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lol. change back to SBC center please!
Spurs' home effort too sour for tastes
Web Posted: 01/09/2007 12:03 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.2ff66d8.html
Home, sweet home?
Try telling that to the Spurs. While the AT&T Center was once considered one of the NBA's most intimidating venues to visit, it's become a house of horrors for the local team this season.
The Spurs enter tonight's game against Portland having already lost six times at home, just one less than they did all of last season. Only two seasons ago, they went a franchise-best 38-3 at the since-renamed SBC Center.
The Spurs and, coincidentally, the Trail Blazers, are the only teams with better records on the road than at home.
"You always want to be able to protect your own gym," Manu Ginobili said. "We haven't done that this season."
The Spurs have instead played the role of accommodating hosts, often stopping just short of leaving a mint on their opponent's pillow.
Tired and weary of being on the road? Looking for a relaxing weekend getaway? Visit Casa de Spurs.
More than a few opposing teams have left town satisfied this winter:
Cleveland won in San Antonio for the first time since 1988.
Houston ended a 17-game losing streak here, beating the Spurs on their own floor for the first time since Tim Duncan joined the team.
Dallas swept its two games here for the first time in 11 years.
Milwaukee won in the AT&T Center for the first time.
Charlotte has only three road victories this season, one of which came against the Spurs.
Sacramento, Philadelphia and Memphis erased second-half deficits of 17, 17 and 19 points to throw a scare into the Spurs before losing.
"It used to be teams would say, 'Man, we're in San Antonio. It's tough here,'" Bruce Bowen said. "Now they may say, 'We're down 10, we got a chance.'"
The Spurs are shooting better on the road than at home, but what concerns them more is the discrepancy with their defense. In the team's 17 road games, opponents have shot a combined 43.3 percent.
In the Spurs' 18 games at the AT&T Center? They've watched their opponents shoot 46.8 percent, a number disappointingly high for a team that has built its success on getting stops.
"I think we get comfortable," Michael Finley said. "What I mean by that is we get leads on sub-par teams, and we get into a comfort zone knowing we can still win the game if we just play average. But then when we play a top-caliber team like Dallas ... if you do that against them, they're going to take advantage.
"It bit us in the butt a little bit against Dallas, but I think we've learned from it hopefully."
The Spurs lost to the Mavericks despite leading by 11 at halftime. A little more than a week earlier, they lost to Milwaukee after leading by 13 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.
The Spurs have blown double-digit second-half leads in five of their past 11 home games. They won three of those games, but that didn't leave them feeling much better.
The Spurs' worst lost of the season a 97-78 setback to Houston in which they trailed by 17 at halftime also came at the AT&T Center.
"When we don't get leads, we get impatient," Ginobili said. "And sometimes when we get leads, we get a little y and too overconfident."
Ginobili thinks the Spurs have been "giving life to a lot of teams."
Finley understands, having visited the AT&T Center and Alamodome numerous times as an opposing player.
"You knew when you were coming to San Antonio that you had to play one of your best games," Finley said. "So from a mental standpoint, your whole mindset changes when you come into San Antonio.
"We've been getting some of the teams' better games of the year. But it's not surprising because I know how those teams feel."
Opposing teams began to enjoy more success in San Antonio about the same time the Spurs changed the name on the front of their arena. Under the SBC sign, the Spurs went 135-23 (.854 winning percentage), not including the playoffs. Since the AT&T logo went up, they're 15-9 (.625).
Robert Horry knows of one cosmetic change the Spurs could make to possibly improve their fortune.
"I think," he said, "we need to wear black shoes or our black uniforms at home."
Parker update: The Spurs' starters didn't practice Monday, so Tony Parker will have his right hip strain re-evaluated at this morning's shootaround. Team officials are optimistic he'll be able to play tonight. Parker missed Sunday's victory in Memphis.
lol. change back to SBC center please!
They should start selling hard drinks instead of soft drinks at the AT&T Center. Maybe that will help.
Besides the Horry comment, all that seems to be said by the Spurs players is simply the obvious. Are they actually looking for solutions on how to win these games they lose or just complacent they were "in the game" and will "learn from it - hopefully"? At least Horry is trying to think of a solution to win at home.I know it is early in the season, but I really want to see some passion in these guys in the season and not wait until the playoffs. GO SPURS GO! GO SPURS GO! GO SPURS GO! GO SPURS GO! GO SPURS GO!
Talking about mental weakness
No shakeing ups all we need is luck in playoffs right now.
1999 - *
2003 - weak compe ion
2005 - firts championship 7 game series <--- luck
2007 ?
imo you are a ing moron
i would simply ban you from the forum if i had the admin rights
we can all see this scene again in april...
Well that is how people sees it.
You know how much Tim Duncans value will drop after he won't win another championship with spurs?
i'm not sure what you're trying to say/prove...but, this makes no sense to me. tim's value hasn't dropped, most teams would kill to have him on their team.
I'm worried about Timmy. Something is not right.
All what you need to know is that TD must to win another here to leave no doubts.
Best PF all time
he's got 3 more rings than malone who was a damned good PF. tim's legacy to the game of b-ball is fine, there is no doubt that he is one of the best, if not the best to play his position. another le would be great, but it's not needed to strengthen his accomplishments.
Word.
People could stand to have a little more faith and show more loyalty.
No one could ever be more upset about Timmy not playing up to par than Timmy.
The team will pull through. Believe.
*Shakes head*
Who the cares how other "people see it"
The important thing is for "Spurs Fans" not to believe this ! I can't believe I am reading this !
*Breathes*
Make a wide open 3 pointer and then win in OT last Friday and this article probably wouldn't have been written.
true...but this article should have be written well before the Dallas loss.
You're probably right.
I think the Spurs and Mavs are very similar in that they play better on the road (even in the playoffs). While having a great homecourt advantage is a good thing I'd rather have the confidence to win on the road in the regular season and playoffs that both the Spurs & Mavs have.
agree...that confidence to win on the road is needed come playoff time. but, you want to couple that with a great homecourt record, just to make teams think that it's impossible to win on your court. it's a good psychological advantage to have.
Yeah, I agree.
The Jazz appear to have that homecourt advantage going for them this season. It will be interesting to see how Dallas handles that tonight. They didn't handle it very well last month. I'm guessing that they will play a good game tonight after getting blown out in Utah last month and losing to the Lakers a couple of nights ago...but who knows.
Brandon Roy
I'll be at the Blazer/Mav game tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to seeing Roy play.
No need to strenghten his accomplishments?
Are you serious?
As far as I know basketball is a sport and in sport you have to prove something to somebody every day, every year.
That is so simple that I do not need to explain it.
Are you serious?!?!?!
Duncan's value won't drop a bit if the Spurs don't win another le with him!
Are you serious?
I hate that picture. The dude should have taken over the game that night and he didn't. He whines too much at times and waits to get bailed out by the refs too much at times as well.
I'm worried about Timmy. Something is not right.
That's why I have so much respect for Kobe. There have been so many times when the Lakers were down and Kobe took it upon himself to bring them back. At times it back fires, but at least he goes all out. I don't see this from Duncan like I use to.
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