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It would be extremely hard to beat the Cavs without Tim Duncan.
Friday: Cavaliers (44-12) at Spurs (38-17)
Express-News
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN, KENS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350
STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - CAVALIERS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 2 Mo Williams (6-1, 6th yr)
Past two games for Parker: 76 points, 32 of 59 from the field, 21 assists.
SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 13 Delonte West (6-3, 5th yr)
West playing well since return from fractured wrist, though it remains sore.
SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 23 LeBron James (6-8, 6th yr)
King James averaged 33 points in two games vs. Spurs last season.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 17 Anderson Varejao, (6-11, 5th yr)
Duncan's right knee will make him day-to-day for the foreseeable future.
C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas (7-3, 11th yr)
Bonner has scored in double figures in four out of past five games.
SPURS RESERVES
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G, 6-6, 1st yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
54 Pops Mensah-Bonsu, F, 6-10, 2nd yr
CAVALIERS RESERVES
1 Daniel Gibson, G, 6-2, 3rd yr
21 J.J. Hickson, F, 6-9, 1st yr
00 Darnell Jackson, F, 6-9, 1st yr
8 Tarence Kinsey, G, 6-6, 3rd yr
10 Wally Szczerbiak, G/F, 6-7, 10th yr
24 Trey Johnson, G/F, 6-5, 1st yr
55 Lorenzen Wright, F/C, 6-11, 13th yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Cavaliers: Mike Brown
INJURIES
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (right ankle surgery) and Manu Ginobili (stress reaction, right ankle) are out. Tim Duncan (tendonosis, right quad) is day-to-day.
Cavaliers: Ben Wallace (broken right leg), Sasha Pavlovic (high ankle sprain) and Eric Snow (sore left knee) are out.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Mahinmi, Ginobili, Jacque Vaughn
Cavaliers: Pavlovic, Snow, Wallace
NOTABLE
After dispatching Dallas and Portland, Spurs aim for sweep of three-game homestand, possibly without Duncan and Ginobili for all games. ... Spurs and Cavs have split two meetings since 2007 Finals, with both teams winning on the others' home floor. ... Spurs have held three consecutive opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, and four consecutive opponents to less than 85 points.
- Jeff McDonald
It would be extremely hard to beat the Cavs without Tim Duncan.
Yeah, it is going to be difficult, but I think the team can pull it off. They just have to set the tempo from the beginning like they have these past two games. I think so long as you make LeBron take difficult shots, you give yourself a chance, but if they let him get in the paint or on the break, it is going to be a long night.
LeBron doesn't show up against the league's top teams, but can go for 48 against the Grizzles or Knicks. We'll win this easily.
Eric Snow (sore left knee) are out???????
isn't that wrong lmfao
Cleveland (44-12) at San Antonio (39-17) Preview
Game info: 9:30 pm EST Fri Feb 27, 2009
TV: ESPN, KENS
By Dan Pieringer
Point guard Tony Parker has done a remarkable job keeping the San Antonio Spurs’ home winning streak alive with the team’s other stars sidelined by injuries.
Extending that run will likely be more challenging with the Cleveland Cavaliers coming to town.
The Spurs hope to have Tim Duncan back in the lineup as they go for their seventh straight win at home - and fifth in a row overall - on Friday night in their first meeting with the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.
Duncan has missed San Antonio’s last two games because of right quad tendonosis, and he’s day-to-day. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Wednesday the team would have to wait and see if Duncan’s healthy enough to play against the Cavaliers.
“(Tuesday) night he had no strength in his leg,” Popovich said. “It’s not quite as bad today.”
The Spurs (39-17) were already without Manu Ginobili, who hasn’t played since the All-Star break because of a stress reaction in his right ankle and is expected to miss at least one more week.
Without two-thirds of the trio that has led the Spurs to three NBA les in six years, Parker has been San Antonio’s top offensive option. He had 37 points and 12 assists in a 93-76 win over Dallas on Tuesday, then scored 39 with nine assists in a 99-84 victory over Portland the following night.
“Tony Parker was a super stud again, and generated the offense again,” Popovich said. “His leadership on the floor was exceptional.”
In the two games without Duncan, Parker has shot 54.2 percent (32-for-59) from the field while totaling 72 minutes.
“I prepared myself today,” Parker said Wednesday. “I drank a lot of water. … I knew (Duncan) was not going to play, so I prepared myself to play 40 minutes.”
While Parker has managed to carry the Spurs lately, keeping the home winning streak alive will probably be more challenging against the Cavaliers, one of the NBA’s best road teams at 18-11.
However, Cleveland (44-12) delivered a flat offensive performance in a 93-74 loss at Houston on Thursday in the opener of a four-game trip. The Cavaliers recorded season lows in points, field-goal percentage (33.8) and assists (10).
LeBron James, perhaps the league’s leading MVP candidate, was held without an assist for the first time in 493 career games, including the postseason.
“I’m not happy with that at all,” said James, who had 21 points and went 7-for-21 from the field. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have an assist, but as a team, we didn’t move the ball at all. We’ll just move on to the next game.”
Cleveland has done a very good job of that so far. It’s 9-2 in the second half of back-to-backs and 10-1 in games following a loss.
While Duncan’s status is uncertain, the Cavaliers know they’ll be without their top interior defender for a while. Ben Wallace broke his right leg Thursday and will be sidelined four to six weeks.
“It’s a tough blow for us,” said coach Mike Brown, whose team passed up chances to acquire a big man before the trade deadline. “We just have to have somebody step up and play some quality minutes for us.”
The Cavaliers and Spurs split two games last season, their first meetings since San Antonio swept Cleveland in the 2007 finals.
James had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 90-88 win in San Antonio on Jan. 17, 2008. He had 39 in the clubs’ next game, but was outdone by Ginobili’s 46 in the Spurs’ 112-105 road victory Feb. 13.
James is averaging 31.4 points and shooting 51.2 percent in five career wins over the Spurs. He’s been held to 23.1 points and 40.9 percent shooting in nine losses, including the playoffs.
Notes
Cavs:
F LeBron James went through the first game of his NBA career without an assist. James also had only one rebound and was 7-of-21 from the floor en route to 21 points. ... F Ben Wallace is lost for an indefinite period after breaking his right fibula. Wallace suffered the injury in the second quarter and actually played into the third before heading to the locker room. Cleveland went through quarters of 10 and 11 points en route to its lowest-scoring game of the season. The Cavaliers had their worst shooting game, hitting 27-of-80 (34 percent). ... Cleveland had only 10 assists.
Spurs:
G Tony Parker has scored 76 points and shot 32-of-59 from the field in the last two nights. The Spurs used Parker's play to post a win over the rival Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before dismantling the Portland Trail Blazers, another conference foe, on Wednesday. ... F Tim Duncan is listed as day-to-day with right quadriceps tendinitis. He missed the last two games.
Injuries
Cleveland
Player Injury
S. Pavlovic Ankle
E. Snow Knee
B. Wallace Leg
D. West Wrist
L. Wright Flu
San Antonio
Player Injury
T. Duncan Knee
M. Ginobili Ankle
I. Mahinmi Ankle
Team Stat Leaders
Points
LeBron James Cle 28.5
Tony Parker SA 20.7
Rebounds
LeBron James Cle 7.3
Tim Duncan SA 10.7
Assists
LeBron James Cle 7.2
Tony Parker SA 6.7
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Cleveland 44-12 1st Central / 1st East 100.3 90.6 Road 18-11 Lost 1 7-3
San Antonio 39-17 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.6 93.5 Home 20-7 Won 4 7-3
Last edited by duncan228; 02-27-2009 at 03:03 AM.
Ben Wallace is out and the Cavs are on a back to back.
If the Spurs bring the same defensive intensity they showed in the last 2 games, they should win ! Even without Tim.
Let's hope that happens, and I would prefer us to have Tim as long as we don't put him in any danger.Ben Wallace is out and the Cavs are on a back to back.
If the Spurs bring the same defensive intensity they showed in the last 2 games, they should win ! Even without Tim.
so wrong.
i'm more concerned with varejao and his hustle. hope spurs' bigs could match him.
We got Hairston!!!!
Fab will cancel out his flopping/hustle skills and then some. But who will cover Big Z, Matt or KT?
I hope Mason has a good game.. he seems to be in a little slump.
swarm defense will get us the win
ghill will lebron, actually i like to see ghill swat one of his shots into the stands
not to bring that to his house again....
LeBron had a poor game vs the Rockets. He'll be motivated vs San Antonio. Too bad Pops is too raw because I think with enough experience, he has the size and athleticism to bother James. So I guess its going to be Bowen, Udoka and even Finley trying to guard LBJ.. I'm looking forward to any new defensive schemes from Pop.
this game is also on ESPN international.
The Spurs are going to take another on cavs.
agreed, beating cavs doesn't deserve more boast than beating bobcats or twolves.
If the Spurs play D like the last two games, we should win even without TD. I can't believe I just said that! But I'm not sure Parker can have another tremendous night. Mason has got to step it up-he's kind of in a slump. Either Parker has another great night or Mason has to light it up.
I wish we were playing the Mavs so we can have another easy win!
it'll be compe ive but I think Cavs win this. Sit Tim down
another win without TD 2nite... Hill explodes for 20+...
hope u guys are right though
Cant wait for this one it'll be good.
Referee Assignments
Fri. Feb. 27
Cleveland @ San Antonio: S. Foster, K. Fehr, P. Robinson
Lebron will come out with the flaming eyes of Serpentor and have a big game.
I still think we will win. I expect Mason to have a big game. Fine dog!!!! Keep em coming.
Season high in three pointers tonight!!!!
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