Spurs ready for jump in stakes, shooting range

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs ready for jump in stakes, shooting range
Web Posted: 05/06/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2470a2c7f.html

In the hours leading up to Wednesday night's game against Denver, coach Gregg Popovich fretted about what might happen should the Spurs lose.

Another short night. An afternoon flight to Colorado. A frenzied crowed packing the Pepsi Center. Even if the Spurs won in Denver, or back home in Game 7, they still had the rested and confident Seattle SuperSonics waiting for them.

"It was like a nightmare," Popovich said.

While the Spurs earned a day of rest Thursday by closing out the Nuggets in five games, their next opponent also could make for a few sleepless moments. Seattle, considered by many to be lottery bound at the start of the season, eliminated Sacramento in five games to reach the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in seven years.

Like the Nuggets, the Sonics like to run. Unlike Denver, Seattle can shoot. Only Phoenix attempted and made more 3-pointers per game this season. The 106.6 points the Sonics averaged in the first round trail only the Suns and Miami.

"They have a lot of confidence," Robert Horry said, "and a lot of firepower."

The Sonics are one of only three teams to win at the SBC Center this season, and the Spurs' 113-94 loss in Seattle on Nov. 7 was their worst with a full roster. The Spurs won the teams' last two meetings, but Ray Allen and Sonics coach Nate McMillan missed one of those. Tim Duncan, Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Danny Fortson sat out the other.

"Nate deserves a lot of credit for turning a club everybody (bad-mouthed) at the beginning of the season into a big-time, championship-caliber team," Popovich said. "They're playing with a lot of purpose."

Allen and Lewis, who joined Duncan and Manu Ginobili on the Western Conference All-Star team this season, also deserve credit for the turnaround. Allen averaged 32.4 points in Seattle's first-round series, while Lewis, a 6-foot-10 forward, presents his own matchup problems.

"He's really versatile and tough on the block like (Denver forward) Carmelo Anthony," Popovich said. "But he can be even more dangerous because he shoots the three well.

"You've got both worlds wrapped up in one guy."

While Bruce Bowen is expected to renew his rivalry with Allen — the two have traded elbows and words for much of the past two seasons — Popovich said, as of Thursday afternoon, it was "a push" whether he would start Ginobili or Brent Barry. After Barry moved into the starting lineup following the Spurs' Game 1 loss to Denver, Ginobili provided a jolt of energy off the bench, averaging a team-high 22.8 points in the series.

Ginobili is a better defender than Barry, but the Spurs' big men probably will need to help with Lewis — much as they did with Anthony — regardless of who starts. Glenn Robinson has the necessary size to guard Lewis, but his lack of familiarity with the team's system makes it difficult to put him on the floor at the start or end of games.

"No matter how you slice it," Popovich said, "it's a bad matchup for us."

Seattle could say the same of Duncan. The Sonics have a physical group of big men in Jerome James, Reggie Evans, Nick Collison and Fortson, but Duncan still averaged 25.7 points on 50 percent shooting in three games against them.

Duncan, still somewhat limited by his sore right ankle, totaled 57 points (on 21-of-38 shooting) and 25 rebounds in the final two games against Denver. Horry, Nazr Mohammed and Rasho Nesterovic also provided quality minutes.

"As the series went on, I think you saw Timmy get better, physically and mentally," Popovich said. "It looked like he thought about (the ankle) less."

Popovich is far less confident about Devin Brown's health. He said Brown's right leg still isn't strong enough for the Spurs to expect him to contribute much, giving the team one less option when the Sonics go small.

"They are really dangerous with Ray and Rashard Lewis and Radmanovic coming from the bench," Ginobili said. "We're going to have to do a lot of helping and rotating. It's going to be hard, but I think we have the personnel to guard them and make them suffer on the other end, too."

The Spurs also have experience. Duncan thought the team "grew up" over the final four games of the series, grinding out victories when necessary.

"They have the heart of a champion," Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said. "They didn't win a couple of years ago for nothing."

[milkyway21]

...Allen averaged 32.4 points in Seattle's first-round series,

"No matter how you slice it," Popovich said, "it's a bad matchup for us."

..i agree with Pops

Allen besides the 32.4(#1 in the Playoffs), he ALSO TOPS among players with 19 3-pts. MADE in the postseason .Scary and;

#1 in his team in assists with 5.2 in 5 games-JUST a .6 difference compared to Tony Parker.

Assists:
Sonics,Ridnour(5.0),Daniels(4.8)
Spurs-Manu(4.0), Duncan(3.4), Barry(2.8)

It's really hard to make a game plan on how to beat this team EXCEPT maybe on the REBOUNDING & be aggresive on the ball.

in rebounding they rely on Jerome James & Collision but with Duncan, Rasho, and suddenly hot Nazr we could beat these guys. Jerome James wants to play against the Spurs' big men but though he's hot right now he only averages 9.4 rb/g. They have no other player who can rebound more.

While TD ave.11.2 +Nazr 9=20.2 rb/g in the playoffs. That's almost 10 rebounds for the Spurs.

the Spurs has to do a lot of running in this series than the 1st rnd. It's just a good thing Radmanovic just shoots 27%FG right now, but nobody can't tell if it will continue in the next round...who knows.

[Mr. Body]

"They are really dangerous with Ray and Rashard Lewis and Radmanovic coming from the bench," Ginobili said. "We're going to have to do a lot of helping and rotating. It's going to be hard, but I think we have the personnel to guard them and make them suffer on the other end, too."

Manu seems honest in his comments nowadays. I never noticed that before. This is like the halftime interview with Cheryl Miller in either Game 3 or Game 4 where he blankly said that Denver didn't have the greatest defense and an extra pass would always get an open shot. You don't get this kind of honesty in the pre-fab statements from most players.

[TurnNiggazDreams2Flames]

Ray Ray has been stellar so far in the playoffs, but the Kings only had Maurice Evans to guard him. The Spurs are lucky because they have several quality defenders to throw at him. I think there will be some type of scuffle in this series involving Ray and his pussy crybaby face. If I had to bet, I would say Spurs in 6 but all games will be very close and down to the wire.

[milkyway21]

Ray Ray has been stellar so far in the playoffs, but the Kings only had Maurice Evans to guard him. The Spurs are lucky because they have several quality defenders to throw at him. I think there will be some type of scuffle in this series involving Ray and his pussy crybaby face. If I had to bet, I would say Spurs in 6 but all games will be very close and down to the wire.

..but this Allen's continued on Bruce's defense means he wants the refs to take a closer look on Bowen's kind of defense. Bruce might get into early foul trouble. TP/Manu have somebody to take care of-Lewis & Radmanovic...
Devin Brown must suit up a little bit if Bowen sits. Big Dog might not be good enough to stop Ray.