After the exhausting double-overtime affair against the Dallas Mavericks, would the San Antonio Spurs have much left in the tank the next night against the Atlanta Hawks? As it turned out, the tank was running dry. Thankfully, the Spurs had just enough to squeeze out a 95-89 victory.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Manu Ginobili scored 14 points in the final eight minutes to help the Spurs to the win. His biggest bucket of the game came with 32 seconds left in the contest when he made a vintage Ginobili layup to extend the lead to four points. Coming off of a Tim Duncan pick, Ginobili put a spin move on Al Horford and then converted at the rim.
As for the Hawks, I was impressed by their effort. Like the Spurs, they were playing a back-to-back and it was noticeable. However, whenever the Spurs the made a run to seemingly put the game away, Atlanta fought their way back into the contest. Joe Johnson and Flip Murray specifically played very well.
The Spurs have to be happy with the win. Even though it was ugly, the team could have easily suc bed to the late runs by the Hawks and blamed their tired legs. Instead, San Antonio gutted out a victory to extend their winning streak to four games and improve to 13-8 on the season.
Tim Duncan
35 minutes, 19 points, 11 rebounds
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-8 at the line
Considering that Tim Duncan played 50 minutes the previous night, his effort against the Hawks was extremely impressive. He didn’t dominate the action but he made a number of key plays and while everyone else on the court looked tired at times, Duncan consistently hammered away at the rock. Offensively, he played pretty well but on defense was where he really shined. Duncan played very good post defense and his rotations were timely. He ended up playing 85 minutes on back-to-back nights and did so with a strong finish to the Hawks game to help the Spurs go 2-for-2.
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Manu Ginobili
28 minutes, 27 points, five rebounds, three assists, four turnovers
8-for-12 from the field, 5-for-7 on three-pointers, 6-for-6 at the line
Manu Ginobili’s burst at the end of the game was the main reason why the Spurs were able chalk up the W. While it was far from a perfect game for Ginobili, it was good to see him reclaim his shooting stroke. In the previous five games, he was shooting 32.3% from downtown on more than six attempts per game. Against the Hawks, Ginobili struggled a bit with turnovers and his defense was non-existent for stretches but his repeated big plays at the end of the game made up for any miscues. Coming off the bench for the first time in about two weeks, he ended up scoring 27 points in 28 minutes to prove once again that he’s the best in the league at seamlessly switching between starting and reserve roles.
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Tony Parker
26 minutes, six points, three assists, three turnovers
3-for-13 from the field
The last time Tony Parker played in a double-overtime contest, he ended up spraining his ankle in the next game and missing three weeks of action. This time, Parker rebounded from the second double-overtime game of the season by having his worst game of the season – by far. Not only did he look like he was moving in quicksand, his decision making was poor. Of his ten missed field goals, six of them were blocked. On defense, he was a step slow all night. Hopefully this ends up being as bad as Parker plays all season.
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Michael Finley
32 minutes, 15 points, two blocks
6-for-11 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Outside of Ginobili and Duncan, Michael Finley came up the biggest in the fourth quarter. In a span of about three minutes in the final stanza, Finley had three consecutive field goals and then handed out an assist. Those eight points kept the Spurs afloat before he handed off the baton to Ginobili's heroics. Defensively, Finley did a fine job when matched up with Marvin Williams – holding the young Hawk to 1-of-6 shooting from the field. On the season, if you ignore the 1-for-22 slump he went through earlier in the season, Finley has a very respectable shooting percentage of 48.6%.
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Matt Bonner
27 minutes, nine points, 13 rebounds, two assists
4-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Another night, another good game for Matt Bonner. Against the Hawks, Bonner again shot the ball well. However, it was his rebounding that really stood out. Bonner ended up with a season-high 13 rebounds in only 27 minutes of action. Seven of his rebounds were of the offensive variety. In addition to his rebounding, he once again played very good defense. Even though Josh Smith might have a slight athletic advantage, Bonner was able to stay in front of him and force him into tough shots. On the season, Bonner surprisingly enough has the best defensive stats on the team. For every 100 possessions he’s on the court, the opposition only scores 84.3 points. That’s far and away the best on the team – second best is Bruce Bowen at 89.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
26 minutes, ten points, six rebounds
4-for-9 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. was back in the starting lineup and he had a quiet yet decent performance. He shot the ball well enough, did a good job on the glass and his defense was better than usual. Overall, Mason hasn’t been nearly as explosive in recent games. He hasn’t scored more than 12 points in any of the last six games. While a dip in minutes is part of the reason, the main problem is that he’s simply not getting the looks. With the way he has shot the ball this season, the rest of the team should definitely start looking his way more often.
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Bruce Bowen
24 minutes, two rebounds
0-for-1 from the field
Against Dallas, Bruce Bowen had pedestrian stats but he also had a big impact on the game. On this night, Bowen had pedestrian stats and a pedestrian impact. On offense, he missed his only shot attempt in his 24 minutes of play. On the other end, he gave good effort but was unable to be a difference maker. Coming off the bench, Bowen is going to have to be more of a fire extinguisher rather than his customary role as a stopper. Against the Hawks, he was unable to slow down Johnson much at all once he got rolling.
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George Hill
22 minutes, seven points, five assists, three rebounds
2-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
With Parker struggling, George Hill was called upon to play a larger role. Although he was unspectacular, he had a solid performance. His passing was impressive and it seems like his court vision is improving as he adjusts to the point guard position. Defensively, he was active and he attacked the boards once again. Hill’s primary negative issues on the night were his stretches of passive play, although he’s getting better and better in that area. It was good to see him play the final seven and a half minutes of a close game and help the team come away with a victory.
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Fabricio Oberto
13 minutes, six rebounds
0-for-3 from the field
Although Fabricio Oberto had problems on the offensive end, his great showing on the boards more than made for his shortcomings. Oberto has now had four consecutive good rebounding games after starting the season with an anemic rebounding rate. As long as Oberto is rebounding the ball, he’s good enough in other areas to be a player in the rotation. Along with his rebounding, Oberto also blocked his second shot of the season.
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Kurt Thomas
Six minutes, two points
1-for-2 from the field
Considering that the Hawks have a small team that thrives on athleticism, it’s not a surprise that Kurt Thomas only played six minutes. In his time on the court, he didn’t make much of a mark. Going forward, it appears as if Thomas is locked into the role as the team’s fourth bigman. The only games he’ll likely get extended minutes are the ones in which the Spurs face a behemoth center.
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Ime Udoka
One minute
For the second straight game, Ime Udoka saw one minute of playing time. After securing a rebound and then throwing the ball away, he was quickly pulled from the game and never seen again.
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Gregg Popovich
Pop did a good job of putting his tired team in a position to win the game. Going with Hill over Parker was absolutely the right move. In fact, more of Hill and less of Parker probably would have been ever better. Pop going with Finley in the fourth quarter paid immediate dividends. I also liked the continuous plays for Ginobili that Pop called. The two questions I had on the night were regarding Bonner and Mason. First of all, what more does Bonner have to do to earn more minutes? Bonner sitting and watching the final ten minutes of the game was surprising. Secondly, why is he limiting Mason’s minutes? This was the fourth straight game with less than 30 minutes. More of Mason and less of Finley is probably good for each player and the team as a whole – both in the short term and the long term.
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Offense
Though the offense definitely struggled at times, the end result was a decent enough showing. On the game, the Spurs shot 44.3% from the field and connected on half of their 20 three-point attempts. Their 18 assists were a bit low as were their 22 free throw attempts, especially since eight of those attempts were a result of either intentional fouls or technicals. The worst stat was the team’s season-high 17 turnovers. Luckily, the Spurs saved their best quarter for last, scoring 33 points in the fourth.
Defense
Usually when you go to grade a defensive performance by the Spurs, the number you look at is the opponent’s field goal percentage. However, on this night, it was the rebounding that really stood out. The Spurs had a monstrous 52-27 advantage on the boards. That advantage helped overcome the 46.8% the Hawks shot from the floor and the fact that the transition defense was poor for much of the game, which allowed Atlanta to outscore the Spurs 25-6 on fast break points. The Spurs also deserve acknowledgment for holding the Hawks to only 14 free throw attempts and limiting the Hawks to 6-for-19 from beyond the arc. Coming into the game, the Hawks were third in the NBA in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
Drive to Five
After patting themselves on the back for sweeping a difficult back-to-back set, the Spurs head to Minnesota for a game against Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves on Friday night. Although the T’Wolves are riding a seven-game losing streak, they’ve played much better since the coaching change. Hopefully the Spurs come out with the appropriate fear and take care of business.
Believe.
I'm impressed with Finley's performance this season. His off-season regimen is paying off and in particular his defense has been a notch above what we normally expect of him. As long as he continues playing at this level, he'll continue to get the minutes.
Interesting.
Can we safely say, now, that bonner streak of good games is not a fluke ?
He could be a key against L.A if we have to play them in important games, prying bynum away from the basket
What do you think is the rationale bout pop kind of limiting his minutes, while he seems to have almost boundless energy ?
I am somewhat surprised at the level finley's playing at, i thought udoka would have got the job, i just hope finley's age don't begin to show late in te season or in the post-season, kind of steve smith when he played decently in regular season and suddenly couldn't hit in may..But i don't want to jinx him ^^
I was posting the exact same question ! Is Bonner for real ?
Another night, another good game for Matt Bonner
the aspect of his game which astonishe me the most is his defense, he can stay in front of his man on the perimeter, but also, when opposed to rude big men a la Nene, hold his own ( I didn't get to watch the mavs game, but, i would have thought he would have been able to do a semi-decent job on dirk, i mean sort of like dampier or diop against Timmy)
Then, his teammates don't seem particularly suprised, i mean, on the court, they act sometimes as if bonner could do still better
I guess they have to be that way but still...in practice, bonner may have done very well for a good amount of time also
I also begin to think he could handle the pressure well, he seems to really have integrated the 'no-conscious' part when it come to shooting
Last edited by silk; 12-12-2008 at 07:43 AM.
Nice read, thanks.
What I do like lately about Spurs is that bigmen start to play better. It's obvious for Bonner but it's also true for Oberto and Thomas even if they don't get that much playing time due to matchups.
A statical evidence of that is the rebounding number. At the start of the season Spurs bigmen outside of Duncan were awful at rebounding the ball and they are doing a great job lately.
In December (5 games played) , Bonner+Oberto+Thomas have grabbed 70 rebounds in 234min. It makes 14rpg in 46.8mpg.
Matt Bonner
27 minutes, nine points, 13 rebounds, two assists
4-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Another night, another good game for Matt Bonner. Against the Hawks, Bonner again shot the ball well. However, it was his rebounding that really stood out. Bonner ended up with a season-high 13 rebounds in only 27 minutes of action. Seven of his rebounds were of the offensive variety. In addition to his rebounding, he once again played very good defense. Even though Josh Smith might have a slight athletic advantage, Bonner was able to stay in front of him and force him into tough shots. On the season, Bonner surprisingly enough has the best defensive stats on the team. For every 100 possessions he’s on the court, the opposition only scores 84.3 points. That’s far and away the best on the team – second best is Bruce Bowen at 89.
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thanks timvp! i agree probably Tony should have been given the night off a little earlier
I don't think quite yet. I'm interested in seeing what happens the next time he has a bad game. Will he bounce back and keep playing like the consciousless version of Bonner or will he go back to the version of Bonner that was so scared to make a mistake that he'd freeze up? More importantly, will Pop lose confidence in him the next time Bonner has a bad game? The sample size is still a bit too small to say that Bonner is for real. We'll have a better idea after 15 to 20 more games.
That said, we never really know a player's value until we see what they do in the playoffs. If Bonner goes Hedo in the playoffs, this good run will be long forgotten.
Can we safely say that Udoka might be part of a trade or trade rumor coming up in the near future?
Tim - do you think that we need to go exclusive Hill/Mason & Parker/Gino? Only reason I say that is because it seems like Tony & Manu are really only creating for themselves or Duncan - it then appears up to Duncan to involve Mason or Bonner. It's getting frustrating with some of the stupid shots Manu and Tony are taking when Mason and Bonner are on fire ...
Spurs played well in this game. Atlanta is actually a pretty good team. Just not enough experience to get over the hump with all their young players.
I agree that if Bonner goes Hedo in the playoffs then probably much will be forgotten of his good play so far.
However, I had thought Hedo didn't start to play well until mid January, where as Bonner has been playing well already for a while now into the season, and the expectations are probably lower for Bonner.
Also, if Bonner continues to play good position defense and rebound, a poor shooting might not be as big of a disaster as it was for Hedo. However, like you hinted at, will Bonner be able to maintain his composure if not all of his game is clicking at the same time?
I'll take any win in the second half of a back-to-back vs. 2 teams with winning records.
Plus, I think the fact that that officials took the night off (not biased - they just didn't make any calls period) made the game look uglier than it needed to.
This is the whole reason Pop needs to start him still. Bowen is good at never letting an opposing scorer get into rhythm through ball denial and his usual hound defense.Bruce Bowen
24 minutes, two rebounds
0-for-1 from the field
Against Dallas, Bruce Bowen had pedestrian stats but he also had a big impact on the game. On this night, Bowen had pedestrian stats and a pedestrian impact. On offense, he missed his only shot attempt in his 24 minutes of play. On the other end, he gave good effort but was unable to be a difference maker. Coming off the bench, Bowen is going to have to be more of a fire extinguisher rather than his customary role as a stopper. Against the Hawks, he was unable to slow down Johnson much at all once he got rolling.
When they're already in a rhythm, the damage has been done, and even a guy like Bowen might have trouble icing em down.
As a minor style note:
Conscious - what you lose when someone hits on the head with a baseball bat, or what TiMVP loses when he goes binge drinking with Sequ...
Conscience - What a ruthless assassin who shoots on sight of the net has none of...
I suspect you mean the second one when you write "consciousless version of Bonner" - either that or you've got some inside knowledge about this streak of good Bonner games....
if he is not going to choke Pop definitively needs to give him more 4th quarter minutes in close games for him to get used to it...
Very impressive game for Tim with all those minutes logged the night before..
Tony Parker's trend since his return is extremely disconcerting. He's not the same player he was before his injury. Parker has exhibited similar traits earlier in his career. I think he's not the mentally toughest player around. Luckily playoffs are far ahead of us.
I got the impression from the video post game interview that Pop still doesn't like (or trust) Matt Bonner very much.
When asked about Bonner's great performance and rebounds, his body language was not very just encouraging - he just said something about Bonner making the most of his minutes... and then that was it. No encouraging words for him on how he's been working hard, how Pop's glad that he's shot himself out of the funk... nothing.
Compare that with what Pop says about Finley, Hill, or even Beno - Pop once said Beno was the best passer on the team when Beno was pretty much a bench rider!
??
Can you explain ? I don't get your point ?
I hope that's not the case and it's more like Pop is not trying to make Bonner conscious of the good run he is having.
But for the most part I think it's difficult to try and psychoanalyze Pop's ticks and shrugs. I don't think even Kyra Sedgewick could find out what's really going on inside his head.
I agree. Ive been saying that i still dont think Pop is fully trustworthy in Bonner for a set starting lineup. I dont trust him fully either. I think the lineup will eventually go back with Oberto starting. Thats his spot in the playoffs cause he can work the best with the Big 3.
But dont count Bonner out! I can see him playing a HUGE role if he continues to play well. Coming off the bench, if he continues to hustle for rebounds and knock down shots be one of our biggest assets. I just dont see him as a lock for starting position.
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