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The fan only shouted- "MAke your free throws, dwight"! And that was enough to trigger Howard's anger? Ha, expect moire of that in the play-off, onion-skinned Superman!
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...0,953116.story
SAN ANTONIO -- Well, from the crowd screaming insults at the refs to a coach being ejected to a coach barking at his player (and Matt Barnes barking back) to a fan being tossed to a superstar angered over a Hack-a-Howard strategy … you'd have figured the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs must have read the calendar wrong.
It sure looked and sounded like you were in the belly of the postseason.
The Magic fell to the Spurs 112-100 on Friday night at AT&T Center, and clearly, neither coach Stan Van Gundy or Matt Barnes had an answer for Manu Ginobili.
Their inability to slow Ginobili (season-high 43 points) from the beginning provided a framework for the Spurs to even the season series at 1-1. Van Gundy apparently felt Barnes -- considered the team's best perimeter defender -- wasn't staying in the same zip code as Ginobili.
Barnes stayed on the bench, leaving Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Re to guard Ginobili. No luck, either.
Van Gundy said his heated exchange with Barnes wasn't why he did not return to the game, saying he went with Pietrus and Re . "It had nothing to do with anything else," Van Gundy said. "[Barnes] was frustrated, too. Ginobili had a great night. It wasn't one-on-one."
San Antonio, rested and motivated after losing in Orlando last month, played like a team that dearly wants to avoid the No. 8 playoff spot and a first-round date with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Magic all-star Dwight Howard had a nightmare night at the fee-throw line (2-of-11), which led the Spurs (46-29 ) to foul him intentionally. Howard stepped toward the San Antonio bench and angrily pointed. "That's fine," Van Gundy said. "I didn't have a problem with it."
He fouled out with under three minutes left, yelling at officials while a Spurs fan was ejected after getting into a verbal sparring session with Barnes.
"We had an idiot behind the bench," Van Gundy said. "We should have ignored it … instead of our guys getting into it." The Magic (53-23) trailed by as many as nine points late in the third, and eight with six minutes remaining, but couldn't mount a comeback.
Rashard Lewis finished with 18 points and Pietrus stayed hot, scoring 18 points. Jameer Nelson and Re each added 15.
Howard gave the Magic and fans a scare in the first few minutes, leaving the game holding his left wrist. Spurs small forward Richard Jefferson had tried wrapping him up to prevent an easy bucket, whacking him on the hand.
Back-up Marcin Gortat replaced Howard, but only for a brief period as Howard returned. He came out for the second half with his ring finger and middle finger taped together.
The game started strangely enough. Referees dictated play, calling 14 fouls in the opening quarter and ejecting San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich before halftime.
Spurs star Tim Duncan was whistled for three fouls in the first six minutes. Popovich went berserk, drawing a technical foul. He would get ejected after getting a second tech, turning the team over to assistant Mike Budenholzer.
The Magic didn't go unscathed by officiating. Howard picked up his second foul -- and was only a few well-chosen syllables from getting his 16th technical (and one-game suspension).
Coming off a win against the Mavs in Dallas on Thursday night, Orlando led San Antonio 56-54 at intermission.
Baskets by Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter pushed the lead to six, but the Spurs woke up, riding Ginobili. He hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game, and with 32 points, Van Gundy pulled Barnes.
Van Gundy was yakking at him and Barnes yakked back. Barnes headed directly to the lockeroom and came back a few minutes later, considerably cooler.
The Spurs then ran off six unanswered points, and Richard Jefferson's basket gave San Antonio an eight-point lead at 80-72.
Of course, the result of a heat-of-the-moment collision between firebrands such as Van Gundy and Barnes isn't surprising. It might be a sign that everyone has regular-season cabin fever … and need to get out and smell the roses of the playoffs.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
The fan only shouted- "MAke your free throws, dwight"! And that was enough to trigger Howard's anger? Ha, expect moire of that in the play-off, onion-skinned Superman!
"We had an idiot behind the bench," Van Gundy said. "We should have ignored it … instead of our guys getting into it."
Sequspur was at the game?
We had an idiot behind the bench," Van Gundy said. "We should have ignored it … instead of our guys getting into it."
And since Dwight chose to talk back to this idiot, it makes Dwight an idiot, too.
the at ude of Howard was so soooo amateurish...
theres an old saying, 'takes one to know one' d12 pwned
i noticed that about howard last year with all the techs.. he carries himself on tv like hes this gentle giant and a real mature nice guy but really the kid has a bad temper and is pretty stupid if you ask me
He hasn't matured at all since he's been in the league. It's like he's still in high school. As good as Dwight is, he would've been even better if he had gone to college.
How does he create more points for himself than any other big man in the NBA?..
Weak."We had an idiot behind the bench," Van Gundy said. "We should have ignored it … instead of our guys getting into it.
Howard has less of his points assisted than Bosh and Dirk by a significant margin..Kaman isn't even near the discussion, 71% of his points are assisted..Yao also wasn't even close, and he actually scored more points off of rebounds than Howard did too..
The only guy in Howard's category in that regard this season is Zach Randolph..
What does that last line have to do with anything?..Just because I'm a Spurs fan, I'm supposed to make up about Dwight Howard?..Orlando doesn't have a rivalry with the Spurs in any way..
.... mulberry bush......
His at ude begins with the coaching... Pop would have cultured Dwight considerably different...
Stan complains too much... about everything... especially after games... Pop definitely prefers not to complain after games...
Dwight just follows the lead...
I don't know why anyone made a big deal out of this game. This game was just a regular game for the Spurs, and they just went out and did what they were supposed to do. They beat a team they were supposed to beat, no big surprises here. The Magic aren't that good.
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