Monroe: Spurs, Popovich Make Right Moves To Down The Jazz

[duncan228]

Spurs, Popovich make right moves to down the Jazz
Mike Monroe

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah coach Jerry Sloan thinks the Spurs have one of the smartest teams in the NBA.

“They've got guys who have been together and know what they're doing and how to take advantage of any mistake that you make,” Sloan said before Tuesday's Spurs-Jazz game at Energy Solutions Arena. “They make the game look pretty simple.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thinks Sloan needs to spend more time watching the Spurs.

“I appreciate the compliment on behalf of my players, my staff, my family and the whole world,” Popovich said, “but if he was in San Antonio for a while he would get just as upset as I do at what goes on out on the court.”

After what Sloan saw in another long look at the Spurs on Tuesday night, he isn't apt to change his mind.

By the end of the game, the Spurs may not have qualified for basketball's version of Mensa, the high IQ society, but they had played smart enough to get a 106-100 victory, their 30th of the season.

Popovich's tactical genius played a part in this one. Calling a 20-second time out after a Jazz turnover with 2.9 seconds left in the first half, he drew up an out-of-bounds play to get Matt Bonner an open 3-point shot.

Using Manu Ginobili and Roger Mason as decoys on cuts around the 3-point circle, the play worked to perfection. Bonner nailed the triple and sent the Spurs to halftime with a 50-49 lead.

“We don't want to give too much away about that one,” Bonner said. “We might want to use it again.”

The play seemed to give Bonner a jolt of shooting confidence, too. Going into the game, he had made only one of his previous 10 3-pointers. But he made two more in the first 3:20 of the third period and 6 of 7 for the game. He finished with a season-high 20 points.

“I just shot them the way I always shoot them,” he said. “Tonight, they all went in.”

Popovich also was smart enough to get Bruce Bowen into the game to start the fourth quarter. He hadn't used his defensive ace at all up to that point, but he slapped Bowen on Utah 7-footer Mehmet Okur and the Jazz scored only two points in the first 4:12 of the period.

“Bruce got them a little bit ‘discombobulated' when he defended Memo,” Popovich said. “He confused the issue a little bit.”

Bowen said it was the first time he ever had been assigned to defend Okur.

How was he able to limit the much-bigger Jazz center?

“I was fresh,” Bowen said. “Honestly, in a situation like that, being fresh can change so much. You're able to give it more energy, and it's something different.”

There was no genius involved in Popovich's decision to stick with Ginobili in crunch time, no matter how difficult a game his star bench player had been having.

Ginobili had missed the only three shots he had attempted in the first three periods, and entered the fourth with only three points.

When Ginobili finally made a basket, though, it was the biggest of the game for the Spurs, a tough, twisting layup off a slick feed from Tim Duncan with 44.6 seconds left and the Spurs nursing a 94-93 lead.

“He made the right play at the right time,” Duncan said. “They were double-teaming me down the stretch, and Manu came right behind the double-team and he's wide open.

“You're not conscious of what shots he's made or missed. He's open and making the right play down the middle, so I gave him the ball and he put it in.”

The victory was just the second for the Spurs this season in a non-overtime game against an opponent that scored at least 100 points. Utah made 48.1 percent of its shots, but shot only 31.8 percent in the fourth quarter, when the Spurs outscored them 26-20.

[Blackjack]

Popovich also was smart enough to get Bruce Bowen into the game to start the fourth quarter. He hadn't used his defensive ace at all up to that point, but he slapped Bowen on Utah 7-footer Mehmet Okur and the Jazz scored only two points in the first 4:12 of the period.

Great call by Pop. (would've liked to have seen him on Memo at the end though)

When Ginobili finally made a basket, though, it was the biggest of the game for the Spurs, a tough, twisting layup off a slick feed from Tim Duncan with 44.6 seconds left and the Spurs nursing a 94-93 lead.

of a finish by Manu, but that pass was sick.

One-handed, off the dribble, back to the basket, thrown into traffic, and in the guts of the game?

Tim... You are one filthy son .

[Solid D]

Not to mention Pop's two timeouts at the end of the game, to get the ball inbounded in the front court when things went south a bit trying to inbound under the full-court press.

[duncan228]

Utah Jazz rally falls short vs. Spurs
By Jody Genessy
Deseret News

In describing the team they lost to Tuesday night, members of the Utah Jazz talked highly about the San Antonio Spurs' experience, execution and efficiency.

"It was," said Jazz forward Matt Harpring, "patented San Antonio."

Unfortunately for the Jazz, who suc bed to the pressure in the final minute against the more patient and poised Spurs, the result was also patented Utah as of late, too.

After nearly rallying from a double-digit deficit, the more-youthful Jazz couldn't quite catch up to the well-seasoned Spurs and suffered their fourth consecutive loss in a row.

The 106-100 setback to the Southwest Division-leading Spurs (30-14) was also the second loss in a row for slumping Utah (25-21) at EnergySolutions Arena.

"A loss is a loss and they're starting to add up," said Jazz point guard Deron Williams. "We're just getting farther and farther down the totem pole, so we just need to win instead of losing."

Late in the game, it looked like the Jazz might do just that.

C.J. Miles, who played a career-high 42 minutes, stole the ball and fed Paul Millsap for a fast-break layup to cut the Spurs lead — which had been as big as 11 points in the third quarter — to just one point with under a minute and half remaining.

And that, despite the usual huge outings from Tim Duncan (24 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) and Tony Parker (24 points), and an unexpected season-high 20 points and 3-point-shooting clinic by center Matt Bonner, who hit his first six threes.

"We still had a chance to get back into the ball game," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "We got down 10 points and we fought back from that. But that's a deep hole in games like this."

One point turned out to be a deep hole, considering Spurs' sixth-man Manu Ginobili saved his best for last.

Ginobili cut for a twisting off-balance layup with 1:08 remaining, and then sank eight free throws in the final 44.6 seconds to notch 10 of his 13 points in the clutch. Four foul swishes came after Mehmet Okur cut the lead back down to two with 24.4 seconds to go.

"We couldn't find a way to stop them in the end," Okur said. "They made some tough shots and we missed. It was a tough game. I thought we played hard for the most part. It was a winnable ballgame for us."

That was the consensus sentiment by the Jazz. They felt good about battling, scraping and clawing their way back into the contest after the Spurs spurted to a big lead with a 10-0 run in the beginning of the third quarter.

But they were disappointed with the not-so-grand finale.

"It's not bittersweet, it's bitter," Williams said. "It's our fourth loss in a row."

Still, Sloan credited his players, who went without Andrei Kirilenko for the fourth straight game and Carlos Boozer for the 34th consecutive night because of injuries, for playing "extremely hard."

All five starters even ended up with double-figure scoring, with Ronnie Brewer leading the way with 23 points and Okur adding 22 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.

It just wasn't quite enough down the stretch against the savvy Spurs, who took advantage of a Brewer turnover and two missed Jazz treys in the last minute.

"I was proud of how we fought," said Williams, who had his 19th double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. "I didn't think we gave up. We hung in there."

And that's precisely what they plan on doing despite this rough stretch.

"It's tough, but I don't think it's time to panic right now," Okur said. "I think we've got to work harder and play harder and try to win."

"Every team goes through this stuff," Harping added. "We'll get through it."

[Chieflion]

Williams had 13 assists, not rebounds.

[Manufan909]

Damn, 34 games? er has been out almost the whole season, what happened? And I still want him this summer(unless Jav, Gist, AND Ian are on the roster), eff the 2010 plan.

[Tully365]

Fesenko looks like an interesting project. The guy's enormous. There were rumors earlier this month that he was available, but I wonder if the injuries to Boozer and Kirilenko have changed that.

[Manufan909]

Fesenko looks like an interesting project. The guy's enormous. There were rumors earlier this month that he was available, but I wonder if the injuries to Boozer and Kirilenko have changed that.

Damn that guy weighs 288 lbs, according to wiki. Hope Sloan is dumb enough to hand him over for a package of JV/Ime/Fab/KT/onion rings/cash/pics. Is he a decent shot blocker, or has he playedtoo little to tell?

[mrspurs]

I dont care what anyones says. Manu's 6 turnovers are not good. I understand that he's learning how to play a different style. He used to be able to play reckless. Because he could depend on his body todo things most bodys cant do. Right nows he reminds me of Finley when he lost his legs through time. And thats why Dallas got rid of him. Ill give Manu a pass on his huge amount of turnovers. But if he doesnt find his game soon. Come crunch time he will hurt the Spurs not help. You can have 6 turnovers against Utah in a regualar season game without 2 of their starters on the court. But in the PO's against anyone, 6 turnovers is gonna get your team killed if your only producing 13 points.

[urunobili]

I would love to somehow get Fesenko... Koufos was ahead of him in the rotation lately... hopefully once both AK and Boozer come back they'll be shopping him around...

[Illusionarist]

I dont care what anyones says. Manu's 6 turnovers are not good. But in the PO's against anyone, 6 turnovers is gonna get your team killed if your only producing 13 points.

I am sorry to see that. Please have a look at the number of Turnovers all the other Big Players do. His turnovers are not very good but they are certainly not going to kill us. This year he plays amazing defense and he is starting to gain his rythm on the offensive end.