Spurs Brazil
05-26-2008, 05:08 PM
Spurs-Lakers notebook: Oberto steps up offense, plays solid 'D' on Odom
Web Posted: 05/26/2008 12:29 AM CDT
Mike Monroe and Tom Orsborn
Express-News
Fabricio Oberto picked a good time for what qualifies, for him, as an offensive explosion in the Spurs' 103-84 victory over the Lakers on Sunday.
The hard-working center scored seven points in the first 6:05 of the fourth quarter, a critical stretch when the Spurs extended a 12-point lead to 20, enough to offset Kobe Bryant's burst of 3-pointers that followed.
The Spurs had received only four points from Oberto, Robert Horry and Kurt Thomas in the first two games of the series, but Oberto made all three of his shots and both his free throws in the final period. His second free throw was wiped away by a double lane violation that required a jump ball.
“I think I'm just trying to do, like in the beginning of the game, too, sometimes get easy buckets,” Oberto said.
Oberto's most important contribution was helping to contain Lamar Odom, who had scored 22 in Los Angeles' Game 2 blowout victory. He and Horry took away Odom's driving lanes and made most of his shots difficult. Odom missed 9 of 11 shots.
“I just always try to get in good position on him,” Oberto said. “Sometimes if you see he is a little away, or you are helping on another man, he is attacking. So I'm just trying to be aware of him every time. He is really dangerous.
“He is always trying to drive to get going, and if he gets going, then he starts shooting. My teammates are helping me when he is trying to drive.”
On this night, Oberto actually matched Odom's offensive output of seven points.
Smooth flight: The Spurs' flight back from Los Angeles aboard their new charter after Game 2 went off without a hitch, coach Gregg Popovich said.
“The plane was great,” Popovich said. “It was on time. It was comfortable. It was great to get home.”
The Spurs returned on an aircraft owned by Cablevision, the telecommunications giant that owns the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The NBA arranged for the Spurs to receive a new plane after they were stranded in New Orleans for seven hours on a Champion Air jet with mechanical problems following Game 7 against the Hornets.
Nobody had to show Thomas around the new plane. He played for the Knicks for seven seasons and was looking forward to sitting in his old seat.
Unfortunately for Thomas, it was already taken — by Tim Duncan.
The Spurs will use the Cablevision plane at least through the remainder of the Western Conference finals.
Citing financial problems, Champion Air said in March it would cease operations May 31.
Asked if the new plane is nicer than Champion's, Horry said “Hell yeah, it's nicer. And faster, too.”
Heavy lifting: Duncan scored 22 points and grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds for his 114th postseason double-double, which ranks sixth on the league's all-time chart.
Duncan has grabbed 20-plus rebounds in a game 13 times during his playoff career. The Spurs are 9-4 in those games.
“He played well like always,” said Tony Parker, who scored 20 points and handed out five assists. “We barely talk about him and then you look at his stat sheet and see he had a good game. It's always like that for him.”
Tough night: The 84 points the Lakers registered represented the team's lowest scoring output this postseason.
The Lakers entered the series averaging a playoff-best 112 points, but they have scored less than 90 twice in the past three games.
The Lakers' 15 points in the second period tied a team-playoff low for a quarter this postseason. They also had 15 in the third period against Denver on April 23, a 122-107 Lakers victory.
The 19-point loss was the Lakers' worst in the playoffs since losing to Phoenix by 28 in Game 2 of the first round last year.
Record performance: Manu Ginobili etched his name in the Spurs' playoff record book with his first-half, 3-point outburst.
By sinking five, Ginobili equaled a mark set by Michael Finley in the first round against Denver on May 2, 2007.
Hot Spurs: The Spurs sank 51.4 percent of their shots. They're 36-1 at home this season when shooting at least 45 percent.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052608.11D.BKNspurs.notebook.3e99e93.html
Web Posted: 05/26/2008 12:29 AM CDT
Mike Monroe and Tom Orsborn
Express-News
Fabricio Oberto picked a good time for what qualifies, for him, as an offensive explosion in the Spurs' 103-84 victory over the Lakers on Sunday.
The hard-working center scored seven points in the first 6:05 of the fourth quarter, a critical stretch when the Spurs extended a 12-point lead to 20, enough to offset Kobe Bryant's burst of 3-pointers that followed.
The Spurs had received only four points from Oberto, Robert Horry and Kurt Thomas in the first two games of the series, but Oberto made all three of his shots and both his free throws in the final period. His second free throw was wiped away by a double lane violation that required a jump ball.
“I think I'm just trying to do, like in the beginning of the game, too, sometimes get easy buckets,” Oberto said.
Oberto's most important contribution was helping to contain Lamar Odom, who had scored 22 in Los Angeles' Game 2 blowout victory. He and Horry took away Odom's driving lanes and made most of his shots difficult. Odom missed 9 of 11 shots.
“I just always try to get in good position on him,” Oberto said. “Sometimes if you see he is a little away, or you are helping on another man, he is attacking. So I'm just trying to be aware of him every time. He is really dangerous.
“He is always trying to drive to get going, and if he gets going, then he starts shooting. My teammates are helping me when he is trying to drive.”
On this night, Oberto actually matched Odom's offensive output of seven points.
Smooth flight: The Spurs' flight back from Los Angeles aboard their new charter after Game 2 went off without a hitch, coach Gregg Popovich said.
“The plane was great,” Popovich said. “It was on time. It was comfortable. It was great to get home.”
The Spurs returned on an aircraft owned by Cablevision, the telecommunications giant that owns the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The NBA arranged for the Spurs to receive a new plane after they were stranded in New Orleans for seven hours on a Champion Air jet with mechanical problems following Game 7 against the Hornets.
Nobody had to show Thomas around the new plane. He played for the Knicks for seven seasons and was looking forward to sitting in his old seat.
Unfortunately for Thomas, it was already taken — by Tim Duncan.
The Spurs will use the Cablevision plane at least through the remainder of the Western Conference finals.
Citing financial problems, Champion Air said in March it would cease operations May 31.
Asked if the new plane is nicer than Champion's, Horry said “Hell yeah, it's nicer. And faster, too.”
Heavy lifting: Duncan scored 22 points and grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds for his 114th postseason double-double, which ranks sixth on the league's all-time chart.
Duncan has grabbed 20-plus rebounds in a game 13 times during his playoff career. The Spurs are 9-4 in those games.
“He played well like always,” said Tony Parker, who scored 20 points and handed out five assists. “We barely talk about him and then you look at his stat sheet and see he had a good game. It's always like that for him.”
Tough night: The 84 points the Lakers registered represented the team's lowest scoring output this postseason.
The Lakers entered the series averaging a playoff-best 112 points, but they have scored less than 90 twice in the past three games.
The Lakers' 15 points in the second period tied a team-playoff low for a quarter this postseason. They also had 15 in the third period against Denver on April 23, a 122-107 Lakers victory.
The 19-point loss was the Lakers' worst in the playoffs since losing to Phoenix by 28 in Game 2 of the first round last year.
Record performance: Manu Ginobili etched his name in the Spurs' playoff record book with his first-half, 3-point outburst.
By sinking five, Ginobili equaled a mark set by Michael Finley in the first round against Denver on May 2, 2007.
Hot Spurs: The Spurs sank 51.4 percent of their shots. They're 36-1 at home this season when shooting at least 45 percent.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052608.11D.BKNspurs.notebook.3e99e93.html