With the satisfying win over the Boston Celtics in the rearview mirror, San Antonio Spurs continued the Rodeo Road Trip with a contest in New Jersey against the Nets. Although the game was close at halftime, the Spurs blew it open in the middle of the third quarter on their way to a 108-93 victory.
The difference in this game was plain to see. After the Nets scored 51 points in the first half and then came out in the second half connecting on their first three shots from the field, Pop pointed to Bruce Bowen. Entering the game for the first time, Bowen put the clamps on Vince Carter and the Nets didn’t have enough weapons to compensate. Within a few minutes, the Spurs had a double-digit lead and never looked back.
As for the Nets, they have quietly built a good foundation. Devin Harris has a chance to be a perennial All-Star, Brook Lopez looks like a legit bigman and Carter can still light up just about anyone in the league. If they sell high on Carter and land a few young pieces, they could jump right back into contention in the Eastern Conference.
With one more game until the All-Star break, the Spurs have to be happy with where they stand. They didn’t have a letdown against the Nets and instead took care of business in a professional manner. At 35-15, the Spurs have come a long way from their 1-4 start to the season.
Tim Duncan
34 minutes, 27 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, four blocks
11-for-17 from the field, 5-for-6 from the line
If you need a reminder that Tim Duncan is one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball, watch this game. Duncan was marvelous in virtually every aspect of the game. His jumper was on, his post moves were deadly and his decision-making was flawless. Right now, Duncan might be passing it better than at any point in his career. Whether it’s hitting a flashing cutter in the lane or firing a crosscourt bullet to an open three-point shooter, Duncan is doing it all. Although his defense wasn’t as faultless as his offensive play, he got progressively better on that end. All in all, it was simply a great performance by a first ballot Hall of Famer.
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Manu Ginobili
27 minutes, nine points, six assists, six rebounds, three turnovers
3-for-6 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-3 at the line
Manu Ginobili had an interesting night. Matched up with Carter for a lengthy stretch in the first half, Ginobili seemed to use most of his energy on the defensive end. Though his results on defense were mostly lacking, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort. In the last few weeks, Ginobili has had some struggles in his one-on-one defense if he loses body contact with his opponent. That was again a problem against Carter. Offensively, Ginobili had a shockingly quiet game against the Nets. After shooting five shots in his first seven minutes on the court, Ginobili shot just once more in his next 20 minutes of action. Despite the lack of shots and the fact that he accounted for half of the team’s six turnovers, the Argentine guard was still helpful on offense – mostly due to his six assists and his overall patience.
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Tony Parker
35 minutes, 20 points, four assists, four rebounds
7-for-14 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line
Considering he was going up against his nemesis, Tony Parker had a solid outing. Scoring 20 points on 14 shots is a good ratio and he also had his second consecutive game with only one turnover. Notable is the fact that Parker had far and away the best plus/minus on the team at +24. Defensively, the Frenchman was decent, although it was nothing the Parisian press should be alerted about. In the last few games, Parker has been especially effective when running pick-and-rolls with Matt Bonner. That is a look we could see more and more of as the season goes along.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
29 minutes, 14 points, four rebounds
5-for-12 from the field, 3-for-6 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. was a game-time decision due to a bruised right shoulder. Although a bruise usually isn’t cause for much concern, it shouldn’t be forgotten that an injury to the same shoulder derailed Mason’s rookie season and forced him to miss more than half the season. Obviously, Mason ended up being healthy enough to give it a go against New Jersey. His shooting shoulder was working well enough, especially from beyond the arc. Defensively, Mason had trouble against Carter and his help defense was slow a few times.
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Michael Finley
25 minutes, three points, two rebounds, two assists
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Suffering from back spasms, Michael Finley laid in a Steve Nash-like pose when he was out of the game. When he was in the game, he didn’t do much of anything. He missed four of the five shots he attempted from the field and didn’t make much of an impact on the defensive end. The All-Star break can’t come fast enough for Finley, who has looked slower than usual in his last few outings.
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Matt Bonner
26 minutes, 22 points, five rebounds
8-for-10 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Matt Bonner is making a routine out of shooting the lights out. After his shooting display against the Nets, Bonner for the season is now shooting 53.5% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point line. Like his performance against the Celtics, Bonner hit shots in a variety of different situations. His ability to put the ball on the ground and create a shot for himself has improved immensely since the start of the season. Defensively, Bonner played well and he also helped on that end by pulling down a number of contested rebounds.
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Bruce Bowen
19 minutes, two points
1-for-1 from the field
Bruce Bowen’s defense against Carter in this game was some of the best defense we’ve seen from a Spur this season. In the nine and half minutes before Bowen stepped on the court, Carter scored 19 points. In Carter’s final 17 and a half minutes of action, all with Bowen defending him, he only managed four more points. Though some of the credit should go to the team defense also improving against Carter in the second half, Bowen definitely deserves most of the acclaim. On the other end, Bowen hit another one of his newly patented left-handed scooping runners.
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Kurt Thomas
16 minutes, six points, three rebounds
3-for-5 from the field
Although he wasn’t a great match for any of the bigs on New Jersey, Kurt Thomas had a solid ballgame. On defense, he was active and doing a good job of closing off the lane. Offensively, Thomas is really finding his rhythm. His perimeter jumper is smooth and he’s not bashful about looking at the rim. Since Jan. 1, Thomas is shooting 52% from the floor. Prior to that point, his field goal percentage was just 42.5%.
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George Hill
13 minutes, two rebounds, two assists
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Coming off of his very good showing against the Celtics, George Hill was much quieter against the Nets. He was aggressive on defense, though his results were inconsistent. On offense, he played with good pace but missed both of his jumpers. Hill has been especially frigid on three-pointers as of late. He has missed his last seven shots from deep, with his last three-pointer coming against the Lakers on Jan. 14.
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Malik Hairston
11 minute, four points, three rebounds, one assist
2-for-6 from the field
Malik Hairston was a surprise addition to the rotation. Playing nine minutes in the first half, Hairston continues to show an interesting skillset. He looks like he can be a very good rebounder and since getting in better shape, Hairston’s overall athleticism is improving. Defensively, the rookie out of Oregon had a few promising moments. He’s an aggressive defender who isn’t afraid to throw around his body and challenge shots. It’ll be interesting to see if Pop continues to give Hairston minutes in upcoming games or if he’ll be headed back to Austin after the Rodeo Road Trip.
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Gregg Popovich
Pop didn’t do much coaching in the first half. The only interesting thing he did was play Hairston. The defensive gameplan appeared to be bland and there wasn’t much being done to slow down Carter or Harris. In the second half, the gameplan was more serious and the Spurs responded well on the court. I’m not sure what Pop was doing with keeping Bowen on the bench when Carter was going off. Wearing down Ginobili by putting him on Carter didn’t make much sense, especially with the alternative sitting on the bench.
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Offense
The offense was extremely impressive on the night and the consistency was amazing. In the first and third quarters, the Spurs scored 28 points. In the second and fourth quarters, the Spurs scored 26 points. Overall, San Antonio shot 52.6% from the field, nailed 8-of-18 three-pointers, connected on 18-of-20 free throws and handed out 27 assists compared to only six turnovers. Not counting the Nuggets exhibition, the Spurs have scored at least 105 points in six consecutive games.
Defense
In the first half, the defense left a lot to be desired. The final two quarters were much better. For the night, the Nets shot 48.8% from the field, finished with 20 assists and only turned the ball over seven times. The Spurs excelled at defending the three-point line (4-for-14), keeping the Nets off the charity stripe (7-for-9) and rebounding the ball (42-36).
Drive to Five
The Spurs take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break. The Raptors are missing Chris Bosh so this is a game that the Spurs need to win. Keeping the momentum into the break is important.
Believe.
My thoughts....make a trade for Vinsanity without losing Bonner and Hill(and obviously the Big 3) and I will be cool with it all. Carter can still play the out of basketball and to pass up a talent like that is absurd. Once again, its doubtful we'll land him. What would we be without wishful thinking?
Great read timvp.
Let's hope after this back spasms warning Pop plays Finley less minutes so he can be fresh for the playoffs.
2009 Duncan reminds me more and more of 2003 Duncan
this was definitely a great game for the spurs because it was a win in the spurs style.
an incredible Duncan. he seems to have a "only" solid night and when you look the stats, he has great numbers. this man is a gift for this team.
tony was very solid and scored when it counted in the 4th to prevent a nets comeback.
manu, even if his numbers aren't impressive, was very good tonight. Manu when he plays like that, and even without being the super manu he can sometimes be, is very valuable for this team.
Bruce at his best on D.
if you add to the big 4 doing his thing the great game of Bonner and others role players being decent, i think that's the best kind of win we can have even if not the most entertaining to watch.
anyway, great read Timvp. i realize that i'm waiting your thoughts as much if not more than any other game recap on the web, even if i don't always agree. thanks.
More like 2005.2009 Duncan reminds me more and more of 2003 Duncan
Go back and watch 2003 again. He used alot more spin moves and what not. Now hes pretty straight forward and doesn't vary his moves hardly at all anymore.
Duncan in 2003 had one of the best individual seasons of all-time..he was easily the best player in the NBA..so I agree with EricB there..he carried a team full of complimentary players/role players in those few years, since Parker/Manu weren't big at the time..
Trade Bonner now that his value has peak
Great game, great recap. Now and then a game is just fun. Duncan was incredible, which is always good for me, but the team just seemed on and energized, and that's fun to watch.
Yeah, but if he is 100% healthy come playoff time, he'll destroy his opponents
You didn't mention him but I really liked Obeto's bit part against the Nets. In very limited time on the court it seemed like every decision he made was the smart one.
The opponent FG% over the past several games and on the season really is driving me crazy! I don't know if we aren't contesting well or what, but our opponents are shooting too high of a % this season IMO.
When will we get another of these????????????????????
Same here I miss the timvp game thoughts
timvp Game Thoughts>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>McDonald game report
timvp's game thoughts are better than anything I find local or national. I look forward to them too, but I imagine with all the time and effort the Forum Upgrades are taking he's been busier than he usually is. He can't put out such great recaps without having the time to do so. I assume they'll be back as things settle here.
True, I'd make a poll as to how much people miss them if I knew how. If there isn't a new game thoughts thread up before midnight, I'll learn.
Come on timvp, are we not?
Pop benched timvp !
Definitely need to be fresh for the playoffs
Kori's crackin the whip. No more Game Thoughts or Mini Golf 3 until the Forum is fixed.
Timvp should fix the forum during the offseason
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