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Another excellent recap TimVP. Im very interested in tonights game myself and believe it will tell alot about our team.
The San Antonio Spurs traveled to Dallas for a basketball game. Instead, a good ol’ wild west double overtime shootout took place. When the smoke cleared, the Spurs were the ones left standing with a 133-126 victory in hand.
The game-winning basket in the second overtime was authored by Bruce Bowen, who scored his only points of the game on a three-pointer to put the Spurs up by two points with under two minutes to go in the game. After Erick Dampier split a pair of free throws, Tim Duncan scored off of a Manu Ginobili assist to put the Spurs up by three points. Roger Mason, Jr. then rebounded a JJ Barea miss and hit two free throws to ice the game.
Although the Mavs lost, they put up an outstanding fight. With Josh Howard sidelined, their dynamic foursome of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Barea was extremely difficult to contain. The Spurs could do little to slow down Nowitzki (as per usual), Kidd was dominant on and off the ball and Terry hit a number of big shots. Barea, a small guard out of Puerto Rico, continually shredded San Antonio’s defense while doing his best Steve Nash impersonation.
Overall, this was an impressive win for the Spurs. They went out on the road and got a victory against a team playing at a high level. That said, the Mavs once again proved that they match up extremely well against the Spurs. Dallas is exceptionally confident when playing against San Antonio and unless the Spurs find someone who can even halfway defend Nowitzki, a playoff series between these two teams in 2009 would most likely play out like the epic battle we saw in 2006.
Tim Duncan
50 minutes, 32 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals
12-for-20 from the field, 8-for-9 at the line
Tim Duncan was a monster against the Mavs. Offensively, his moves were especially fluid and he was able to score from a variety of spots. When the Mavs sent help, Duncan repeatedly made the right pass. Despite all the attention he received on the offensive end, he played 50 minutes without turning the ball over. Defensively, Duncan made a number of very good rotations and rebounded the ball well. There’s not much negative to say about Duncan’s performance on Tuesday night. If anything, the Spurs didn’t give him the ball nearly enough with as well as he was rolling.
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Manu Ginobili
42 minutes, 18 points, eight assists, six rebounds
7-for-21 from the field, 2-for-9 on three-pointers
Although Manu Ginobili had some good moments and some bad moments, on the whole this game had to be considered a positive outing. His passing was exceptional and he did a very good job of not trying to force too many passes. Ginobili also played acceptable defense and showed quality hops when skying for rebounds. His overall movement was a bit stiffer than usual and his speed wasn’t quite up to his typical level. Thankfully it appears he made it through 42 minutes so hopefully this is another step in him working his way back into shape. Ginobili finished with a team low plus/minus of -11 but his problems can be narrowed down to his stints with George Hill. He was a -11 in four minutes with Hill at point guard and even par in his 38 minutes with Tony Parker at point guard.
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Tony Parker
48 minutes, 29 points, ten assists, three steals
12-for-25 from the field, 5-for-8 at the line
To start off the ballgame, Tony Parker missed seven of his first eight attempts from the field. Once he realized Devin Harris wasn’t in the building, his shots started to drop. Throughout the game he illustrated good shot selection and did a good job of tiptoeing the line between very aggressive and overly aggressive. After his woeful start, Parker helped carry the team offensively the rest of the way. On defense, Parker had a few good individual plays but he struggled mightily when trying to defend Barea. He obviously wasn’t aware of Barea’s strengths and weaknesses and allowed the miniature Mavs guard to torment the Spurs. Overall, it was an above average showing for Parker but he still has areas of his game he can clean up.
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Michael Finley
37 minutes, 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, three turnovers
5-for-15 from the field, 3-for-7 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had a few good stretches but I’m not exactly sure how he was able to earn 37 minutes of playing time. The Spurs had six turnovers as a team – and Finley had three of them. His 15 field goal attempts were too much for a player who is supposed to be the fifth option in the starting lineup. His defense, especially when he was assigned to guard Nowitzki, was nothing to write home to Chicago about. The good news is that he had hit only seven of his previous 31 field goal attempts when playing at Dallas, so comparatively he shot very well.
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Matt Bonner
30 minutes, 13 points, four rebounds
5-for-5 from the field, 3-for-3 on three-pointers
Whatever you do, do not wake up Matt Bonner. His 5-for-5 shooting display wasn’t overly surprisingly, especially considering that he’s now shooting 67.6% from the field in his last five games. On two-pointers alone, he’s shooting a blazing 78.9% over that time span. Against the Mavs, he once again shot with tons of confidence and didn’t even need an abundance of daylight to get his shot off. Defensively, while he was overmatched against Nowitzki, he played hard and made the German superstar work for his points. The only downside to Bonner’s night was his rebounding, although that can be somewhat written off due to the fact that he was out on the perimeter guarding Nowitzki for much of the night.
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Bruce Bowen
27 minutes, three points
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
If you just look at Bruce Bowen’s stats, you’d think he didn’t do much. But he was a beast defensively, in addition to hitting the biggest bucket of the game at the other end of the court. At different points in the game, Bowen was asked to guard Barea, Terry and Nowitzki – and did a very good job in each matchup. Specifically, his defense on Nowitzki down the stretch was simply vintage. Bowen led the team with a plus/minus of +21. To fully comprehend how dominant he was defensively, consider that the Spurs gave up 88.8 points per 48 minutes while Bowen was on the court and 117.7 points per 48 minutes when he was on the bench.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
27 minutes, 12 points, two rebounds
3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers, 5-for-5 at the line
Roger Mason, Jr. played decently well throughout. The highlight of his night came at the end when he grabbed the final two rebounds of the game and hit all four of his free throws to put the game away. Mason didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but he moved well without the ball to free himself up for opportunities. Defensively, it was overall a sub par night as he struggled defending against penetration, although he did better as the game progressed. Mason is still trying to figure out his sixth man role but he’s discovering ways to help out along the way.
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George Hill
12 minutes, seven points, two assists
2-for-3 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
In George Hill’s first stint, he didn’t do much of anything. Thankfully, Pop gave him another shot in the second half and he played much better. He still has the tendency to play too passively, especially when paired with Ginobili, but he’s doing a better job of recognizing that fact and upping his level of aggression. Against the Mavs, all seven of his points and both of his assists came in a two minutes span at the end of the third quarter. An amazing stat regarding Hill is how much better he plays at home than on the road. At home he averages 13 points per game on 47% shooting. On the road, his numbers drop to 6.6 points per game on 30.7% shooting. Even more dramatically, Hill has a team-best plus/minus at home for the season (+59) and a team-worst plus/minus on the road (-34).
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Fabricio Oberto
Eight minutes, six points, two rebounds
2-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
Even though Fabricio Oberto only played eight minutes, he gave quality production. Offensively, Oberto had his second straight good showing. In his last 32 minutes, he has scored 18 points. In his previous 124 minutes, he had scored just 17 points. On Tuesday night, it was also good to see him pull down two defensive rebounds considering how much he’s struggled in that area this season.
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Kurt Thomas
Eight minutes, three rebounds, one steal, one block
Kurt Thomas had the impossible task of defending Nowitzki in the first half. I’m not sure if Thomas was mobile enough to guard him in 1998 but he certainly isn’t mobile enough to guard him in 2008. Outside of his inability to guard Nowitzki, Thomas actually gave very good defensive effort, rebounded the ball and even altered a few shots.
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Ime Udoka
One minute
Ime Udoka’s only minutes came when Pop got mad at Bowen for committing two consecutive fouls against Terry. In his one minute and 29 seconds on the floor, he was unable to dent the stat sheet.
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Gregg Popovich
Even though the Spurs won, I wasn’t too thrilled with Pop’s coaching. Playing Finley 37 minutes is highly questionable, especially when he had Bonner and Mason available for more playing time. Putting Thomas on Nowitzki was just crazy. You could equip Thomas with a jet pack and he still wouldn’t be able to keep up. Playing Bowen just 27 minutes in a double overtime game with the way he was defending was also mysterious. I didn’t like the minutes the Big Three played but then again without those minutes the Spurs probably don’t win. Overall though, I thought that the players bailed Pop out after a number of iffy decisions.
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Offense
The offense was clicking rather well, especially after the first quarter. In the final 46 minutes of action, the Spurs scored 116 points. For the game, San Antonio shot 49% from the field, hit 10-of-25 three-pointers, got to the line 29 times and outscored the Mavs in fast break points 24-13. The Spurs also had 28 assists and, most impressively, only six turnovers in 58 minutes. The ball movement was stagnant to begin the game but became crisp as the game wore on.
Defense
The defense for the Spurs was sometimes decent but there were also large stretches of porous defense. Without Bowen’s defensive play off the bench, there’s no telling how many points the Mavs would have scored. On the night, the Mavs shot 51.6% from the floor and made 9-of-24 three-pointers. As has been the case more often than not over the last half decade, the Mavs outrebounded the Spurs 48-42. Thankfully San Antonio’s offense saved the day because the defense wasn’t getting it done on Tuesday night.
Drive to Five
Good win but now the Spurs face a difficult back-to-back game against the Atlanta Hawks. San Antonio’s role players are going to have to come ready to contribute a night after the Big Three combined to play 140 minutes. The Hawks are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and they have the athleticism to cause problems for a tired Spurs squad. Hopefully the Spurs can summon the needed energy and extend their current win streak to four games.
Believe.
Another excellent recap TimVP. Im very interested in tonights game myself and believe it will tell alot about our team.
Bonner!!!!!!!!
great read
Interesting that Pop refused to play a center for the majority of the game. Bonner was playing lights out. Even with Bonner's production Pop doesn't trust him in the clutch. Prepare for more small ball in close games like these for the future.
I think Finley earned his minutes with a great defensive effort, but his shot selection is questionable. Finley is not a power forward and never will be.
Agreed on the assesment of pop. I don't understand his sudden reluctance to play Mason in those big minutes. I'm hoping he held Bowen back a tad due to wanting to save him for joe Johnson tonight
Yeah while bonner didn't defend nowitzki the best at least give him a chance at figuring it out and at least staying in there to bust ass on boards and keep nailing daggers.
timvp,
Why do you think Pop is still benching Bowen? I just there's too much offense in the starting lineup, especially for Mike who needs more touches to be effective. Furthermore, as a defensive-specialist, Bowen just now as valuable coming off the bench. It just doesn't make sense to me.
Furthermore, I'm disappointed the Coach Pop has decided to start Manu. I wanted him to start Mason instead. Mason fit perfectly playing with Parker and Timmy, and also Manu is already used to coming off the bench.
I also,
Ginobili will be horrible tonight you can almost gaurantee it. I think you'll see slot of bonner mason hill and oberto tonight. If mahinmi wasn't such a GD china doll he could help tonight.
agreed 1000% I thought Mason was perfect as a starter and could get into an early rythum. Ginobili and finley both need to come off the bench and I think eventually bonner as well
Thank you. The myth that "one has to play defense to earn minutes with Popped" is so old and tired (and debunked). timvp while i know this subject has been beaten to death, is there any stated real reason why Pop continues to play Finley/bench others (Mason, Bowen etc) in a situation as last night. I really believe Pop n Finley are dating.
Michael Finley
37 minutes, 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, three turnovers
5-for-15 from the field, 3-for-7 on three-pointers
Michael Finley had a few good stretches but I’m not exactly sure how he was able to earn 37 minutes of playing time. The Spurs had six turnovers as a team – and Finley had three of them. His 15 field goal attempts were too much for a player who is supposed to be the fifth option in the starting lineup. His defense, especially when he was assigned to guard Nowitzki, was nothing to write home to Chicago about. The good news is that he had hit only seven of his previous 31 field goal attempts when playing at Dallas, so comparatively he shot very well.
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Gregg Popovich
Even though the Spurs won, I wasn’t too thrilled with Pop’s coaching. Playing Finley 37 minutes is highly questionable, especially when he had Bonner and Mason available for more playing time. Putting Thomas on Nowitzki was just crazy. You could equip Thomas with a jet pack and he still wouldn’t be able to keep up. Playing Bowen just 27 minutes in a double overtime game with the way he was defending was also mysterious. I didn’t like the minutes the Big Three played but then again without those minutes the Spurs probably don’t win. Overall though, I thought that the players bailed Pop out after a number of iffy decisions.-------------------------------
Last edited by timvp; 12-10-2008 at 12:28 PM. Reason: fixed formatting
Pop has actually given Bonner a fair amount of end of game minutes. When he's gone small to end games, he's usually at least had Udoka on the court. His small ball lineup to end the Mavs game was surprising. The return of Michael Finley the Power Forward wasn't something I wanted to see this season
So you think Dallas won't be the 9th seed?
I don't really agree with it either but I think that Pop's rationale is:
1) Bowen eventually will have to become a bench player. At 37, perhaps it's time to make the transition now. It also allows him to play fewer minutes which can hopefully make him that much more lively in the playoffs.
2) The NBA landscape has changed and you need offense to win. Last season, the Spurs actually did a pretty good job against the Lakers defensively. It was their offense that let them down. So if by starting Finley and Bonner, I think Pop is hoping this team can average ~100 points per game. That type of fire power will be needed to beat teams like the Lakers and Celtics. The Lakers have too many weapons to solely rely on defense to win and the Celtics play such stifling defense that your offense better be good or else you can't compete.
Agreed. I guess theoretically if Mason can become that sixth man spark plug, it'd make the team even deeper. But we'll see how it works out. Keeping Mason in the starting lineup made a lot of sense to me because he plays well off of TP and Duncan ... while Manu doesn't usually need help to be successful.
You jest but Pop loves Finley. I'm not sure exactly why but I'm guessing because Finley has now turned into the ultimate pro who works harder than anybody, cares on a daily basis as much as anybody and does whatever Pop tells him to do without ever complaining. For those reasons, Pop gives Finley as much rope as anyone he's ever coached.
Overall, this was an impressive win for the Spurs. They went out on the road and got a victory against a team playing at a high level. That said, the Mavs once again proved that they match up extremely well against the Spurs. Dallas is exceptionally confident when playing against San Antonio and unless the Spurs find someone who can even halfway defend Nowitzki, a playoff series between these two teams in 2009 would most likely play out like the epic battle we saw in 2006.
Timvp,
You wrote a great overview about last night's game.
However, I disagree with your analysis in the above paragraph. I believe last night's game was one of the those games in a 82 game season where both teams played excellent offense and they are rivals and want to beat each other every time they get a chance.
I believe Spurs would beat the Mavs in at least 5 or 6 games in a playoff series (even in early December). So while the Mavs do play the Spurs well...but in a series you can make adjustments and that's one of Pop's strengths.
But in early December....where is he tinkering with the roster, and adjust to new players (Mason & Hill), and deciding how to play defense I believe making an assumption like you did in the paragraph is a little premature.
Also, the Mavs have no match for Duncan. Not Dampier or Diop (the alleged Duncan stopper..LOL!!!) Likewise the Spurs have no match for Dirk...but they can make getting his shots much more difficult in a playoff series with Bruce, Ime, and other defenders. Yes, he will gets his points and he's a tough cover.
Plus, the Mavs have a new system with a new coach and the Spurs have only seen it twice...so I believe two next games they play the Spurs will make adjustments to it.
Moreover, you saw the championship-level compe iveness of the Spurs last night. And that's a huge difference..that the Mavs don't have.
I believe the Spurs had a little revenge on their minds from the first game in November and were determined to win last night's game.
So while the Mavs do play the Spurs well....there is still a distinct difference between the two teams.
Just wanna point out that 2 of RR's rebounds were offensive - when the Spurs were down by under four each time. One of them resulted in Finley scoring, and the play by play doesn't show if there was a turn over the second time - either way, he was doing his best to keep us in the game.
Also, I think we should bring Hill off the bench first and let him play SG until we sub Mason for Parker - see if we can get Hill going, and then let him run point. Mostly to see if he can pick up his shot on the road.
Thanks timvp.
Finally I was able to watch a game from start to finish, and even though it finished after 2AM Buenos Aires time, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This game simply showed that Dallas and San Antonio are again pretty equal teams- unfortunately for both that is not the best news this season.
Would not this mean that Dallas is still getting used to a new system and coach and they will be better themselves as the season goes on?
Thanks as always timvp. Your thoughts give me the depth I usually don't get until I re-watch a game. Appreciate the time and effort you put into these for us, and I especially love the humor. It's always a great read.
Pop is a God in the NBA. Whatever he does in the starting lineup for now i agree with.
i just see the playoffs starting off with:
Parker
Ginobili
Bowen
Duncan
Oberto
Not necessarily, because you could say the same thing about the Rockets with Adelmann. What it comes to is they have everyday to work with each other, whereas we play them 4 times a year - you can watch tapes, but there's not many on what Carlisle is going to be doing with his team, particularly against the Spurs.
Oh, and I just want to note: Oberto was pissing Dampier & Dirk off, depending who he was guarding ... he'd get them wrapped up, and they'd start whining to the refs.
I think the fundamental problem with the Mavs matchup remains -- the Mavs have better options to put on Duncan than the Spurs have to put on Dirk. Dampier and Diop are probably two of the top 25 players as far as guarding Duncan. The Spurs don't have anyone in the top 100 when it comes to guarding Dirk.
Bowen is the closest thing the Spurs have to a Dirk stopper but he's far from perfect because Bowen on Dirk opens up offensive rebounds galore for the Mavs. It was somewhat apparent this game but the player who usually crashes the boards when Bowen is on Dirk is Josh Howard. Howard usually is guarded by someone like Finley or Ginobili and he can attack the offensive glass at will.
Overall I still don't like the matchup against the Mavs. The Spurs could beat them in the playoffs but it'd be another war. Perhaps Tolliver or Mahinmi can become decent options on Dirk but I'm not holding my breath.
thanks as always, timvp
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