Reply With Quote
Manu can't go mental just because he screwed up in Game 3. He needs to snap out of it.
@ Barry
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...4.da3a308.html
Spurs all even coming back home
Web Posted: 05/01/2006 01:04 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The shot banged off the rim, Bruce Bowen leaped for the ball and for one brief moment Sunday night, the Spurs appeared to have a real live rebound.
Not that it mattered to Bonzi Wells. He simply reached around and yanked it from Bowen's arms.
Wells took that and everything else from the Spurs. Rebounds. Loose balls. The game.
And after watching Wells total 25 points and 17 rebounds in Sacramento's 102-84 victory at Arco Arena, the Spurs have to wonder whether he also has seized control of the first-round series. They do know this much: He and the Kings certainly have stolen the momentum with their second victory in three days.
With the series even at two games apiece, the Spurs will fly home today to prepare for Tuesday's Game 5 at the AT&T Center.
"Every time we threw a blow," Robert Horry said, "they'd throw two. They just kept coming. They just kicked our butts, basically."
Tony Parker scored 22 points and Tim Duncan added 17, but the Spurs had no answer for Wells. Nor did they have a cure for Ginobili's troubles: In 25 minutes, Ginobili took only four shots, missed three and finished with three points.
Sacramento center Brad Miller, who made 8 of 26 shots in the first three games, went 8 of 11 for 19 points. Through three quarters, the Kings outrebounded the Spurs 30-19.
Wells particularly frustrated the Spurs in the third quarter when he scored 12 points. He blew past Parker for a dunk. He showed his outside touch by burying a 3-pointer.
Mostly, he just punished the Spurs on the boards. When Mike Bibby missed a 3-pointer, Wells grabbed the rebound.
Wells has been too strong, too physical for Bowen to handle. The Spurs have been forced to double-team him, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
"He's going to be the guy," Duncan said, "we're going to have to find an answer for."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tweaked the lineup, starting Rasho Nesterovic in place of Nazr Mohammed and using Beno Udrih as Parker's backup instead of Nick Van Exel. But he also had two other concerns a lineup change wouldn't fix: shaking Ginobili from his self-induced funk and getting Parker to break out his shooting slump.
The Spurs had an easier time accomplishing the latter than the former.
With Sacramento packing the lane and daring Parker to beat them with his outside shot the previous two games, Popovich thought his point guard had become too tentative. On Sunday, Parker heeded his coach's orders to shoot more. He made consecutive 20-foot shots in the first quarter and led the Spurs with 14 points at the half.
Ginobili, meanwhile, seemed to pick up where he left off Friday. And considering he ended Friday's game with a turnover that led to Kevin Martin's winning layup at the buzzer, that wasn't a particularly good thing for the Spurs.
Ginobili considered the mistake the most costly of his career, and it seemed to still be hanging over him Sunday.
"He's just like killing himself," Popovich said before the game. "If that's the worst thing that ever happens in his life, he's going to live a pretty easy life."
Unfortunately for Ginobili, life didn't get any better once he stepped on the floor Sunday. He missed a 3-pointer on the Spurs' second possession and followed that by throwing away a pass.
When Ginobili failed to run after a rebound in the second quarter, Popovich pulled him from the game and lectured him on the bench for a couple of minutes. By the end of the game, Ginobili was passing up open 3-pointers.
"I was playing," Ginobili said, "like my head wasn't ready after what happened (on Friday)."
The Spurs came unglued at the end of the second quarter, failing to make a single shot in the final 3 minutes, 56 seconds. Their biggest problem, however, was the same as in Game 3: They couldn't keep the Kings off the boards.
Sacramento outrebounded the Spurs 22-13 in the first half and scored nine second-chance points off seven offensive boards. Wells, again, deserved credit for much of that.
The Spurs' job now is to find a way to stop him.
"I'm going to see if I can sneak a weapon into my shorts and cut his Achilles' tendon a la Billy Murray in 'Caddyshack,'" Brent Barry said. "But I don't think they're going to allow that."
Manu can't go mental just because he screwed up in Game 3. He needs to snap out of it.
did barry really say that?http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...4.da3a308.html
Spurs all even coming back home
Web Posted: 05/01/2006 01:04 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The shot banged off the rim, Bruce Bowen leaped for the ball and for one brief moment Sunday night, the Spurs appeared to have a real live rebound.
Not that it mattered to Bonzi Wells. He simply reached around and yanked it from Bowen's arms.
Wells took that and everything else from the Spurs. Rebounds. Loose balls. The game.
And after watching Wells total 25 points and 17 rebounds in Sacramento's 102-84 victory at Arco Arena, the Spurs have to wonder whether he also has seized control of the first-round series. They do know this much: He and the Kings certainly have stolen the momentum with their second victory in three days.
With the series even at two games apiece, the Spurs will fly home today to prepare for Tuesday's Game 5 at the AT&T Center.
"Every time we threw a blow," Robert Horry said, "they'd throw two. They just kept coming. They just kicked our butts, basically."
Tony Parker scored 22 points and Tim Duncan added 17, but the Spurs had no answer for Wells. Nor did they have a cure for Ginobili's troubles: In 25 minutes, Ginobili took only four shots, missed three and finished with three points.
Sacramento center Brad Miller, who made 8 of 26 shots in the first three games, went 8 of 11 for 19 points. Through three quarters, the Kings outrebounded the Spurs 30-19.
Wells particularly frustrated the Spurs in the third quarter when he scored 12 points. He blew past Parker for a dunk. He showed his outside touch by burying a 3-pointer.
Mostly, he just punished the Spurs on the boards. When Mike Bibby missed a 3-pointer, Wells grabbed the rebound.
Wells has been too strong, too physical for Bowen to handle. The Spurs have been forced to double-team him, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
"He's going to be the guy," Duncan said, "we're going to have to find an answer for."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tweaked the lineup, starting Rasho Nesterovic in place of Nazr Mohammed and using Beno Udrih as Parker's backup instead of Nick Van Exel. But he also had two other concerns a lineup change wouldn't fix: shaking Ginobili from his self-induced funk and getting Parker to break out his shooting slump.
The Spurs had an easier time accomplishing the latter than the former.
With Sacramento packing the lane and daring Parker to beat them with his outside shot the previous two games, Popovich thought his point guard had become too tentative. On Sunday, Parker heeded his coach's orders to shoot more. He made consecutive 20-foot shots in the first quarter and led the Spurs with 14 points at the half.
Ginobili, meanwhile, seemed to pick up where he left off Friday. And considering he ended Friday's game with a turnover that led to Kevin Martin's winning layup at the buzzer, that wasn't a particularly good thing for the Spurs.
Ginobili considered the mistake the most costly of his career, and it seemed to still be hanging over him Sunday.
"He's just like killing himself," Popovich said before the game. "If that's the worst thing that ever happens in his life, he's going to live a pretty easy life."
Unfortunately for Ginobili, life didn't get any better once he stepped on the floor Sunday. He missed a 3-pointer on the Spurs' second possession and followed that by throwing away a pass.
When Ginobili failed to run after a rebound in the second quarter, Popovich pulled him from the game and lectured him on the bench for a couple of minutes. By the end of the game, Ginobili was passing up open 3-pointers.
"I was playing," Ginobili said, "like my head wasn't ready after what happened (on Friday)."
The Spurs came unglued at the end of the second quarter, failing to make a single shot in the final 3 minutes, 56 seconds. Their biggest problem, however, was the same as in Game 3: They couldn't keep the Kings off the boards.
Sacramento outrebounded the Spurs 22-13 in the first half and scored nine second-chance points off seven offensive boards. Wells, again, deserved credit for much of that.
The Spurs' job now is to find a way to stop him.
"I'm going to see if I can sneak a weapon into my shorts and cut his Achilles' tendon a la Billy Murray in 'Caddyshack,'" Brent Barry said. "But I don't think they're going to allow that."
"I was playing," Ginobili said, "like my head wasn't ready after what happened (on Friday)."
Thats 100% grade A bull Ginobili.
yeah even though i didnt say it. i thought for sure he was gonna have a great game.Manu can't go mental just because he screwed up in Game 3. He needs to snap out of it.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
