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Bonner was knocking down shots tonight that he hadn't been for a while... for what it's worth.
SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker delivered another typical performance, which the San Antonio Spurs needed on a day when nothing went as expected.
Parker had 22 points and 10 assists in his return from a four-game absence, and San Antonio never trailed in a 108-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, a day the Spurs lost two key players.
San Antonio (58-21) clinched at least the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference following Denver's 108-105 overtime loss Friday in Dallas.
The good news didn't resonate in the locker room, where the Spurs were still dealing with the decision to waive forward Stephen Jackson on Friday afternoon, ending his second stint with the team.
Hours earlier, San Antonio also lost reserve forward Boris Diaw, who will miss three to four weeks after having surgery Friday to have a synovial cyst removed from his lumbar spine.
Jackson's departure took the team by surprise, especially since the playoffs start in eight days.
"It's a hard one," Parker said, "but it's a big-boss decision."
The Spurs are already without Manu Ginobili, who is going to miss the remainder of the regular season after straining his right hamstring March 29 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
"We probably look a little thin, but life goes on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "Nobody knew it was going to be two or three weeks for Boris, but the two events are basically mutually exclusive in the sense of what had to be done."
The Spurs needed everyone to step up in the wake of a depleted roster, and they did so.
Tim Duncan added 18 points, Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and Tiago Splitter and Danny Green had 12 apiece as seven players scored in double figures for San Antonio.
The Spurs shot 54 percent from the field overall (42 for 77) and were 4 for 8 on 3-pointers in the second half.
"When we run our offense, this is what happens," Leonard said. "A lot of guys get open shots and they knock them down."
DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Jason Thompson added 18 points, Toney Douglas had 15 and Jimmer Fredette had 14 for Sacramento, which lost its sixth straight to San Antonio.
Leonard sparked an 11-2 run, continually beating John Salmons to the basket for a pair of layups, a dunk and a free throw that gave San Antonio a 15-6 lead. He played 35 minutes with his primary backup, Jackson, no longer with the team.
"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."
.................
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278906
Whether Spurs fans think this is a good move or a bad move, it was definitely A move. Regardless whether or not it makes "basketball sense," this had to be done for psychological reasons. This team is "stuck in the mud." They desperately need a wake-up call. Who knows if this will be the proverbial fire lit under the proverbial ass? Either way something HAD to change.
Also interesting to note Pop's words towards Leonard's PT. Hopefully he keeps to his word.
Me, personally, I am huge Stephen Jackson fan. I got to go bowling with him back in 2003. Nice dude.
Bonner was knocking down shots tonight that he hadn't been for a while... for what it's worth.
bonner
If waiving Jack means more minutes for Leonard, it's probably a good thing. Leonard is only 21, he can play 40+ mpg.
Pop's quote in the article speaks volumes relating to Jackson...
"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."
I was thinking the same reading a second time. Good catch.
That quote is like a subtle jab to Sjax regarding the quality of a player and the minutes that player will obtain.
You go from having a star-quality player playing ~30 mpg then sub in a guy who produces negative wins.
LOL, "PROBABLY looking thin" - one of the strengths of the team was their DEPTH - now that's gone. They could have waited until the off-season to get rid of SJax. What wake-up call - if anything the team looked s -shocked. I'm sure they felt like I felt yesterday - resigned - that what little chance they had to win a championship is now ZERO because of the sequence of events recently. And even with 35-40 mins/game, Leonard still needs a back-up especially in case of foul trouble or injury.
Any chance Bonner doesn't choke this playoffs because of the 3point shooting contest? I was surprised that he competed so well there.
The mighty RED ROCKET will lead the Spurs to the CHAMPIONSHIP!
LOL actually not...
yall are gonna be real sorry when my boy blair and bonner are all over the spurs championship dvd raining threes and gobbling up boards....new SA legends!!!!
The best quote is that Kawhi is gonna play 35-40 minutes.. He's gonna average in the region of 18-20 ppg come playoffs.
Danny Green should now also see a slight boost in minutes..and with that Gary Neal will gain minutes again as well and he has looked decent recently so he hope we can see the old deadly Neal soon enough
Why couldn't Kawhi, DG, Manu, and Jax have shared the swing minutes? It would mean much less Neal.
Matty Bon Bon is finally gonna shine. Enter Hall of Fame based solely on one mesmerizing 3 point barrage right through the playoffs. Wins Finals MVP from Timmy. With his renewed confidence Matty BonBon goes ape next season on his way to a scoring le, all time 3pointers made, and finally another championship and Finals MVP. Write that down. We livin in BonBons WORLD now.
If Kawhi's playing all but 8-13 minutes then I guess Jack isn't needed. Green and Ginobili can fill in and if anything happened to Ginobili in the playoffs, Neal can step in Green's role.
...playblair is that you?!?!?
Upshot is probably more Matt Bonner. That sure has worked in the past!
Game 7, NBA Finals @ Heat
Tim Duncan: 0 Points (0-1 FG), 2 Rebounds, 8 Minutes (Fractured femur)
Tony Parker: 2 Points (1-11 FG), 1 Rebound, 3 Assists
Manu Ginobili: DNP (Old Age)
Matt Bonner: 41 Points (13-18 FG, 11-14 3PT, 4-4 FT), 21 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 11 Blocks
DeJuan Blair: 30 Points (15-17 FG), 18 Rebounds
What if Jack was the reason the team has been playing like for the past few weeks? Spurs FO wouldn't have done this unless Jack was really causing problems. It's dumb to assume this was done blindly without any meditation on the decision.
LOL, JAX-suckers can't stop sucking his ..., can they? Jesus Christ.
Do you think would cut Jax if he didn't know the health of Manu? I think this could mean Manu will be back.
Parker said Manu will most likely play the Minnesota game.
Jack isn't a Manu replacement, so it's a moot point.
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