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I'm going to Denver
Nuggets' Anthony dismantles Spurs
Web Posted: 03/23/2006 01:15 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
DENVER — Maybe it was the sight of old friend George Karl, the boos that once again rained upon him from the rafters of the Pepsi Center or the forearm Kenyon Martin used to club him.
Or maybe, for the first time in six months, Manu Ginobili felt whole again. Whatever the cause, Ginobili looked like, well, Ginobili on Wednesday night, sticking 3-pointers, dribbling behind his back, throwing no-look passes, driving fearlessly to the rim.
Now, if he could just find some help.
Ginobili scored 26 points in one of his best performances of the season, but his spirited attempt to rally the Spurs unraveled in the fourth quarter as Carmelo Anthony led the Denver Nuggets to a 104-92 victory.
Anthony scored 32 points and the Spurs, struggling again in the second game of a back-to-back, were outrebounded 58-27. Tim Duncan contributed 22 points but made only 6 of 14 free throws.
"They competed harder for more minutes than us," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I thought Denver did a good job of making it men and boys for a good part of the game."
Popovich blamed defensive breakdowns by the Spurs' perimeter corps and the team's inability to match Denver's aggressiveness in the first half. The Nuggets led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and were still up 14 at the half before Ginobili led the Spurs back.
Making it clear they hadn't forgotten each other from their meeting in the first round of last season's playoffs, the teams traded words and elbows for part of the night. Duncan and Nazr Mohammed each got jabbed in the eye, while Tony Parker bruised his right shoulder during a hard foul from Francisco Elson.
With the Spurs down 61-48 in the third quarter, Ginobili broke free for what looked like a certain dunk when Martin ran down and cracked him from behind. As Ginobili hit the court with a thud, Popovich stared at Martin and shouted, "That's bull...!" Martin smiled back.
A couple of minutes later, Martin hit Ginobili in the arm after the whistle, further incensing Popovich. In each instance, Ginobili simply pushed himself to his feet and stepped to the free-throw line.
Ginobili's aggressiveness seemed to shake the Spurs from their slumber.
Parker tossed in a runner. Ginobili hit a 3-pointer. Parker hit one. Duncan even made a bank shot.
The Spurs' surge pushed them ahead, briefly, late in the third quarter. The game stayed close until Anthony made another jump shot and found Greg Buckner for a layup to push Denver's lead to 93-86 with 4:36 left.
The Spurs never seriously threatened again.
The Spurs were making the first stop of a five-game, 10-day trip, their longest since they spent 11 days in a row on the road from Feb. 25-March 6, 1993. They also knew they were walking into a buzz saw Wednesday.
While the Spurs labored to put away Golden State on Tuesday night, the Nuggets were enjoying their third day of rest, though many of them spent it on the training table.
Backup point guard Earl Boykins is expected to be out at least another three weeks after fracturing his left hand last week. Martin and Marcus Camby, both coping with knee injuries, were healthy enough to play Wednesday.
Despite their string of injuries, the Nuggets have taken firm control of the Northwest Division race. Anthony deserves a lot of credit for that. Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans, acquired on the NBA's trade deadline four weeks ago, also have helped.
"It's even more of an intense, rock 'em, sock 'em group now," Popovich said. "I think they're one of the most physical teams in the league."
That wasn't good news for the Spurs, who, once again, looked like they were playing on dead legs. Denver ran out to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes.
Ginobili responded with his own burst of energy, picking off a pass, burying a 3-pointer, driving for a layup and pulling up for a 17-footer. He helped the Spurs recover long enough to tie the game 15-15.
After Anthony went to the bench with 9:42 left in the second quarter, the Nuggets hiked their lead from four to 14. With the Spurs feeding them eight turnovers, seven in the opening quarter, the Nuggets totaled 17 fast-break points in the first half.
As it turned out, that set the stage for the Spurs' comeback, one that ultimately fell short.
"I scored more, but we lost," Ginobili said. "I think I prefer the way it was a week ago when I couldn't make a basket and we were still winning."
I honestly hope K Mart gets cancer. Its one thing to give a hard foul but its another to intentionally try to hurt a player and act like a about it. I wish him the absolute worst in life.
I'm going to Denver
the thread le says it all...
i guess the only good thing we can take from this was Manu's renewed sense of taking over the game although they all came up short.
And ers from other teams says "Bowen is dirty player"!!! I would hit K-mart in his ugly face if I was Gino, no matter what would happen´ later.
Don't worry, he'll end the season once again with his head buried in his hands... someone post that picture, it'll make all of us feel better.
He does know he is losing his minutes to Maurice Evans and Ruben Patterson right? If anything he should be throwing Manu alley-oops to try and get a job in SA.
looking for this?
busted link.looking for this?
My favourite quote from the end of the film Rainman - Dustin Hoffman: "K-mart sucks."
works for me..
go to gettyimages.com and search Kenyon Martin playoffs.
You have to pay to get Getty Images, so please don't post the pictures here.
Thanks.
--Kori
Last edited by Kori Ellis; 03-23-2006 at 05:40 AM. Reason: Sorry you can't post Getty Images
Can´t see it too.
I honestly hope K Mart gets cancer. Its one thing to give a hard foul but its another to intentionally try to hurt a player and act like a about it. I wish him the absolute worst in life.
It wasn't that hard of a foul. He was trying to foul him but not hurt him.
Sumone better post that pic of kmart from last seasons playoffs with the "PWNED" logo on his face
Anyway this is the sort of intensity i wanan see duncan play with like Gino when playoff comes around.
I'm going to Denver
This is nothing new. Manu always gets back up and comes back for more. (knock on wood)
K-Mart didn't play much after that play...for whatever reason.
I think K-Mart is a pompous ass too but I would never wish the guy ill for doing everything in his power to try and win.
Actually, now that I think of it, Evans came for K-Mart and played well. K-Mart did get another 3 minutes or so in there near the end.
The crowd loved K-Mart's "effort" on the Ginobili foul. It wasn't flagrant but I'm not sure there was much attempt to block the shot after running all that way.
^bump, brings back the good memories how we let them off on teh first game and they were boasting about beatin us, karma prevail for the contenders.
"Ain't nobody didn't think we coudln't win no games but not us."
I missed the Martin foul, but I was wondering about Horry's after-the-bucket elbow on Evans late in the third; was that some sort of payback thing? Looked pretty cheap at the time...
It looked to me like Horry got his elbow up into Evans' face. Like he was raising his arm but to sort of give Evans a little sumpin' at the same time. He didn't really swing the elbow in the replay they showed. Evans' made sure the refs noticed.
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