Spurs At Rockets Previews

[duncan228]

San Antonio (9-6) at Houston (10-6) Preview
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Sat Nov 29, 2008
By Dan Pieringer

In their first meeting of the season, the banged-up San Antonio Spurs won a sloppy, low-scoring affair over the healthy Houston Rockets. Now that the tables have turned on the injury front, the Spurs have to be confident about their chances of winning the rematch.

After playing with their top three players for the first time this season, the Spurs look to continue their resurgence Saturday night when they visit the Rockets, who could again be without Tracy McGrady.

San Antonio opened the season without last season’s leading scorer, Manu Ginobili, because of offseason ankle surgery. Things got worse for the Spurs when point guard Tony Parker went down with a severe left ankle sprain in a Nov. 7 game against Miami.

Though they still had Tim Duncan in the middle, the Spurs struggled without their top perimeter players, opening the season 2-5 for their worst start since 1996-97. San Antonio, however, has rebounded to win seven of its last eight games, even though it wasn’t until this week when Ginobili and Parker returned.

Ginobili came back Monday and Parker rejoined the team far earlier than expected Friday night, when the Spurs (9-6) defeated Memphis 109-98 in their first game with all three stars who have led them to three championships in the last six seasons.

Duncan had 11 points and 12 rebounds, Ginobili scored 14 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and Parker added 15 points and seven assists in just 17 minutes Friday.

“It feels great. It’s great to be back,” Parker said. “When you’re out for three weeks you only think about getting back on the court, and try to have fun and try to help the team win.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was just as excited as his All-Star point guard.

“His rhythm looked good,” he said. “He’s back.”

That doesn’t bode well for the Rockets (10-6), who lost their first game against their Southwest Division rivals 77-75 on Nov. 14. Despite playing with all three of its top offensive threats in McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest, Houston recorded a season-low point total against the injury-plagued San Antonio club, which outscored the Rockets 12-0 in the final 4:20.

Houston could have a hard time getting revenge if McGrady can’t play Saturday. The two-time league scoring champion missed the team’s last game Wednesday because of pain in his surgically repaired left knee. His status for this game is uncertain.

The Rockets missed him Wednesday, when they were outscored 27-16 in the fourth quarter of a 91-90 home loss to Indiana. They led by as many as 10 in the fourth before losing on Danny Granger’s tip-in with 13 seconds remaining.

“To lose a game like that just makes my stomach hurt,” said Yao, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds but shot 5-for-14 from the field.

Though it was a disheartening defeat, the Rockets are at least somewhat encouraged after having Shane Battier in the lineup for the first time this season. Battier, who finished third in last season’s Defensive Player of the Year voting, had five points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes in his first game since sitting out training camp and the first four weeks of the season with inflammation in his left foot.

“I felt OK,” said Battier, who was 2-for-6 from the field. “I’m still unaware of my movement and my body and obviously, my shot wasn’t very good.”

Battier came off the bench only twice last season, both times against the Spurs so he could match up against Ginobili, the Sixth Man of the Year. Ginobili averaged 17.5 points and shot 42.9 percent (9-for-21) in those games.

Notes:

Spurs:

San Antonio's bench outscored Memphis, 62-4... The Spurs are 4-0 at home when they have a lead to start the fourth quarter. ... The Spurs have won seven of their last eight games. ... Tony Parker returned and scored 15 points and picked up seven assists in 17 minutes.

Rockets:

F Shane Battier returned from offseason surgery on his left foot to play his first game of the season. When asked before the game how much he could play, Battier joked that over and under was probably 10 minutes. "We'll be putting him in and out of the lineup for short periods," coach Rick Adelman said. "He's only practiced twice. I would think he'll play 15-20." Battier ended up playing 29 minutes. ... The return of Battier helped ease the loss of G Tracy McGrady, who did not dress because of soreness again in his left knee. McGrady underwent surgery on the knee in the offseason. "It's been a day-to-day situation," Adelman said of McGrady's knee. "It wasn't my decision (not to play him). Tracy and the medical people make that decision. It's a big advantage of getting Shane back with Tracy out. We still have some size."

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Tony Parker SA 27.4
Yao Ming Hou 18.2

Rebounds

Tim Duncan SA 9.9
Yao Ming Hou 9.7

Assists

Tony Parker SA 5.8
Rafer Alston Hou 4.7

[Frenchise player]

Thanks for the post.
Houston won't have T-Mac but they get Battier back, not sure if that's a good trade off for the Spurs considering how T-Mac was playing.

The Spurs will face two of the toughest perimeter defenders in the game, it will be a good opportunity to see if Tony and Manu have healed well, the Grizzlies and the Bulls were really soft on the defensive side.

I remember that in the first game it was Tim's defense and offense on Yao that had keyed the victory, I hope to see it tonight as well.

[mrspurs]

From the last game it looked like the Rockets really missed Rafer. Looks like they might be without Tmac but will have Shane. Should be another win if we continue to hit them 3s. And with so many guys that can hit that 3, its scary. Im probably gonna get cussed at again. But thanks again 228 for your time and effort.

[anakha]

Take note: it's never crossed this guy's mind that maybe he deserves to be cussed at.

[duncan228]

Im probably gonna get cussed at again. But thanks again 228 for your time and effort.

Do you think I believe that you went from thinking that the articles I post aren't worthwhile contributions to the board to thanking me for them overnight? Your 'thanks' are no different than anything else you post here. Negative and sarcastic.

[homer]

Thanks for the post.
Houston won't have T-Mac but they get Battier back, not sure if that's a good trade off for the Spurs considering how T-Mac was playing.

The Spurs will face two of the toughest perimeter defenders in the game, it will be a good opportunity to see if Tony and Manu have healed well, the Grizzlies and the Bulls were really soft on the defensive side.

I remember that in the first game it was Tim's defense and offense on Yao that had keyed the victory, I hope to see it tonight as well.

I think it was Hill's play as much as Duncan's that keyed that victory. Hill posterized Yao in that game. It may be harder to do with SB back. Houston should make TMac pay them for all his injuries over the years. Yao too. If they were completely healthy every year they'd be a lot tougher in the playoffs. Houston fans should demand payback.

[m33p0]

Im probably gonna get cussed at again. But thanks again 228 for your time and effort.

don't even try. your act has lost a lot of its luster and it was never any good to begin with.

[duncan228]

Saturday: Spurs (9-6) at Rockets (10-6)
Express-News

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: KMYS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - ROCKETS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 12 Rafer Alston (6-2, 10th yr)
Parker returned to action Friday night against the Grizzlies.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 1 Tracy McGrady (6-8, 12th yr)
If McGrady’s knee is still sore, Shane Battier moves into the starting five.

SF - 12 Bruce Bowen (6-7, 13th yr) - 96 Ron Artest (6-7, 10th yr)
Artest plus Battier equals a defensive monster on the perimeter.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 4 Luis Scola (6-9, 2nd yr)
Duncan is scoring at his highest clip in five seasons (21.7 ppg).

C - 7 Fabricio Oberto (6-10, 3rd yr) - 11 Yao Ming (7-6, 7th yr)
Yao was held to 13 points in Nov. 14 meeting with Spurs.

SPURS RESERVES

15 Matt Bonner, F, 6-10, 5th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
4 Michael Finley, G, 6-7, 14th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
35 Anthony Tolliver, C, 6-8, 1st yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr

ROCKETS RESERVES

0 Aaron Brooks, G, 6-0, 2nd yr
2 Luther Head, G, 6-3, 4th yr
31 Shane Battier, G/F, 6-8, 8th yr
14 Carl Landry, F, 6-9, 2nd yr
13 Von Wafer, G, 6-3, 4th yr
17 Brent Barry, G, 6-7, 14th yr
44 Chuck Hayes, F, 6-6, 4th yr

COACHES

Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Rockets: Rick Adelman

INJURIES

Spurs: None

Rockets: Battier (inflammation in left foot) and McGrady (right knee soreness) are day-to-day.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Jacque Vaughn, Blake Ahearn, Ian Mahinmi.

Rockets: Joey Dorsey, Steve Francis.

NOTABLE

When these two teams last met, on Nov. 14, Spurs posted their best defensive effort of the year in a 77-75 victory. ..... Spurs overcame 14-point deficit in final 7:37 to win, scoring game’s final 12 points. ..... Including that game, Spurs have won seven of past eight.

- Jeff McDonald

[milkyway21]

But thanks again 228 for your time and effort.

--------------------------

I hope TMac will play and Houston lose the game.

[Cry Havoc]

This Spurs team is suddenly looking very dangerous. I mean, is there a team in the entire league with a backcourt as scary and deep as we are? Parker, Manu, mason, hill. Arguably the weakest player there can drop 19 and 11 on you. Freaking amazing. I don't know if I've ever been as proud of this team during the regular season as I am right now.

[rayray2k8]

I wonder how this forum will act if the spurs lose tomorrow??..
hmmm
Probably the usual this this or fire pop..

[m33p0]

what is amazing to me is that, even though Duncan's point production did went up, it only went up around 2 points.

[mrspurs]

Do you think I believe that you went from thinking that the articles I post aren't worthwhile contributions to the board to thanking me for them overnight? Your 'thanks' are no different than anything else you post here. Negative and sarcastic.

Im reading your posts. I could careless what you personally think. Your posts are great. It saves alot of people from running around from site to site to find spurs stuff. Im a heavy spurs/sports readers. Always have been. And you do a fantastic job of doing all that work for Me. Thats all it is. Your abusive language isnt nothing this site isnt used to. (even thou your a lady, and coming from a lady its quite distastful) So just do the great job your doing. And Ill keep thanking ya. No more, No less. Keep up the great work 228 and God Bless

[duncan228]

Now with Battier back, how does Artest fit in?
by David Hartnett

As soon as reports were published that Ron Artest would be becoming a member of the Houston Rockets, one of the first questions that arose was how Artest would fit in the Rockets lineup.

Artest had been a small forward throughout much of his career (though can guard anything from a shooting guard to a power forward), but the small forward position had been filled for the previous two years by Shane Battier.

So while Battier missed all of the preseason and the first 15 games of the regular season, speculation remained, no answer was found, and both Coach Adelman and Shane Battier remained quiet about their plans.

Even when Shane Battier returned against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night, we still didn’t have an answer. As Tracy McGrady rested, no resolution to the lingering question became apparent.

Now, as it seems Battier, Artest and T-Mac will all be in the lineup against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night, the question once again arises: How does Artest fit in?

Since the trade was announced, it seemed that the best role Artest could fit would be the one Manu Ginobili fills for the Spurs. Ginobili is their sixth man, but plays just as many minutes as most of the starters.

Where Battier is much more efficient when set up in the corner to fire three-pointers, Artest has a much more diversified skill set on the offensive end, and can handle being the “go-to-guy.” Therefore, it makes sense for Artest to be on the court with the group comprised of Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry and Brent Barry.

Thus, in theory, it would make sense for Battier to remain in the starting lineup, where Yao’s double-teams can set up easy shots for Battier. At the very least, playing alongside Yao and T-Mac would create better opportunities for Battier than what he would receive with the second team.

Though that isn’t to say both Artest and Battier can’t be productive and on the court at the same time. In the waning minutes of any particular game, you can have both Artest and Battier out on the court for defensive purposes.

If it’s a relatively small lineup the Rockets are defending, the possibility presents itself for Rafer Alston to guard the point guard, T-Mac to guard either the shooting guard/small forward (whomever is a weaker threat to score) and Battier guard whomever T-Mac doesn’t pick up.

Then this allows for Artest to guard the power forward, and either Yao or Scola to guard the center (depending on whether the center is a three-point threat or not).

While there is nothing currently more than mere speculation the role both Artest and Battier fill, it’s great for an impending resolution to end months of wondering.

[duncan228]

Rockets put in overtime after loss
Rather than dwell upon last defeat, team is looking ahead
By Jonathan Feigen

Practice was over. The Rockets had completed the day’s drills and post-practice shooting. They were free to leave. They didn’t.

Rather than even sticking around for the customary free-throw shooting comedy and compe ion, they gathered on the court’s other end to discuss the ever-exciting topic of pick-and-roll coverages.

This was perhaps their self-imposed penance for blowing a late 10-point lead Wednesday against the Pacers, but it was more than that. It was, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said, his players’ determination to “move on.

So the Rockets reconvened to not only remind themselves again about the need to play the game’s final six minutes, but to make the corrections for the mistakes and shortcomings that were their undoing in the final minutes Wednesday.

“We have to come back,” center Yao Ming said. “That’s a loss, a horrible loss. For us, it feels painful. We have a very tough back-to-back coming. We need to get out front and finish the game well.

“We just need to play consistent, know how we get leads and know the game intensity will never get low before the clock runs out. It’s more about mentality stuff. I have that feeling when we get a 10-point lead we’re a little too casual on the court.”

But the Rockets believe that even with thorough late-game collapses against the Pacers and the Spurs, tonight’s opponent at Toyota Center, those instances are aberrations.

As brutal as so many of the Rockets’ losses have been, the team has quickly applied the tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

The Rockets have lost consecutive games only once this season and that took Brandon Roy’s catch-and-shoot 31-footer in the last split second of overtime in Portland.

Missing starters

Their three losses since — in San Antonio and to the Mavericks and Pacers in Toyota Center — came with starters out, with Rafer Alston suspended for the first Spurs game, Yao out against Dallas and Tracy McGrady out against Indiana.

McGrady went through about half of Friday’s practice and said he would not know if he will play until tonight. Shane Battier, who made his season debut Wednesday, is available.

“Whoever is out there, you still have to go out and execute,” McGrady said. “Everybody knows what we’re doing. We all know what to do. It doesn’t matter. It’s part of being in the NBA. You’re going to have changes because it’s a long season.”

With that in mind, they went to work on the areas in which they did not seem to know what they were doing Wednesday, working Friday on getting Yao the ball when he is fronted and working overtime on slowing ball-handlers in pick-and-rolls.

“We get away from some of the things we do for three quarters,” McGrady said. “The fourth quarter, it seems like we haven’t been there before. We don’t know how to execute. We don’t know who to get the ball to. We don’t know how to get the ball because the defense throws a little wrinkle in there like they did the other night. Indiana started fronting Yao, and we didn’t know how to get him the ball.

“When teams play you a certain way for three quarters and all of a sudden in the fourth quarter they change it up, then you have to have the basketball IQ to make end-game changes, and that’s something we didn’t do. If teams want to do what they did the other night, we have an answer for that.”

The Spurs will come at the Rockets all night with one of the league’s best pick-and-roll offenses, particularly now that Manu Ginobili is back. The Rockets have avoided long losing streaks by making corrections after their bad losses. The latest loss left a great deal to correct.

Learning from mistakes

“The last game wasn’t so much Indiana beating us,” guard Brent Barry said. “It was us beating ourselves down the stretch. There were some things we want to improve on and get better at. There’s nothing better than to have an open dialogue and try to get on the same page.

“We’re talking about how we’re going to try to slow up the ball and make teams get out of their rhythm. In the Indiana game, we had some instances guys weren’t changing directions and doing some things we talked about. Hopefully, we’ll find ways to make Manu or Roger (Mason) or guys handling the ball veer off the path to the basket.”

As much as they could not have enjoyed re-living Wednesday’s loss, they did Friday, and then stayed for more.

“Losing those two games leaves a bitter taste in your mouth because you could be 12-4,” Adelman said. “But you just have to move on. A lot of teams in this league are where we are. They lost five, six, seven games and are trying to find a consistent way to play. And that’s what we’re trying to do with guys in and out.

“You always learn from situations. Even if we won that game, we should look at what happened in the fourth quarter.”

They won’t soon forget it. The trick is doing something about it.

[duncan228]

Rockets, Spurs square off in Houston

(Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets will try to get back on the winning track tonight when they host the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center.

The Rockets had their three-game winning streak come to an end with Wednesday's 91-90 home loss to the Indiana Pacers. Ron Artest scored 19 points and Yao Ming finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for Houston.

Luis Scola contributed 15 points and 18 rebounds while Carl Landry had 15 and 10 boards in the win. The Rockets played without Tracy McGrady, who sat out the game with left knee soreness. McGrady is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.

Forward Shane Battier (ankle) is also questionable against San Antonio.

The Spurs, meanwhile, have won four straight and seven of eight games, including Friday's 109-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at the AT&T Center. Tony Parker had 15 points and seven assists in his first game back after missing nine contests with a sprained ankle.

Parker originally suffered the injury in the first quarter of a 99-83 loss to the Miami Heat on November 7. Roger Mason added 20 points and five assists while George Hill and Michael Finley scored 12 points apiece for San Antonio.

Tim Duncan ended with 11 points and 12 boards in a winning effort.

San Antonio has won three in a row on the road.

Houston suffered a 77-75 loss at San Antonio on November 14 this season. The Spurs have won 11 of the last 15 meetings in this series.

San Antonio has lost two straight after winning its last four at Houston.

[Indazone]

that's ok, we will see. Spurs are running into a team that is a defensive juggernaut. I predict Spurs will not score over 90 pts.

[TDMVPDPOY]

if scola outperforms bonner+kurt+oberto? fkn bs

[Obstructed_View]

Im reading your posts. I could careless what you personally think. Your posts are great. It saves alot of people from running around from site to site to find spurs stuff. Im a heavy spurs/sports readers. Always have been. And you do a fantastic job of doing all that work for Me. Thats all it is. Your abusive language isnt nothing this site isnt used to. (even thou your a lady, and coming from a lady its quite distastful) So just do the great job your doing. And Ill keep thanking ya. No more, No less. Keep up the great work 228 and God Bless

It's surprising that you'd claim to read a lot when one considers how completely stupid you are. Frankly I'm surprised you can type. However, you do provide lots of comic relief with your posts, despite making me wonder if you actually are rooting for another team. Thanks and off.

[Indazone]

Hopefully Adleman sat Artest down for a lonnnnnnngggg talk about dribbling the ball into the heart of the defense and not kicking it out to the open man.

Brent Barry DOH!

[duncan228]

Jeff McDonald: No T-Mac for Rockets

The Spurs are back at full strength, with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker returning from injury this week. The Rockets, meanwhile, are not.

Tracy McGrady will miss his second consecutive game tonight with a sore right knee, the Rockets have just announced. McGrady is set to undergo further tests on the knee tomorrow.

McGrady also missed Houston's 91-90 loss to Indiana on Wednesday. In his place, Shane Battier -- who is coming off a foot injury of his own -- gets the start.

In part due to lingering injury, McGrady is averaging 15.6 points per game this season, a career low.