical type of player"

neither have I, until he was posting up and driving pretty hard and rebounding well in game1,2. He's seems to have gotten a little tougher and more aggressive. Since SAC.

Dumbassview, one of your fellow fans noticed it. Do you actually pay attention to the games in between Cheetoh face stuffings?

[wildchild]

Instead of?


Barry last night was pathetic.

Passed up an open shot again and let Chris Paul get an offensive rebound that Pop rightfull so chewed his ass out for for 10 minutes.

IMO we need more of Spurs shooters. If Barry has a bad night, well, we need more of Finley, Ginobili, Bowen, Udoka or Horry. That's is the game the Hornets give to us and they should pay with our open shots.

[Whisky Dog]

WAs it just me, or did I see Peja knock down a jumper in Bowen's face, and also "blow by" him to the rack a couple of times. Got fouled a few times by Bowen to boot.

IMO, in game 4, they will concentrate more on this matchup and will try to work Peja in the paint and work isos even MORE.

May also see Hilton Armstrong as the Melvin Ely experiment is drawing to a close. Armstrong is bigger and more athletic for rebounds and defense.

Man, I hope you are right. I'd love to see the Hornets abandon Paul and West and try to feed Peja all night long in a one on one matchup against Bowen. It'll never happen, because Byron isn't an idiot, but if it did I'd be extremely happy. So would the Spurs. And we'd get to see that whiny cry baby face on Chris Paul so much more as he missed opportunities to feed PEJA.:rollin

[Obstructed_View]

I already made my rant thread about retarded, dumbass San Antonio fans that assume basketball is a foreign object in New Orleans. The best player on that college team wearing burnt orange in Austin is from New Orleans. Guess he learned his skills on planet Mars eh dumbass??
I didn't say there aren't people in New Orleans that know basketball, I'm saying you aren't one of them.


There is more where that comes from.
I'm sure your well of stupid will flow for at least three more games.



I've also mentioned that the Hornets have a set DESIGNED for Peja in the post and have run it effectively all season long. They ran it in games 1 & 2, and a few times in game 3. Peja bullied right past Bowen and drew some fouls on him. Paul took more shots last game so Peja didn't get as many looks. He added weight this season so Bowen is nothing more than a mosquito to him.

You'll see it more in game 4...mark it!

I can only hope. Since Peja had a total of six shot attempts within 10 feet in the first two games, it's clear how successful that strategy was, even though Bowen wasn't defending Peja in those games. They really need to go away from Paul and West to put Peja on a guy who has owned him his entire career because someone who apparently wasn't watching the game wishes the matchup were different than it is. Peja's more than capable of getting points against Bowen, and it'll take three times as many shots for him to do it, so you can talk about how effective Peja was in game 4 after he scores 28 points and the Spurs win by 30.