Ludden: Spurs get healthy sequence to mend

[timvp]

Spurs get healthy sequence to mend
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...12710f987.html

Having yielded a game in the standings but successfully preserved the health of their two All-Stars, the Spurs hope to be whole again when they take the floor Saturday night against Denver.

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will have had three days to rest, presumably long enough for them to convince coach Gregg Popovich to temporarily suspend his "big-picture" plans so they can get back to helping their teammates win games.

"I don't think anyone in our locker room wants them to rest too long," Brent Barry said. "But I know Pop is certainly looking toward the future and wanting to make sure Manu and Tim and all of our guys are as fresh as they can possibly be when we need them the most. It's up to the rest of us to fill in those gaps when we can."

Center Nazr Mohammed hopes to offer his gap-filling services Saturday.

Barring a setback in today's practice, Popovich thinks Mohammed will be ready to play against the Nuggets.

"I'm getting better and better every day," said Mohammed, who has missed the past four games after aggravating a groin injury he suffered last month while playing for New York.

"Now I'm kind of happy I did get a chance to rest it a little bit. At least I feel good right now."

Mohammed has totaled only 22 minutes over two games since the team acquired him from the Knicks for Malik Rose three weeks ago.

After a 16-minute performance against Cleveland on Feb.28, in which he scored six points and grabbed six rebounds, Mohammed tweaked his groin two days later against Toronto when he was hit in the back on a rebound. He continued to play, but his groin tightened the following day.

Mohammed has played injured since straining his groin against Sacramento on Feb. 4.

"I was sliding and felt it pop," Mohammed said. "(The Knicks' medical staff) said it wasn't a tear, just a strain."

The Spurs knew about the injury before the trade but didn't consider it serious. Mohammed planned to continue playing after aggravating his groin, but team officials thought he would benefit more from rest.

"I wasn't as effective as I could have been," Mohammed said. "But there's just a natural reaction to get out there and play. I'm in a new situation, so I want to prove myself and just be out there with the guys."

Mohammed has been in uniform each of the past four games, though Popovich had no intention to play him. An assistant coach has sat next to Mohammed each game to explain what he should be doing if he were on the floor.

Mohammed also has come to the team's practice facility on off days to script the offense with coaches and a few teammates.

"He seems to be a pretty quick study," Popovich said. "It's not just down time for him; he's actually learning as we go along."

Duncan and Ginobili, meanwhile, were given an extra day to rest when Popovich held them out of Wednesday's loss in Phoenix. Duncan sprained his right ankle Sunday, and Popovich didn't want him playing consecutive nights. Ginobili said he tweaked his groin during Tuesday's victory over New Jersey but was already fighting fatigue.

"It's not like he pulled something," Popovich said of Ginobili. "It's just tight, sore. A lot of things aren't working the right way, so ulatively, it has an effect."

Though Popovich's decision did nothing to improve the Spurs' position in the standings — they are tied with Phoenix for first in the West but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams — it might benefit the team in other ways. In addition to giving Duncan and Ginobili time to recover, Popovich provided some reserves an opportunity to play in a pressure situation.

Backup point guard Mike Wilks performed well enough to keep the Spurs close while playing a season-high 20 minutes. Devin Brown didn't shoot as well as he did against the Nets but continued to display the aggressiveness the coaches want to see from him.

The Spurs also totaled only eight assists while frequently employing a small lineup.

"Overall, I thought the group did a pretty good job giving themselves an opportunity to have a pretty special night," Popovich said.

Were it not for a couple of blown layups and a fortuitous bounce for Phoenix, the Spurs might have been in position to escape with an upset. As it was, they didn't give the Suns any more reason to feel confident should the teams meet in the playoffs.

Phoenix had hoped to use the game as a benchmark of its success.

"This was a tough game for us," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Mentally, we had a letdown.

"A win is a win, and we'll take it ... We will now see who will win the most in the (remaining) 21 games."

[ducks]

time to see if all spurs are healthy saturday

[Jimcs50]

Is anyone else intrigued with the Wilkes -TP backcourt?

Those two were awesome together. I acn imagine how much more effective they would be if the had TD in the game with them too. Together, they are by far the fastest, quickest backcourt in the NBA.

[Dex]

Phoenix had hoped to use the game as a benchmark of its success.

"This was a tough game for us," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Mentally, we had a letdown.

"A win is a win, and we'll take it ... We will now see who will win the most in the (remaining) 21 games."

Apparently Pop's CIA tactics paid off. By taking away the big stakes, he really did put Phoenix in a lose-lose situation. It's not often that another team counts a win as a letdown.

If there is any good to take from this loss, at least it obviously did nothing for the psyche of the Suns.

Except maybe Amare