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people need to give him props
he got open and made the sonics pay
Mohammed steps up in victory
Web Posted: 05/18/2005 01:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2858c3746.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Nazr Mohammed calls himself a laid-back guy who does not get too excited about one big game.
That includes, he insists, perhaps the finest playoff performance of his seven-year NBA career, the 19-point, seven-rebound showing in 20 remarkably efficient minutes in the Spurs' 103-90 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 5 of the teams' NBA Western Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.
Some day — in about 30 more days, if Mohammed gets his way — he may be able to look back and call Game 5 the highlight of his playoff career, but for now he is maintaining the low profile he prefers.
"It's a great experience and I'm happy," Mohammed said after his effort, which prompted Tim Duncan to declare that Mohammed had played a great all-around game. Still, Mohammed said "I don't want to put a best moment on this. I'll tell you if we get nine more wins if this was the best moment of my playoff life.
"It definitely feels good to win, but I'm not satisfied just to win this game. If we win on Thursday (in Game 6) I'll feel a little relieved."
Mohammed had done little in the first four games of the series, averaging only 4.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. But he scored seven points in the first quarter and exploded in the third quarter for 10, mostly off assists from Manu Ginobili, whose penetrations from the perimeter forced the Sonics to send a second defender, often Mohammed's, to cut off Ginobili's drives.
"Manu did a great job of finding me," Mohammed said. "Give the credit to Manu. I just let him know I was open in the middle, and Manu just was threading the needle, getting it there."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Mohammed had done a good job of finding seams in the Seattle defense, but Mohammed said it was Duncan's presence that created his openings.
"We talked to him a lot over the last couple of games about finding spots and not being afraid to take shots if they were there, and I thought he did a great job of that tonight," Duncan said. "They over-rotated a little bit, and he was able to step into those holes and finish baskets."
Sonics coach Nate McMillan thought Mohammed's finding open spots had more to do with his defense breaking down and allowing Ginobili's penetrations.
"Basically, their guards getting into the paint forced our bigs to step up, and that left (Mohammed) underneath the basket," McMillan said. "Then there were times we just got outworked."
The real benefit of Mohammed's big game Tuesday may come when the series returns to Seattle for Game 6.
"It's something that has been open a little bit," Mohammed said of his offensive opportunities, "but it's also a product of having a great player like Tim. You don't want to go one-on-one on a great player like Tim, so they sent another man over and I was open tonight.
"Of course, we expect them to make adjustments. If that adjustment is Tim being open in the post, that's an adjustment we're willing to accept."
people need to give him props
he got open and made the sonics pay
Definately torched the Sonics!
nice article.
Mohammed was huge in that 3rd quarter along with Ginobili, and I gotta say, without his output this game was shot.
Everyone says, well, duh he had dunks.
not just that, he nailed some free throws in that quarter as well.
For such an ugly form he seems to be a decent free throw shooter.
But Nazr, no more jumpers, work on the hook shot, but forget the jumper bro.
I'm beginning to love this guy."It's a great experience and I'm happy," Mohammed said after his effort, which prompted Tim Duncan to declare that Mohammed had played a great all-around game. Still, Mohammed said "I don't want to put a best moment on this. I'll tell you if we get nine more wins if this was the best moment of my playoff life.
Did you catch that phrase by Nazr---"I'll tell you if we get nine more wins if this was the best moment of my playoff life"---in that interview? This kid gets it, he gets the big picture.
The thing Nazr does right is he gets open under the basket. A lot of big men don't do that real well. If your man leaves you you need to get open, and Nazr looks for those spots better than our other post guys do.
Why the heck did he only play 20 minutes? Horry played well but the way this guy was going he deserved 25-30.
because they went small
and they hurt us when they do so pop put horry who moves better to adjsut to small line up
Pop should have put Nazr when Tim Duncan couldn't get the ball over the front of the rim.
Here come the the Nazr > Tim Duncan takes from AHF. Just give him a few more games.
damn that makes me feel good, i agree with everyone, Nazr has got it straight, he had one productive night but he did'nt let it go to his head. He knows that this is amount of effort is what it's going to take to bring home the gold.
LJ,
It's not going to be like that every night, but our lead went from 18 to 5 when Tim came in, he just didn't have any lift or spring last night.
Am I reading this right? You think Nazr was a better option than Tim Duncan last night?
Please say you are joking.
Mike Monroe: winner of most obvious award.
Nazr, excellent ballgame last night. The one thing that trips me out about Nazr is that stance he makes before he shoots free throws, where he stares at the basket with hands on hips.
Forget it LJ.
During that stretch of the game, yeah Duncan was horrible. The lead went from 16 to 5 with the Spurs running EVERY SINGLE PLAY through Duncan.(4:24) [SAN] Duncan Jump Shot: Missed
(3:12) [SAN] Duncan Jump Shot: Missed
(2:39) [SAN 76-67] Duncan Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS)
(0:24) [SAN] Duncan Turnaround Jump: Missed
(0:20) [SAN] Duncan Jump Shot: Missed
(0:18) [SAN] Duncan Layup Shot: Missed
(11:17) [SAN 80-68] Duncan Jump Hook: Made (14 PTS)
(10:46) [SAN] Duncan Jump Shot: Missed
(10:14) [SAN] Duncan Turnover: Lost Ball (4 TO)
(9:34) [SAN] Duncan Jump Shot: Missed
I am not saying Nazr is better than Tim. I am not saying Nazr will be better than Tim one day.
I'm saying that during that stretch of the game last night, our lead evaporated, our offense stagnated, and it was nothing but 4down for about 8 minutes of basketball.
I know you're still bitter than we traded Rose for Nazr, but Nazr was playing very well in the third. Duncan wasn't.
AHF is trying to find a way to say the Spurs should have had Nazr in the game instead of Duncan. This is amazing.
I was a fan of Malik but I would NEVER say that he should have been in the game instead of Duncan. I don't care if Duncan was 0-35 going into the fourth quarter. You leave the best player on the team in there.
WTF? I realize you must trumpet Nazr at every chance you get, but to say (even for a minute) that Nazr > Duncan is beyond crazy.
Nazr got his points because the Sonics were triple teaming pick-and-rolls by leaving Nazr. Watch the tape. For most of his points, all he did was catch the ball and put it in. Any big man would have scored those points. It wasn't like he was scoring off of postups or something.
I'm not trying to trumpet Nazr every chance I get. You can say Manu set him up, that's fine, but at that point in the game we almost blew the lead completely with Tim sucking it up.
while Narz is not better than Duncan,
Narz is >>>>> better than Malik
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