crc21209
05-14-2008, 01:54 AM
San Antonio Express-News
NEW ORLEANS — Don’t look for a virus to blame. And don’t blame Joey Crawford
This time, the truth was as obvious as a stat sheet. This time, the Hornets played the Spurs’ game, and David West played the way Tim Duncan was supposed to.
This time, West was the one with an excuse, with a back that tightened up as early as the second quarter, and this time, West was the best power forward in the game.
The Spurs can’t afford this the next time.
It wasn’t as if Duncan turned into Erick Dampier. He ended with 23 rebounds.
It wasn’t as if Crawford did anything to Duncan, either. Duncan was never in foul trouble; after Crawford called an early one on him, they talked during a dead-ball moment, and it ended with the always-diplomatic fanny pat.
This time, Gregg Popovich picked the fight with Crawford. Late in the first quar ter, with both teams subbing and changing positions for a free-throw attempt, Crawford called a delay of game on both teams.
“I believe the official was incorrect,” Popovich said afterward with absolute calm.
Popovich was anything but calm at the time. His anger spilled onto the floor, perhaps more than it has any time this season. He needed his players to hold him back.
The old Crawford would have tossed Popovich before he could have snarled twice. This Crawford stared at Popovich with blanks in his gun, knowing he really couldn’t afford another incident with the Spurs.
Popovich, going by what he said afterward, was probably right about the delay. And he had reason to be angrier during the exchange when Crawford put his finger on Popovich’s chest.
Popovich brushed it off, and Dirk Nowitzki should learn this. He let West put his fingers on his face in the previous series.
Still, Popovich’s outrage was over the most benign of calls. Officials call delays every game, and little ever comes of them. Was this worth the effort?
It was fitting of the evening. The Spurs complained more than they usually do, and maybe they were caught up with Crawford’s presence and were distracted by that.
The only problem with that theory: They had already won with Crawford working, then against Phoenix.
But for all of those histrionics, there was still just a 10-point difference midway through the fourth quarter. It was about that time Duncan re-entered.
Tyson Chandler had gone to the Hornets bench with a sprained toe just minutes before. Without Chandler in the game, Duncan would be squarely matched against West.
Tony Parker drove into a crowd and didn’t get a call, and Peja Stojakovic followed with his only 3-pointer of the game. Popovich then walked down the sideline, looking like a coach ready for an ejection if another call went against him.
Parker instead threw in a 20-foot jumper, and the Spurs were behind by only 11 with about six minutes left. Popovich walked back and sat down.
Then came the sequence that summed up the evening. West drove on Duncan, coming under the basket and beating him to the other side of the rim for the score. Jogging back on defense, West appeared to favor his back.
He got over it. Duncan went at him — and West blocked his shot. From that point, the Spurs never challenged again, and West would end with 38 points.
Wasn’t that what Duncan was supposed to have done?
It instead had the look of the series opener. Then, Chandler was also in early foul trouble, and the Spurs also made 3-pointers in the first half. Then, the Spurs also led at halftime, and the Hornets also went on a third-quarter run.
Then, Duncan also couldn’t score. But the difference, this time, when he put together a 5-of-18 shooting night with an off-balance package of bad decisions, is that no one expects word of a fever coming out over the next few days.
Duncan admitted Tuesday he was hesitant, and he praised New Orleans’ defense.
“Hopefully, I can make an adjustment and do better in the next game,” he said.
The adjustment is as obvious as the stat sheet.
Next time, he has to become West.
NEW ORLEANS — Don’t look for a virus to blame. And don’t blame Joey Crawford
This time, the truth was as obvious as a stat sheet. This time, the Hornets played the Spurs’ game, and David West played the way Tim Duncan was supposed to.
This time, West was the one with an excuse, with a back that tightened up as early as the second quarter, and this time, West was the best power forward in the game.
The Spurs can’t afford this the next time.
It wasn’t as if Duncan turned into Erick Dampier. He ended with 23 rebounds.
It wasn’t as if Crawford did anything to Duncan, either. Duncan was never in foul trouble; after Crawford called an early one on him, they talked during a dead-ball moment, and it ended with the always-diplomatic fanny pat.
This time, Gregg Popovich picked the fight with Crawford. Late in the first quar ter, with both teams subbing and changing positions for a free-throw attempt, Crawford called a delay of game on both teams.
“I believe the official was incorrect,” Popovich said afterward with absolute calm.
Popovich was anything but calm at the time. His anger spilled onto the floor, perhaps more than it has any time this season. He needed his players to hold him back.
The old Crawford would have tossed Popovich before he could have snarled twice. This Crawford stared at Popovich with blanks in his gun, knowing he really couldn’t afford another incident with the Spurs.
Popovich, going by what he said afterward, was probably right about the delay. And he had reason to be angrier during the exchange when Crawford put his finger on Popovich’s chest.
Popovich brushed it off, and Dirk Nowitzki should learn this. He let West put his fingers on his face in the previous series.
Still, Popovich’s outrage was over the most benign of calls. Officials call delays every game, and little ever comes of them. Was this worth the effort?
It was fitting of the evening. The Spurs complained more than they usually do, and maybe they were caught up with Crawford’s presence and were distracted by that.
The only problem with that theory: They had already won with Crawford working, then against Phoenix.
But for all of those histrionics, there was still just a 10-point difference midway through the fourth quarter. It was about that time Duncan re-entered.
Tyson Chandler had gone to the Hornets bench with a sprained toe just minutes before. Without Chandler in the game, Duncan would be squarely matched against West.
Tony Parker drove into a crowd and didn’t get a call, and Peja Stojakovic followed with his only 3-pointer of the game. Popovich then walked down the sideline, looking like a coach ready for an ejection if another call went against him.
Parker instead threw in a 20-foot jumper, and the Spurs were behind by only 11 with about six minutes left. Popovich walked back and sat down.
Then came the sequence that summed up the evening. West drove on Duncan, coming under the basket and beating him to the other side of the rim for the score. Jogging back on defense, West appeared to favor his back.
He got over it. Duncan went at him — and West blocked his shot. From that point, the Spurs never challenged again, and West would end with 38 points.
Wasn’t that what Duncan was supposed to have done?
It instead had the look of the series opener. Then, Chandler was also in early foul trouble, and the Spurs also made 3-pointers in the first half. Then, the Spurs also led at halftime, and the Hornets also went on a third-quarter run.
Then, Duncan also couldn’t score. But the difference, this time, when he put together a 5-of-18 shooting night with an off-balance package of bad decisions, is that no one expects word of a fever coming out over the next few days.
Duncan admitted Tuesday he was hesitant, and he praised New Orleans’ defense.
“Hopefully, I can make an adjustment and do better in the next game,” he said.
The adjustment is as obvious as the stat sheet.
Next time, he has to become West.