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I think the major positive you take away from this game is the knowledge that Timmy can still carry the load and keep us in the game if need be. Sure we lost, but without Timmy, this is a blowout.
Duncan not enough against Bulls
Mike Monroe
CHICAGO — As he walked towards the bench in the minutes before tipoff for the Spurs' game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, coach Gregg Popovich made a promise: Win or lose, he was going to enjoy some bratwurst and sausage before heading back to San Antonio.
When he emerged from his team's locker room after the Spurs absorbed a 92-85 loss, he wiped at the corners of his mouth.
“I had to throw one down quick,” he said. “It was pretty good. I had the Italian sausage. I'll have the bratwurst when I go back in.”
Just as conventional wisdom allows that everyone is better off not watching how sausage gets made, Popovich didn't really feel like overanalyzing a performance that was the polar opposite of his team's 113-96 victory over New Orleans just 24 hours earlier.
“Chicago did a great job,” he said. “They had more guys come to compete than we did. We had one guy who came to compete, and that's not good enough.”
The one compe ive Spur: Tim Duncan, whose 13-for-19, 28-point, 16-rebound masterpiece was rendered meaningless.
Manu Ginobili was the only other Spur to score in double figures, getting 12, though he needed 11 shots to get them.
Tony Parker, who had scored 17 in the opener, scored only eight points, all in the first half.
The Spurs' bench, which had outscored the starters on Wednesday, totaled only 27.
“Tim did a great job, and we couldn't help him out, and that's why we lost,” said Ginobili. “In the NBA, one guy can't beat anybody. So we've got to play with better effort, and better everything.”
No Bull scored more than 17 points, but all five starters scored in double figures. They also got 14 points off the bench from Kirk Hinrich.
Mostly, the Bulls played harder than the Spurs, especially when the ball came off the backboard or rim. Most damaging: Their 22 second-chance points, off 15 offensive rebounds.
“Their team competed, so they deserve a lot of credit,” Popovich said. “They kicked our tails and were more aggressive — loose balls, boards, the whole deal.”
The opening-night emotion that had carried the Spurs to a victory over the Hornets — a win so convincing that the most optimistic of the team's fans began clearing their June calendars — went missing somewhere on the post-game flight to the Windy City.
The same sentiment that pushed the Spurs on Wednesday carried the Bulls to a victory that was nearly as thorough, even if it was not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the Spurs' win over the Hornets.
“We had such a high last night and played really well, all across the board, and we came out and had one of those nights where we just couldn't make a shot,” Duncan said. “On top of that, they brought a lot of energy to the table. First half they had 19 second-chance points, and that really killed us.
“They did a great job hitting the glass and using their energy. We just couldn't match them and get back into it.”
Indeed, the Spurs trailed by a single point at halftime after Hinrich nailed a 3-pointer with eight-tenths of a second left in the half.
The Bulls stretched the lead to 14 in the fourth period and the Spurs could get no closer than eight thereafter.
When Bulls center Brad Miller pump-faked Duncan off his feet and drove for a reverse layin that stretched an 11-point lead to 13 with 2:30 remaining, the final Spurs' thrust was blunted, and Popovich began thinking about pork products.
“There's no sweet peppers in there,” he said. “I've got to go to the neighborhood bar to get that.”
I think the major positive you take away from this game is the knowledge that Timmy can still carry the load and keep us in the game if need be. Sure we lost, but without Timmy, this is a blowout.
Great game Tim
Thanks Duncan
Duncan is the G.O.A.T
I thought Pop kept the starters, especiallay including Duncan, in too long tonight. Sometimes if you know they aren't bringing their A game, a coach should acknowlege that and pull thme so they don't run the risk of getting hurt.
Garbage time is for the young kids on the bench and the old vets like Theo.
I guess Tim isn't as out of shape as we thought.
TD looked awesome tonight...he's still got it.
I didn't get to see the game but saw the Highlights...Timmy looked good and it was a tough loss.
Timmy was playing great, but part of it seemed to be that Noah kept playing off him even after TD hit what seemed like a dozen bank jumpers in Noah's face. Maybe he should have crowded TD and forced him to dribble? It seemed like a situation that was begging for an adjustment.
I didn't get to see the 2nd half so I have to ask, was Tim doubled a lot? Or did they just let Noah stay on an island and take TD's punishment? If Tim isn't DT'd then, is did the O go to a motion?
Oh well, I'll watch the game, I just want to see opinions.
I watched a Chinese Film called Ip Man this evening, it's a biopic on Bruce Lee's first teacher. It was awesome!
It seemed to me that when TD stayed outside and went after the bank shot, where he did most of his damage, Noah stayed on him one on one. When Timmy put the ball on the floor, then the double came. As it got deeper into the second half and the Spurs were in a more desperate situation, it seemed Duncan put it on the floor more so he could get doubled and pass out for 3 pt shooters to help close the gap. The Spurs just kept missing them. Doug Collins commented that it seemed Timmy was baiting Chicago into a double by exaggerating his dribbles.
It was certainly an off night for the shooters other than Tim. Nice to see him play so well this early in the season. If Tim can play his game in the play offs, there is always a chance.
It was agonizing to watch all the bad shots, especially after the Hornets win. I hope that Pop will try out Hairston instead of Finley as a starter. I don't mind having Bonner and Finely as guys to fill in who know the system, but not on the court to start a game. It's not all on them, as the rest of the team lacked energy, but I feel Malik can bring more at the open. Then if, he is getting lit up or having a bad night, you can throw Finely back in.
I do hope the team can go find their shot, without the 3 ball, it would have been hard to win this.
I didn't know Hinrich was a bench player.
I disagree, even though Pop loves to do that. I think it's right to let these players fight for the win, over the last 2 years I've seen Pop pull the plug 4 minutes into the 4th Q if the Spurs are down 10 points and I don't think the players like that at all to be honest. You can't be waiving the white flag 2 games into the season.
Actually I have seen Pop do it many times in the 3rd, last year especially
that's very true aswell.
One Duncan Don’t Stop No Show
By Dime Magazine
When the Spurs smacked the sting out of the Hornets in their season opener the other night, everybody but Tim Duncan looked like world-beaters. Last night in Chicago, Duncan proved he’s still dominant when he needs to be, but his teammates didn’t show up and San Antone took an L … The Bulls just had too many weapons to counter the Spurs’ one-man show. Derrick Rose put up 13 points and seven dimes and Luol Deng had 17 and nine boards, as the whole starting five and sixth man Kirk Hinrich scored in double figures. Rose showed no effects of the ankle injury that grounded him for most of the preseason; he was hitting circus layups, blowing past guys off the dribble, and getting in the air to challenge shots. It sounds weird to say somebody with Rose’s athleticism was a “game manager,” but the kid had his Andre Miller mask on, smartly spreading the ball around and always seeming to make the right decision … Deng was just as impressive, especially considering how bad he looked for the majority of last season. Last night he was moving smoothly without the ball, flying all over the place for offensive rebounds, and generally displaying the game-changing ability that earned him that $70 million contract in the first place. When he’s on, Deng is like a more bouncy version of post-injury Grant Hill … How bad was Duncan’s supporting cast? For the first 10 and a half minutes of the third quarter, Duncan (28 pts, 16 rebs, 3 blks) scored all but two of the Spurs points. He was killing on that face-up banker, which he hit from the same spot all night. But Tony Parker (4-11 FG) and Manu Ginobili (3-11 FG) just didn’t do their part … And Richard Jefferson deserves his own paragraph. Before the first commercial break he’d bricked two threes badly, had a layup sent back in his face by Rose, missed another jumper, and found a seat on Coach Pop’s bench. It looked like maybe the Spurs were trying to get RJ on track and run the offense through him early, but when that didn’t work, scrapped the plan and resumed leaning on Duncan, Parker and Manu. Jefferson finished with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting (and later in the game got smashed on by Tyrus Thomas); between that and his 1-of-7 line against New Orleans, he’s had a worse two-game start than the Cavaliers …
On any other team in any sport, getting your team motivated is a coaches job. So if the team was not motivated then Pop should take credit where credit is due.
Yep. But our team supposedly should be better this season.
even the '95-'96 Bulls lost once in a while
unless Pop went over to the Bulls sideline and told them to stop taking away Parker and Manu's penetration and somehow got the rim to forcefully accept the missed 3's there was pretty much nothing he could do.
If the team needs motivation in game 2, then they should blow the team up.
We should beat the Kings by twenty plus after what we did last night. RJ needs to be a little smoother.
Duncan not enough indeed...........actually it should have read
NOT ENOUGH DUNCAN
Timmy was on last night. In the 3rd quarter when he was banking everything, he should have touched it on every single possession....and should have shot it on every single possession, until the Bulls made the adjustments to force him to pass.
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