Reply With Quote
We're doomed.
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...426/daily-dimeAll Signs Are Looking Up For Spurs Now
By J.A. Adande | ESPN.com
LOS ANGELES -- The San Antonio Spurs aren't just dominating this series against the Los Angeles Lakers, they're winning the Western Conference playoffs. That's a report, not a prediction, but they're looking like a smart pick because they're the only Western team whose prospects have taken a straight upward trajectory over the past week.
San Antonio's first-round opponent came into the playoffs without its star player, lost three more guards along the way and put up little resistance the Spurs' 120-89 blowout in Game 3. Earlier in the day, the entire league was shocked by the news that Oklahoma City's point guard Russell Westbrook needs surgery for a torn meniscus in his knee. And when the fallout from that injury comes to bear, it could be that the biggest beneficiary is the Spurs.
They're starting to resemble the team that held the No. 1 spot in the West before faltering. They're getting healthier, regaining their rhythm and moving in position to sweep the Lakers and gain rest days while they await the winner of the Denver-Golden State series. They'd have the edge over either -- especially the young Warriors squad -- because of their wealth of later-round playoff experience. Perhaps the Clippers or Grizzlies could take out the Thunder without Westbrook, putting the Spurs in position to beat the Clippers by precision or the Grizzlies by offensive superiority.
You'll never catch the Spurs looking that far down the road. It was a little surprising to even hear Tim Duncan talk about applying the finishing touches to this series.
He wasn't boastful or ominous or derogatory in his postgame comments. Simply practical.
"We need to close this series out," Duncan said. "We need to get healthy, get some rest. We are an older team. We need all the rest we can get."
That they're in position to do so reflects how things have improved for a group that had some doubt emanating from the locker room at the end of the regular season.
Even if you factor in Tiago Splitter's sprained ankle -- which could keep him out for a week to 10 days, the San Antonio Express-News reported -- the Spurs still win the injury exchange on the day. They played the entire fourth quarter without him Friday night and still outscored the Lakers, 35-26. DeJuan Blair took advantage of the extra playing time and had 13 points and seven rebounds. Matt Bonner knocked down open 3-pointers and was willing to use as many fouls as he had at his disposal when Dwight Howard got the ball inside.
Elsewhere, on the Spurs' injury front, it's all green lights and thumbs up.
Tony Parker, who missed 12 games in March and April, looks better in every quarter this series. He made 9 of 14 shots, scored 20 points, got to whatever spots on the floor he wanted to. Even though he was poked in the eye and stumbled into a Metta World Peace forearm, his wheels are still functioinig smoothly. That's the important thing.
"He went to the rim and he shot jumpers he was aggressive from the beginning of the game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's starting to feel like himself."
Manu Ginobili functioned just fine in his fourth game back from a hamstring injury. He wasn't the star as he was in Game 1. He also didn't need to be, because Duncan looked reminiscent of his Most Valuable Player days (can you believe they were a decade ago?) hitting 12 of 16 shots, scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
"Timmy is still the foundation of our program," Popovich said. "At 37 he showed again tonight both offensively and defensively what a pro he is."
While the rest of the league is becoming more about guard play and "stretch fours," the Spurs returned to their roots, featuring Duncan more on offense this year than the two previous seasons, and relying on him heavily in Game 3.
"I'm just feeling good and I'm making shots," Duncan said. "It's kind of lent itself to that. We're still a perimeter-oriented team [but] if Pop sees me with that rhythm, sees me with a kind of mismatch, he's happy to come with me."
Elsewhere, Boris Diaw has just entered the two-to-four week recovery time frame outlined when he had a cyst removed from his spine. He is running and shooting without pain, and said the next step is to see how he responds to contact. He estimated he's a week away from returning to action.
Diaw is the kind of versatile player who'd be better suited for a Denver or Golden State matchup than Splitter anyway. The way the Nuggets-Spurs is going, with two of the three games decided by a basket, they could need another week to settle it.
Things are going the Spurs' way, from unfortunate injuries suffered elsewhere to the things they can control.
"We're playing better defense than we did the last 3-4 weeks of the season," Popovich said. "We playing defense like we did the first three-fourths of the season. Hopefully that can continue."
It's starting to feel like a good run at the craps table.
We're doomed.
Even though he was poked in the eye and stumbled into a Metta World Peace forearm,(didn't watch the game)
Boris Diaw has just entered the two-to-four week recovery time frame outlined when he had a cyst removed from his spine. He is running and shooting without pain, and said the next step is to see how he responds to contact. He estimated he's a week away from returning to action.
Diaw is the kind of versatile player who'd be better suited for a Denver or Golden State matchup than Splitter anyway.:
It's business as usual for the Spurs regardless what happen to other teams. They take care of what they have control of, and let other things take care of themselves. That's what championship teams do. Besides Spurs had their own share of injuries but they were patient and rested their players instead of playing them to the ground (Kobe) or letting them play injured (Westbrook). It's simply managing minutes and resting players for the long haul. It's a slap on Sterns' face that he fined the Spurs for taking care of their players, while his beloved Lakers and Thunders jeopardized their playoffs' hope for recklessly playing to injury. While I never wish other players get hurt, because I like to watch compe ive basketball and watch great players play at their best, and no bigger stage than the playoffs, still it sends the message that it's a long season plus playoffs, and big part of making it all the way to the championship is keeping the team healthy. Spurs have a good reason to get that 250k penalty reversed tbh.
I mean it's cool that San Antonio has an even more realistic shot at the finals now, but I believed in them beating okc to begin with. I'm torn, it's kind of exciting yet disappointing that this could be an "asterisk" year
Hey, the "asterisk"looks just like all the other
Their expressions are just great. I love this team.
If we don't win the le, asterisks don't matter. To win the le, we have to go through a heavily-favored LeBron and the Heat, and I think that should end any talk of an asterisk.
That's great news about Diaw. If he can get back for the start of the next series then it might buy a little extra time with Splitter if necessary...which it might be as Splitter has never been one to bounce back quickly from injury.
Less than a week ago ESPN had pronounced us dead on arrival, likely to get bumped out of the first round, now we're most likely to come out of the West. BSPN can shove their back-handed compliments up their ass tbh
Exactly...the real obstacle to a le is the Heat.
If you beat that Heat team there is no asterisk!
asterisks people, what are we some self-hating Spurs fans? Long way to go though before any of that becomes relevant.
Damn I hate getting praised in the press.... always goes to their heads.
No such thing. Asterisks are for es. Injuries are a part of the game.
lol people with the "asterick" . Injuries are a part of the game. Nobody felt bad for the Spurs when we were banged up in the past and certainly didn't count it as some asterick year. stfu with that bull .
"Does this really matter? The Lakers are still screwed regardless. The Spurs will whip them raw and make sure the fans leave again. This is what San Antonio does. They play with their food and eat it when all happiness is gone. The NBA's version of dementors."
Unless LeBron is injured, no asterisk for any championship team.
point taken, i thought about that after i posted this. good take!
ESPN is salty mad too at the thought of the Spurs representing the West in the Finals. But when the Lakers won the 2009 le due to injuries to KG, Yao and every other key player the Lakers faced nothing was mentioned because they were too busy with Kobe's in their mouths.
I have never understood folks who think les with asterisks mean less, or folks who even think that such asterisks exist in the first place.
Would they rather that the Spurs not have won it all in 1999? Let some other team have that asterisk trophy instead?
It's an asterisk when it's the Spurs though. Not an asterisk when it's anybody else. It's all good, haters call it an asterisk
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
