duncan228
05-28-2008, 04:39 PM
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/05/tom_orsborn_sti.html
Tom Orsborn: Stinging loss won't linger, Pop predicts
Gregg Popovich says the least of his worries heading back to L.A. for Game 5 is that last night's heartbreaking loss will linger.
"It's a tough loss and we are dealing with human beings," Popovich said. "The players and the coaches are humans, and we have to focus on the next game in hopes we can win that game and survive, because it's our jobs. It's not as difficult as one might think. It's like politics - it's killing you and you talk about it and talk about it. If you don't let it go, you can't concentrate on the task at hand. By the time we land in L.A., it will be gone and we will be concentrating on just what we can do to win basketball games."
Searching for a silver lining, Popovich said he continues to be "thrilled" with the way his team is defending a club that entered the series leading the playoffs in scoring with an average of 112 points per game.
"Last night, we held them 19 points below what they have averaged in the playoffs, and Kobe (Bryant) doesn't go to the line, and we lose," Popovich said. "So you say, what's wrong with this picture? We are doing the things we wanted to do, we are just having trouble with the offense and shooting well. Our percentages our god awful. That's not something you go do a drill and fix it. They either go in or they don't. But we have to continue to play 'D' the way we have. Hopefully, the offense will step up."
Don't count on it unless Manu Ginobili is able to shake off whatever plagued him in Game 4. In 36 minutes, he missed 6 of 8 shots to finish with seven points, 23 fewer than he scored in the Spurs' blowout win in Game 3.
Tom Orsborn: Stinging loss won't linger, Pop predicts
Gregg Popovich says the least of his worries heading back to L.A. for Game 5 is that last night's heartbreaking loss will linger.
"It's a tough loss and we are dealing with human beings," Popovich said. "The players and the coaches are humans, and we have to focus on the next game in hopes we can win that game and survive, because it's our jobs. It's not as difficult as one might think. It's like politics - it's killing you and you talk about it and talk about it. If you don't let it go, you can't concentrate on the task at hand. By the time we land in L.A., it will be gone and we will be concentrating on just what we can do to win basketball games."
Searching for a silver lining, Popovich said he continues to be "thrilled" with the way his team is defending a club that entered the series leading the playoffs in scoring with an average of 112 points per game.
"Last night, we held them 19 points below what they have averaged in the playoffs, and Kobe (Bryant) doesn't go to the line, and we lose," Popovich said. "So you say, what's wrong with this picture? We are doing the things we wanted to do, we are just having trouble with the offense and shooting well. Our percentages our god awful. That's not something you go do a drill and fix it. They either go in or they don't. But we have to continue to play 'D' the way we have. Hopefully, the offense will step up."
Don't count on it unless Manu Ginobili is able to shake off whatever plagued him in Game 4. In 36 minutes, he missed 6 of 8 shots to finish with seven points, 23 fewer than he scored in the Spurs' blowout win in Game 3.