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And it was nice to see it. I hope it's here to stay.
Thanks for the initial reaction. I found myself looking forward to it tonight, I hope it's here to stay too. It's nice to read them with the game fresh.
Following the potentially demoralizing loss against the Lakers, the Spurs headed to Houston to face the Rockets. In typical fashion, the Spurs and Rockets battled in a low scoring affair featuring plenty of defense and physicality. When the smoke cleared, San Antonio had escaped with an 88-85 victory.
Although it was far from pretty basketball, the Spurs made the big plays when they were needed and found a way to win. Considering how well Houston has played at home and how well they have played without Tracy McGrady, this victory was actually one of the sweeter wins of the year.
As far as the Rockets are concerned, they are playing better defense and exhibit improved team basketball without McGrady. Trading away Rafer Alston hurts them a bit in their matchup against the Spurs, but there's no question that a Rockets team with a healthy Yao Ming is going to be a tough opponent for anyone in the postseason.
Overall, the Spurs have to be very happy with the win. They didn't get any fantastic individual performances but the Spurs played the type of rugged basketball that has been the staple of this franchise for the last dozen years.
-Tim Duncan struggled with his shot early on and didn't play too well on either end in the opening half, however he came on strong in the final two quarters and ended up playing a good game. Compared to how he looked against the Lakers, I thought his mobility was much better and he was able to hold his ground on contact. He's obviously still hampered by injury but at least this outing seemed to be a step in the right direction. Down the stretch of the game, he made a few key shots, delivered timely passes and his post defense against Yao was excellent.
-Tony Parker didn't get anything easy against the Rockets but withstood the challenge and keyed the victory late in the fourth. If he wasn't scoring the ball late, he was applying good defensive pressure on the other end. To begin the ballgame, I thought Parker's defense was lazy in terms of closing out on shooters but his intensity got better in that area as the contest progressed. All in all, it was another All-Star level performance from Parker.
-Michael Finley continued his very good play as he scored 17 points on five three-pointers against Houston. He was hitting threes from all over the court including a heave from halfcourt at the third quarter buzzer. Defensively, Finley was active - both on the ball and in help defense. He also helped on the boards and ran the court extremely well. In terms of his athleticism, he has turned back the clock in his last two outings.
-Roger Mason, Jr. had an extremely quiet game. He only got three shots in 30 minutes and only handed out one assist. The Rockets did a good job of not giving him any open looks and made life difficult for him when he was running the point. On the defensive end, Mason didn't play too well. He reached a lot and lost contact with his man on numerous occasions.
-I've been complaining about Matt Bonner's rebounding, so first I have to tip my cap to his ten boards in 29 minutes of work. He did a very good job of battling on the glass and continued to give effort even when he appeared to be boxed out. Offensively, he hasn't been the same since the news broke that Drew Gooden was coming on board. He hit only one of his six attempts and none of his shots looked very confident.
-Ime Udoka led the Spurs in bench minutes and he did commendable work against Ron Artest. Udoka is the one perimeter player on the Spurs who Artest can't bully. Although his stat line doesn't appear to be overly impressive, Udoka definitely gave the Spurs quality minutes. For the first time this season, it appears as if he has settled in and has figured out how he can help the team.
-Kurt Thomas is another player who had a minimal statistical impact despite his very good play. He was extremely physical in the low block and his defense in the paint was vital, especially considering how tough the Rockets were playing. On the whole, Thomas just keeps giving the Spurs good minutes on a nightly basis.
-Showing exactly why the Spurs went after him, Drew Gooden was impressive in his 15 minutes of action. The 13 points he scored helped keep the offense flowing when the bench unit was in the game. His repertoire on the offensive end was impressive, scoring with a variety of hooks, up-and-unders and drives into the lane. I was also pleasantly surprised by his passing and his overall understanding of what the Spurs were trying to do offensively. His defense still needs work but he was mentally engaged the entire time, which hasn't been the case with Gooden over the years. The best case scenario in which Gooden comes to San Antonio and plays serious and dedicated basketball appears to have a chance of becoming reality.
-George Hill once again supplied big plays from the shooting guard position. His defense was very good and he wasn't a liability on the offensive end. The aggression and fearlessness he's playing with right now is much needed with Manu Ginobili not being able to suit up. Following his demotion, Hill has responded about as well as possible.
-An interesting note is that Bruce Bowen played only the last four seconds of the game. He was one Houston timeout away from recording his first DNP-CD in his Spurs career.
-I though Pop coached a very good game. I especially liked how he utilized Gooden. Pop milked Gooden during his minutes on the court by calling numerous plays for him. As a result, Gooden was able to help buy enough time for Duncan and Parker to rest. I don't think Gooden is a player you want to have deciding the ultimate outcome late in the contest but during the meat of the game, he could be a valuable asset if Pop continues to use him correctly. Pop's rotations, which have been erratic as of late, actually made sense against the Rockets.
Good win. Important in the standings. Perhaps even more important in terms of getting the Lakers loss in the past. On to Oklahoma City on Monday.
Believe.
And it was nice to see it. I hope it's here to stay.
Thanks for the initial reaction. I found myself looking forward to it tonight, I hope it's here to stay too. It's nice to read them with the game fresh.
Nice to the GT right after ! thanks a lot. Didn't see the game so I am not going to comment the game. Just a question : do you consider like me that the 4 reb for Good in 15 min is a litle bit deceptive ?
Nice recap.
Loved the way Tim fought through a tough first half and played a much better second. Also liked the way he and Pop worked out that he wasn't overly effective in the post, and had him play a lot more high-post in the 3rd and 4th quarters, which resulted in 2 jumpers and a few nice backdoor plays from Parker (at least one directly from Duncan, off the top of my head). The fact that I was calling for more TD in the high post in the game thread from the first quarter on made it even sweeter!
Loved Gooden's contribution, Parker's clutch play in the 4th (I think he chatted to Chip, because his jumpshot form changed mid-game, especially the wrist snap), KT's utter reliability, and Finley's hot streak.
Spursball is in effect, which is a good sign half way through March.
What do you mean by "little bit deceptive"?
Four in 15 minutes is a solid rate. A couple of them were difficult rebounds and he seems to understand the Spurs need him to concentrate on the boards.
I thought Gooden may have had more - he rebounded well and was conscientiously blocking out. He is a very solid boardman.
Wasn't impressed by his giving up an easy baseline drive to Landry though.
Really good to see some tough, grind it out Spurs basketball tonight. I was very pleased with the overall effort.
Finley...wow, what do you say? All we can do is hope that his shot and his solid play is here for the stretch run.
It's good to see Duncan moving better too. I was worried after the way he looked versus the Lakers. He really went at Yao and played good defense on him most of the night.
Gooden really looks like the answer at backup PF for Tim. He is still feeling things out but having a true post scorer with the second unit is something that we have coveted for a long time now. I like the idea of him and Kurt on the floor at the same time. That way we are still OK in the interior defensively and we have two bigs who can knock down shots...along with one that can post up.
Last edited by benefactor; 03-14-2009 at 11:19 PM.
No doubt. Cautiously optimistic at this point, given that it's been less than half a game over two nights. But he does seem to get it. He was almost a point a minute guy tonight.
Just odd. I mean, we knew this day would come at some point. But Bruce still has some...well, juice. What's going on?
Decent assessment, however, Parker's D never showed any improvement throughout the game. Having said that his offense was good enough to make up for any short comings on D. I still think when Gooden gets on the floor wiith Duncan it will help Tony in pick and roll situations by covering the post as Duncan makes the move to step up.
Very good win.
Boozer played very well.
Agains the Lakers TD also played much better in the 2nd half. Do you think this is somewhat related with the injury?Tim Duncan struggled with his shot early on and didn't play too well on either end in the opening half, however he came on strong in the final two quarters and ended up playing a good game.
Another thing I liked about Gooden tonight is that even after he missed his first few shots he kept firing. Players, especially new players, tend to get passive under Pop in those type of situation. Instead, Gooden continued to actively work to get the ball.
If he's going to produce this season, he can't have that typical new-Spur uneasiness. So far, it appears he has the correct mindset
I don't know, man. It's tough to say. I'm getting the feeling that Pop isn't simply keeping Bowen fresh for the playoffs
Then again, the only perimeter player on the Rockets who needs extra attention is Artest ... and Bowen has never guarded Artest well. Udoka, on the other hand, is built to defend Artest. So in that sense, Udoka absorbing all of Bowen's minutes is logical.
Parker/Hill
Mason/Ginobili
Finley/Bowen
Duncan/Gooden
Thomas/Bonner
Is looking like it might be the rotation for the playoffs.
Great thoughts Timvp, theyre always on point. I was impressed with the way TD bounced back in the 2nd half. He was clearly way off in the 1st half by alot, getting owned by Yao on both ends. But he bounced back in the 2nd half in a major way, going at Yao more aggressively on both ends. TP had a good bounce back 2nd half as well, with his shot looking different and off in the 1st half, he came out guns blazing in the 2nd half. Fin continued to do well with 17 points on 5 three pointers, he's in one of those hot streaks right when we need it. The one guy I was impressed with for being his first full Spurs game, was Drew Gooden. Not only did he provide energy and hustle and boards, but he scored 13 points. The thing that impressed me is the team kept looking for him on the Offensive end, whether it be posting him up or running screen and roll's with him, he was involved in the majority of the play on Offense when he was in the game. Overall this was a great win; the Rockets had been playing some pretty damn good ball as of late, so I'll take it...on to OKC we go!
Come again?
I mean like 4 reb in 4 min is abnormally high I tought 4 in 15 was a litle bit low for a new fresh player entering in the roster who knows the team is expecting rebounds.
I'm happy to hear they were difficult ones.
RE: rebounding. Gooden got the boards he should have, as well as a couple that he had to fight for.
I can't wait for Tuesday's game. I'm from Del Rio (about 2 1/2 hours away from S.A.) so I only see about a game every year or so...this year alone I have already been to 2 games, and the 3rd will be this Tuesday against the Wolves. I saw the game against the 76ers with TP's buzzer beater, and the win against New Jersey where VC ed when he tried to catch and shoot with .3 or something like that lol. So I'm excited to see Gooden on Tuesday and the rest of the guys!
Maybe since Timmy was instrumental in giving Finley his first ring, Findog wants to make up for Timmy's struggles lately by making a good showing?
There was also that game that Finley didn't play in, I would like to find out what Pop told him as to his not playing, I can't remember which game it was but it was about 3 games ago? After that game, Finley did turn back the hands of time, wow, freeze frame those turn around j's in your head and remember his form while releasing the ball, so much confidence, makes you shake your head.
Tough to say. He was once again wearing the two bulky knee pads so maybe it takes a while for him to get loose. We'll have to keep an eye out and see if that pattern continues.
Gooden looked very strong defending in the low blocks. He also got into Scola's head a bit. The pushing and shoving between those two got pretty intense, which I thought was great because Gooden was every bit a match for Scola in the toughness department.
I'm still puzzled that it can be considered a successful experiment when your backup PG gets 1 assist and 2 TO's. I still think the offense looks stagnant whenever Mason is at the point. I certainly don't think you can say that he makes things happen from that position. His dribble penetration is not enough of a threat to get spot-up shooters those wide open shots. I don't know if it's fair to say that backup PG duty is responsible for his reduced offensive production, but if that doesn't change the Spurs are going to need Gooden's scoring output in a big way. I don't like the thought of going into the playoffs depending on Finley shooting lights-out.
My big question after the game - "Aren't the zebras supposed to have cracked down on hand-checks this season?" When the defender leaves a hand on the offensive player in order to alter his speed or direction, it's supposed to draw a whistle. Brooks spent the entire evening doing that to Parker, sometimes even shoving with both arms. I thought that was the biggest factor in limiting the Spurs offensively tonight. That sort of kills the theory that young players always get short-changed by the refs.
Tonight was a decent, grind it out win, but I think we are really going to have to whip the ass of some top 8 teams down the stretch to feel really good about our chances.
Sad to watch for a guy who made first-team all defense LAST season.An interesting note is that Bruce Bowen played only the last four seconds of the game. He was one Houston timeout away from recording his first DNP-CD in his Spurs career.
Underrated Pop move of the game was to put Kurt on Artest. Artest was just bulldozing Finley and Kurt with his weight kept Artest under wraps in the post.
Goodeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen15 minutes of action. The 13 points
In a defensively-oriented game like tonight's without a premiere wing scorer on the other team, I think Bowen's minutes were appropriately low. We were struggling so much offensively, I think it was hard to justify his presence out there.
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