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really, pop? hopefully this is just lip service. since when is a 12 point loss "compe ive"?
Spurs' Popovich praises comeback effort
By Jeff McDonald
ORLANDO, Fla. — A night earlier, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had blasted his team for what he perceived as a lack of toughness heading down the stretch of a seven-point loss at New Orleans.
Thursday night, Popovich left Orlando's Amway Arena praising his team for the pride it had displayed in a 90-78 loss to the Magic. The Spurs trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half before rallying to within six with seven minutes remaining.
“Our players can take a lot of satisfaction in showing a lot of compe iveness and hanging in in a tough situation,” Popovich said. “Down by 23, I thought they showed a lot of class hanging in the game.”
The Spurs shot just 28.3 percent in the first half, and went into intermission behind 44-29. They battled back to within 71-65 on a pair of Tony Parker free throws with 7:01 to play but could get no closer. A 12-2 Orlando run, sparked by Jameer Nelson, finally did the Spurs in.
The Spurs averaged 80.5 points on the two-game road trip, and failed to shoot better than 40 percent in either game. Still, thanks to their comeback bid, they departed Orlando at least able to talk about a silver lining.
“We did do a good job of fighting back into it to give ourselves an opportunity,” Tim Duncan said. “We just didn't have enough in the tank to get over the hump.”
Work in progress: The schedule-makers didn't do the Spurs any favors.
After a late national TV game Wednesday in New Orleans, the Spurs didn't get into Orlando until after 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
That could be part of the reason for the Spurs' sluggish start, though Popovich wasn't in the mood to complain about it after the fact.
“The timing wasn't great,” Popovich said. “Coming in at 3:30 in the morning is never good. But it happens to everybody at some point. It all evens out for everybody.”
All hands on deck: Given the difficult nature of the Spurs' latest back-to-back, not to mention the fact that the Magic like to play small, Ime Udoka figured he'd better be ready to play Thursday night.
On the heels of consecutive DNPs, Udoka got an early call in the fourth quarter and logged 18 minutes and 52 seconds for his longest stint in 12 days.
It took him awhile to find his legs, but Udoka eventually finished with six points, making two 3-pointers.
“You've got to catch up to the speed of the game again,” Udoka said. “Working out and playing one-on-one isn't the same as playing. You have to kind of get your feet under you.”
It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of night for the Spurs.
All 11 players who dressed played, including reserve point guard Jacque Vaughn, who had also collected two consecutive DNPs.
Oberto out: Reserve center Fabricio Oberto sat out Thursday's game with a sore left foot. He is considered day-to-day.
really, pop? hopefully this is just lip service. since when is a 12 point loss "compe ive"?
If Pop thinks the spurs were compe ive with a 12 point loss were in trouble.
did you watch the game? they fought back hard from that 23 point deficit and i thikn that deserves at least a little praise. unfortunately nelson was dropping down everything. though they really did suck it up the second and third. oh well moving along
Too bad Jeff doesn't watch the games; Udoka was on the floor in the first half.
On the heels of consecutive DNPs, Udoka got an early call in the fourth quarter and logged 18 minutes and 52 seconds for his longest stint in 12 days.
??
how can one log 18 minutes and 52 seconds in a 12 minute quarter?
It's that "new" math.
mcdonald is re ed.
Reread junior.
He praised the comeback effort.
On their tired legs, a comeback effort to cut it to 6 is pretty damn good.
A 23 point lead is the worst thing that can happen to an NBA team.
This is Pop's Psychology 101. There is no point beating an already dead horse. We lost. It is so much better to look at the positive and grow from there.
Well lets all just laugh our way to ....
I turn off games when they piss me off too bad. I turned the Horns game off against Ohio State, both times, my wife hung with the game in OSU and came into the home office, where I was steaming/sulking/avoiding to tell me it was okay to come back to the living room and watch the game...then again OSU II, which she joined me in turning off the game. The TT game once again but I came back to it after my niece who goes to Tech and was at the game sent me a text with 'oh no' in it, which piqued my interest again.
Bottom line, I just can't hang with it if my team is beating themselves. I know that's bad but..I've had a heart attack..and believe it or not...it gets me worked up where I feel like I HAVE to turn it off. Give me a break. But these two games...barring playoff games which I watch to the end, especially if I'm actually there and I admit, I do a few 'stand in the exit' games but these kinda games... that...
I will not watch that . I refuse. The writing is on the wall. These last two games I just look at and think, 'Pop has lost his goddamn mind. He's gone Al Gore on us. Grown a beard, probably mailed a few bombs...whatever...he's ing nuts folks.'
I don't even want to think about it. It's too early. Christmas is in a week. Going to go see the family. Longhorns...Spurs....Heisman...there's only so much I can take. Getting beat by Tech was just about the limit for me. I don't have a lot of room to play with here, POP. You mother er.
-out
Last edited by word; 12-19-2008 at 05:31 AM.
We SUCKS. The loss of the recent 2 games shows the reality covered by the winning streak.
I can take losses...but these last two....suX0r'd.
I guess we can all hang on to that 'spurs start late' but as I recall last season...them times was ovah after '07. I give 'em till March 15. Then we'll know if we should make a run, or dump the season and go to the draft. In the meantime, I'm growing mah' crazy beard and demo-stratin' fer global warming and a better defense.
whoot!!
That is the only thing they can take out of that game last night. Is that they actually TRIED to make a game out of it. It was a good effort.
Good effort or not. This was the week I felt would determine or give us a real look at what we were made of. And our bigs proved me correct. Talk about getting your butts whipped inside the paint. And the Magic only hit 6 of there 25 shots from beyond the arc. This could have been an even more worse blow out then the score really says. Or the comeback we made. In the end it wasnt because of their outside shooting that cost us the game. It was because of layups. It drew Pop into getting pissed. But hey Pop what do you expect with a bunch of scrubs for bigs. I mean heck you brought these scrubs in. And this is what you might as well expect when you play against teams with alot of talent. The biggest question I have is would we have lost to NO and Orlando if we would have played them at home? And when is Ian gonna be ready? Matt is ok against sorry teams. But he aint worth a crud against the teams that will be fighting for and in the POs. If the FO isnt working on some kind of plan to get Timmy some help. Then imo they're playing their fans for suckers. And Matt has alot of fans for suckers. At MYSA.com someone said trade Tony for Amare,Marion or Okafor. Who knows with Timmy being the best passing Big in the NBA. Maybe Hill can run the show while Timmy and one of those other bigs dominate the paint. Nah, Hill would get eaten alive in the post season. Bottom line is the Spurs are not fooling anyone. And did anyone see Manu's jumping ability? In last nights game his lack of staying in the air(which has been an important asset in his driving ability to score layups and dunks), has gone flat. Manu has no lift in his legs anymore. He is basically a jump shooter now. And we have plenty of them. Trade him for a big. Or continue to get smoked by younger more talented teams. Like NO, Orlando and the Lakers. Or wait till 2010. And watch the FO bring in another scrub of a Big.
That was a pretty classic breakdown.
It's basketball. It's December.
Take it easy.
That was a pretty classic breakdown.I thought the same thing. I looked at his post count and expected to see just a few posts, but 1300?!
Seriously, figure out how to relax, take things in stride, and get a perspective. There are some anger issues here. I am not slamming you, I am actually empathetic -- I've been there. If you think you have unresolved issues, you probably do. Get some help, find someone to talk to.
Here's a reality check that I hope will help you.
National sports (whether college or pro) is big money making entertainment. Whether the Spurs or the Longhorns win or lose will not change anything in your life or the world, in reality. It's fun to watch, it's fun to pull for a team, but it's not real life.
College football players are kids. They're going to make mistakes. That DB who dropped the interception in the Tech game, Blake Gideon, graduated from high school LAST YEAR. He's what, 19 years old? Yet, if he makes that bunny catch, Texas is #1 and in the national championship game. The college football BCS system is completely stupid and the bowl games probably don't deserve the fan attention they get, because it is not a real determination of a champion.
The regular season in pro basketball is just a grind. Teams will have losing and winning streaks. The goal is to get into the playoffs without being too broken down. That's really all. The players and coaches know that the team cannot possibly get "up" and give "maximum effort" 4 nights a week, with the incredibly draining travel schedule. Yet the fans have these expectations. The playoffs is the real season.
1) Ime came out in the first quarter.
2) Is this the first we're hearing of Oberto's sore foot? Perhaps explains his recent lack of action?
3) I still don't like Jacque Vauhgn.
The best part about the game was Bonner only taking five shots. Props to the boys for hanging in there. It could've been an all-out give up.
I think the Spurs comeback had more to do with Orlando letting up than us really finding our stride.
I think the Spurs are going to struggle against any team that does not have to double team Duncan. If open 3's are not being made available by bad rotations from the opposing team's defense, this team really bogs down offensively and it turns into Duncan trying to carry the load or Ginoboli/Parker forcing the issue. Considering teams like the Lakers, Rockets, Suns, Hornets and Celtics (if we get that far) will not double right off the bat, it could be a very bad sign for our offense...
If you dont double team Duncan take the defender out. Or get him in foul trouble.
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