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#1 seed, here we come.
Game Blog - Spurs vs Blazers
SPURS CAN CLINCH THE WEST WITH A WIN!
AT
Game Info
- Date: April 23rd, 2012
- Time: 7:30pm CDT/ 8:30pm EDT
- TV: FSSW
- Arena: AT&T Center
- Officials: M. Callahan, K. Cutler, E. Lewis
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Go spurs Go, let's make ff's game blogs 2-0!!The San Antonio Spurs have said for weeks that earning the No. 1 seed for the Western Conference playoffs wasn't their main concern.
The Spurs, though, can wrap up that top spot by beating the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers, losers of a season-high five in a row, on Monday night.
San Antonio (47-16) has been focusing on the playoffs for much of this month as coach Gregg Popovich has given his starters fewer minutes. Tim Duncan sat out Sunday's home game against Cleveland, but that didn't prevent the Spurs from cruising to a seventh consecutive win, 114-98.
Manu Ginobili had a team-high 20 points off the bench and was one of 10 San Antonio players who were on the court for at least 18 minutes.
"Any time we get a chance to rest Tim (Duncan) and Tony (Parker) doesn't play that much, and we get away with a win, that's always a plus," said Stephen Jackson, whose 17 points were his most of his current stint with the Spurs. "As long as we take care of business and continue to build and not take steps back, we'll be all right."
Coupled with Oklahoma City's double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the win put the Spurs 1 1/2 games ahead of the Thunder atop the West. They also own the tiebreaker over Oklahoma City thanks to a 2-1 record in the season series. San Antonio is one-half game behind of Chicago for the best record in the NBA.
"We want to clinch as soon as possible," Ginobili said. "(Monday) we have a good game here, so we're going to trying to play our best and keep improving. We have room for improvement, where we can pick up the aggressiveness. We want to try and set the pace for the playoffs."
The Spurs will seek that clinching win against a team that dealt them their most lopsided defeat in nearly 15 years. Some of the key Blazers players from that 137-97 victory on Feb. 21, though, might not be available for this contest.
LaMarcus Aldridge, who led Portland with 21 points in the Feb. 21 rout, is out for the season after undergoing surgery on his right hip. Nicolas Batum missed Saturday's 93-89 loss at Memphis with tendinitis in his left quad, and Joel Przybilla and Raymond Felton were also out again.
Despite only dressing nine players, Portland (28-36) nearly completed a rally from a late 12-point deficit before Wesley Matthews' 3-point attempt with five seconds left was blocked by the Grizzlies' Rudy Gay.
J.J. Hickson had a team-best 23 points for the Blazers, while Jamal Crawford chipped in 21.
"We are missing a lot of key guys from our team, but guys are out there getting better. The young guys are getting better," guard Jamal Crawford said.
The Spurs' 99-83 win in Portland's last visit to the AT&T Center on Jan. 13 snapped a three-game overall skid in the series. Tony Parker had 12 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter of that victory.
Portland hasn't suffered six straight losses since Nov. 20-Dec. 3, 2010.
#1 seed, here we come.
You can't really count the game in February...Pop dumped that game on purpose.
The Spurs will win tonight by double digits and clinch the West.
We gon' see dem. We gon' win.
The Blazers are better than their record shows
Blazers are gonna get up for this game. Spurs need to play hard and play smart the entire 48 mins for this.
Don't think Timmy will sit this one out again ... so we should win at home
Yeah, my guess is Pop didn't want to play Tim on the B2B, and felt his size would be more use against the Blazers.
How much size do the blazers really have arnt both camby and aldrige both out with injuries?
Camby is in Houston
Blazers have Thabeet, Hickson, Kurt Thomas, Przybilla, and Craig Smith.
Aldridge is done for the year. Camby was traded.
That being said, Spurs should win this one.
Surely Pop is not going to sit any of the big three on "Fan Appreciation Night".
Not even Pop is that insensitive to ticket holders, is he?
^Pop sat Tim Duncan on Military Appreciation Night so I don't think he cares, tbh.
Przybilla might possibly be out tonight too. Spurs should have an overwhelming advantage down low tonight.
I think he plays Timmy and Parker and rests Manu.. rests all 3 against GS, and plays them limited minutes against PHX.
FINISH that and then rest for the big 3
FWIW, TP said on his radio show that everybody will play tonight. They wnat to clinch the first seed in the west.
I think he also said yesterday that he doesn't think they will rest the last 2 road games if they do win today... said that would be too much and believes they will play at least one of the two.
wtf is manu looking at
We staaaaaaacked.
Where did you find this?
@spurs just tweeted it, today is Spurs team photo day
Number FIVE, Here WE Come!
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