Spurs notebook: Wolves no longer looking at Carlesimo

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs notebook: Wolves no longer looking at Carlesimo
Web Posted: 06/16/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....1314da6f.html

San Antonio Express-News


Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo appears to have been passed over in the Minnesota Timberwolves' search for a head coach.

Seattle assistant Dwane Casey reportedly has begun contract negotiations with the Timberwolves.

Carlesimo, who had interviewed with Minnesota officials and was considered one of the team's top candidates, said he hadn't been informed of his status as of Wednesday afternoon.

Carlesimo also has interviewed with New York, but thought he had a better chance of being hired by Minnesota.

"The best thing I have going for me is the job I have," Carlesimo said. "I have a great job. I think the job is better than some of the head (coaching) jobs in the league for me. I'm not disparaging any other franchises, but, for me, where I'm at right now, it's a fantastic situation.

"If I could get, what to me is a good head (coaching) job, I would be delighted. But what I'm looking for and what other people are looking for is different. I'm happy to be where I am."

Trendy Duncan: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn't plan to give Tim Duncan a pep talk before tonight's game.

While Duncan missed 10 of 15 shots Tuesday — his worst performance in a Finals game — Popovich isn't worried.

After Duncan missed 15 of 22 shots in the first-round Game 1 loss to Denver, he went 11 of 15 in Game 2. He missed 14 of 19 shots in Game 3, then scored 39 points two nights later.

Against Seattle, Duncan posted a 7-for-16 performance in Game 3. He scored 35 points in Game 4.

After Duncan missed 9 of 12 free throws and was limited to 15 points in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, he closed out Phoenix the following game with 31 points and 15 rebounds.

"He's hardest on himself," Popovich said. "He didn't have a good game (Tuesday), but I won't even talk to him about it for (tonight). I mean, that's the way he is. He will pound himself, he will go over it in his head. He watched the film with us and he knows what he's got to do to respond. He'll do everything in his power to do that and he usually does respond very, very well."

Quick-draw Mohammed: Nazr Mohammed needed only 81 seconds to pick up two fouls Tuesday night.

"It was disappointing, but that's the way the game goes sometimes," Mohammed said. "I've probably done it before. I've probably picked up quick fouls before, but I just tried to keep my focus and, you know, stay in the game."

Bowen like 'gnat': Detroit guard Richard Hamilton doesn't think Bruce Bowen is dirty — just crafty.

"Like any player in this league, you try to figure out the rules and you just try to be crafty, be sneaky with it," Hamilton said. "He hits you at times when the ref don't even look.

"He hits you with all parts of his body. You don't even have the ball and the guy hits you. One of the biggest things was not allowing him to get in my head."

Robert Horry describes Bowen differently.

"He's like a gnat," Horry said. "He's wherever you don't want him to be. He's in the passing lanes. He's in front of you, contesting every shot. He's like a magnet. If you say that's who you're guarding, that's who he's drawn to."

The Pistons, Horry said, should be used to Bowen's tactics.

"Dennis Rodman used to frustrate people so bad," Horry said. "That's what it's all about, being a good defender, getting in people's head, frustrating them and making them take bad shots."

Johnny Ludden

[Kori Ellis]

Pistons notebook: Hamilton says Bowen gets away with a lot
Web Posted: 06/16/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....129585fc.html

San Antonio Express-News


It took him awhile, but Pistons guard Richard Hamilton finally made some public complaints about Bruce Bowen's defensive style.

Stopping just short of calling Bowen a dirty player, the Pistons' leading scorer during the regular season and playoffs complained that the Spurs' designated defensive stopper "gets away with so much stuff, it's crazy." It's a familiar refrain to the Spurs, who have heard other scorers offer similar complaints this season.

"You go out there to play basketball, man," Hamilton said Wednesday, "and he's hitting you and holding you, hitting you with hips, tripping you, doing all those things. But if he gets away with it, it's cool. I don't have a problem with it. I just think there are certain times the ref has to call it."

Hamilton said one of those times came in the first period of the Pistons' 96-79 victory over the Spurs in Game 3 on Tuesday.

"I pump-faked him, got him off his feet and jumped into him," Hamilton said. "That's an automatic call and they didn't call it."

Hamilton said that play and others convinced him to stop trying to draw contact from Bowen and just shoot.

"Sometimes I get the ball and try to make a play, try to get a foul and contact and things like that," Hamilton said. "(The officials) weren't giving me that call, so I had to go to Plan B and that's when I don't try to force the contact and just shoot it."

The strategy apparently worked because Hamilton led the Pistons with 24 points in Game 3 after averaging 14 in the first two games.

Hamilton said he also benefited from running Bowen into screens.

"I'm doing everything possible to frustrate him because he's trying to frustrate me," Hamilton said. "I figured that it didn't work to choppy-fight him, hand fight him. Naw, run him off screens. Let my bigs handle him. I tell them, 'Keep hitting him. Keep hitting him.'"

Said Bowen: "Give credit where credit is due. They did a good job of executing that."

New-look Prince: Hamilton isn't the only Pistons player who tried something different after the Spurs swept the two games in San Antonio.

Frustrated by the Spurs' tendency to double-team him down low, forward Tayshaun Prince said he looked to pass first rather than shoot in Game 3.

"They are coming right away (with the double-teams)," Prince said. "It's not going to be easy for me on the block where I like it best, so I have to do other things. I got guys involved passing the ball last night, sharing the ball, getting down in transition to make things happen."

The result? Prince registered five assists after going without one in Game 2.

McDyess on roll: Leading up to the Finals, much was made about how the Spurs' depth was superior to the Pistons. But even though the Spurs do have more contributors, a big series from Antonio McDyess has somewhat neutralized that advantage, particularly in the frontcourt.

McDyess came off the bench to record 12 points and nine rebounds in Game 3, which was his second consecutive strong outing.

"With Rasheed (Wallace) and Ben (Wallace) and McDyess, I think we're as deep as any team in the league at the four and five positions," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "In Game 2, even though our team got beat, McDyess got a lot of confidence in that game, and I think it carried over (Tuesday) night."

No nail-biters? Although the outcome of the NBA Finals is still in doubt, that hasn't been the case for any of the games thus far in the closing minutes. Each of the first three games was decided by at least 15 points.

Brown said it's only a matter of time before the Pistons and Spurs play a game that goes down to the final few possessions.

"Usually you do expect games with the two teams that are left to be real compe ive," Brown said. "I certainly felt (Tuesday) night was compe ive. As a coach, you never feel like the game is over. But I would think that if we can play with the same kind of energy we did this last game that hopefully the games will be decided at the end."

Tom Orsborn, Mike Finger

[TheTruth]

Wolves loss = Spurs gain.