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Rule #51 duncan228 has the best inside scoops!
Popovich anticipates Warriors' push for game-winner
Mike Monroe
If Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson was hoping to catch the Spurs off guard by rushing the ball upcourt after Spurs forward Kurt Thomas missed two free throws with 5.5 seconds remaining in Tuesday's game at AT&T Center, he chose the wrong team.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich once served as an assistant under Nelson, and he shares many, though not all, of Nelson's offensive philosophies.
One of their shared beliefs: Don't give the opposing defense a chance to get set in such situations.
Prepared for a quick thrust by the Warriors, the Spurs made Golden State's Monta Ellis spend most of the remaining time just getting out of the backcourt. His desperation 30-footer at the buzzer, well defended by Tony Parker, with help from Bruce Bowen, was way off the mark, preserving the Spurs' 107-106 victory.
“We knew they weren't going to call timeout,” said Spurs forward Ime Udoka, one of the five Spurs on the floor at the finish. “I don't know if somebody overheard them, or what, but we knew, and we had our matchups down.”
Nelson said a timeout would have allowed the Spurs to make lineup changes he believed would have put his team at an offensive disadvantage.
He also believed Ellis would get a better shot.
“I thought he shot a little quickly for that situation,” Nelson said.
Bowen played a role in delaying Ellis' trip upcourt, harassing Stephen Jackson after he rebounded Thomas' second free-throw miss. Then, he sprinted back to help Parker defend the shot.
Parker, who had done an excellent job defending Ellis in the fourth quarter, said his primary goal as Ellis sprinted upcourt with the ball was to make certain he didn't foul him.
“He's the type of play who tries to make you use your body,” Parker said, “so I just wanted to make sure I stayed in front of him without fouling.”
It was Parker who suggested he go over the top of screens to stay tighter on Ellis on pick-and-roll plays in the fourth period, when Ellis missed six of 10 shots.
“The strategy from the coaches was they wanted me to go under (screens) on the pick and roll, but he was making his shot today,” Parker said. “In the fourth quarter, I tried to go over more and tried to contest more of his shots and do a better job, because he was getting in a rhythm when you go under.”
Another big shot: Roger Mason Jr., who has won several games for the Spurs this season, had Tuesday's game-winner. Though it came with 23.9 seconds remaining, it was nonetheless dramatic.
Mason was the second option on a play drawn up during a timeout with 30.4 seconds remaining. Taking a dribble handoff from Tim Duncan, he curled past a Duncan screen and nailed an 18-foot jumper.
“Out of the timeout, (Popovich) drew up the play for Tony, and the other option was (for me),” Mason said. “Tim came out and got me a good screen and I got some separation and was able to knock it down.”
Rule #51 duncan228 has the best inside scoops!
Count me in as a believer in Roger "Money" Mason. I'd be okay if Pop made Mason the 1st option for every late-game shot scenario. In fact, I'm very surprised he didn't get more chances, down the stretch, versus Houston. If nothing else, I'm confident he wouldn't have missed 6 straight free throws.
Right. And the moon is purple.
Monroe could you provide a bunch of examples? Because there are so "many". Stand n Veg offense and 76 points per game coming to a Warriors game near you soon.
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