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And they never will be. Sorry Manu, it's over.“That's what we hoped,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “After tonight, we can see we're not ready yet.”
For Spurs, step back in Philly
Jeff McDonald
PHILADELPHIA — The Spurs arrived at the Wachovia Center with opportunity spread before them like a smorgasbord.
A chance to get on a roll and add to a win streak. A chance to prove that they'd put their pre-All-Star inconsistency behind them. A chance, if Dallas would cooperate against Orlando (it didn't), to climb into a tie atop the Southwest Division.
It was all laid out in front of the Spurs for the taking Friday. Then, in a blink, the Philadelphia 76ers took it all away.
Doomed by another spectacular fourth-quarter meltdown, the Spurs lost 106-94 to the Sixers, another frustrating lowlight in their two-steps-forward, one-step-back campaign.
The Spurs swept into town on the heels of victories at Denver and Indiana, eyeing a potential 6-2 rodeo trip and believing their season was near a turning point.
“That's what we hoped,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “After tonight, we can see we're not ready yet.”
The Spurs (31-22) seemed in control for most of the first three quarters, until the Sixers fast-broke them into oblivion in the fourth.
Philadelphia (21-33) got 10 of its 38 fast-break points in the final frame, much of it during a 23-4 spurt that proved the difference. The Spurs fueled the Sixers' surge by committing six of their 11 turnovers in the fourth.
“They did a great job of bringing their athleticism, their pressure and their aggressiveness, and we folded to that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They made it a fast-break contest in the second half.”
With point guard Tony Parker hobbling, the Spurs couldn't keep up. Philadelphia's Lou Williams had 14 of his 20 points in the fourth, while Andre Iguodala totaled 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
With a little more than eight minutes left, Williams went coast-to-coast for a dunk after intercepting Richard Jefferson, tying the game at 82 and lifting the otherwise listless crowd to its feet.
Moments later, Williams added a tiebreaking 3-pointer. The Spurs were never the same.
“The fourth quarter, we melted down,” Ginobili said. “We folded. We disappeared.”
Unable to add reinforcements at Thursday's trade deadline, the Spurs brought essentially the same group to the arena Friday. The results looked awfully familiar, too.
Friday's loss had all the hallmarks of previous Spurs pratfalls.
Poor shooting? Check. The Spurs hit 41.9 percent, including 5 of 21 from 3-point range. Ginobili led the Spurs with 24 points and George Hill had 18, but three starters — Parker, Keith Bogans and Matt Bonner — combined to shoot 3 of 17.
Too many turnovers? Check. The 11 the Spurs committed were less than their season average. With the head-spinning speed with which the Sixers converted them to points, it only seemed like more.
Bad fourth quarter? The Spurs, after having led since early in the second quarter, were blasted 33-18 in the fourth.
To that checklist, the Spurs added another faux pas especially dangerous against the run-and-gun Sixers: poor transition defense. The Spurs did themselves no favors with their inability to make shots.
“You've got to put the ball in the hole,” Jefferson said. “If they're getting a ton of defensive rebounds and long outlets, it doesn't matter how quickly you get back.”
Sometimes, even when the Spurs could put the ball in the basket, the Sixers ran. Twice off a made free throw, Williams went the length of the floor for a layup.
“That kind of stuff is embarrassing,” guard Roger Mason Jr. said.
The loss negated the 29-point win the Spurs had earned in Denver before the All-Star break and reduced their best-case finish to the rodeo trip to 5-3. That's if they win Sunday in Detroit, the next stop on their season-long roller coaster.
“We were very optimistic about this trip,” Ginobili said. “We were hoping to keep building.”
Pondering what the Spurs had squandered in the span of 12 minutes Friday, Ginobili shook his head again.
“This one hurts,” he said.
And they never will be. Sorry Manu, it's over.“That's what we hoped,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “After tonight, we can see we're not ready yet.”
Long stretches of settling for jumpers will kill this team, particularly since the lineup that settles for jumpers is made up mostly of guards.
Yes it is.“That kind of stuff is embarrassing,” guard Roger Mason Jr. said.
fkuc.
as optimistic as i have tried to be this season... this really breaks the back.
not giving up, just hoping that that light i see is the end of the tunnel - not the train.
"two-steps-forward, one-step-back campaign"..
naa..
"One step forward, two steps back campaign"
jesus i stopped wacthing the game after the half the spurs lost wtf is that crap
That's a disgusting stat...no wonder it felt like he was scoring every single time down the court.Philadelphia's Lou Williams had 14 of his 20 points in the fourth
Actually it does matter, if you get enough guys back quickly it can do wonders for your transition defense. Disappointing, but not surprising, considering the source.“You've got to put the ball in the hole,” Jefferson said. “If they're getting a ton of defensive rebounds and long outlets, it doesn't matter how quickly you get back.”
these guys get way too discouraged after a loss which shows how weak their mentality is.
“You've got to put the ball in the hole,” Jefferson said. “If they're getting a ton of defensive rebounds and long outlets, it doesn't matter how quickly you get back.”
WHAT. THE. .
this can't ain't a spur, as if we didn't already know that. just for this comment alone he should be banished to the inactive list.
Jefferson is a lazy loser.
The citizen calling out the king is naked?“You've got to put the ball in the hole,” Jefferson said. “If they're getting a ton of defensive rebounds and long outlets, it doesn't matter how quickly you get back.”
Wrong. Jefferson was one of the only ones really hustling out there. Everyone else except for Blair, Hill and Manu looked like they walking wounded, dog tired stiffs.
Why wouldn't they be tired? They'd played one whole game in the previous seven days.
Philadelphia 76ers 106, San Antonio Spurs 94
by Timothy Varner
48 Minutes of
When a team is playing well, it typically moves from lesser to greater certainty as the season progresses. All the big questions that lead the season find a satisfactory resolution in a sharp player rotation, efficient scoring, and a defense that can, at least, get the necessary stops that winning requires. Those things come together, and plenty more aside. It’s a process of refinement.
The San Antonio Spurs are the same curious lump of clay that began the season, more shapeless than molded, and more or less stuck with the same questions that hounded them back in October. And where they have answers (Will Richard Jefferson fit? Can they stay healthy?), there is cause for discouragement.
Keep reading →
Once again, another team with superior length, youth, and athleticism wipes the floor with the Spurs. How many times did the Sixers capitalize off Spurs turnovers, missed shots and long rebounds? They sped the game up and literally ran those guys off the floor. The Spurs were powerless to do anything about it.
Side note:
If I see another Spur take a wimp foul and in the process allow another "and-1", I think I'll kick my TV in. If you're going to foul, take a hard foul, wrap the guy up. I'd be happy if the Spurs defenders moved quickly in front and tried to take a charge. Just don't stand there flat-footed and slap the guy's wrist, whiff on the ball or fart on him and allow his to get the shot off. Unacceptable from professional players.
Idiot. Has he even once this year talked about doing better on defense?“You've got to put the ball in the hole,” Jefferson said. “If they're getting a ton of defensive rebounds and long outlets, it doesn't matter how quickly you get back.”
Why should he? There hasn't been any focus on defense for this team since about the end of the regular season four years ago.
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