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Solid take, timvp, but I think we need to get on the phone with Phoenix and see if we can work a trade for Amare. The Spurs could use a big who plays lockdown defense like him.
In their first meeting since the 2008 Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers had another epic battle. Thanks to another chapter of Roger Mason, Jr. heroics, the Spurs were able to escape with a 112-111 victory.
With ten seconds to go in the game and the Spurs trailing by two points, Mason took an inbounds pass from Matt Bonner and fired a jumper with a toe on the three-point line. Not only did he make the shot, he was also fouled by Derek Fisher. Following the free throw that put San Antonio up a point, the Spurs got a stop on the other end when Trevor Ariza traveled with under a second remaining in the contest.
As for the Lakers, there’s no doubt that they are for real. Kobe Bryant is at the top of his game, Pau Gasol is also in his prime and Andrew Bynum is oozing with potential. It’s going to be tough for any team in the Western Conference to eliminate the Lakers in the playoffs.
Overall, this was a big win for the Spurs, especially in terms of their confidence. They needed to prove to themselves that they can beat the Lakers. A loss would have been doubly demoralizing considering that the Spurs were up by 11 points with about seven minutes left in the game. Hanging on to defeat their biggest rival should serve this team well as they begin a stretch that has the Spurs on the road for much of the next six weeks.
Tim Duncan
38 minutes, 20 points, ten rebounds, eight assists, two blocks
9-for-19 from the field, 2-for-4 from the line
At the beginning of the game, Tim Duncan was hardly playing like a Hall of Famer. He couldn’t buy a bucket offensively and was getting torched on the other end of the court. Eventually, Duncan settled in and played decently well. He came up with two key hoops late in the game and while his defense wasn’t exceptional, it was better than how he began the game. The one aspect of his game that was good throughout was his passing. Duncan did a great job of both finding cutters and finding open shooters, even when the Lakers weren’t double-teaming him. On the season, Duncan has been very smart with his decision making. He’s averaging more assists per minute than any season in his career and he’s also turning it over at the second lowest rate of his career.
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Manu Ginobili
30 minutes, 27 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals
9-for-15 from the field, 4-for-8 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
Manu Ginobili was waiting for a breakout game and it appears as he got just that Wednesday night against the Lakers. His 27 points tied a season-high mark and he did so with a number of difficult makes. The return of his three-point stroke was a crucial part to his offensive explosion, as it opened lanes to get to the basket and forced the Lakers to play closer to him on the perimeter. Defensively, Ginobili also played well – even when he had to defend Bryant. Both on the ball and as a help defender, he’s keeping his hands active and that has resulted in a flurry of steals as of late. Ginobili’s health looks to be as good as it has been all season, although he still looks relatively hesitant in some situations and his elevation when he jumps off of one leg is lacking.
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Tony Parker
34 minutes, 20 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals, four turnovers
9-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 at the line
With the offense running through Duncan and Ginobili scoring well, Tony Parker took on a different role than usual. Instead of being the main playmaker, he was called upon mostly to be a finisher. He shot the ball well and helped carry the offense, especially in the first quarter. However, late in the game his role switched back to playmaker and he had trouble finding open spots – specifically when he ran pick-and-rolls with Duncan. Defensively, he contested Derek Fisher well for most of the night, although Fisher was able to hit a number of difficult shots over him.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
36 minutes, 18 points
7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
Roger Mason, Jr. is starting to make a habit out of hitting game-winners for the Spurs. His latest game-winner was a difficult yet smart play. When Fisher ran by him, Mason leaned back to ensure he drew contact as he let go of the shot. It worked out perfectly and his three-point play was the difference in the game. Outside of that shot, he was very helpful throughout the game. He aggressively looked for his own shot – whether spotting up or off of pick-and-roll action. Mason didn’t help out in any statistical category outside of scoring but the threat of his offense helped spread the court. On defense, he did an adequate job against Bryant. Although no one is going to confuse Mason for being a Kobe Stopper, he competed and seems to have enough size to make Bryant work for his points.
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Michael Finley
23 minutes, three points, three rebounds
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
Offensively, Michael Finley didn’t do much. He didn’t look as comfortable as he has in recent weeks. Although, to his credit, he wasn’t getting many open looks. Defensively, Finley stayed in position and didn’t allow the man he was defending to get much separation. He also helped out on the defensive glass and boxed out well. Overall, it wasn’t a very good game for Finley but he at least avoided being the huge negative factor he was last year in the playoffs against Los Angeles.
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Matt Bonner
34 minutes, ten points, five rebounds, four assists
4-for-7 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers
In the most hyped game of the season to date, Matt Bonner played like he was oblivious to the pressure. He scored all ten of his points in the first half and had Phil Jackson altering his defense to account for Bonner’s range. His rebounding was still lacking but he also helped limit Bynum to only three boards. Bonner’s four assists were a season-high, with his final assist being the most important assist of the night. On the defensive end, Bonner was physical but was still usually overmatched in the post and his chemistry with Duncan on D is still a work in progress.
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Kurt Thomas
24 minutes, four points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals
2-for-2 from the field
Kurt Thomas was far from spectacular but he had a solid outing. He played physical post defense and rotated relatively well. On offense, he connected on both of his attempts and continues to look more and more comfortable on that end. In fact, he’s 10-for-11 from the field in his last three games. Thomas also mixed in a season-high three assists for good measure.
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George Hill
14 minutes, ten points, four rebounds, one assist
3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 3-for-5 at the line
George Hill quietly was a key ingredient to the victory for the Spurs. His ten points in 14 minutes helped keep the offense afloat as Parker rested. Defensively, he applied pressure and was helpful in the rebounding department. In his last four games, Hill appears to be figuring out how to contribute in a limited role off the bench. During that stretch, he's averaging 8.8 points while hitting 66.7% of his shots from the field (12-of-18) and beyond the three-point arc (4-of-6).
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Bruce Bowen
Six minutes
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
When the Spurs play the Lakers, one thing you could count on over the years is seeing a lot of Bruce Bowen. His six minutes on Wednesday night were a surprisingly low amount. While he was in the game, Bowen did a decent job defending Bryant – holding him to one field goal and two free throws. Additionally, two of Bryant’s four turnovers were while Bowen was on the court.
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Gregg Popovich
Pop seemed to push all the right buttons against the Lakers – at least on the offensive end. His strategy of keeping Bowen on the bench and going with more offensively charged lineups paid off in the end. On the whole, I liked his rotations. He gave Mason and Bonner extended minutes and kept Finley off the court when it became apparent that it wasn’t his night. In the fourth quarter, it could have helped if Pop called a better variety of plays. And on defense, anything to shakeup that lackluster effort would have been appreciated.
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Offense
All things considered, the Spurs had one of their best offensive nights of the season. The Lakers aren’t a great defensive bunch but they are certainly capable of turning it on. For the game, the Spurs shot 57.1% from the field, hit 10-of-20 three-pointers, got to the line 21 times and had 22 assists to only 12 turnovers. Through the first three quarters, the Spurs were clicking on all cylinders offensively. But with 95 points heading into the fourth, the offense stalled a bit in the final stanza as the Spurs were only able to score 17 points. That said, 112 should always be enough for a San Antonio victory.
Defense
The defense showed potential for a few stretches but overall it was a disappointing performance on that end of the court. The Lakers were able to shoot 56.6% from the field, connect on 9-of-16 three-pointers, rack up 20 assists and turn the ball over only 11 times. The only bright spots for the Spurs were they kept the Lakers off the line (11 attempts) and kept the rebounding close (32-31 Lakers). While a number of individuals have room to improve, the help defense chemistry also has a lot of kinks to work out. Far too often the Spurs are giving up wide open three-pointers or clean looks near the basket when they are in the midst of rotating.
Drive to Five
It wasn’t the most Spurs-like win but there’s no denying that the victory over the Lakers was meaningful. Hopefully the Spurs can use the confidence gained to help take care of business on the three-game road trip they will embark on. First up is the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. The last time these two teams played, Parker needed to hit a miraculous game-winner for the Spurs to eek out a victory in front of their home fans. With that in mind, the Spurs will need to refocus quickly and concentrate on the new task at hand.
Believe.
Solid take, timvp, but I think we need to get on the phone with Phoenix and see if we can work a trade for Amare. The Spurs could use a big who plays lockdown defense like him.
This game had me pulling my hair out. Up by 11 in the 4th and then pissing it all away. I actually had an early morning meeting and had to stop watching the game after the late Kobe 3 in the 4th. I held off as long as I could though. So I came home to a welcome surprise of more Mason theatrics a few hours later.
Roger Mason, Jr.
36 minutes, 18 points
7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
Roger Mason, Jr. is starting to make a habit out of hitting game-winners for the Spurs. His latest game-winner was a difficult yet smart play. When Fisher ran by him, Mason leaned back to ensure he drew contact as he let go of the shot. It worked out perfectly and his three-point play was the difference in the game. Outside of that shot, he was very helpful throughout the game. He aggressively looked for his own shot – whether spotting up or off of pick-and-roll action. Mason didn’t help out in any statistical category outside of scoring but the threat of his offense helped spread the court. On defense, he did an adequate job against Bryant. Although no one is going to confuse Mason for being a Kobe Stopper, he competed and seems to have enough size to make Bryant work for his points.
I rewatched the game and this kid wasn't even fazed that he made that shot. He didn't hesitate when he was knocking down that free throw either. He wanted that 3 shot, and he wanted to be the guy taking the FT, and it seemed first nature to him. Sometimes you can tell players are faking it in that situation...faking confidence and wanting the ball, especially young players...not so with him, in fact he seems to have more of that sort of swagger than some star players with a rep for burning to win.
He's impressive and I'd tip my hat to the Spurs for landing what appears to be a very clutch player, if they hadn't already said they didn't know he was like that. Plus it's still early..
Definitely seems to be a case of them getting more than they expected, and hopefully it'll hold up in the playoffs.
I've seen some Spur fans comparing him to Mario Elie and while I don't agree with that from a skill set perspective, I do agree that he has Mario's at ude. Game wise he's got a clean game and doesn't try to do more than he's capable of, and it's also pretty obvious that he's got a lot more going on upstairs than the typical NBA player. He plays Barry's kind of fill in the spaces game(minus the great passing), but he's got much more of an edge to him at ude wise. I don't want to jinx him by saying he's Jack reincarnated, but damned if the way he carried himself in that game wasn't impressive. He was the difference in winning and losing in a Spurs Lakers game. It was much more impressive watching the sequence the second time around...he just about that won that game all on his own while the rest of the team was losing confidence. He definitely reigned on Kobe's parade and ruined his victory script
One thing I just saw recently that is completely awesome...he and Bonner rank 1-2 in the NBA in 3 shooting...that combined with the star talent of Parker, Manu and Duncan is one of an offensive unit...there's nowhere for NBA defenders to hide with that group on the floor together.
They will create problems for any NBA defense and I don't think the Lakers can match up with very well defensively when it comes down to it. Ariza can't guard any of them...and Kobe's never exactly been a Manu stopper himself, and Parker is a total mismatch for D-Fish. I think they'll matchup well with the Lakers all season. I thought they matched up well with them last year it's just that Manu was injured. I didn't expect Bonner and Mason to help them matchup even better with LA, and they just might. Hopefully some of Mason's edge will rub off on Bonner...and hopefully they'll keep knocking down those threes at that kind of clip all season long.
Last edited by whottt; 01-16-2009 at 05:32 AM.
Good idea. Vaughn and Oberto for Amare Stouemire.
To be honest, I thought the game was over after that Kobe three-pointer. When he hit that shot, it was like the air was let out of the building.
But I forgot to account for the Mason factor
I was impressed at the way we were able to keep them off the boards...especially with the size disadvantage we have. I'll take Kobe leading the team in rebounding any day of the week. That is a big step in the right direction, as we were killed on second opportunities during the playoffs.The defense showed potential for a few stretches but overall it was a disappointing performance on that end of the court. The Lakers were able to shoot 56.6% from the field, connect on 9-of-16 three-pointers, rack up 20 assists and turn the ball over only 11 times. The only bright spots for the Spurs were they kept the Lakers off the line (11 attempts) and kept the rebounding close (32-31 Lakers). While a number of individuals have room to improve, the help defense chemistry also has a lot of kinks to work out. Far too often the Spurs are giving up wide open three-pointers or clean looks near the basket when they are in the midst of rotating.
I think the points in the paint are always going to be a problem though, even if we do add another big. I think our best shot is to play straight up in the post and concentrate on improving our defensive rotations on the perimeter. As we move into the playoffs we will have to count on Tim stepping up his game defensively to slow Gasol. If that happens and our guys on the perimeter work hard to make the Lakers take more difficult shots then I think we have a good chance in the playoffs.
I like the Barry comparison. He's got that same kind of quick release. Mason is pretty much everything we hoped Barry would be in 2004.
Spurs still need another big. Like a Shawn Bradley type.
hill's numbers look good but he was pretty spastic, i think he can do better if he collects himself
and if phil is going to stick kobe on manu (and take him out of his usual roamer role), pop needs to devise a way of taking advantage.
in general, pop needs to make better plans for the lakers. of the past 6 games against them, how many have we blown double digit leads? fatigue is a factor, but so are phil's adjustments, like throwing late doubles at tim and now sticking kobe on manu / ariza on parker.
I'm glad we won but with the way it ended it was more relief than joy. 2nd of a b2b for them, at home, we scored 110+ and got 60+ from the big 3, and it took last second heroics to get a 1pt victory.
I watch some rockets games sometimes and I have found barry's depression. For start barry can't jump anymore, you can not even thruste a piece of paper under his feet during the mini second he jumps.
Mason is just an outlaw-type of guy who enjoys busting others but never explode during the other 45 minutes.
What do you think is causing that? There's been a rash of it lately, whereas we have mostly defended the 3pt line well until recently.
Maybe more along the lines of a Kwame Brown type, then?
Things would have been different had Famar and Walton been able to play.
I still think Roger Mason is a combo of Stephen Jackson's at ude and clutchness, with Brent Barry's skill set. I said that from day 1 from watching the guy and stick by it to this day.
Yeah Jordan Farmar clearly would've shut down George Hill
Hard to see how that will work over a seven game series. If the Spurs take the Lakers in the playoffs and Bonner plays significant minutes, Pop should go directly to the HOF.
I thought for sure Bruce Bowen would come in the 1st quarter and play about 25+ minutes.
Bonner is a good part of the reason we just beat the Lakers, buddy... like I've said numerous times, all Bonner needs to do is hit open jump shots and he'll be a key contributor - I'm not sure I saw Pau or Bynum leave the paint once to contest a jumpshot out of it, even for KT at the circle, so ...Hard to see how that will work over a seven game series. If the Spurs take the Lakers in the playoffs and Bonner plays significant minutes, Pop should go directly to the HOF.
Oh, and did you forget who made the assist to Mason for the gamewinner? Fisher thought he could steal Bonner's pass, but it was perfectly sent to Mason with a bow on top. Whether or not Bonner read the play right, he made the right decision.
As did I, but it doesn't surprise me he didn't. Pop was definitely testing Mason to see whether he would wilt under the pressure of guarding the biggest reason we might not make the Finals this year. Let's not talk about what he did on offense compared to what Bowen would have done, either.
Last edited by z0sa; 01-16-2009 at 11:30 AM.
Bonner has been playing excellent and consistent basketball (within the confines of his capability and role)... That being said, I have noticed that he tends to shy away from taking open/semi contested threes in the clutch... and defers to the big three. I don't know whether that is by design, nevertheless I feel it's something that needs to be addressed. By deferring he essentially runs more time off the clock and forces one of the big three to take a more difficult shot.
This observation was prominent over the last two games (particularly the Orlando game).
+ 1
i still think he will overcome that while being accustomed to play the final minutes. but i noticed that too.
Very gutsy win. RMJ singlehandedly transformed a vintage spurs 4th quarter meltdown into a season highlight victory.
Prehps.
I was thinking going into this game, with the Lakers shorthanded, a key to victory would be how we use our 2nd unit players, like Manu and Hill. We seemed to do the damn thing pretty well with those guys, despite a careless turnover by the rookie
Bonner disappears in big games, huh assholes???
This is my main problem with Bonner -- I don't think he will hit the big shot when the money's on the table.
There are two types of big game shooters, the Ellie, Mason, Jack, Horry type.
And the Hedo, Bonner, Odom type.
And that characteristic never changes or "improves" IMO.
the difference is that Bonner didn't have the chance to prove he's a cold blooded shooter in clutch situation or a choker yet. How can you judge him yet ?
Bonner taking the last shot of the game should never happen ... that's why we have Tony/Manu/Tim/Mason and Finley. But I'm sure he'll gladly hit the open jumpers LA will be forcefeeding him throughout the game, and has the ability to play a very good decoy at the end since he's adept at making the extra pass.
LA's entire gameplan is pack the paint on defense and beat you on offense - if you win on semi-contested jumpers so be it. It's a big part of the reason Parker developed a jumpshot, or why Phil has always been a fan of size over speed. However, Bonner is the ultimate Laker mismatch on offense, because they have to leave the paint to defend his shots, and that opens up the whole floor for everyone.
And Bonner is good enough defensively to make Bynum work for his points. Defense is always easier to fall back on in the PO than your offense, which is why those post moves Bynum were making will be that much harder in a REAL pressure situation and with other players looking for shots.
Last edited by z0sa; 01-16-2009 at 12:30 PM.
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