I'll take it.
With the game tied and less than four seconds remaining, Michael Finley drained a three-pointer . . . after the shot clock had expired. Thankfully, the refs didn't notice that technicality and allowed the three points to be put on the scoreboard. After the Kings missed on the other end following a timeout, the Spurs were able to escape Sacramento with a 95-92 victory.
Even though the Kings have the worst record in the NBA, this win was notable on multiple levels. First of all, winning any game without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili is an accomplishment. Secondly, the Kings were obviously amped up in their final home game of the season and they were playing very well. The Spurs had to overcome multiple deficits and kept fighting and fighting until they got the job done. And third but not least, the Spurs had to win this game if they wanted to realistically have a chance at home-court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
As for the Kings, I thought they played well. Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson are a bigman duo that could grow into one of the best duos in the league. Andres Nocioni helps infuse some needed toughness and Beno Udrih, well, he helped out his former mates with a 1-for-12 outing.
Overall, the toughness, grit and determination illustrated by a lot of different players was very good to see. No matter what happens from here on out, heart doesn't appear to be an characteristic a Spurs fan will have to question.
-Tony Parker didn't have one of those spectacular games he's produced many times in the last few months, but I thought he played very well. His effort level in the final three quarters of the game was off the charts. He defended very well and he single-handedly kept the offense in gear for much of his time on the court. Parker had a few rough patches but he worked at it and brought victory to his team. It should be noted that Parker made the pass on Finley's three-pointer. In an instant, Parker went from the goat who passed it without enough time to the hero who made the timely assist.
-Michael Finley's stats don't look too impressive but I thought he had an outstanding game. Defensively, his energy was as high as I've ever seen out of him. He also ran the floor, slashed into the paint and, of course, hit the game-winner. Finley didn't shoot well, especially on shots within the confines of the shot clock, but he earned each minute of playing time. Hopefully this is the level of energy Spurs fans can expect out of Finley.
-Another player who deserves a huge amount of credit is Kurt Thomas. His work on the glass was just beautiful. Thomas oftentimes fought against two and three Kings trying to box him out and he used his headiness and determination to grab 13 rebounds, eight of which were offensive. With the Spurs struggling for points, Thomas looked at the room more often than usual. Defensively, he was very good and finished with three of the team's four blocks. Fantastic effort.
-Roger Mason, Jr. continues to look like a totally different player with Ginobili out. He's taken it upon himself to carry a bigger load and he's doing good work in that role. Mason struggled at times within the three-point arc but his outside shooting was very important. He hit a number of big shots and when it was his turn to run point guard, Mason once again looked decent enough. Defensively, I really like what he's doing and he showed a good amount of versatility in this game in terms of the positions he was able to defend.
-Matt Bonner played hard but the results weren't too special. His rebounding was a little bit better but his defense was suspect. Bonner looks like he's a little bit gimpy, which is limiting him even more on the defensive end. The best thing about Bonner on the night was the fact that the Kings respected his jumper and that provided room for other players to operate.
-Ime Udoka had his second straight very good outing. He shot the ball well and his offense really helped early on when the Spurs appeared headed to a low scoring affair. Rebounding-wise, Udoka pulled down a few very impressive boards. On defense, he was good and thrived especially in transition defense. Hopefully these last two games are a sign that Udoka is peaking at the right time.
-Drew Gooden didn't do much good. He had been playing well recently but this game wasn't one to remember. Defensively, Gooden looked lazy a few times. He wasn't running hard back down the court and appeared to either be tired or disinterested. Offensively, he rushed a few shots and forced a couple of other ones. All that said, getting to the line nine times was very helpful and he at least gave the Spurs someone to go to when the bench unit was on the court. And in true Spurs fashion, the guy who was shooting 87% at the line prior to joining San Antonio finished 5-for-9 at the charity stripe.
-Bruce Bowen made a few mental mistakes -- and that in itself is uncharacteristic. Over the last few games, Bowen hasn't done nearly enough to earn more playing time. His defense has been solid but his tenacity isn't at his normal level. Let's hope that the postseason is when Bowen steps up his intensity.
-Fabricio Oberto played in his first game since his latest heart issue. It was good to see him out on the court but it was obvious that he was very rusty in his five minutes of court time.
-Pop gambled in sitting Duncan this game to have him available against the Warriors and it paid off . . . just barely. To secure this win, Pop basically used an eight-man rotation that leaned heavily on the starters. There's not much to complain about; Pop had his players playing hard and they kept at it even when it seemed like they would never be able to climb the mountain.
Now to make this Kings win meaningful, the Spurs have to take care of business against Golden State.
Believe.
good read, thanks.
i still believe tony should have pass it sooner. Finley was wide open for quite a while.
but it's really amazing the defensive attention that Tony has earned from the opponent. the whole kings were paying attention to him in this last action.
i really think he's get as much attention on offense as any superstars in this league right now. he has to take advantage of this. the assist to a WIDE OPEN Finley instanced that.
yeah thanks for that timvp
I had a nice, long post prepared for this but according to Lakerfan I no longer have the right to speak about NBA officiating.
With George Hill at PG, Mason would have play better.
PG is not his game.
The Spurs are a better team with George Hill. The Spurs won plenty of games with him at the backup PG. And he's a good defender, and he's athletic, and he's young...
I really can't understand that move from Pop.
When Parker returned to the court in 2nd quarter (after his 1st break) Mason was -17 !!!
Mason at PG is not good for Mason, and it's not good for the team.
I hope Pop will give George Hill some playing time in the playoffs. He needs some playoffs experience for next season.
The Kings have the worst record in the NBA?
I honestly just assumed it was the Thunder. But, I haven't really followed the standings this season.
When Bonner tried to take a charge against Brandon Roy with about 4 minutes to go in the 3rd qtr of the Portland game, he took quite some time getting up and off the court. He didn't play the rest of the game, even though TD only played 30 seconds in the 4th and KT picked up his 5th foul with 11 minutes to go in the game. I know I saw him with a bulky wrap on his calf during a timeout in the 4th qtr. My guess at the time was that he had gotten kicked in the shin and it was being iced.
Now he has worn that wrap the past 2 games. With all the talk of Tim's knees and Manu's ankle, I haven't seen or heard any mention of a Bonner injury.
Do you recall if there was any mention of it during or after that play in the Portland game on whatever broadcast I assume you review for your recaps?
Thanks
Last edited by Mel_13; 04-13-2009 at 08:35 AM. Reason: remove box score
Agreed but I've basically given up on that matter. I'll never know why Pop fixed something that wasn't broken. When Pop replaced Hill as the backup point guard, his +/- was either as good or better than Parker's. No matter how you want to criticize Hill's play, he wasn't hurting the team at all.
Parker's +/- has been fantastic over the last few months but now that Mason and Vaughn have taken over the backup duties, the team almost gives it all back during Parker's rest.
I think Gooden was just emotionally conflicted about playing against his former teammates.
No I haven't heard or read any mention on a Bonner injury anywhere. I remember in the last Lakers game he pulled up lame when trying to tack down a rebound in the corner. I'm not sure if that's related or if, as you say, he's just dealing with some sort of bruise.
Whatever it is, there's something slowing him down. That wrap is pretty big and his mobility and strength are suffering.
he played with them for 1 game..he just had a bad game, it happens..
Big props to Thomas and Udoka.
Thomas is doing a great job this season and I hope Ime play this well in the playoffs
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