Spurs At Raptors Previews

[duncan228]

Wednesday: Spurs (35-15) at Raptors (20-34)
Express-News

Time: 6 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - RAPTORS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 8 Jose Calderon (6-3, 4th yr)
Free-throw streak is over, but Spurs would be wise not to foul Calderon.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 18 Anthony Parker (6-6, 6th yr)
Battling sore shoulder, Mason hopes to be fresh for 3-point shootout.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 14 Joey Graham (6-7, 4th yr)
Finley just getting over a bout of back spasms that sapped offensive production.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 7 Andrea Bargnani (7-0, 3rd yr)
Nobody has more games of 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists than Duncan.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 6 Jermaine O’Neal (6-11, 13th yr)
With Bosh likely out again, O’Neal must pick up scoring load.

SPURS RESERVES

12 Bruce Bowen, F, (6-7, 13th yr)
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G, 6-6, 1st yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr

RAPTORS RESERVES

21 Nathan Jawai, F/C, 6-10, 1st yr
24 Jason Kapono, F, 6-8, 6th yr
33 Jamario Moon, F, 6-8, 1st yr
5 Will Solomon, G, 6-1, 2nd yr
1 Roko Ukic, G, 6-5, 1st yr
77 Jake Voskuhl, C, 6-11, 9th yr
4 Chris Bosh, F, 6-10, 6th yr

COACHES

Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Raptors: Jay Triano

INJURIES

Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (sprained right ankle) is out.

Raptors: Chris Bosh (sprained right knee) is doubtful. Kris Humphries (fractured right fibula) is out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Jacque Vaughn, Mahinmi.

Raptors: Humphries.

NOTABLE

Spurs close leg two of their rodeo road trip with a visit to the Great White North. After tonight, Spurs will return home for the All-Star break before finishing with three more road games. ... Spurs won previous meeting 107-97 at the AT&T Center on Dec. 20. Duncan flirted with a triple-double in that game: 24 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists.

- Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

San Antonio (35-15) at Toronto (20-34) Preview
Game info: 7:00 pm EST Wed Feb 11, 2009
TV: FSSW, FSH
By Matt Becker

With the way they started the season, it looked like the San Antonio Spurs might be out of the playoff picture by the All-Star break.

Instead, they’re about to head into it looking more like a le contender.

In their final game before the break, the Southwest Division-leading Spurs go for their 11th win in 13 games on Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors, who are coming off their first victory in two weeks.

San Antonio (35-15) lost its first three games this season en route to a 2-5 start, but this veteran group led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili has steadily improved as the season has progressed.

After defeating Boston 105-99 on Sunday, the Spurs topped New Jersey 108-93 on Tuesday. San Antonio’s offense has come on strong lately, as it’s averaging 106.4 points on 48.9 percent shooting in its last seven games, up from 90.5 points on 40.9 percent shooting in its previous six.

That boost has come from an unlikely source—Matt Bonner has suddenly given Gregg Popovich’s team another scoring option.

On Tuesday, Bonner had 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Bonner, who played his first two NBA seasons with Toronto before being traded to the Spurs in June 2006, has totaled 45 points in his last two games after averaging 7.0 points in his previous nine.

“Matty has been playing great,” Duncan said. “He is on a great shooting streak.”

Bonner, who leads the league in 3-point percentage (50.0), also has been the beneficiary of teams doubling Duncan inside. An 11-time All Star, Duncan led San Antonio with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against the Nets.

“It makes us tough to guard,” said Bonner, who was 4-of-7 from 3-point range and finished with 14 points in San Antonio’s 107-97 win over Toronto (20-34) on Dec. 20. “If they double Timmy on the post, they have to deal with guys who can step up and make open shots.”

The Spurs, who made a season-high 16 3-pointers in that victory, have won 11 of the last 13 meetings overall and five of the last six in Toronto.

Duncan had 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots versus Toronto earlier this season, while Parker had 24 points, 10 assists and eight boards.

The Raptors will likely again have trouble guarding Duncan on Tuesday, as four-time All-Star Chris Bosh will miss his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right knee.

The Raptors are coming off a 110-102 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday, snapping a six-game skid and winning for just the fourth time in 17 games.

Toronto, which shot a season-low 29.5 percent in Saturday’s 78-70 loss at Memphis, made 53.1 percent of its shots on Tuesday as it won for the first time Jan. 28.

With Bosh sidelined, Raptors coach Jay Triano has given Jason Kapono the green light from the perimeter. The two-time defending 3-point contest champion scored 18 on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, against the Timberwolves.

“Jason’s looking to score a lot more right now,” Triano said. “He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA and he’s proven that the last couple of years at All-Star weekend.”

Notes

Spurs:

F Matt Bonner scored a season-high 23 points in Sunday's 105-99 victory at Boston. The native of nearby Concord, New Hampshire fell just two points shy of his career high, set at Golden State on December 11, 2007. "At the end of the game when we had kind of wrapped it up, I was starting to get goosebumps," he said. "I didn't get to play the last two times we were here." ... The Spurs improved to 2-1 on their annual "Rodeo Trip" - an eight-game trek that runs while the AT&T Center is taken over by a rodeo show.

Raptors:

F Chris Bosh missed his second consecutive game Saturday with a sprained right knee. He injured the knee Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving the game at the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter. Last season, the Raptors were 4-12 without Bosh in the lineup. ... G Jose Calderon and Grizzlies C Marc Gasol won silver medals for Spain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Raptors and Lakers are the only NBA teams with players from the gold and silver medal winning Olympic teams (Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol and Bosh/Calderon). ... With Bosh out Saturday, the Raptors used their 10th different starting combination (F Andrea Bargnani, F Joey Graham, C Jermaine O'Neal, G Anthony Parker and G Calderon). Heading into the All-Star Break last season, the Raptors also used 10 different starting lineups.

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Tim Duncan SA 20.7
Chris Bosh Tor 22.7

Rebounds

Tim Duncan SA 10.5
Chris Bosh Tor 9.5

Assists

Tony Parker SA 6.6
Jose Calderon Tor 8.4

Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10

San Antonio 35-15 1st Southwest / 2nd West 98.0 94.6 Road 17-8 Won 2 8-2

Toronto 20-34 5th Atlantic / 14th East 97.0 99.9 Home 9-15 Won 1 4-6

[milkyway21]

Bonner vs Kapono in this game's 3pt shooting

Battling sore shoulder, Mason hopes to be fresh for 3-point shootout

shocks I really really want Mason to be 100% to win this one.

[Yorae]

Findog with back spasms?

[Rogue]

I feel pessimistic for the raptors who will fight the sophisticated spurs without bosh.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

Spurs should win easy, i'm hoping my Nuggets can pull an upset in Orlando

Both teams would be on a 4-1 record for their 8 game road trip so far

[Chieflion]

Spurs should win easy, i'm hoping my Nuggets can pull an upset in Orlando

Both teams would be on a 4-1 record for their 8 game road trip so far

I would like nothing more than seeing the Nuggets in the 2nd round. Hope Anthony gets out of the 1st round soon before getting coined the 2nd T-Mac who just plants a curse on his team.

[dav4463]

This is the type of game where the Spurs may have a letdown and play poorly. Hopefully, they will find a way to win.

[ezau]

I hope the Spurs aren't too tired for this one.

[Brazil]

Spurs should win easy, i'm hoping my Nuggets can pull an upset in Orlando

Both teams would be on a 4-1 record for their 8 game road trip so far

it depends if Pop plays his big 3 or not...

[sonic21]

i can see pop resting tony and tim before the ASG

[gingerwave]

We can't let off the gas. Need to Keep playing at a high level. Can't let your guard down on a team like this.

[CubanMustGo]

Here's another nice preview:

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/Art...aspx?e=1429384


Spurs fly under the radar
In Toronto tonight to play the Raptors
Posted By FRANK ZICARELLI, SUN MEDIA
Posted 4 hours ago


The team's best player is known as the Big Fundamental.

The team is devoid of glamour, save for the starting point guard's wife.

But all the San Antonio Spurs do is win, and the team, which visits Toronto tonight, is poised for another extended stretch of success.

With its current nucleus of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, San Antonio has won three of the past six NBA championships, with each le garnered in odd years.

Head coach Gregg Popovich always gives the Spurs a chance because he's that good at getting players to buy into a system that demands defence and selflessness.

By any definition, the Spurs are a marquee team, but they get no style points because the way they play is considered boring by many.

In Parker, the Spurs have a big-game point guard who gets into the lane and wants the ball in crunch time.

In Duncan, the Spurs have a surefire Hall of Famer, a throwback post presence who knows how to execute a drop step, a jump hook and how to use the glass on a jumper.

In Ginobili, the Spurs feature an underrated defender whose athleticism isn't truly appreciated, even as he begins to find his groove following offseason ankle surgery.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the team to beat in the West, the reigning conference champions whose presence in the NBA final will be welcomed by U. S. television executives.

The Spurs, in many ways, are the anti-Lakers, but they are nonetheless the biggest threats to L. A. in the West.

Entering last night's game in New Jersey, the Spurs had won nine of their past 11 games, including a statement game in Boston on Sunday when two former Raptors, forward Matt Bonner and guard Roger Mason Jr., came of age.

Coincidence or not, but the Spurs have used their annual February trip to gel and excel.

For the past six years, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo has forced the Spurs to get out of town. It's simply known as the rodeo trip.

This year's odyssey involves 17,000 kilometres of air travel, and ranges from Oakland to New York.

"We try to use the rodeo trip as a silver lining, to try to come together and realize it's tougher on the road," Popovich told theSan Antonio Express- News.

"You get a little bit of a bunker mentality, a little edge. It's a good test and a good measure of where we are and what has to be done by the time playoffs come."

The Spurs have gone 35-13 in their six previous forays away from home.

The team was 2-1 on its current trip heading into last night.

Barring an injury to one of its big three, San Antonio again will be a le contender.

The team's stature is sure to be improved if rumours surrounding the Spurs come to fruition.

It's no secret the Spurs want to add a big man who can extend defences. The Lakers can score, but they are vulnerable on defence and in particular in pick and rolls.

Sacramento's Brad Miller has been linked with the Spurs, as has Detroit's Rasheed Wallace.

Vince Carter, who was expected back in New Jersey's lineup last night following an elbow injury, has even been rumoured as potentially being San Antonio-bound.

Whether it's Miller, Wallace, V. C. or someone else whose name hasn't been leaked to the media or linked with San Antonio, the Spurs are looking to get better in order to close the gap with the Lakers.

When the Lakers visited the ACC last week, there was a palpable buzz in the air.

The atmosphere will be different tonight, but the Spurs are just as good as the Lakers.

[timmydidit]

im going to thsi game

[CubanMustGo]

im going to thsi game

Congratulations, eh?

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Wed. Feb. 11
San Antonio @ Toronto: J. DeRosa, B. Forte, M. Smith

[xtremesteven33]

Manu goes for 30 tonight....

[xellos88330]

Manu goes for 30 tonight....

it... 50!!!!

[phyzik]

Everyone keeps saying Sheed is a possibility to come to San Antonio. I don't believe it. Maybe when his contract expires after this season, I could see it.

If The Spurs somehow talked the Pistons into trading Sheed to the spurs for the fodder we have I would probably have to change my boxers, either from ting myself in disbelief or having an orgasm.

Until it happens though, I'm going to ignore it.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Sacramento's Brad Miller has been linked with the Spurs...

People must have read my proposed trade with the Maloofs involving Spurstalk posters. Glad to see Kori and Eljay have been working on that.

[duncan228]

Raptors' uphill battle includes Spurs' Big 3
Unbeaten in 2, San Antonio arrives in Toronto with improved offence


A win is a win, the old line goes, and now the Toronto Raptors — along with their fans — are going to find out their true character.

A late rally helped the NBA team pull out a 110-102 decision over the hometown Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, thanks largely to Jason Kapono's 7-for-10 performance from three-point range.

So what's next, namely Wednesday night at home against the superior San Antonio Spurs? Only five times has Toronto won back-to-back this season following a loss.

And covering the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is much more difficult than Minnesota's trio of Randy Foye, Kevin Love and Ryan Gomes.

"We're never able to put that string of wins together that gives you the confidence to come into a building and say, 'We're going to get this win.' I don't think we've felt like that as a group," Raptors guard Anthony Parker told reporters after Tuesday's victory.

Toronto fell 107-97 to the Spurs on Dec. 20, and that was with Chris Bosh playing 35 minutes, 30 seconds. The star forward will miss the rematch and the all-star game this weekend with a sprained right knee.

Former Raptor Matt Bonner had 14 points in the Dec. 20 game on the strength of four three-pointers and comes to town on a similar roll.

He took some pressure off the Big Three in Sunday's 105-99 triumph over the New Jersey Nets, collecting 22 points to give the Red Rocket 45 points in his past two outings.

Duncan, an 11-time all-star, topped San Antonio shooters with 27 points while adding nine rebounds and eight assists.

"It makes us tough to guard," said Bonner, who leads the NBA with a 50 per cent success rate from three-point range. "If they double [cover] Timmy on the post, they have to deal with guys who can step up and make open shots."

Fortunately for the Raptors, their big guy from the outside, Kapono, looks to be getting revved up as he prepares to defend his three-point le at the all-star game in Phoenix.

Kapono hit two threes in the late stages of the third quarter Tuesday and opened the fourth with a four-point play that spurred Toronto to victory.

The Raptors snapped a six-game losing streak and improved their record to 20-34, but they're a horrific 9-15 at home where they have dropped three in a row.

With 28 games left in the regular season, the final playoff spot in the East is currently held by the 25-29 Milwaukee Bucks, who hold a five-game lead over Toronto with five teams in between.

"There's an urgency," Parker said recently. "It's definitely an uphill battle at this point."

The next road block is San Antonio, who boast a 35-15 mark after taking 10 of their past 12 contests. The second-place Spurs trail the Los Angeles Lakers by six games in the West and have won 17 of 25 road games this season.

San Antonio's offence has come on strong lately, averaging 106.4 points on 48.9 per cent shooting in their last seven games. That's a significant jump (90.5, 40.9) from their previous six starts.

The Spurs have won three of the first four games on an eight-game road trip and are unbeaten in their previous visits to Canada, going 9-3 all-time in Toronto.

[duncan228]

Raptors Game Day
Eric Koreen

THE SPURS

You know who is feeling pretty good these days? The San Antonio Spurs. Before last night's game in New Jersey, the Spurs had won 10 of their last 11 games, including a dramatic win on Sunday afternoon in Boston. In that game, Roger Mason Jr. -- who is developing a reputation as a clutch shooter -- buried a three-pointer to give San Antonio the lead with less than 20 seconds remaining. While other teams have been getting the headlines, it is just about that time for the Spurs to make their annual move.

Who's hot? Tim Duncan is one of just three players in the league averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ho Hum.

Who's not? Despite his late-game theatrics, Mason is shooting just 17 of 51 (33%) from the floor over his last four games.

THE RAPTORS

At the end of December, Raptors head coach Jay Triano talked about getting his team to 29-26 by the all-star break. That didn't happen. Toronto was 12-20 after losing to Denver on New Year's Eve. The Raptors have been 7-14 since. The Raptors have not beaten a team with a winning record since Jan. 4. Consider that before putting some money down on the Raptors tonight.

Who's hot? Joey Graham has now managed to score in double digits five times in the last six games.

Who's not? Before last night, Andrea Bargnani was shooting just 23 of 71 (32%) from the floor in February.

[duncan228]

Raps vs. Spurs - Pre-game

When Manu Ginobili starts posterizing guys on dunks, you really have to start worrying about the Spurs. It’s bad enough that you have to worry about this guy flopping all over the place, cutting in and out, making great passes, etc., but when Manu starts throwing down on you, well, the flood gates are open.

Keep in mind that Tim Duncan has been playing like his usual self lately and you have a Spurs team that is going to be tough to beat. Duncan has been playing like a man who wants people to remember that his team shouldn’t be forgotten in the championship conversations and his supporting cast has been helping him write his speech.

Roger Mason Jr. (the Raptor killer) and Matt Bonner have settled into their roles and are playing fantastic basketball for the Spurs. Against the Celtics a couple of nights ago, Bonner had 23 points and 8 rebounds and played some impressive D as the Spurs dropped the champs.

The Raptors are coming off a win over the Wolves, which really wouldn’t be much to talk about during any season, but remember, this is the 2008-09 version of the Raptors we are talking about and wins just aren’t that common this season. The Raptors had their share of troubles against the Wolves, but they were finally able to at least come out with a win, something they sorely needed. I wouldn’t really call it momentum, but for the Raptors, at least they have something to try to use as a springboard.

What you have to like about the Raptors last win is that they didn’t quit, something we have seen them do lately more than we would like. The Raptors could have easily packed up and laid down for the Wolves after blowing a lead and then allowing a 15-0 run in the second quarter, but they managed to find a way to stay in the game and pull out a win. They aren’t going to be able to blow a lead or fall behind against the Spurs, so hopefully JT will be able to get that through their heads before the game.

3 in the Key

1. Don’t give Mason space to get going with his shot. He has proven that he likes to play the Raptors (who doesn’t?) and the Raptors can’t afford to let him get hot. Force him to put the ball on the floor.

2. Run. Even with Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs still aren’t the quickest team around, so the Raptors would be best advised to try to push the ball as much as possible.

3. Transition D. With the Spurs pulling down boards and Parker with his usual wizardry, the Raptors will have to make sure they aren’t caught standing around.

[duncan228]

Three things with Coach Bud

[duncan228]

Match-Up of the Night: Mason vs. Kapono