Spurs hit three, get even
Jeff McDonald
LOS ANGELES — Gregg Popovich longs for the day when Roger Mason Jr. can finally fill the role the Spurs brought him in to play.
Sometime next month, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will return from the injured list, and Mason can go back to being what he is: A nice scoring option off the bench.
For now, Mason is a starter. On Monday night, he was the Spurs’ savior.
Mason’s 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining lifted the Spurs — as offensively challenged as ever in the fourth quarter — to an 86-83 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center.
“Roger’s been fantastic for us,” said Popovich, the Spurs’ coach. “When we get those (injured) guys back, he’ll give us depth off the bench, some athleticism and scoring we haven’t had the past few years. He’s going to be an important piece for us.”
Mason was important enough on Monday in the Spurs’ fourth consecutive game to come down to the final possession.
In all, seven of the Spurs’ 10 games this season have been decided in the last seconds. During the Spurs’ three-game winning streak, they have won each game with a basket in the final 16 seconds.
“The life expectancy of the average Spurs player is going down,” Matt Bonner said.
Against Houston and a night before in Sacramento, Tim Duncan did the honors. Against the now 1-9 Clippers, the game-winner came from Mason, who at this time last season was wallowing in Washington.
“Coach drew the play for me,” said Mason, who ended with 21 points. “I got it and wanted to make the best of it.”
The Spurs have won four of five games since Parker went down with a sprained ankle on Nov. 11 to reach the .500 mark (5-5) for the first time this season.
Mason’s game-winner capped a stretch of more than five minutes between baskets for the Spurs. The last field goal they managed before that trey was a floating bank shot with 5:21 to go — by Mason.
For the first 3 1/2 quarters, Duncan did much of the heavy lifting for the Spurs. He put together perhaps his most complete game of the season, totaling 20 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and four assists.
Typically content to take what the defense gives him and let his offense come to him, Duncan has been forced to carry more of the scoring load than in recent seasons. He has responded by scoring 20 or more points in nine of the Spurs’ first 10 games.
“He’s like a chameleon, it’s incredible,” Popovich said. “No matter what group he’s out there with, Timmy finds a way to make it work.”
Michael Finley, continuing his November resurgence, finished with 19 points. In five games since going 0 of 8 in that fateful Nov. 11 loss to Miami, Finley has made 31 of 59 shots (52.5 percent) and averaged 15.8 points.
That 0-fer game was not even a week old, but for Finley, it seems like last century.
“I don’t even remember it,” he said. “It’s basketball, it’s a long season. You can’t get too high with the good games or too low with the bad games.”
Behind a balanced scoring effort and another nasty defensive performance — the Spurs have held five consecutive opponents below 90 points — they carried an 11-point lead into the game’s final 6:44.
They refused to leave Staples Center without creating another round of must-see TV.
In their five-minute drought between Mason baskets, the Spurs missed five field goals and turned the ball over six times.
With 1:04 to go, Cuttino Mobley finished off the Clippers’ rally, knocking down a 3-pointer to give him 16 points in the second half and 18 for the game.
To answer, the Spurs turned to Mason.
He dribbled right off a Duncan screen, saw daylight, and let fly a perfect 3-point rainbow.
Baron Davis’ 3-point try missed on the other end, and the Spurs exhaled a now-familiar sigh of relief.
i think this is pops plan to make the spurs more interesting haha, more tight games and clutch situations!
So Manu will start when he returns.
It sounds that way and it's about time that he gets to start.So Manu will start when he returns.
this is definitely a big plus for mason and hill.In all, seven of the Spurs’ 10 games this season have been decided in the last seconds. During the Spurs’ three-game winning streak, they have won each game with a basket in the final 16 seconds.
Yeah because starting is so super duper important!!!
Pop is an idiot if he brings Mason off the bench and not Ginobili.
You have the perfect guy to play alongside Duncan, Parker, Bowen, Oberto in the starting 5 in a Stephen Jackson redux, and your gonna bring him off the bench and start Ginobili?!?!
Come on..
i prefer gino to start from the bench, he can give the bench 20pts easy...while roger will have to work harder if his to play with the bench
I think Mason's role was always to be the player to take the load off of Ginobili by starting for him instead of Michael Finley. I honestly think that either way, starting Mase with Manu as 6th man or vice versa, will work at this point.
A possible lineup for offensive firepower could showcase Tony (1), Manu (2), and Mase (3) on the floor at the same time with Timmy, and the other player would depend on the situation and who's having success in the game.
Tony, Manu, Mason, Finley, Duncan in some small ball situations would be our best offensive lineup. I like it!
They refused to leave Staples Center without creating another round of must-see TV.
cardiac kids at it again.
gaddamit. they can't keep doing that.
Pop will probably try bring Manu of the benc first.
But as the season progress he will try diferent lineups
Manu will probably come off the bench in the first few months, then start after the all-star break.
Projected starters in December:
Parker
Mason
Finley
Oberto
Duncan
I was sitting in front of my TV 10 minutes before the game started, and was so tired that I just fell asleep in my La-Z-Boy... slept thru the entire game...
looks like I missed another exciting finish !
Hopefully all this extra pressure and heavy lifting guys like Finley and Duncan have to do so early on this season doesn't catch up to them later in the season.
Last postseason especially, it sort of seems like Finley ran out of gas there towards the end.
I agree. Manu is better when he's the main option.
very good point on finley. I think though we shall see if the new diet and leaner body will make a difference.
I'm with The Truth on this one. Ginobili defenitely plays best when he's coming off the bench later in the 1st quarter, where he will more likely be the focus of the offense. With all 3 of the "Big 3" starting the game, its harder for all them to get their game's revving.
I still like Manu off the bench for the same reasons before. Allows Parker and Duncan to get their shots in early, and Manu to bring the spark with the second unit.
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