A different level: Duncan dazzling in playoffs for Spurs despite injuries
Web Posted: 05/30/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2c2c1c4de.html
Way back in July, before Manu Ginobili became an All-Star, before someone discovered the SBC Center's scoreboard could, indeed, count past 99, before the world began gushing over these defense-is-only-half-of-what-we-do Spurs — even before Eva — there was Tim Duncan.
Brent Barry, the Spurs' newest addition, had stopped by the team's practice facility with his wife to visit general manager R.C. Buford. As they talked in Buford's office, Barry began to hear the squeak of sneakers coming from the nearby court. He stood up from his chair and peeked through the blinds.
Moving back and forth across the gym, practicing his defensive slide, with an elastic band wrapped around his legs, was Duncan.
"I understand there were extenuating cir stances with the Olympics," Barry said. "But think of how many guys, in the middle of July, are in the gym getting ready for the season. Let alone it being Tim."
Ten months and four ankle sprains later, Duncan is still on the floor. Having led the Spurs to a commanding 3-0 advantage over the Phoenix Suns, he can earn his third trip to the NBA Finals with a Game 4 victory tonight at the SBC Center.
Despite playing on a pair of tender ankles, Duncan has averaged 30.3 points, his most ever in a postseason series, during the Western Conference finals. For the playoffs, he is averaging 25.1 points, nearly five points per game above what he averaged during the regular season.
"It's been truly a Herculean effort on his part," Barry said. "It shows just how much of a compe or, how much of a warrior he is. There are so many storied centers in the NBA who have played through injury, but what Tim has gone through the last couple of weeks, and the type of efforts he's putting out on the floor, have to rank up there."
Duncan's production has surprised even his coach. With Duncan fresh off his second consecutive summer playing for Team USA, Gregg Popovich spent the season trying to limit his star forward's minutes. Even then, he couldn't save him from injury.
Duncan sprained his right ankle three times in a six-week span. After he landed on the foot of Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace on March 20, Duncan limped out of the arena on crutches. The injury was severe enough that some of his teammates thought he had broken his foot.
Duncan missed the next four weeks, leaving him only four games to find his rhythm before the playoffs. To the chagrin of the Denver Nuggets, he found it. During the fourth game of the Spurs' first-round series, Duncan totaled 39 points and 14 rebounds.
"I just wanted to play to whatever level I could and help us however I could," Duncan said. "As the games went along and I started to feel more and more healthy, I wanted to do more and I wanted to be a little more assertive."
As Duncan's right ankle grew stronger, so did his confidence. Even after spraining his left ankle in the fourth quarter of the Spurs' closeout semifinal victory over Seattle, he remained on the court, banking in the game-winning shot with half a second remaining.
Despite Duncan's heroics, the Spurs weren't completely sure whether he would be healthy enough to start the conference finals. He played, but struggled in the first quarter before soaking his ankle in the whirlpool at halftime. He finished with 28 points, 11 of which came in the final quarter.
"When you consider what he's done the last couple of summers and then those injuries, I thought it would really limit him," Popovich said. "His game isn't based on athleticism. It's based on coordination, fundamentals and timing. He can't lose what athleticism he has.
"But he's very committed, very focused. He basically ignored the pain and just played."
If anything positive came from Duncan's absence near the end of the season, it was that his immobility limited him to working on his free throws. He didn't alter his mechanics as much as he built his confidence. A 67 percent foul shooter during the season, he has made all but three of his 36 attempts in the conference finals. Saturday's 15-for-15 effort set a playoff franchise record.
"I am taking my time up there and taking it on my own schedule," Duncan said, "instead of rushing it and wanting to get off that line."
Duncan's free-throw shooting has made him all the more valuable in the closing minutes. He has scored at least 10 points in the fourth quarter of each of the series' three games. Saturday's 33-point performance also included 15 rebounds and three blocks.
While neither Duncan nor any of his teammates has been able to contain Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire — Stoudemire has scored at least 34 points in all six games against the Spurs this season — he has been able to frustrate him on the other end of the floor. On Saturday, Duncan repeatedly beat the Suns down the floor to post deep under the basket.
"I've gained a lot of respect for Tim this series," Stoudemire said.
"When you see Tim Duncan leaving everything on the line, not caring if he's hurt, diving on the ground, playing physical, getting in there," Phoenix forward Quentin Richardson said, "everybody should be in there."
The Suns have vowed to clog the lane tonight, hoping to limit Duncan's scoring opportunities as well as Tony Parker's penetration. If the Spurs are going to sweep Phoenix, they might have to do it by hitting outside shots.
Whether it's drawing a double team or scoring himself, the Spurs will count on Duncan to set the tone.
"So much is made of Tim not being too emotional, too demonstrative," Barry said. "But that's OK. Some guys lead by example. And Tim's certainly the guy we all look to."
Clog the lane? Simply move Tim to the high post. He can shoot, drive, or hit the back door cutters. Posting up Nazr on Marion also worked early last game, with Tim feeding him.
You can't just decide to play defense and clog the lane after like 90+ games. It doesn't work like that.
great article
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