McDonald: Spurs Look To Start New Win Streak

[duncan228]

Spurs look to start new win streak
By Jeff McDonald

The Spurs left San Antonio on Tuesday afternoon on the wings of a six-game winning streak that had lifted them, however briefly, to first place in the Southwest Division.

Three days and two road losses later, the Spurs returned early Friday morning with the realization that there was still much work to be done.

“So far, we've been kind of up and down,” said Tim Duncan, whose team has gone from 1-4 to 15-8 to 15-10. “We just have to regroup. We know it's a long season, and we have to keep on playing through.”

The process of regrouping begins today when the Toronto Raptors visit the AT&T Center.

The Spurs' most recent road swing provided the clichéd reminder that NBA games last 48 minutes.

In New Orleans on Wednesday, the Spurs controlled the game for most of the first three quarters before wilting in the fourth. The Hornets outscored the Spurs 20-5 during the decisive stretch, en route to a 90-83 victory.

In Orlando a night later, the Spurs fell into a 23-point hole early in the third quarter before rallying to make a game of it. They cut that deficit to six points with seven minutes to go, but could get no closer in a 90-78 defeat.

“We're nowhere close to where we want to be,” Duncan said. “We want to use all 82 games to get everything right, and hopefully go into the playoffs feeling right.”

Still adjusting: The month of December has not been particularly kind to guard Roger Mason Jr.

After a sizzling November, during a good bit of which he was leading the NBA in 3-point shooting, Mason is averaging 9.2 points in nine games this month. That's down from 15.1 points last month.

Mason has also seen a decrease in his field-goal percentage (42.3) and 3-point percentage (34.8) in December. His drop in production not surprisingly has coincided with the return of guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili from the injured list.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says Mason is still adjusting to life alongside a pair of All-Stars.

“He's a conscientious young man who is finding his way,” Popovich said. “People who care about their teams always start out deferring, being overly conservative in that area. I think that's a good thing.”

Part of Mason's statistical decline could be related to playing time. His minutes have dropped to 26 per game this month, down nine from November.

Tolliver returns: Short on big men with center Fabricio Oberto nursing a sore foot, the Spurs recalled forward Anthony Tolliver from their NBA Development League affiliate in Austin on Friday.

Tolliver, 6-foot-8, averaged 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in six games with the Toros. He appeared in 11 games with the Spurs earlier this season, before being designated for assignment on Nov. 12.

[Slippy]

thanks for posting.

[mrspurs]

Another kid that Ive always compared to Timmy is Bosh. Timmy has always had his way with Bosh imo. Lets see if Bosh has learned any new tricks. Havnt paid much attention to the Raptors yet. Id say they've had a bad start considering the talent they have on the court. You know Matt is gonna be ready to play his old team. And I expect Matt to have a good game. Spurs should start another winning streak. Imo they should finish out this month with no losses. Not even in Phoenix.

[honestfool84]

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