Game Blog: Spurs @ Pistons - Feb 21

[Sean Cagney]

Tim needs to retire. He doesn't have it anymore

Are you serious? I hope to GOD you are not pointing out the guy who had the best game for us? I can't tell if some are serious on these boards half the time from all the trolls and bad fans as well.

[Sean Cagney]

Spurs deserve to lose this any way....butch hack a Ben ....cheating never wins. Win here is fools gold

Someone ban this little jerkoff and his stupid pink elephant. Everytime I see it I just want someone near you to smack you. Good lord your annoying .


BTW we suck, but the Mavs are out in round 2 at best (Have fun with no ring ever for that team).

[Obstructed_View]

Hey, guys. I missed the game, but I noticed four guys got over 35 minutes tonight. Did Ginobili and Duncan turn to dust at some point, or did they physically survive?

[ElNono]

Hey, guys. I missed the game, but I noticed four guys got over 35 minutes tonight. Did Ginobili and Duncan turn to dust at some point, or did they physically survive?

We got severely outrebounded and the Pistons played small ball almost all game... that should tell you everything you need to know...

[Blackjack]

Rodney Stuckey is now 10-50 on three-point shots this year (and 4-4 against the Spurs ).

[Obstructed_View]

We got severely outrebounded and the Pistons played small ball almost all game... that should tell you everything you need to know...

Since the three leading minutes guys for the Spurs (not including the one who shouldn't even be in the NBA) put up basically all the numbers, I was wondering if they died of heart attacks or something, because from what I was told it's a ridiculous idea to expect pro basketball players to play more than about 30 minutes a game.

[Obstructed_View]

We got severely outrebounded and the Pistons played small ball almost all game... that should tell you everything you need to know...

How exactly do you figure that? Everyone in the game on both sides basically rebounded according to their height. The Pistons might have a couple of frontline guys that are shorter than average, but they're still frontline guys. Smallball implies people playing out of position.

[NRHector]

Updated.

Hamilton’s 27 leads Pistons to OT win over Spurs

The Detroit Pistons found themselves in a unique situation Sunday—trailing before the start of overtime.

Thanks to a technical foul called on Richard Hamilton after regulation ended, Detroit trailed San Antonio 94-93 when the ball was tossed up to start the extra period.

It didn’t matter, though, as Detroit dominated the extra session and in a 109-101 victory.

“This game could have very easily slipped away, but we stayed focused,” Detroit coach John Kuester said. “We could have very easily hung our heads when some things didn’t go the way we wanted, but we kept our poise.”

The Pistons appeared to have the game won when they led by 11 points with five minutes left, but San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich instructed his team to intentionally foul Ben Wallace on five straight possessions.

Wallace missed six of the 10 free throws before being taken out of the game — flinging his headband in disgust—and the Spurs were able to narrow the gap.

Popovich was testy after the game when asked if it had been an easy decision to start fouling Wallace, a 44 percent shooter from the line.

“Not really,” he snapped after asking the question to be repeated.

Kuester said he stayed with Wallace as long as he could.

“I have a lot of confidence in Ben,” he said. “Most of the time, we’ll keep him on the floor in that situation. The way he’s playing this year, we’re going to win or lose with him.”

Wallace’s misses let Manu Ginobili take over, and he scored 11 points in the final 2:20 of the fourth quarter, including a layup with 27.5 seconds left that forced overtime.

Ginobili then hit the free throw after Hamilton was called for the technical and thought the Spurs were back in control.

“With two minutes left, we didn’t think we had a chance, and then we got it to overtime,” he said. “We got the free throw, and then we won the tip, and then everything started going wrong.”

Detroit went on an 8-2 run once the extra period started, and cruised to the win. Hamilton finished with 27 points and Rodney Stuckey scored 20.

“We almost gave the game away making stupid mistakes, but we stayed aggressive,” Stuckey said. “This is a big win for us. We’re fighting for our lives right now, and we need to keep coming back with wins.”

Tim Duncan had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, while Ginobili scored 21.

“We battled our guts out, but we shot poorly and the Pistons made big shots,” Popovich said. “You play games and sometimes things like that happen.”

San Antonio played without Tony Parker, who sat out with a left hip injury. Parker missed the Spurs’ last game before the All-Star break with the same problem, but had played in two games before aggravating the injury Thursday against Philadelphia.

The game also ended San Antonio’s annual Rodeo Road Trip. The Spurs, who last played at home on Jan. 31, went 4-4 on the 19-day, 7,762-mile trip.

Antonio McDyess received a loud ovation from the Palace crowd when he was introduced before the San Antonio starters prior to the game. McDyess played the last five seasons for Detroit before signing with San Antonio in the offseason.

“I didn’t expect a standing ovation. That was a very nice moment for me,” McDyess said. “I was hoping no one was looking at my face, because I was getting quite emotional. I played some great basketball here, and my heart still belongs to these fans.”

NOTES: There were several unusually hard collisions in the game. Ginobili ran into a screen by Wallace and George Hill accidentally elbowed Jonas Jerebko in the side of the face. … Duncan hit his first regular-season 3-pointer since March 28, 2007 in the last moments of overtime.

there's one problem he left his heart in Detroit

[spurs10]

Hey, guys. I missed the game, but I noticed four guys got over 35 minutes tonight. Did Ginobili and Duncan turn to dust at some point, or did they physically survive?

Manu and Tim held up well. Manu almost single handedly won the game for us. I thought their second chances points did us in. At least we played hard...just not good enough.

[ElNono]

How exactly do you figure that? Everyone in the game on both sides basically rebounded according to their height. The Pistons might have a couple of frontline guys that are shorter than average, but they're still frontline guys. Smallball implies people playing out of position.

I don't recall Jerebko(sp?) playing much, but I could be wrong...

[SouthTexasRancher]

Keith Bogans and Richard Jefferson have got to be the biggest f'ing jokes in the NBA. Holt needs to make Pop send less to a Psychiatrist because something is in RJ's head (or would that be nothing but air is in his head???). I can't remember seeing anyone fall so far so fast. He is literally a zombie on the court.

And Bogans....damn, Bowen could outplay this bum blindfolded and one leg in ball and chains and one hand tied behind his back.

And Pop....he really seems lost. I realize the NBA game has passed him by but, he is either totally lost or he's tanking the season on purpose.

[SouthTexasRancher]

BTW, does anyone know if Pop is still trying out the afternoon workouts none of the players liked? We are dead for the last few minutes of these games. Tonight we were spent going into overtime. We're not defending anyone and our shots are just clanking. A sure sign of being out of shape or overworked. And I know we're not overworked.

[ElNono]

BTW, does anyone know if Pop is still trying out the afternoon workouts none of the players liked? We are dead for the last few minutes of these games. Tonight we were spent going into overtime. We're not defending anyone and our shots are just clanking. A sure sign of being out of shape or overworked. And I know we're not overworked.

We're just old. And the young guns that could play some minutes for the experienced guys are watching the game from the bench...

[KuntryDude]

Can someone please explain to me why Bogans....reprase: why POP chose to play Bogans for 39.29 minutes last night? 27 secs LONGER than former MVP T. Duncan did?

[Booharv]

This season stopped being painful once I started viewing Pop's approach as satire.

[Ice009]

So does anyone want to talk about the momentum swing threes by Manu I talked about 2 games ago against Indiana??????

In this game, in the overtime I think it was a 1 point Pistons lead with 2:58 or so left, not sure of the exact time, but again Manu launched a 3 that missed and the Pistons came down and Stuckey drilled a 3 to make it a 4 point game.

As I said in that Indiana game Manu's momentum swing 3 point misses this season seem to be a killer for us because most of the time the other team comes down and scores after the miss. He takes them in critical points of the game that really put us 2 steps back each time he misses that shot.

[NRHector]

So does anyone want to talk about the momentum swing threes by Manu I talked about 2 games ago against Indiana??????

In this game, in the overtime I think it was a 1 point Pistons lead with 2:58 or so left, not sure of the exact time, but again Manu launched a 3 that missed and the Pistons came down and Stuckey drilled a 3 to make it a 4 point game.

As I said in that Indiana game Manu's momentum swing 3 point misses this season seem to be a killer for us because most of the time the other team comes down and scores after the miss. He takes them in critical points of the game that really put us 2 steps back each time he misses that shot.

don't even go there, Manu is busting his balls trying to get something going when nothing else is working

[Ice009]

don't even go there, Manu is busting his balls trying to get something going when nothing else is working

Manu is probably my top two or three favorite Spurs players ever. Don't think I am a hater.

I do want to go there though. I wanted to go there after the Indiana game, but I think it was Obstructed_View that didn't want to talk about it because we won the game.

Tell me one game this season that Manu has hit that shot. Most of the time it is a huge momentum swing for the other team. Spurs should have went for a 2 or Manu should have looked to drive down one rather than jacking up another of those threes that missed and the Pistons coming back down to hit one to make it a 4 point game.

[SouthTexasRancher]

We're just old. And the young guns that could play some minutes for the experienced guys are watching the game from the bench...

Yep...OL' Pop just has a hard time allowing young guns some game experience no matter how bad his dinosaur vets are playing. Bogans playing over 39 minutes? WTF?!?! Now is the time Malik & Ian should be getting tested for more than 2 mins. every 5th game in garbage time.

[Slippy]

Surprisingly, though, they actually liked what they saw when they went big. They were very pleased to see the work 'Dyess put in, and actually thought they had more success with the big lineup (go figure).

).

Well that's a promising quote. We can only hope they stick to that kind of thinking.