Reply With Quote
Good, I was wondering if I was crazy but I thought the same thing. It's great to see him contribute in other areas.
That wasn't pretty. But I'll definitely take the win. In a game that featured shaky execution by the Spurs and even more physical play from the Grizzlies, the Spurs pulled out a 93-87 victory to tie the series 1-1. The story of the game was the return of Manu Ginobili, whose inspirational performance made the difference between a Spurs win and a Spurs loss.
-Tim Duncan didn't have an aesthetically-pleasing game but he played with the heart and toughness the Spurs needed to compete in the paint. His ten rebounds were big, as were his three blocked shots. Duncan's post defense and perimeter defense was very good. On offense, his touches were sporadic and that seemed to affect his rhythm (he finished with five turnovers). However, he hit a few big shots and usually converted when he had clean looks.
-When the sad day arrives when Manu Ginobili decides to retire from the game of basketball, this is one of the first games of his I will remember. You look at the stats and see 5-for-13 from the field, 7-for-13 from the line and five turnovers and think that he struggled ... but that couldn't be further from the truth. Ginobili was the heart and soul of the team. His relentless energy on both ends of the floor powered the team to victory. It wasn't hugely surprising that he led the team with 17 points and also chipped in four assists, however it has to be surprising that a one-armed Ginobili pulled down seven rebounds, swiped four steals and blocked a shot. Just a classic Manu Ginobili performance.
-Tony Parker has to play better. That's just the bottomline. If he doesn't begin to outplay Mike Conley, the Spurs are in serious trouble in this series. Parker had a few nice buckets early and a pair of key assists late ... but he struggled for a majority of the game. He went scoreless in the final 20 minutes of the game and wasn't doing anything special on the defensive end. The Grizzlies are sending a lot of help his way but that is not enough of an excuse. It's playoff time and if Parker is the player he wants to be, it's time to step up.
-Offensively, I thought Richard Jefferson played about as well as he's going to play. He scored 16 points on only eight shots in this game -- and now has scored 29 points on 14 shots in the series. I love how confident he is shooting the three-pointer and he's driving to the hoop with purpose most of the time. Defensively, it was a totally different story. He made a number of glaring mental mistakes and allowed Sam Young to lead the Grizzlies with 17 points. Jefferson needs to go back to the drawing board and learn the gameplan. There's no excuse for him to be making mistakes like closing out hard on Tony Allen from beyond the arc and falling for pump-fakes from Young.
-This was the Antonio McDyess that we expected in Game 1. After a horrible opener, McDyess bounced back with a really good performance. His post defense against Zach Randolph in the fourth quarter was momentous. On the night, McDyess blocked three shots and pulled down a number of contested boards. Offensively, the cagey veteran was still a bit of a liability -- but if he's going to play stout defense, the Spurs can afford to wait for his jumper to come around.
-I was proud of George Hill for fighting through his early struggles. With Hill, you can't always count on him staying aggressive when times are bad. But he did it this game and hit two huge three-pointers in the second half after missing six of his first seven shots. Hill also knocked down free throws at the end to ice the game. Defensively, he was a plus -- especially fighting around screens and hitting the glass late.
-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations. Against a big, strong frontline, Bonner was about as good as he can be defensively. On the other end, he knocked down a three-pointer to allow the Spurs to begin the fourth quarter on the right foot. I didn't think I'd ever say this after his last few years of choking in the playoffs, but this was a very Robert Horry-esque performance from Bonner. Now let's hope he can play like this on the road in Game 3 and Game 4.
-For the first time this season, Gary Neal is having a few rookie moments. He's trying to do a bit too much at times on both ends of the court. That said, he nailed a pair of big shots for the Spurs at important times. He also doesn't seem to be intimidated by the added pressure. It seems like just a matter of time before he gives the Spurs a big lift to win a playoff game.
-DeJuan Blair was a bundle of discombobulated energy when he first came onto the court. Eventually, he translated that energy into actual basketball production. In his 13 minutes, Blair had a few huge rebounds, a couple of great passes and continuously put pressure on the Grizzlies post players. He still needs to smooth out the rough edges but Blair's compe iveness and juice can't be questioned.
-I can't fault Pop for too much in this game. He decided to not change the strategy too much -- and it worked out. Obviously, the addition of Ginobili was the main reason why the Spurs won, but Pop not panicking after a Game 1 loss also played a part. Going back to McDyess in Game 2 ended up being the right move. I thought his utilization of the bench was very good and he was able to give the Big 3 enough rest to allow for enough fuel at the end to finish out the Game 2 win.
Good, I was wondering if I was crazy but I thought the same thing. It's great to see him contribute in other areas.
Last edited by Spurminator; 04-21-2011 at 12:20 AM.
spurs need to watch film
spurs need to adjust
spurs could not hit a free throw tonight
spurs had way to many turnovers
blair hitting booner for the three was awesome
On point analysis ... Bonner played ok on defense, but he is still out there to shoot the ball ... if that is missing there is a certain other player who can do even better defensively.
Spurs did a good job of hoping Memphis misses shots.
Hopefully, they hope just as hard next game.
It was a rough, physical grind it out kind of game, and the Spurs came away with a win, I'll take it. The Spurs didnt play their best tonight, with all the missed FT's and careless TO's, and Memphis didnt play their best either...
A win is a win.
i thought OJ Mayo took a lot of really stupid shots that cost them the game. A majority of those quick shots that Hollins was talking about came from OJ. I think he was 2-11 with most of his shots being long contested 2 pointers. Just a really dumb offensive performance on his part.
Young/Arthur were killing us. It's going to be a really tough series if those guys continue to hit their Js in Memphis....
Gasol/Randolph missed a lot of easy shots that they were making in Game 1 as well.
That said, i think the 2nd half is going to be more indicative of how this series is going to look rather than the first 1 and 1/2 games. Spurs needed to gain some confidence and Memphis needed to come back down to earth. i'm sticking to Spurs in 6.
Dice and Duncan played much better D on Gasol/Randolph. Randolph only had a handful of rebounds as well but Gasol had 17.
Ginobili was vintage Manu. Great effort from RJ and Hill. Good stuff.
You gotta be in ting me, dude. Come on timvp, it's okay for you to be wrong about something on ST, it really is. It just shows you're human.
Horry-esque?
Come.
On.
Overall, the entire team played better in the 2nd half.
Especially the role players Bonner, Blair, Dice, Hill.
I suppose it is good for Bonner to rack up fouls and NOT give up and-1's as opposed to him racking up fouls while giving up the and-1, but he still blows ass on that end.
As did Blair.
As did Dice.
But in that 4th quarter, I really have to say the entire team seemed to hit that extra gear that we all know they have in them.
My major concern after this win is praying for Manu not to feel like his elbow is broken tomorrow morning after the injections and adrenaline wears off.
He could very well be in more pain for game 3 than he was tonight.
If he is healthy, then it is very clear his energy and focus will keep our team at a higher level.
Props to Manu. He's one bad ass mofo.
The thing I noticed was, was that the Spurs stuck to Gasol and Randolph a of a lot more tonight than in Game 1, and let the perimeter guys like Conley, Young, and Allen take a bunch of outside jump shots. I kinda like that strategy. Those guys arent going to keep making a bunch of jump shots all series long....
"Horry-esque"
Can you believe that Bonner held Z-bo to 5/14 shooting for 11 pts and only 5 boards???
timvp what do you think about starting Blair and benching Dice?
RJ has made better decisions with the basketball than Tony for most of this series and that HAS to change for SA to go anywhere in the playoffs. That said, TP had two important assists down the stretch that gave the Spurs a cushion and made up for the second straight boneheaded jumper to close the 4th we've seen in recent days.
I'm pretty sure that was Pop's strategy before the series as well. it's how you beat Memphis.The thing I noticed was, was that the Spurs stuck to Gasol and Randolph a of a lot more tonight than in Game 1, and let the perimeter guys like Conley, Young, and Allen take a bunch of outside jump shots. I kinda like that strategy
They threw a lot more double teams at Randolph and Gasol early and often where as they only did late in Game 1. Randolph has improved his passing but he's still pretty much a black hole on offense and he's going to force it through 2-3 defenders.
This team is at its best when they're helter-skelter on defense and they played a lot better tonight and forced a lot of turnover.
Btw, timvp....Robert Horry is rolling over in his grave right now after that Bonner comment.
Does anyone remember a Dallas Cowboys game when Emmit Smith played the entire second half with a separated shoulder? He was in pain on every carry, but he pounded the Giants into submission. It stands out in my mind as a heroic performance. Manu's performance tonight now stands with it. (The Cowboys went on to win the Superbowl that year, and all the Cowboys players say they could not have done it without Smith's performance in that game.) http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dal...Emmitt-523.ece
-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations.
+1. Bonner was really looking for guys to box out, and he stayed with them after the first contact. We need a lot more of that from him and all the other bigs. And don't forget the 3's that Bonner drained at the end of the first game that should have won the game for us. He's stroked it under pressure so far in this series.
-For the first time this season, Gary Neal is having a few rookie moments.
I thought one of Neal's biggest mistakes was pulling Manu off the floor by his right arm. I cringed just watching it. Daammnn, Gary. The one shot he made at the end of the shot clock, on one of the worst possessions I have ever seen, was vintage Gary Neal. (Can you be vintage in your rookie year?) The man has ice water in his veins. And when he can shoot without thinking too much, he's deadly. I think it's a mistake not to have him putting up more shots each game.
McDyess was money all year on that mid-range jumper. That's an extra 4-5-6 points per game we've been without against the Griz. We really, really need those points.
26:46
Toguh, gritty, win for the Spurs. Loved how physical the whole team played.
its a memphis style game that you won but the key will be how things are in memphis. spurs benefited again from a ft shooting contest . if memphis gets home cooking it could turn ugly
I thought TD set the tone early with strong picks and physical play. He was pushing people around out there and it was great to watch.
Pretty much agree on all points, including Bonner. First time I've seen Bonner literally throw someone out of the paint. He was called for a foul but I'll take it from Bonner if he's playing for the rebound.
I mentioned this in the game thread/blog, but I am worried about how the refs call the defense played against Randolph:
-Game 1, Spurs try to get physical, nearly everyone fouls out
-Game 2, Spurs allowed to get physical, Z-Bo disappears at the end of the game.
It's one thing if he's driving to the basket getting slapped around, but when he's pounding into the chest of a big in the post while throwing up nonsense.....hopefully the refs can recognize this is the playoffs and let them play.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
