McDonald: Spurs Punish Hawks

[Solid D]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...r.28ce8e5.html

Spurs punish Hawks

Web Posted: 11/21/2007 11:05 AM CST

Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

ATLANTA — Tim Duncan and Joey Crawford shared the same 94-by-50-foot space Tuesday night at Philips Arena, and the world didn't come to an end.

The planets did not come careening out of alignment. The universe did not collapse upon itself.

In fact, the Spurs hardly seemed to notice the bald man with a whistle on their way to beating the Atlanta Hawks 95-83.

"The officiating crew doesn't enter into the game plan," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said with a shrug.

What did pass for a Spurs game plan — let Tony Parker abuse the daylights out of a depleted Atlanta point-guard corps — seemed to work well enough.

Parker scored a season-high 31 points to top a list of five players in double figures and Duncan's reunion with his refereeing nemesis passed without incident as the Spurs won before a crowd of 17,025.

Parker scored 17 points during the second quarter as the Spurs built a lead as high as 18. The Spurs never trailed in the game and, after the 10:50 mark of the second quarter, never led by fewer than 10.

With Atlanta's top three point guards — Speedy Claxton, Acie Law and Tyronn Lue all out with some injury or another — Parker made quick work of the Hawks' scraps.

Parker obliterated Atlanta's stopgap option, Anthony Johnson, consistently getting into the paint and causing havoc for the Hawks. In addition to scoring more points than any Spurs player has this season, Parker also posted nine assists.

The Spurs improved to 9-2 with the victory, which came against a 3-7 Atlanta team that had already toppled Western Conference ans Phoenix and Dallas.

"That's the world champions right there," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "And they played like it."

Not even the prospect of a Duncan-Crawford cage match could salvage the drama.

Tuesday marked the first time Crawford officiated a Spurs game since the infamous April afternoon when he ejected Duncan in Dallas. That dust-up left Duncan wondering if Crawford had a vendetta against him, and left Crawford barred from working the playoffs.

The NBA reinstated Crawford before the start of this season, but until Tuesday he had yet to be assigned to a Spurs game.

Those expecting Round 2 were sorely disappointed. Crawford's evening was mostly uneventful, as was Duncan's.

Duncan's final stat line was something of a smorgasbord: 13 points, seven rebounds and a season-high six assists.

Afterward, he seemed as if he would rather talk about anything — the weather, the sorry state of the Chicago Bears' quarterback situation, quantum physics — than to talk about Crawford.

Did he have any misgivings when he found out Crawford would be working the game?

"No."

So it was just another day at the office?

"Yup."

And that was that.

Meanwhile, Parker made sure Crawford's whistle wouldn't matter.

His 17-point second quarter was a clinic. By the end of it, Parker had orchestrated a hostile takeover of the "Highlight Factory," as the Hawks modestly call their home gym.

It was a bit of a renaissance night for the Spurs' French star. Parker had missed 17 of his previous 24 shots before Tuesday's 13-of-20 effort.

"Finally," Parker said. "In the NBA, you have ups and downs. I was just trying to get back on track."

The Spurs rattled out to a 24-point lead in the third quarter, by which point Popovich — hoping to conserve his starters' gas for tonight's home game against Orlando — sent in the subs.

Then, Joe Johnson got hot for Atlanta, pouring in 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Hawks pulled within 10.

In came Parker and Duncan. Squash went the Hawks' rally. Home went the Spurs with a victory.

Another day at the office indeed.



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[Solid D]

Popovich — hoping to conserve his starters' gas for tonight's home game against Orlando — sent in the subs.

Then, Joe Johnson got hot for Atlanta, pouring in 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Hawks pulled within 10.

In came Parker and Duncan. Squash went the Hawks' rally. Home went the Spurs with a victory.

Correction, in came Bowen and Duncan (plus Fin and Fab). Joe Johnson didn't have Bowen on him during the comeback. Parker helped, but only once the others came back in.

Besides, Joe Johnson wasn't the key to the comeback...it was more about West and Horford. West turned it around with his defense and energy. Johnson hit some tough shots down the stretch in the last few minutes.