Game is Tuesday, 6:30 CST.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011020808San Antonio (42-8) at Detroit (19-32)
Tipoff: 7:30 pm EST Tue Feb 8, 2011
TV: FSSW, FSD
By Santosh Venkataraman
The San Antonio Spurs are ready to start the second phase of their “Rodeo Road Trip.” The first stop could be tough if Richard Hamilton sees action against them.
The Spurs begin a stretch of six straight road games against the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, who may play Hamilton at home for the first time in a month.
San Antonio (42-8) takes this annual trip since the AT&T Center is occupied by the rodeo. The overall nine-game road stretch began when the Spurs went 2-1 last week before returning home after Saturday’s 113-100 victory at Sacramento.
The Spurs cruised Saturday, building an 18-point halftime lead after losing at Portland and beating the Los Angeles Lakers.
“For me, the break is huge,” All-Star guard Manu Ginobili said. “The Laker game was tough for me.”
Ginobili was happy to have the rest after averaging 13.3 points on 32.6 percent shooting in the three games, far worse than his season numbers of 18.5 points per game and 43.0 percent shooting.
The Spurs split two difficult games with the Pistons last season, breaking away from a fourth-quarter tie for a 112-92 win and losing 109-101 in overtime at The Palace of Auburn Hills. San Antonio had trouble with Hamilton, who averaged 28.0 points.
There seems to be a better chance that the Spurs will see the three-time All-Star on Tuesday since Hamilton saw action for the first time in 13 games in Saturday’s 89-78 victory at Milwaukee. Hamilton was left off the active roster for Friday’s 92-82 home win over New Jersey.
Coach John Kuester did not comment about the future of Hamilton, whose last appearance at home was Jan. 8.
“I don’t have a problem with him, but I don’t think it will ever get back to the way it was,” Hamilton said. “I said from Day One: Stay professional. Be ready. You never know what’s going to happen. I didn’t know if it was going to be here or if I’d be playing somewhere else.”
Tracy McGrady scored 20 points, Hamilton had 15 and Tayshaun Prince 12 for Detroit (19-32) on Saturday. The Pistons are 7-9 without Hamilton and 12-23 with him.
“I don’t think it has become a distraction for us,” Prince said. “We need him. There’s no doubt about that. At the same time a lot of games, sometimes we were playing behind the eight ball and that’s what we’re doing without him.”
Point guard Rodney Stuckey has missed five straight games with a right shoulder contusion.
A backcourt without Hamilton and Stuckey could be problematic as Detroit tries to slow down Tony Parker, who has averaged 23.0 points on 20-of-28 shooting in back-to-back victories. Parker said he was disappointed that he wasn’t named to the All-Star team.
“Tony has been playing at an All-Star level all season,” teammate Richard Jefferson said. “On another team, he would be averaging 25 points a game.”
San Antonio can become the seventh team to begin 43-8 or better. The 1996-97 NBA champion Bulls were the last, starting 45-6.
*********************
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Manu Ginobili SA 18.5
Rodney Stuckey Det 15.3
Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 9.3
Ben Wallace Det 6.6
Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.7
Rodney Stuckey Det 4.5
*********************
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...amiltonameimeeRichard Hamilton: Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Hamilton (groin) will be a game-time decision for Tuesday’s tilt against San Antonio, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports.
Hamilton made a surprise appearance in Saturday’s win over the Bucks, but he could be back on the sidelines after tweaking his groin. The injury doesn’t appear serious, so if the Pistons decide to continue giving Rip playing time, he should return to action sooner than later.
I was kind of hoping Anderson would stay on the roster to give Ginobili a break. I'd like to see him and Duncan both get a lot of rest the next couple of weeks.“For me, the break is huge,” All-Star guard Manu Ginobili said. “The Laker game was tough for me.”
Ginobili was happy to have the rest after averaging 13.3 points on 32.6 percent shooting in the three games, far worse than his season numbers of 18.5 points per game and 43.0 percent shooting.
Quotes, hit the link for the whole piece.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...m-neals-elbow/Manu has sore mouth, but no lasting damage from Neal’s elbow
Tim Griffin
..."It just happened,” Ginobili said. “He grabbed a rebound and was protecting the ball. I don’t know if I got pushed or something, but I ran right into his elbow.”
...“I was very upset because the Lakers game was tough for me. I got hit a lot and everything was sore,” Ginobili said. ” I thought I was taking this game kind of easy (at the end of the game.) We were up 15 or 20 and nothing was going to happen today and then on my last play boom, I got hit.”
..."My teeth started hurting, my jaw hurt, the lip all swollen,” Ginobili said. “The dentist said it would heal if I give it four or five days.”
http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Tue. Feb. 8
San Antonio @ Detroit: Jason Phillips; Derrick Collins; Tommy Nunez Jr.
how many minutes has tmac been getting lately?
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...a-better-past/McDyess returns to Detroit, a blast from a better past
Jeff McDonald
Antonio McDyess will always have fond memories of Detroit. One of them came while wearing a Spurs uniform.
Last season, when McDyess entered his first game at The Palace of Auburn Hills since leaving the Pistons, flamboyant public address announcer John Mason gave him a rousing introduction.
Pistons fans, who had come to revere McDyess during his six seasons in Detroit, gave him a raucous ovation. Later, McDyess was not too proud to admit he wept.
“It was emotional for me, because I hadn’t been back,” the veteran center/forward said Monday. “To hear applause like that, I was happy.”
Keep reading...
Averaging 32 the last 10 games.
The 'stons have been playing some really good basketball lately. Should be a W for us though.
Bonner probable:
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Spurs sharpshooting forward Matt Bonner, sidelined for the past 10 games with a sore right knee, has been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game at Detroit.
Pistons have been playing much better lately. Should be a tough game.
Yes, Finally!!
That was way to long to go without a Spurs game...
The Spurs are the better team, but the Pistons have been coming together over the last month or so. We're missing Stuckey (game time decision) right now which hurt us from getting a few more W's. Monroe is really coming along. Looking like a great rookie. Tmac has been doing a very solid job running the show. Tay has been solid all year. Bynum and Gordon can flat out take over at times, but both are inconsistent and terrible defenders. Villanueva and Daye have had big moments, deadly from outside. But their minutes are sporadic at times.
Clearly we're not as good as the Spurs, but I actually think we have a shot tonight if Stuckey is back in the lineup. I'm interested in seeing how our front court does against Blair/Duncan/Dice.
Pistons win by 7
Advanced Scouting: San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of
http://www.48minutesof .com/spurs...etroit-pistons
Monroe has looked real nice now that he's cracked the rotation. I saw him play a bunch at GTown last year and knew he'd be a good pro, but had no idea the Pistons could work him into action so quickly. Great hands, great passer, fairly solid defender and a good rebounder.
I agree this is a tough game. If the Pistons win, Pistons<Spurs has to photoshop a game picture of our choosing as a consolation prize.
Monroe's been playing great lately. Let's give Splitter some minutes against him and rest Bonner for Bargnani tomorrow night.
Ugh...I sure hope not...but the Pistons have always been the team I least hated losing to.
The Spurs will win, though.
Wow, it took an entire 14 responses for this to devolve into a "Splitter minutes" thread.
awww Bon Bon is probable tho so at least you got that to look forward to.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
