Pacers-Spurs Preview

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/games/20080306/IN...scoreboardhome

Pacers-Spurs Preview
By KATE HEDLIN, STATS Writer

The San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed beating up on the Eastern Conference the last few weeks.

On Thursday, the red-hot Spurs close out the East-heavy portion of their schedule when they host the Indiana Pacers.

San Antonio (42-17) has won a season-high 10 straight, including Tuesday's 81-70 victory over New Jersey that completed a sweep of a home-and-home series. The Spurs have played seven of their last 10 games against teams from the East, and five of those contests were against clubs with losing records - including both against the Nets.

San Antonio, though, heads into Thursday's game following one of its worst offensive games of the season.

The Spurs shot just 33.8 percent from the field - their second-worst shooting game of the season - and scored their fewest points since an 83-81 loss to Houston on Jan. 19.

Nets coach Lawrence Frank said the dismal shooting shows just how impressive the Spurs are.

"Think about this. They won the game shooting 33 percent," Frank said. "That just shows you how good they are. Those guys are the gold standard."

Tim Duncan had 29 points and 12 rebounds while Manu Ginobili added 12 points.

Coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan carried the Spurs, who are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference lead. Duncan was 11-of-21 from the field after scoring 22 points in his previous two games combined.

"If Tim Duncan didn't play the way he played tonight a whole lot of people would have wasted a whole lot of money tonight," Popovich said. "He was special and he got it done for us."

The Pacers (24-37) will be facing a team on an extended winning streak for the second straight night after losing 117-99 at Houston on Wednesday. Indiana trailed by 17 at halftime and despite threatening in the third quarter, was unable to catch the Rockets, who won their 16th straight.

Troy Murphy and Danny Granger each scored 17 points and Mike Dunleavy added 13 for the Pacers, losers of seven of 10.

"They are a really good basketball team and we didn't have it," coach Jim O'Brien said. "(Tracy) McGrady got them started and then their momentum became a snowball effect."

Dunleavy, who was 4-of-9 from the field with six assists, scored his fewest points in seven games. The Pacers' second-leading scorer (18.1) came into Wednesday averaging 27.8 points in his previous six games.

"We have to find a way to do better," he said.

The Spurs have won five straight and eight of their last nine home games against the Pacers, who haven't won in San Antonio since a 92-82 victory on Jan. 4, 2002.

San Antonio beat Indiana 116-89 on Feb. 5 at Conseco Fieldhouse as seven players scored in double figures, including Duncan, who had 19 points and 15 rebounds. He is averaging 20.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in 18 career games versus Indiana.

[duncan228]

Spurs.com
http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/080306.html

Probable Starters:

Parker
Guard
18.5 PPG
Ginobili
Guard
20.5 PPG
Bowen
Forward
5.7 PPG
Duncan
Forward
19.9 PPG
Thomas
Center
7.0 PPG

Spur in the Spotlight
Tony Parker
We just won 10 games (in a row) but we know we have to stay very focused and look at the big picture.

Did You Know...
The Spurs and Pacers first met on 10/13/73 in Indianapolis when both teams played in the ABA … the Pacers won the game 116-99 … the Spurs held the Pacers to a franchise-low 55 points in a 74-55 win on 3/29/98 … George Gervin holds the record for the most points scored in Market Square Arena by pouring in 55 vs. the Pacers on 1/23/80, leading the Spurs to a 144-130 win … former Spurs Larry Kenon recorded the first NBA opponent triple-double in Pacer history on 10/27/79 … Indiana center Jeff Foster was born in San Antonio and attended James Madison High School.

[duncan228]

Pacers.com

http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/preview_080306.html

History shows defense the difference
By Conrad Brunner

It really didn't take much time for the players to accept and execute Jim O'Brien's up-tempo offensive philosophy. Embracing the other end of the floor, however, has proved problematic.

Though the Pacers average 103.1 points per game, seventh in the league and the franchise's most since 1992-93, they're also allowing 105.4, third-most in the NBA and also the franchise's most since '92-93.

Coming off a 117-99 loss Wednesday to a Houston team that has used defense to build a 16-game winning streak, the Pacers (24-37) now face the Spurs, who've won 10 in a row and have built their decade of dominance on a foundation of strong defense.

"They understand it, they're willing to do our defense at a tough level," said O'Brien. "But that's not enough. I know every one of these guys is capable of playing defense at the level I want of them. But we're not bringing it every possession. As a result, you're always vulnerable to losing to a team that defends you at the other end. … They're not giving us an easy time so we're going to have to earn our points and we're going to have to play at a defensive level that makes it difficult for them to score. So we have another opportunity to take that next step."

If the examples of the Rockets and Spurs aren't enough to convince the players of the need for dramatically improved defense, they can look within their own franchise's history.

In the Pacers' first 17 NBA seasons, they allowed no fewer than 104.0 points while averaging 32 wins and made just six postseason appearances, losing each in the first round.

In their last 14 seasons, they've allowed no more than 98.0 points, averaged 48 wins and reached the playoffs 12 times, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and one to the NBA Finals.

If the Pacers are to return to the playoffs, the key will be returning to some semblance of their defensive roots.

"We have to go out and play well these last 20 games and win more than we lose, and hopefully that’s enough to get into the playoffs," said Travis Diener. "We have to leave it out on the court every night, and I think with this team we’re going to do that."

The Spurs have averaged just 94.4 points in their 10-game streak but allowed a stingy 86.1. In their last game, they shot .338 from the field and scored 81 points but beat the Nets by 11.

KEY TO THE GAME

Playing the second-night of a tough road back-to-back, the Pacers face a daunting challenge. Like Houston, San Antonio imposes its will on the defensive end – the Spurs have allowed 86.1 points to opponents during their winning streak – and runs a high-efficiency offense. The Pacers will need to win the battle for tempo and hope the second unit can provide the necessary fresh legs to and productivity to make the difference.

TRENDS

Travis Diener has averaged 14.5 points and 7.3 assists while shooting 20-of-40 (.500) from the field in the last four games. … Mike Dunleavy has averaged 25.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting .514 from the field and .500 from the 3-point line in the last seven. … Stephen Graham has totaled 29 points in 36 minutes in the last three games. … Danny Granger has shot 8-of-20 (.400) from the 3-point line but 14-of-36 (.389) inside the arc in his last three. … Troy Murphy has averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 43-of-79 (.544) overall and 8-of-20 (.400) from the arc in eight games since the All-Star break. … Jermaine O'Neal has missed 21 straight games with a left knee injury and 28 overall. The Pacers are 11-17 in his absence. … Jamaal Tinsley has missed 12 straight games and 22 overall. The Pacers are 8-14 without him. … In the last 31 games, both O'Neal and Tinsley have played in just three and the Pacers are 9-22 in that span. … The defense has yielded 447 points (111.8) in the last four.

SERIES

The Spurs beat the Pacers 116-89 on Feb. 5 in Conseco Fieldhouse in an odd game. Indiana rolled up 36 points on 15-of-19 shooting in the first quarter but managed just nine points on 4-of-22 shooting in the third when the Spurs took control with a 22-4 run. San Antonio leads the NBA series 36-35 and is 20-15 at home. The Pacers have lost their last five trips to San Antonio.

INJURIES

Pacers - G Jamaal Tinsley (sore L knee), F-C Jermaine O'Neal (bone bruise, L knee) and F Shawne Williams (inactive) are out.
Spurs - None reported.

Probable Starters:

Guard
Diener
Guard
Granger
Forward
Dunleavy
Forward
Foster
Center
Murphy

[duncan228]

Sports Network (I know, I'm bored.)

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/t...spx?id=4136361

Spurs try to extend streak vs. Pacers

(Sports Network) - The red-hot San Antonio Spurs attempt to extend their season-best winning streak to 11 games when they host the Indiana Pacers tonight at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio concludes a short two-game road trip on Thursday. Tim Duncan poured in 29 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as the Spurs easily disposed of the New Jersey Nets, 81-70, to stretch the win streak to 10 games and maintain their grasp on the top spot in the Western Conference.

Manu Ginobili managed just 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field, but did grab seven rebounds and collect four steals for the Spurs, who earned a sweep of the home-and-home set with the Nets, marking the 11th consecutive win for San Antonio in the series. The Spurs also defeated the Nets, 93-83, on Sunday at the Izod Center.

Tony Parker finished with 11 points, while Bruce Bowen chipped in 10 points in the win for the Spurs, who have captured 14 of their last 15 games overall.

The Spurs, who have won five in a row as the host, are 25-5 at home this season. They will visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday at the Pepsi Center and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at US Airways Center.

San Antonio is 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place New Orleans Hornets in the Southwest Division.

Indiana plays the middle contest of a three-game road trip tonight. On Wednesday, Tracy McGrady scored 25 points as the Houston Rockets set a franchise record with their 16th straight victory by blowing out the Pacers, 117-99, at the Toyota Center.

Troy Murphy had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for the Pacers, while Danny Granger also scored 17 in defeat. Flip Murray ended with 14 points, Mike Dunleavy netted 13 and Travis Diener scored 11 for Indiana, which has dropped four of its six contests overall.

The Pacers, who are 12-19 on the road this season, will visit LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena.

This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the squads. On February 5th, Duncan posted 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Spurs over Indiana, 116-89, at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Spurs have won four of the last five contests in the series. Indiana has lost five straight and eight of its last nine at San Antonio.

[1Parker1]

Dunleavy's been playing well.

Goodness, Jermaine O'neal is still out? I'm guessing he's out yet again for the rest of the season. Overrated player Alert.