San Antonio (26-13) at Charlotte (16-24) Preview
Game info: 2:00 pm EST Mon Jan 19, 2009
By Anthony Giornalista
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has wanted his team to return to its usual, hard-nosed defensive play. They’ve never had much trouble keeping the Charlotte Bobcats in check.
After snapping a three-game slump, the Spurs look to continue their dominance of the Bobcats as the teams meet Monday.
San Antonio (26-13) was struggling through its worst stretch on defense this season, allowing an average of 108.3 points en route to losing two of three. It was the first time the Spurs allowed at least 100 points in three straight games since December 2001, with two of those games going into overtime.
Popovich demanded his team turn it up on the defensive end, and San Antonio responded Saturday night with a 92-87 win over Chicago. The Spurs bounced back after their worst loss of the season, a 109-87 defeat at Philadelphia the previous night.
“That’s who we are,” Popovich said. “People have to score in the 80s or 90s for us to win. If they score over 100, we’re just an average team.”
San Antonio has never had a problem implementing Popovich’s strategy versus Charlotte (16-24), which is averaging 91.4 points. The Spurs are 7-1 all-time against the Bobcats, holding them under 90 points in the six contests that did not go into OT.
San Antonio held Charlotte to 75.5 points per game and 38 percent shooting in winning both games last season. The Spurs have also never lost at Charlotte against the Bobcats, allowing 83.3 points a contest while going 4-0.
Charlotte is shooting 29.7 percent from 3-point range against San Antonio. The Spurs, meanwhile, are making 40.1 percent of their shots from beyond the arc this season, led by the league’s top long-range shooter, center Matt Bonner (48.2 percent).
Bonner had 12 points and 11 rebounds while going 2-for-5 from 3-point range against the Bulls.
DeSagana Diop doesn’t come close to matching Bonner’s offensive skills, but Charlotte is looking forward to getting its newest big man in uniform Monday after acquiring him from Dallas in exchange for guard Matt Carroll and center Ryan Hollins on Friday.
The Bobcats’ second trade in just over a month wasn’t nearly as big as the deal that sent top scorer Jason Richardson to Phoenix for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw, but the move helps in coach Larry Brown’s quest to get bigger up front and better defensively.
“This team is growing. Everybody is growing and everybody’s getting better,” Bobcats guard Raymond Felton said.
Charlotte now has a 7-foot defensive specialist in Diop, who will perhaps allow undersized center Emeka Okafor to play more power forward. Diop didn’t play in the Bobcats’ 102-97 overtime win over Portland on Saturday night because he had yet to take a physical.
Charlotte has won three straight and is starting to creep into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
Gerald Wallace had 31 points and 16 rebounds versus the Trail Blazers as Charlotte won its third straight at home.
“The chemistry is starting to come together, with the team as well as the coaches,” Wallace said.
Notes
Spurs:
The Spurs' trio grande was at their best in Chicago. F-C Tim Duncan, G Tony Parker and G-F Manu Ginobili combined for 59 points, 23 rebounds and 16 assists. ... San Antonio won despite having a rough night from the field, going 35-of-85 (41 percent) and 7-of-23 (30 percent) from beyond the arc. ... F Matt Bonner had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Bobcats:
The Bobcats are now 9-6 since acquiring Boris Diaw, Raja Bell & Sean Singletary in December. ... Charlotte expects newly acquired DeSagana Diop to be in Charlotte for Monday's game against San Antonio. ... Eight of Charlotte's 14 players were acquired since the hiring of Larry Brown this summer. ... The Bobcats are now 10-2 when scoring 100 or more points in a game. ... C Emeka Okafor had his 21st double-double of the season while F Gerald Wallace had his eighth. ... Wallace had his third 30-point performance of the season and led the team in scoring for the 11th time. ... Charlotte is 13-3 when having at least two players score 20 points.
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Tony Parker SA 20.9
Gerald Wallace Cha 16.6
Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.2
Emeka Okafor Cha 10.9
Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.6
Raymond Felton Cha 6.2
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
San Antonio 26-13 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.2 94.2 Road 11-6 Won 1 7-3
Charlotte 16-24 4th Southeast / 11th East 91.4 94.0 Home 11-12 Won 3 5-5
a defensive front court of diop and okafor is a bit initmidating. i would like to see how the spurs guards handle this. will they fear these two bigs and settle for jumpshots? or will they take to the basket and challenge them?
One of our big three is getting hurt in this game.
I know it to be true because I had a dream about it last night. And the last time this happened Manu went down in the game against the USA.
I sorry, I don't do it on purpose.
Sigh.
Monday: Spurs (26-13) at Bobcats (16-24)
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350
STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - BOBCATS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 20 Raymond Felton (6-1, 4th yr)
Parker only NBA player averaging 20 points, six assists and shooting 50 percent.
SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 19 Raja Bell (6-5, 9th yr)
Mason still finding space in Spurs’ offense, as four-point game vs. Bulls attests.
SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 3 Gerald Wallace (6-7, 8th yr)
Finley 2 of 13 before going 4 of 9 for 11 points against Bulls.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 32 Boris Diaw (6-8, 6th yr)
If Larry Brown is crazy enough to try it, Diaw-on-Parker has worked before.
C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 50 Emeka Okafor (6-10, 5th yr)
Bonner in double figures in 6 of 8 games since beginning of year.
SPURS RESERVES
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
22 Austin Croshere, F, 6-10, 12th yr
BOBCATS RESERVES
42 Sean May, F, 6-9, 3rd yr
7 DeSagana Diop, C, 7-0, 8th yr
5 Juwan Howard, F, 6-9, 15th yr
6 Nazr Mohammed, C, 6-10, 11th yr
35 Adam Morrison, F, 6-8, 2nd yr
44 Sean Singletary, G, 6-0, 1st yr
12 Shannon Brown, G, 6-4, 3rd yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Bobcats: Larry Brown
INJURIES
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (sprained right ankle) is out.
Bobcats: D.J. Augustin (abdominal strain) is out.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Malik Hairston, Jacque Vaughn, Mahinmi
Bobcats: Augustin, Alexis Ajinca
NOTABLE
Spurs close three-game road swing in Charlotte, where they have never lost to the Bobcats (4-0). ..... Charlotte, in its first season under Brown, is 9-6 after a seven-game losing streak in mid-December. The Bobcats have won a season-high three games in a row after beating Portland in overtime Saturday.
- Jeff McDonald
well Bobcats actually have some pretty good pieces: Okafor, Diaw, Felton has been playing well
But lately the spurs have been very efficient.
I have to work.
there was this guy last year... omg, it was so amazing... he absolutely stuffed the ball down diop's throat. here, have a look...
That was my 2nd fav dunk from that guy last season. The smell my balls dunk on Yao took the cake, though.
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