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I hope we win, and punk that ing pussy KG.
Spurs-Celtics: Old champs take shot at new champs
Jeff McDonald
BOSTON — When the Spurs walk into the TD Banknorth Garden this morning, they will be sure to take notice of the redecorating job the building's primary occupants undertook over the summer. A 17th Boston Celtics championship banner will be hanging in the rafters, accentuating the feng shui.
The Spurs might also notice an addition to the Celtics' traditional green-and-white uniforms — a nice, big invisible bull's-eye where the numbers should be.
Spurs forward Tim Duncan, owner of four NBA les himself, knows this look well.
“It's definitely different being the defending champion,” Duncan said. “People come in every night, and you've got a target on your back. It doesn't matter who it is or what team you're playing, they're always going to bring their best against you.”
Especially if that team happens to be the previous NBA champion.
The Spurs, the league's 2007 le-winner, resume their rodeo road trip today with a high-noon showdown against the newly crowned Celtics.
It is a red-letter date the Spurs have had circled on their calendar in Celtic green for some time now, ever since Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Co. officially supplanted them as king of the NBA hill last June.
“It's going to be a great game, a great challenge,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said. “We're going to be very motivated, and they're going to be very motivated.”
As if the Spurs needed more in the motivation department.
Much of the basketball-playing world already seems to have ordained an NBA Finals rematch between the Celtics and Lakers. No matter that the Spurs are still very much in the conversation among the league's elite.
At 33-15, they are in second place in the Western Conference behind the Lakers, and head into today's game holding a 31/2-game lead over New Orleans in the league's toughest division.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he seldom uses his team's “under-the-radar” status to inspire his players. He wouldn't be surprised, however, if they use it to inspire themselves.
“It probably does bug them, because they're human beings,” Popovich said. “It never materializes into somebody saying, ‘We never get respect.' But they play for that.”
The Spurs can forget about getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment in Boston. The Celtics, who at 42-10 trail only Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, have had this game earmarked as well.
“Everybody talks about the Lakers,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I'm amazed people keep forgetting about the Spurs. They're just a fundamentally sound, great basketball team.”
Boston center Kendrick Perkins went a step further, intimating he was relieved it was the Lakers, and not the Spurs, who came out of the Western Conference last season.
“I think if they had made it, it would have been a tougher (NBA) Finals,” Perkins said.
From afar, the Spurs recognize the formula the Celtics used to hang their 17th championship banner last summer. It is much the same formula the Spurs used to hang four since 1999.
The Celtics surrounded their three stars with productive role players — 3-point gunner Eddie House, grappling big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis, the since-departed James Posey and since-inactive Sam Cassell — and leaned hard on an attack-dog defense.
Led by Garnett, the league's reigning defensive player of the year, the Celtics' defensive dominance hasn't waned. Boston ranks first in the league in field-goal percentage defense (42.5) and second in scoring defense, allowing just 92.3 points a game.
Popovich is quick to label the Celtics “the best defensive team we'll face all year.”
“They focus on defense, no question,” said Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr., who faced Boston four times with Washington last season. “That's the anchor of their team. That's the reason they won the championship last year.”
The Spurs will witness the fruits of that labor this afternoon.
Indeed, the Celtics have another banner in the rafters, but they won't be the only team in the gym with a target on their backs.
“You can't ever count the Spurs out,” Perkins said. “They're going to come with it. They're a championship team.”
I hope we win, and punk that ing pussy KG.
“Everybody talks about the Lakers,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I'm amazed people keep forgetting about the Spurs. They're just a fundamentally sound, great basketball team.”
Boston center Kendrick Perkins went a step further, intimating he was relieved it was the Lakers, and not the Spurs, who came out of the Western Conference last season.
“I think if they had made it, it would have been a tougher (NBA) Finals,” Perkins said.
I agree...I got annoyed with that Skinny Merlin. Lets show em what the Spurs is all about
It Should Be A Of A Game!!!!!
The game is too early. cant they take the people who's out partying tonight or getting drunk like me into consideration.
Actually, it is best that you are drnk when you watch the game. You won't get the heart attack due to teh intensity of the game...
Old Chmaps Takes Shot at New Champs? Where in this article did the Spurs take any kind of shot at the Celtics, this is pathetic journalism as far as headlines go. The article itself was decent but the headline should change.
....suffer the little ratings
IMO that's absolutely true, in fact I'm pretty sure we'd have won those finals. I'm amazed no Laker troll was here ing about that coment.Boston center Kendrick Perkins went a step further, intimating he was relieved it was the Lakers, and not the Spurs, who came out of the Western Conference last season.
“I think if they had made it, it would have been a tougher (NBA) Finals,” Perkins said.
What is there to about? John Wooden owes all his basketball knowledge to Mr. Perkins, the guru of basketball assessements.n
I knew it wouldn't take longWhat is there to about? John Wooden owes all his basketball knowledge to Mr. Perkins, the guru of basketball assessements.
cia doc rivers
What is there to about? John Wooden owes all his basketball knowledge to Mr. Perkins, the guru of basketball assessements.so true...what Perk says is gospel.
On the flipside, it didn't take long for Spurs fans to nut themselves over what Perk said...I knew it wouldn't take long
To look past San Antonio is an odd notion
By Frank Dell'Apa
This is the matchup that could have been. If not for a couple of injuries and an apparent aversion to even-numbered dates, the San Antonio Spurs might have been defending their NBA championship against the Celtics in the Finals last year.
A Celtics-Spurs series would have differed from a Celtics-Lakers final in terms historical implications and lyrical accompaniment - "Beat S.A." just doesn't sound right - but it likely would have produced similar drama and high-level compe ion.
In any case, when the Celtics play host to the Spurs today expect both teams to raise their game. The matchup will not be greeted by media and spectators with the same anticipation as the Lakers' visit Thursday, but that does not apply to the coaches and players. Tony Allen confirmed that after Friday after the 110-100 victory over New York, dancing through the Madison Square Garden locker room and informing everyone he was looking forward to starting another winning streak against the Spurs.
The Celtics (42-10) have had victory streaks of 19 and 12 games snapped by the Lakers.
"Obviously, you take who you get [in the playoffs]," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, "but looking from afar, it was either going to be the Lakers with Kobe or the Spurs with Gregg Popovich, a brutal matchup either way. Because of their defense, it would have been a brutal four series: Atlanta, Cleveland, then Detroit, then - it would have been a of a series.
"Everyone talks about the Lakers, I'm amazed people keep forgetting about the Spurs. They are just a fundamentally sound, great basketball team.
"Tim [Duncan] is playing terrific, [Manu] Ginobili is getting back, and Tony Parker is just on another level. Whenever you play them it's a great game, like the Lakers. They are a great franchise, they've been great for a long time. They get their due, but not enough."
The Celtics have gotten closer to full strength, Kevin Garnett recovering from the flu after missing two games, then fouling out in the final minutes of the Laker game. Paul Pierce has had flu-like symptoms and also banged his right elbow in a collision with Garnett in New York. But Pierce recovered to score 26 points, the Celtics playing a dominating final quarter, outscoring the Knicks, 38-24.
"They are coming back, they are a healthier ball club than a year ago," Pierce said. "Who knows what would have happened had they gone into the Laker series 100 percent? You can never underestimate the heart of a champion.
"A lot of people are talking about the Lakers but San Antonio is going to be right there, I think, in the end."
As the Spurs are every year - or, at least, every other year.
"You've got to remember, it's that odd year, what they've done in those odd years," Pierce said. "They seem to come around in those years, it's that year again - a lot of people haven't been talking about them and they have kind of been flying under the radar, but they have guys with championship experience."
The NBA announced that Rivers was fined $15,000 for verbal abuse of game officials after the loss to the Lakers . . . Popovich, asked if the Celtics would be among the best defensive teams the Spurs would face, replied: "They are the best defensive team we'll face all year." . . . Said Spur Roger Mason: "We beat [the Celtics] when I was with the Wizards three times last year. We were the only team in the league to do that. I think they maybe underestimated us a little bit. We didn't have Gilbert [Arenas] and they probably thought it was going to be a cakewalk - we don't have the luxury now."
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