Ludden: 'You win it all or go home with nothing'

[Kori Ellis]

'You win it all or go home with nothing'
Web Posted: 06/23/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....36e7a06b.html

Eight months, seven quad contusions, three right ankle sprains and a desperate housewife later, the Spurs awake this morning, stomachs churning, hours from the highest-stakes game in their franchise's history.

In their 105th game of the season and seventh of these NBA Finals, they will play the Detroit Pistons tonight at the SBC Center, the league's championship boiled down to 48 minutes, unless, of course, both teams decide more are needed.

"It comes back to just one game," Manu Ginobili said. "You win it all or you go back home with nothing."

Unable to take Detroit's crown Tuesday night, the Spurs returned to the SBC Center a day later to watch film, rest their weary bodies and soothe their psyches. Only two of them have played under the pressure they will face tonight: Ginobili, 10 months ago, as he led Argentina to an Olympic gold medal; and Robert Horry, who won the first of his five championship rings in 1994, the last time the Finals went seven games.

"Some guys love pressure and heighten their game," Horry said. "Some guys kind of fold up and shrivel away. This is going to be a true test of us."

To win their second championship in three years, the Spurs will have to take down their most resilient opponent yet. Undefeated in 10 elimination games the past two seasons, the Pistons are trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the Finals by winning twice on the road.

Detroit has won its four previous Game 7s, including three since 2003. The most recent came 18 days ago with a victory over Miami in Miami to reach the Finals. Having already forgotten Horry's heart-breaking 3-pointer from two nights earlier, the Pistons fought off the Spurs in Tuesday's final two minutes.

"That's what we've been doing for the last few years, just winning games," Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace said. "There's no pressure on us."

The Spurs will try to stay loose, as well, though they admit it won't be easy. "It seems like too long until the game is going to be here," Tim Duncan said.

Try 15 years. The Spurs haven't had a playoff series go seven games since their epic 108-105 double-overtime loss to Portland in the 1990 Western Conference semifinals. Their coach then, Larry Brown, will sit on the opposing bench tonight.

"If we win that game," said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, then an assistant on Brown's staff, "I think the whole history of the franchise changes."

Had the Spurs won, they would have faced Phoenix, a team they had beaten four times in the regular season. Instead, they waited nine more years for their first trip to the Finals.

The only winner-take-all game the Spurs have played since their loss to the Trail Blazers came in Game 5 of their 2002 first-round series against Seattle. After missing the previous game to attend his father's funeral, Duncan returned to lead the Spurs to an overwhelming victory.

"That was a big game," Tony Parker said, "but nothing compared to the NBA Finals."

The NBA has gone so long since having a Game 7 in the Finals that Horry and Minnesota point guard Sam Cassell are the only players who played in Houston's 1994 victory over New York who remain in the league. Horry has appeared in six Game 7s, losing only one. Bruce Bowen (once with Miami) and Glenn Robinson (twice with Milwaukee) are the only other Spurs to have played in a Game 7.

"You have a lot of pressure, and sometimes pressure will bust a pipe and sometimes pressure will make diamonds," Horry said. "For that (Houston) team, pressure made diamonds. We all sparkled in that series.

"Those teams, pressure made us shine. This team, I think pressure will make us shine."

Horry remembers little about the Rockets' decisive 90-84 victory over the Knicks except the joy he felt when it was over. By the seventh game, he had s ches in one arm, a sprained wrist and what he delicately termed as a "fractured butt." As a result, his pregame routine that day included "putting ice on my booty."

Ginobili, likewise, might have reason to cool his own rear after tonight.

"One person I worry about most is Manu because his game is getting to the rack," Horry said. "He's going to get up off the floor without getting a call."

The more significant the game, Horry said, the more physicality officials allow. That could translate into fewer free throws for Duncan, who has struggled to make the ones he has received.

Regardless, the Spurs would like to get the ball into Duncan's hands more often than they did Tuesday. Playing hurried, at times, they hoisted a playoff franchise record 28 3-pointers.

"We forgot about Tim Duncan," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He didn't forget about anything."

Hoping for a performance worth remembering, Duncan said he's "excited to get to the floor, more than anything." Most of his teammates feel the same.

"One way or another, someone is going to be crowned tonight," Devin Brown said. "I just hope it's us."

[Kori Ellis]

Game 7 'dream' comes true
Web Posted: 06/23/2005 12:00 AM CDT

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....36eef5d1.html

Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer

Win or lose, Spurs point guard Tony Parker doesn't expect his life to change much after Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

"I'm still going to have the same teammates, same friends, same family," he said.

For a 23-year-old faced with defending Chauncey Billups in the kind of pressure-packed game the Pistons' star relishes, Parker sounded remarkably calm while talking to the media Wednesday at the SBC Center.

"I love it," Parker said. "One game and everything is on the line. It's a great opportunity. It's been my dream to play in (a Game 7) since I arrived in San Antonio.

"This is what you live for — to play in big games."

As an added bonus, Parker draws the assignment of shadowing Billups, who has scored 130 of Detroit's 533 points in the series and leads all players with a 21.7 scoring average.

"Mr. Big Shot," as the Pistons like to call Billups, hit 5 of 9 from 3-point range to finish with 21 points in the defending NBA champions' 95-86 victory over the Spurs in Game 6 on Thursday.

"I have to slow him down a bit," Parker said. "I'll try to pressure him. That's the only thing I can do. Try to force him to do mistakes and not leave him in his comfort zone to hit those 3-point shots."

Despite Billups' production, the Spurs' coaches have been pleased with Parker's defensive effort.

"He's working his butt off against a tough character," coach Gregg Popovich said.

Assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo noted that Parker hasn't backed down from Billups, who at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds is 1 inch taller and more than 20 pounds heavier than Parker.

"Tony has done a very good job," Carlesimo said. "All you can do is make the really good offensive players work, and Tony has really defended. The entire playoffs in general, I think it's the best defense I've seen Tony play, and he's had tough matchups."

With another le and possibly a second-straight Finals MVP award at stake, Billups is expected to be at his best tonight. But that prospect doesn't worry Parker, who said he has "embraced" the pressure of playing in a Game 7.

"You need to have fun," Parker said. "You can't think about what is on the line and how much pressure you got because then you aren't going to be yourself and you aren't going to play your game. You just have to go out there and let it go.

"You have to be happy. It is hard to explain. There is so much on the line, but you cannot be afraid now."

[slayermin]

Backups my "TP has played good defense during the Finals" theory.

[mrcoon29]

"You can't think about what is on the line and how much pressure you got because then you aren't going to be yourself and you aren't going to play your game. You just have to go out there and let it go.

"You have to be happy. It is hard to explain. There is so much on the line, but you cannot be afraid now."

Well, TP talked the talk now make the walk.

[T Park]

Duncan said he's "excited to get to the floor, more than anything." Most of his teammates feel the same.

an excited and motivated Duncan???

Rut ro raggie.....