any word?
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.d948413.html
Oberto tried to front O'Neal midway through the third quarter only to end up on his back watching O'Neal throw down a two-handed dunk. Oberto tweaked his left ankle on the play and went to the locker room. The Spurs called it a mild sprain.
Duncan, Ginobili show no signs of rust
Web Posted: 10/11/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
MIAMI — For one quarter Monday night, with the ball moving freely and Manu Ginobili slicing his way through Miami's defenders and Tim Duncan burying open jump shots, the Spurs looked not too unlike they did four months earlier.
"It seemed," Ginobili said, "like the (NBA) Finals were only yesterday."
The Spurs have eight more months and another 100-plus games to weather before the Finals begin. But if one half of their preseason opener at American Airlines Arena was any indication, Duncan and Ginobili don't seem to have picked up much rust from their relaxing summer.
While the Heat won the Hurricane Katrina benefit 103-101 when Kevin Braswell drove for a layup at the buzzer, the Spurs were happy enough with the way their two All-Stars started: Duncan and Ginobili combined for 27 of their 29 points in the first half on only 15 shots.
After playing for their respective national teams the previous two summers, Duncan and Ginobili seem to have benefited from an offseason of rest. In Duncan's case, that meant using the time to let his sore ankles heal before resuming conditioning work in August.
"This is the best Timmy's body has looked and the best he's probably felt coming into preseason in three seasons," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's got some quickness. He's got stamina. He's slimmer. He's a little bit more wiry strong. His body just looks great."
It showed. Duncan finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while making six of his nine shots. When he went to the bench with 1:38 left in the second quarter, the Spurs led 56-40. He returned for the first seven minutes of the second half.
"I feel a lot healthier, and I feel not as beat up as I did at the end of last year," said Duncan, who repeatedly sprained his left ankle last season before also injuring his right one in the playoffs. "But it is the beginning of the season and I think everybody feels like that in the beginning of the season."
Ginobili does. He scored 13 points in 16 minutes and produced a couple of his usual highlights.
After Fabricio Oberto delivered a behind-the-back handoff to him, he immediately went by James Posey, drew a foul from Shaquille O'Neal and completed a reverse layup. In the second quarter, he stole a pass in the backcourt, then used a show-and-go move to draw a three-point play on Antoine Walker.
During the summer, Ginobili didn't pick up a basketball for almost six weeks.
"That was unbelievable for me," he said. "That never happens."
Ginobili thinks the layoff may make it more difficult for him to regain his rhythm quickly. But it also should help him better maintain his energy later in the season.
"I really feel like the season finished only a couple weeks ago," he said.
Miami's tag team of O'Neal and Dwyane Wade combined for 35 points, but it was Walker, one of the Heat's new additions, who hurt the Spurs most. He came off the bench to score 20 points, prompting his teammates to call him "Antoine McAdoo."
The Spurs, meanwhile, introduced Oberto to O'Neal, letting their new 6-foot-10 forward guard Miami's 7-1, 345-pound center for a stretch in each half. The results weren't always pretty.
Oberto tried to front O'Neal midway through the third quarter only to end up on his back watching O'Neal throw down a two-handed dunk. Oberto tweaked his left ankle on the play and went to the locker room. The Spurs called it a mild sprain.
"I told him when Shaq's out there, we're going to put you on him so you can see who he is," Popovich said. "It was just a familiarity, welcome-to-the-neighborhood sort of thing."
The Spurs figure to encounter a few more bumps as they help acclimate their new teammates.
"But I think everybody feels the same way," Ginobili said. "That we're in the same role that we finished last year. That's a good thing."
Poor Oberto getting pushed around by Shaq. I think he should be back Saturday for sure, maybe even play Thursday."I told him when Shaq's out there, we're going to put you on him so you can see who he is," Popovich said. "It was just a familiarity, welcome-to-the-neighborhood sort of thing."
The last Spurs Argintine rookie that had ankle issues early in the year turned out pretty good.
Somebody at the games said Oberto limped out to the bus. I bet he's out 3 weeks.
"ankle issues early in the year"
A lot longer than early. Manu and his ankle were out till the All-Star break.
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