Quick Grades: Spurs at Nuggets - Dec. 16

This is a game Spurs wouldn't have had a chance in last season.
Behind early and into the 3rd, on the road, altitude, 2nd nite of B2B -- it would have been a 15 point loss, easy.

Great fight, especially in the 4th Q. Timmy, Tony, Manu, & RJ simply wouldn't let the game get away, even in the face of bad bounces and bad mistakes on O and D.

The Will to Win is strong in this team.

Excellent analysis.

Keep up the good work. Thank you!:lobt2::lobt2:

Go Spurs go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did anyone else hear Kevin Harlan briefly mention something like ..."and on the floor is George Hill, who by the way, is playing with a bad toe tonight."??

I think it was in the beginning of the 4th quarter. If true, it could explain his consecutive bad outings.

4,000th post!!!

:danceclub

That is all.

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Originally Posted by Gooshie

Did anyone else hear Kevin Harlan briefly mention something like ..."and on the floor is George Hill, who by the way, is playing with a bad toe tonight."??

I think it was in the beginning of the 4th quarter. If true, it could explain his consecutive bad outings.

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Ok, I thought I was crazy because I heard that as well but nobody in the game thread talked about it. But if George has a toe injury, then he should rest for some games ...

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Originally Posted by bigfan

I love mornings like this when I can get up, fix a cup of coffee and read all the usual sources (espn/fox/SI) then come here to savor an outstanding victory. I dont think the Spurs were expected to pull that one off. Duncan was just great throughout, Manu won the game at the end, thats for sure but I want to make sure Tony doesnt get shortchanged here. He did an outstanding job earlier that kept the Spurs in it and without his efforts this game wouldnt have been close. There is a great article (ESPN I think) that discusses today that with Tony doing all the heavy lifting in the first three quarters that allows Manu to be fresh in the 4th to come out with his acrobatic heroics. Just sayin Tony had a hell of a game last night.

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here

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Originally Posted by bigfan

I love mornings like this when I can get up, fix a cup of coffee and read all the usual sources (espn/fox/SI) then come here to savor an outstanding victory. I dont think the Spurs were expected to pull that one off. Duncan was just great throughout, Manu won the game at the end, thats for sure but I want to make sure Tony doesnt get shortchanged here. He did an outstanding job earlier that kept the Spurs in it and without his efforts this game wouldnt have been close. There is a great article (ESPN I think) that discusses today that with Tony doing all the heavy lifting in the first three quarters that allows Manu to be fresh in the 4th to come out with his acrobatic heroics. Just sayin Tony had a hell of a game last night.

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Agree. Parker was outstanding (as was Duncan) and both deserved the most credit for winning the game, but Manu was incredible when the game was on the line which counts for alot of credit too.

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Originally Posted by Fireball

Ok, I thought I was crazy because I heard that as well but nobody in the game thread talked about it. But if George has a toe injury, then he should rest for some games ...

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I did hear that. Explains why he has been so shitty the last couple of games.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Quick Grades: Spurs at Nuggets

For the second straight night, Manu Ginobili played the role of hero. He followed up his buzzer beater against the Bucks with a pair of valiant late-game plays against the Nuggets. First, Ginobili hit a twisting layup with 4.2 seconds left to give the Spurs a one point lead. To seal the 113-112 victory, Ginobili drew a charge on Carmelo Anthony at the final horn. The Spurs are now 22-3 and improved to 9-1 on the road with their win in Denver.

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I'd have to agree with all those assessments, yet you look at the box score, and the Spurs starters other than Manu (whose numbers were not great) were all in the negative. Tim (-3) RJ a whopping (-21).

The bench players all were in the positive, including Bonner at (+16)........yet none could pull an A grade......

any post game quotes from game?

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Originally Posted by MaNu4Tres

The rebound statistic can be somewhat misleading because of this. I personally wish they had a contested rebound statistic.

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That would be nice but then again you wold need to precise what a contested reb is or how much contested.

that's why stats will not tell you the whole story

What about a grade for Ime's total of 6 seconds where he played ole defense at the end of the quarter and let JR Smith throw down the nasty dunk.... then he found the bench the rest of the game. That's worth at least a B+, no? :)

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Originally Posted by benefactor

If 6 foot nothing Gary Neal can pull down seven boards in 19 minutes then RJ has no excuse for pulling down two boards in 36 minutes.

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I think RJ's job in this one was more to keep Melo off the glass than to get many boards himself. Melo had just 1, so mission accomplished there.

Tough to complain about any individual rebounder when the Spurs outrebounded them by 6 on the road. When Timmy gets 16 by himself, that doesn't leave too many for the other guys to collect.

Good grades, but I agree with the minority. Mcdyess's pass was perfect. Ginobili just gaffed...

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Originally Posted by bigfan

I love mornings like this when I can get up, fix a cup of coffee and read all the usual sources (espn/fox/SI) then come here to savor an outstanding victory. I dont think the Spurs were expected to pull that one off. Duncan was just great throughout, Manu won the game at the end, thats for sure but I want to make sure Tony doesnt get shortchanged here. He did an outstanding job earlier that kept the Spurs in it and without his efforts this game wouldnt have been close. There is a great article (ESPN I think) that discusses today that with Tony doing all the heavy lifting in the first three quarters that allows Manu to be fresh in the 4th to come out with his acrobatic heroics. Just sayin Tony had a hell of a game last night.

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:toast

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Originally Posted by YODA

any post game quotes from game?

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I posted entire 3-5 minute audio interviews of the game from Melo, Ginobili, and Coach Karl.

This was a game the Spurs could easily have lost without too much bitching. A back to back in the thin air of Denver would be an easy game for the guys to give a so-so effort and go home.

But these guys are getting the confidence that they can win any game they put their mind too (much like the 99 team)

And Manu--what can you say about Manu other than his will to win probably exceeds anyone since Larry Bird or Michael Jordan. He makes a potential winning shot then loses the ball but doesn't give up and quit--just continues to play like a dervish, makes a shot to get back the lead and then imposes his will on Carmelo.

It is a remarkable thing and I hope everyone realizes what a privilege it is to have him on the Spurs to watch.

just benefactor being a negative nancy, nothing new.

Pop deserves an F for that inbounds play at the end. Every other good thing the Spurs did in that game was almost undone by that one play. People can debate McDyess' pass, or whether Manu got fouled. None of that changes anything for Pop. There is no way that pass should have been taking place under Denver's basket. None.

You guys are so easy...almost as easy as the Parker lovers.

Seriously though, great job by RJ in the 4th. He his some big shots to help seal the win.

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Originally Posted by MaNu4Tres

which Neal literally steals from his own teammates by taking the most initiative when really any Spurs player could have grabbed the easy uncontested board).

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I've noticed this too. On at least two occasions last night I remember Duncan pulling back and basically WTFing Neal ripping the board from his hands.

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Originally Posted by Blake

I'd have to agree with all those assessments, yet you look at the box score, and the Spurs starters other than Manu (whose numbers were not great) were all in the negative. Tim (-3) RJ a whopping (-21).

The bench players all were in the positive, including Bonner at (+16)........yet none could pull an A grade......

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These +/- stats are not always reflecting the production/level of the players, and last night they didn't!

Manu had an awfull game until the end of the 4th

Hill is +8 and Tony -9 .....!!!!???

same for Timmy...

In fact these stats could lead to believe Bonner is the best player on the roster... :lol

As great as Tim and TP were early, and Manu was late, RJ and Bonner put in some big, big shots. That's why we have a chance this year imo.

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Originally Posted by spurs10

As great as Tim and TP were early, and Manu was late, RJ and Bonner put in some big, big shots. That's why we have a chance this year imo.

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yup!

As painfull as was our last PO exit, the production of the big3 wasn't the problem, it was the supporting cast ... :bang

This was perhaps the best Bonner performance I've ever seen. Yes, he's had better numbers/production, but his 3pt shooting, rebounding and FT shooting came precisely when we needed it. Rather Horry like. Rather uncharacteristic.