San Antonio (8-2) at Sacramento (4-6)10:00 pm EST

[ducks]

San Antonio (8-2) at Sacramento (4-6)
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 10:00 pm EST Mon Nov 21, 2005
TV: KRRT, CSNS Add to Calendar
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Tony Parker is starting to assert himself more as an offensive force during his fifth season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Parker and the Spurs look for the their fourth straight victory when they visit the Sacramento Kings to start a two-game California road trip.

The 23-year-old point guard is averaging a career-high 21.3 points on 54.5 percent shooting this season.

Parker, who never averaged more than 16.6 points in any previous season, has already had six games of more than 20 points. He had 23 such games all of last season.

Parker had 19 points in a 97-91 victory Saturday over the Phoenix Suns that improved San Antonio to 5-0 at home. He came through with a key runner in the final minute that gave the Spurs a three-point advantage.

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"The play we called broke down. He made the play on his own. That was all him," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Tony finally woke up and competed his butt off."

Tim Duncan added his league-leading eighth double-double of the season with 24 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio, which completes the trip Thursday against the Golden State Warriors.

Duncan is averaging 24.9 points and 14.2 rebounds in 30 career games against Sacramento. The 24.9 points per game represent his second-highest career average against any Western Conference opponent. Duncan is averaging 25.2 points in 28 games against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Sacramento enters after suffering a 106-104 loss Sunday to the Seattle Supersonics. It was the Kings' first loss in five games when scoring over 100 points.

Sacramento leading scorer Peja Stojakovic made 9-of-10 shots and finished with 25 points at halftime. But hand and wrist injuries suffered when Stojakovic was slapped on the hand hard by Seattle's Danny Fortson in the third quarter, limited Peja to just 0-for-4 from the floor in the second half.

Stojakovic has found the going tough in his career against San Antonio, averaging only 13.1 points and shooting just over 35 percent in 25 career games. He averaged 17 points on 39 percent in three games against the Spurs last season.

The Kings are 0-5 in this season in games played on back-to-back days. They've lost the second game by an average of 12.5 points.

San Antonio won three of four meetings with Sacramento last season, limiting the Kings to 81 points per game.

STANDINGS (through Nov. 20): Spurs - 1st place, Southwest Division. Kings - 4th place (tied), 4 GB, Pacific Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Spurs - F Bruce Bowen, F Duncan, C Rasho Nesterovic, G Parker, G Manu Ginobili. Kings - F Stojakovic, F Shareef Abdur-Rahim, C Brad Miller, G Bonzi Wells, G Mike Bibby.

TEAM LEADERS: Spurs - Duncan, 21.7 ppg and 11.3 rpg; Parker, 6 apg. Kings - Stojakovic, 21.5 ppg; Wells, 7.8 rpg; Miller, 5.8 apg.

2004-05 SEASON SERIES: Spurs, 3-1.

LAST MEETING: Jan. 27; Spurs, 90-80. At San Antonio, Ginobili scored 25 points and Duncan added 20 and 12 rebounds as the Spurs closed the game on a 12-3 spurt. Stojakovic sat out with back spasms.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Spurs - 3-2 on the road; Kings - 3-2 at home.

Updated on Monday, Nov 21, 2005 6:17 am EST

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Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
San Antonio 8-2 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.0 89.3 Road 3-2 Won 3 8-2
Sacramento 4-6 4th Pacific / 11th West 97.5 97.8 Home 3-2 Lost 1 4-6
San Antonio Notes
Nov 20 C Nazr Mohammed provided a spark off the bench in the third quarter of Saturday's win against Phoenix. He scored eight of his nine points in the period, including six on consecutive three-point plays with 2:32 and 1:27 left that game San Antonio a 73-68 lead. ... The Spurs grabbed a season-high 17 offensive rebounds and recorded a season-best 13 steals. ... Coach Gregg Popovich picked up a technical foul at the end of the second period and assistant P.J. Carlesimo was called for one with 6:39 remaining in the game.


Sacramento Notes
Nov 21 All five Kings starters scored in double figures in a 103-82 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. ... Sacramento dished out a season-high 31 assists Friday. ... F Peja Stojakovic missed a free throw for just the second time this season. He is shooting 95.6 percent (43-of-45) from the charity stripe this season. ... After getting off to a horrendous shooting start this season, Mike Bibby has re-discovered his touch. He shot just 23 percent (5-for-22) from the floor in his first two games, but has connected on 44-of-97 shots (45 percent) in seven contests since then.

[boutons]

SAC is on 2nd of away-home B2B, having lost @SEA Sunday night after leading all game until the last minute, where they choked, again, esp Brad blowing 2 FTs with 26 secs left to fail to tie the game. Brad was 39-46 FTs, 85%, before choking on those two crunch FTs.

Apparently Rick has "lost" the team and is on his way out.
Years and years of an emtpy trophy case will do that.
.
.

[howard2]

ESPN.com
Nov 21, 2005
Link: ESPN.com
{There are no significant injuries too.}

San Antonio (8-2) at Sacramento (4-6) 10:00 pm EST

SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- The San Antonio Spurs will be looking to keep their winning streak alive when they travel to Arco Arena on Monday to face the Sacramento Kings.

The defending champion Spurs have won their last three games and sit atop the Southwest Division. They closed out their three-game homestand with a 97-91 victory over Phoenix on Saturday.

Tim Duncan collected his league-best eighth double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals. The superstar also added three blocks and steals.

Tony Parker added 19 points, including a runner in the lane over Steve Nash that all but sealed the win.

Sacramento had won three of its previous four games before dropping a 106-104 contest in Seattle on Sunday. Mike Bibby scored 25 points but missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer in the waning seconds.

Peja Stojakovic added 25 points while center Brad Miller and power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim each collected 16 points and eight assists. Miller also hauled in eight rebounds.

The Spurs won three of the four meetings against the Kings last season, with the clubs splitting both games here.