Spurs at Rockets Previews

[duncan228]

Pregame report: Rockets vs. Spurs
When/where: Friday, November 27; 7:30 p.m.; Toyota Center

KEY PLAYERS

ROCKETS


G - Aaron Brooks, coming off consecutive games scoring in single-digits for the first time this season, is making 43.9 percent of his shots in wins, just 39.8 percent in losses.

SPURS


F - Tim Duncan's scoring might be slightly off his career average, but he is still averaging 18 points on 54.5 percent shooting, and 11.2 rebounds.

Rockets update: The Rockets are coming off their worst loss since Feb. 2006, but have not lost consecutive games this season. The Rockets have won just 6 of the past 18 meetings with the Spurs, 3 of 8 in Toyota Center.

Spurs update: The Spurs beat the Warriors on Wednesday, their third-consecutive win after a slow start, moving past the Rockets in the Southwest Division. Tony Parker had 17 against the Bucks in his first game back from an ankle injury and then scored 32 against the Warriors. Manu Ginobili is out with a strained left groin. The Spurs are 0-4 on the road.

KEY MATCHUP

Tony Parker versus Aaron Brooks. With Parker seemingly back to top speed, the Rockets might need Brooks to slow him, while regaining his own scoring touch.

LOOK FOR...

1. The Rockets' offensive execution. The Rockets are third in the NBA in points off turnovers, but the Spurs are third in fewest turnovers committed per game, likely forcing the Rockets to score without that help.

2. The Spurs' dribble penetration. The Rockets' defense has broken down when allowing too much guard penetration, and Tony Parker remains one of the league's best at getting in the lane.

3. The Rockets fast-break scoring. The Rockets were fifth in fast-break offense before scoring just four fast break points against the Mavericks.

[duncan228]

Spurs look for 4th-straight win, first road victory
By Rob Gerein

The San Antonio Spurs shoot for their 4th-straight win when they visit Southwest division rival Houston Rockets Friday night.

But to accomplish the feat, the Spurs will have to pick up their first road win of the season, as they are 0-4 SU away from home.

Check out JustBet for NBA Odds for this matchup.

This will be the first meeting between the state and division rivals, since an 87-85 Houston win on March 22 last season. The Rockets won that game as 3-point road underdogs, and the score went under the total of 177.5.

Each team has won five of the past 10 meetings. The Rockets have a slight edge against the spread, going 6-4 ATS in the past 10.

Over/under bettors should note that eight of the past 10 meetings have gone under the total.

In their last game, the Spurs finished off a four-game home stand with a 118-14 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Spurs just barely managed to cover the 13.5-point spread. The score went over the total of 214.

The Rockets were bombed 130-99 by another Southwest and state rival, the division-leading Dallas Mavericks, also on Wednesday. The Rockets had been 4-point home favorites in that game. The score went well over the total of 199.

Both teams have players out with significant, long term injuries. San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili is out indefinitely with a groin injury, while Rockets’ guard Tracy McGrady (knee surgery) is out indefinitely and center Yao Ming (foot surgery) is out for the season.

[Chieflion]

LOL at Tim Duncan averaging double figure assists.

[duncan228]

LOL at Tim Duncan averaging double figure assists.

It's rebounds. I don't like to edit other people's stuff but I fixed it.

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

focus on transition D and we will be fine

[siraulo23]

Spurs look for 4th-straight win, first road victory
By Rob Gerein

In their last game, the Spurs finished off a four-game home stand with a 118-14 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Spurs just barely managed to cover the 13.5-point spread. The score went over the total of 214.

[duncan228]

San Antonio (7-6) at Houston (8-7)
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Fri Nov 27, 2009
TV: KENS, FSH
By Dan Pieringer

Taking advantage of some home games against teams they expected to beat, the San Antonio Spurs have finally strung some wins together. Their emergence from an early-season slump, however, has yet to be tested on the road.

The Spurs look to extend their season-high winning streak to four games with their first road victory Friday night when they visit the Houston Rockets, in danger of losing consecutive games for the first time.

In part because it’s struggled with injuries to some of its top players, San Antonio (7-6) lost six of its first 10 games. The Spurs have rebounded with three straight wins, finishing a four-game homestand by defeating Washington, Milwaukee and a short-handed Golden State team.

Tony Parker scored 32 points and Tim Duncan had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Warriors 118-104 on Wednesday night. The Warriors used only nine players, one night after using six in a win at Dallas.

While they’re encouraged by their recent play in San Antonio, the Spurs are 0-4 on the road. They’re averaging 90.5 points and shooting 41.8 percent from the field away from home, compared to 107.3 points and 48.9 percent at the AT&T Center.

“It will be big,” reserve guard Roger Mason Jr. said about this matchup with the Rockets. “We haven’t had a lot of success on the road. For us, the road is where we really bond and come together and start doing that.”

The Rockets (8-7) have won three of their last four home games against the Spurs after dropping 14 of the previous 18. San Antonio won its last trip to Houston 88-85 on March 14, getting 28 points and eight assists from Parker.

“It’s always a rivalry,” Parker said. “Going to be a big game and a big test for us because we still need a win on the road. We need to start wining on the road. It’s a good game for us and they have been playing well.”

Parker might not have seen Houston’s performance Wednesday night. The Rockets grabbed an early 13-point lead before falling 130-99 to Dallas. They allowed the Mavericks to shoot 65.5 percent from the field, the highest against them since the Spurs shot 67.6 percent in a 126-105 win on April 7, 1985.

“There wasn’t any defense,” coach Rick Adelman said. “We didn’t even get close enough to them to even foul them in the first half. I don’t know what happened.”

Houston’s miserable defensive performance overshadowed another strong game from reserve forward Carl Landry, who had 24 points and shot 9 for 11 in 29 minutes for his sixth 20-point performance of the season. Landry, fifth in the NBA in bench scoring with 15.7 points per game, is averaging 21.1 points and shooting 71.8 percent in seven home games this season. However, he’s been held to 5.4 points in five career games against San Antonio.

While Landry hopes he can finally solve the Spurs’ interior defense, Rockets starter Luis Scola will try to carry his road success against his former team into the Toyota Center. The 6-foot-9 forward from Argentina is averaging 16.8 points and shooting 58.7 percent in four games in San Antonio, but he’s scored 6.8 points per game and shot 37.9 percent in four home games against the Spurs.

San Antonio drafted Scola in the second round in 2002 and kept him overseas before trading him to Houston before the 2007-08 season.

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has missed four straight games with a groin injury, and it’s unlikely he’ll play in Houston.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 18.0
Trevor Ariza Hou 18.4

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 11.2
Luis Scola Hou 9.7

Assists
Tony Parker SA 5.1
Aaron Brooks Hou 5.7

[noob cake]

Run run run, lets hope Tim Duncan can still run.

[EP Money Man]

This could turn out to be a semi-physical game. Both teams are committed to playing D.

Just gotta keep Brooks outta the paint. Need to body him up early, let him know that he's not gonna get easy buckets in the paint! Make em shooters.

[duncan228]

Friday: Spurs (7-6) at Rockets (8-7)

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: KENS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - ROCKETS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 0 Aaron Brooks (6-0, 3rd yr)
Unsurprisingly, Parker bounced back vs. Warriors: 32 points, seven assists.

SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 1 Trevor Ariza (6-8, 6th yr)
Ron Artest's replacement leads Rockets in scoring (18.4 ppg).

SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 31 Shane Battier (6-8, 9th yr)
Jefferson set for stern test in Battier, one of the best perimeter defenders.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 4 Luis Scola (6-9, 3rd yr)
Since comeback from bum ankle, Duncan shooting 55 percent (49 of 89).

C - 34 Antonio McDyess (6-10, 15th yr) - 44 Chuck Hayes (6-6, 5th yr)
Undersized for a center, Hayes makes up for it with grit and gumption.

SPURS RESERVES

15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 6th yr
45 DeJuan Blair, F, 6-7, 1st yr
4 Michael Finley, G/F, 6-7, 15th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
8 Roger Mason Jr, G, 6-5, 6th yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr

ROCKETS RESERVES

3 Tracy McGrady, G/F, 6-8, 13th yr
7 Kyle Lowry, G, 6-0, 4th yr
8 Jermaine Taylor, G, 6-4, 1st yr
10 Chase Budinger, F, 6-7, 1st yr
13 David Andersen, C, 6-11, 1st yr
14 Carl Landry, F, 6-9, 3rd yr
43 Brian Cook, F, 6-9, 7th yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Rockets: Rick Adelman

INJURIES

Spurs: Manu Ginobili (strained left groin) is out.
Rockets: Yao Ming (left foot surgery) is out. McGrady (left knee surgery) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Ian Mahinmi, Marcus Haislip, Ginobili
Rockets: Yao, Joey Dorsey.

NOTABLE

Spurs enter a post-Thanksgiving I-10 matchup on a season-high three-game winning streak. Their average margin of victory during that stretch has been 16 points. ... Spurs have topped 100 points in six of seven victories this season, eclipsing 112 in five. ... After a hot start, Houston is 5-6 in its past 11 games. ... McGrady is nearing a return after offseason microfracture surgery, but there is no firm date.

- Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

Rockets employ alternative fuel
Team hopes to continue trend of bouncing back
By Jonathan Feigen
Houston Chronicle

For all the growing pains of the first 15 games of the Rockets' season, there has been one constant:

Change.

After every loss, there has been a win. Home or road, with time off or in back-to-backs, the Rockets have not been beaten in consecutive games this season, alternating wins and losses for a franchise-record 12-consecutive games.

Never this season have they needed a turnaround win more than tonight against the Spurs. Coming off a 130-99 home loss to the Mavericks, the Rockets were embarrassed and humbled, with one game to avoid falling back to .500 for the first time since the season's second game before heading out on a four-game road trip.

“Friday's game is huge,” forward Luis Scola said. “You can't lose a game the way we lost (on Wednesday) and expect no reaction. If we want to be any good, if we want to do anything in this league, you have to have a reaction. This can't happen and just happen, and people let it go. You have to react. We have to react. We have no choice.

“Reaction doesn't only mean winning. You can play a great game and for whatever reason, you may not win. But you have to react.”

The Rockets need to play well, especially defensively, where they had been slipping in recent weeks. In their dismantling of the Rockets on Wednesday Dallas scored more points in regulation than any team has against Houston since Dec. 1993, when Atlanta scored 133 in the game that ended the Rockets' 15-game winning streak to open the season.

Being accountable

As difficult as the breakdown was, however, the Rockets were move concerned that it could have been the result of a trend in that direction.

“Defensively, we have to be more accountable,” guard Aaron Brooks said. “We can't assume there's going to be help there. Our one-on-one defense has to be a lot better. That starts with me, the point guards, on down to the big guys. We're averaging enough points. We're just not playing defense.”

As with the offense when in some close-game situations the Rockets have fallen into a tendency to go-on-one, they played as individuals defensively on Wednesday, especially in Dallas' 26-0 run to take over the game.

“The offensive and defensive execution was not sharp,” Shane Battier said. “I mean, we had breakdowns all over the court. I don't care of you don't have the best scheme in the world. I don't care if you have physical limitations. If you play with passion and you play with emotion and you hustle your tail off, you can make up for a lot of that.

“That's what we have to do to survive. We are physically limited. When we don't have that, it really shows and instead of coming together as a group we tend to do it individually and that's the wrong direction for this team.”

Lacking direction OK

The Rockets, however, have not gone in any direction for long, a trend they would like to continue for at least one more night.

“We bounce back,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “From every poor showing, we come back with a good effort.

“We need to come back and play well and win this division game.”

[spursbird]

Scola thread!

[SpurNation]

KEY MATCHUP

Tony Parker versus Aaron Brooks. With Parker seemingly back to top speed, the Rockets might need Brooks to slow him, while regaining his own scoring touch.

If Brooks is expending a lot of energy to stop Parker I would suspect his scoring touch won't be regained in this game. That along with Bogans and Hill probably taking turns guarding Brooks...it could turn into a feast of layups for Parker while others are helping to contain Brooks.

Also. It will be interesting to see what Blair will do. Granted it was pre-season but in their previous meeting...Blair went off.

These are always defensive intense games when the Spurs and Rockets play. I predict a tough grind it out win will be had by the team that makes the least mistakes in the 4th.

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Fri. Nov. 27
San Antonio @ Houston: Bob Delaney; Eric Lewis; Mark Lindsay

[Ikstomi]

GO spurs GO!!!

First road victory!!

[Indazone]

Two .500 ballclubs going at each other. Nothing to see here.

[duncan228]

Spurs shoot for first road win at Houston

Southwest Division rivals meet in south Texas Friday as the San Antonio Spurs shoot for their first road win of the season against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

The Spurs closed out a four-game homestand in positive fashion Wednesday when Tony Parker poured in 32 points and dished out seven assists, as San Antonio continued its dominance over the Golden State Warriors in the Alamo City with a 118-104 victory at AT&T Center.

The Spurs have topped the Warriors 23 straight times in San Antonio and haven't lost to Golden State at home since drafting star forward Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick in 1997.

Duncan has been on the floor for 22 of those victories. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists Wednesday for the Spurs, who closed out the homestand with a 3-1 mark. Roger Mason added 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists off the bench for San Antonio, which shot 51.8 percent from the field.

"It's always good to get a win the day before Thanksgiving. We stuck with it against some players who are really difficult to guard. They lead the league in scoring, but we were able to get it done," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

While the Spurs have played well recently as the host, the team is 0-4 away from the Alamo City, averaging 90.5 points as the visitor as opposed to over 107 in San Antonio.

The Rockets, meanwhile, were blitzed by another in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday. Jason Terry scored 27 points and Jason Kidd climbed into second place on the league's all-time list for assists as Dallas blew out Houston, 130-99, at the Toyota Center.

Carl Landry shot 9-of-11 from the floor during his 24-point night for Houston, which failed to gain momentum from a 113-106 win over Sacramento on Saturday. Trevor Ariza scored 20 in defeat.

"It's disappointing. Dallas is a good team. They came in here and did what good teams do. They punish the teams that aren't ready to play and play as a cohesive unit," said Houston forward Shane Battier. "They did it and kept doing it the rest of the night."

San Antonio snapped a three-game skid in Houston on March 14 of last season with an 88-85 win.

[Indazone]

Landry needs to start and play 40 min.

Scola should play Center
Landry Power Forward
Battier Small Forward
Brooks Point Guard
Ariza Shooting Guard

Either that or really go small and put Lowry and Brooks on the floor at the same time. Biggest difference should be that Landry our most efficient scorer and most athletic player needs more minutes.

[spurspokesman]

Boring. Hopefully we play D and get A win.

[lefty]

Scola thread !!!!

[TDMVPDPOY]

ghill3 and td to dominate this game

[bdictjames]

Spurs should watch out for Carl Landry. He shocked the Spurs about a year ago.

Is Manu back?

[Lars]

Scola breaks out with 40-20

[duncan228]

Is Manu back?

McDonald says he's out.