Right-hand men save Spurs
Mike Monroe
With their most productive big man once again in David Stern-approved business casual attire, the Spurs needed a source of front-line offense against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at the AT&T Center.
While the most likely candidate appeared to be recently acquired power forward Drew Gooden, signed for just such cir stance, rescue came instead from veterans who understand fully that roles have to change when conditions demand it.
Kurt Thomas, a 36-year-old who has been with the Spurs a little more than a year, put up a solid effort in the Spurs' 93-86 victory, scoring 10 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out six assists, with a pair of steals, for good measure.
Fabricio Oberto, who ceded his starting center spot to Matt Bonner early in the season, played for the first time in three games and had his most productive outing of the season.
The 33-year-old Argentine matched his season-high with 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in a show of professionalism his teammates have come to expect.
“Fab was huge,” said Roger Mason Jr., who pumped in eight points in less than two minutes as the third quarter segued into the fourth. That burst gave the Spurs the breathing room they needed to avoid a second straight loss to one of the Western Conference's bottom feeders.
“With Tim out, we needed some more scoring,” Mason said. “I thought Fab was super-aggressive, and his scoring was timely. Some of those points he scored came when we had been stagnant, especially in the first half. And he was getting to the free-throw line.”
Indeed, Oberto made 4 of 6 free throws Tuesday. While that might seem pedestrian in the NBA, Oberto getting to the foul line with any regularity is the Spurs' version of man bites dog. He entered the game having attempted only 27 all season. His last free throw before Tuesday's game: Feb. 21, during mop-up duty in a blowout of the Wizards.
“I had one game against the Warriors where I got eight,” Oberto said, “so that is about, what, 70 percent of all my free throws in two games?”
Oberto's math is slightly off — 44 percent of his foul shots have come in the two games — but his point was no less legitimate.
The difference Tuesday?
“Sometimes when you are aggressive going to the basket,” he said, “the referees will give you those fouls.”
Oberto was looking more often for his own shot Tuesday than he typically does. His unselfishness is well known, and his teammates often wish he would show off some of the slick moves around the basket that on Tuesday produced a perfect shooting night, 4 for 4.
“It's like a gift and a curse,” Mason said. “He's so unselfish that sometimes he passes up his own opportunities.”
Thomas, who was Duncan's replacement in the three games the Spurs All-Star sat out with a sore right knee in late February, did his usual solid defensive work and was the team's top rebounder. He was most proud, he said, of his six assists.
He once had a triple-double, though never in the NBA.
“In college (at TCU), the hard way,” he said, “with blocks.”
His turn as a point-forward resulted from coach Gregg Popovich's instructions to the Spurs at halftime, when he urged them to push the pace and then use the shot clock to force the T-Wolves to defend for longer stretches.
“He really wanted us to push the ball up the floor, move the ball and really make them play defense,” Thomas said. “He wanted us to use the shot clock and make them work.”
The Spurs' true point guard, Tony Parker, did that, too. After a slow start — he missed four of his first five shots — Parker finished with a game-high 24 points, matching Thomas for assist honors, with six of his own.
“Tony did a great job running the show,” Popovich said. “A lot of people stepped up in Tim's absence. We were focused and played consistently for 48 minutes.”
Great game tonight...being there for the 3rd time this Season was awesome. I hadnt been to a single game since the 06-07 Season and this year I've already been to 3 games, all Wins. TP was TP, Mase got hot for a bit, and KT and Fab really stepped up tonight for us.Good win. Let's try and get 2 W's against Boston and Houston on Friday and Sunday.
Shorthanded Spurs still a tall order for Wolves
The Wolves couldn't stop the Spurs' role players, even with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in street clothes.
By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune
SAN ANTONIO - No Tim Duncan.
No Manu.
No matter.
The Timberwolves' 93-86 loss to a San Antonio team missing two of its three stars Tuesday opened a seven-game stretch in which they will play six playoff-bound opponents on the road.
"We had our chance tonight," Wolves rookie Kevin Love said.
It came 60 minutes before the opening tip. That's when Duncan's name appeared on the evening's list of inactive players.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich placed him there to rest the two-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion's inflamed knee tendon on the second night of back-to-back games. It's a tactic Popovich said he might take more often in the regular season's final month to keep his 32-year-old center "fresh and healthy" for the playoffs.
"He doesn't like it," Popovich said.
Duncan and Manu Ginobili both wore blazers and watched from a row back as their teammates dispatched the Wolves for the fourth and final time this season. Ginobili, a Timberwolves terror last season, missed his 16th consecutive game Tuesday because of a leg injury.
This time, the Spurs needed only Tony Parker, the remaining healthy member of the Spurs' triumvirate. Having Roger Mason, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto didn't hurt, either.
Parker scored only 24 points -- 31 fewer than the career-high 55 he scored in the season's first meeting back in November -- to lead a Spurs team still stinging from Monday's two-point loss at Oklahoma City.
Mason scored eight unanswered points that ended the third quarter, began the fourth and turned a two-point game into a 70-60 San Antonio lead from which the Wolves never recovered. Thomas, starting in Duncan's place, had a 10-point, 10-rebound double double.
"It's always tough when you lose," said Love, who delivered his 21st double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. "But to do it with two of their top guys out, that hurts. We really could have set a tone from the beginning and instead ended up playing from behind."
The Wolves trailed by six points in the first quarter, led by six in the second and then used a 12-4 run to recover from a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter. They got within a point late in the quarter, until Mason's 8-0 run all by himself tipped the game for good.
"We competed," Wolves veteran Mike Miller said. "We just didn't get over the top."
Love had all 17 of his points and 14 of his 19 rebounds after halftime.
********
Aiming high
Popovich coached his 1,000th NBA game Monday night in Oklahoma City. On Tuesday, Wolves coach Kevin McHale coached his 79th.
"I can't imagine coaching 100," McHale said before he held a terse post-game interview filled with one-word answers, "I think Pops is one of the best coaches in our league. Has been for a long time."
********
Wolves-San Antonio game recap
MVP
Roger Mason, Spurs
Teammate Tony Parker scored more, but timing is everything and Mason scored eight of his 15 points in an unanswered run that ended the third quarter and began the fourth.
NUMBERS
31 Fewer points Tony Parker scored this time (24) than the career-high 55 points he delivered in the season's first meeting back in November.
19 Kevin Love's rebounds, a career high.
Udoka's heroics in the 2nd quarter was not mentioned.
am I reading this correctly??? Udoka??
its true. he carried the offense in the second quarter when no shots were falling and no one was getting anything else.
In fact, I would have to say if Udoka could just sink those slick step to the side shots, he would have been a hero. He looks comfortable stepping to the side when his guy over commits and shooting the mid-range shot, it just doesn't go in. He is a lot like Matt when he finally shoots, it either goes in or too much velocity.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
