Reply With Quote
Ludden is good.
Spurs, even Rose, feel little love for Philadelphia
Web Posted: 11/18/2004 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....68eb1be9.html
PHILADELPHIA — Malik Rose will make a hefty donation to the Philadelphia 76ers' ticket department tonight, again, although the days when he required 70-plus seats for family members, friends and friends of family members have long passed.
His mother and stepfather have since moved to San Antonio. As have his two younger brothers. And his sister. And his aunt.
Home being home, Rose still circles the Philadelphia game as the one he looks forward to the most each season. But he admits the Spurs' annual trip here has "lost some of its luster."
With good reason. As much as Rose has personally enjoyed his recent homecomings, they haven't done much to perk up his team's record.
When the Spurs meet the 76ers tonight at the Wachovia Center, it will be four days shy of five years since they last won in Philadelphia.
Though the Spurs' four-game slide in Philadelphia falls well short of the 17-consecutive games the Sixers lost in San Antonio, it currently is their longest road losing streak against any opponent.
The Spurs need only two words to describe why the City of Brotherly Love has been so unkind to them: Allen Iverson.
With the possible exception of Kobe Bryant, no other player has tormented the Spurs more in recent seasons than the Sixers' mercurial guard. During the team's past four visits here, Iverson has scored 40, 36, 37 and 36 points, shredding what has annually been one of the league's top defenses. Last season, he rallied Philadelphia by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter. Two years ago, he scored 13 of the Sixers' final 17 points.
"Allen always is a tough cover and he's always a big-time compe or," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Just because of him, any game against Philly is a big challenge."
Iverson is playing point guard under new Philadelphia coach Jim O'Brien, but his scoring hasn't suffered much: He is averaging 26.4 points and 7.6 assists.
From Derek Anderson to Antonio Daniels to Tony Parker to Bruce Bowen to Manu Ginobili, the Spurs have thrown one defender after another at Iverson, often with little success.
"He can take a shot against anybody," Parker said. "Every time we play in Philadelphia, it seems like he's hot. It's like (Stephon) Marbury. Every time I play against him, he's hot.
"We just have to play early defense on (Iverson), not give him easy looks and try to contain him. Obviously, we're not going to stop him, but we can at least contain him."
In past seasons the Spurs have struggled to do even that, too often allowing Iverson into the middle of the lane where he can collapse the defense.
Parker is one of the few players whose quickness is almost comparable to that of Iverson. But even if he starts on Iverson, the Spurs probably will rotate defenders.
"We do like three minutes and switch, four minutes and switch," Parker said. "Pop doesn't want to use all my energy — and all of Bruce's energy — on defense."
Philadelphia also has occasionally flustered the Spurs with its own hard, physical defense. In the teams' last meeting, the Sixers were missing Iverson and Aaron McKie but still held the Spurs to 77 points, their third-fewest of the season, for their first victory in San Antonio since Jan. 6, 1986.
"We have not really executed well against them for a while offensively," Popovich said.
The Spurs have often played at Philadelphia early in their schedule before they have had time to develop their chemistry. Unlike previous years, however, this season's team has had to work only two players (Brent Barry and Beno Udrih) into its regular rotation.
As a result, the Spurs look more cohesive than they were a year ago. They hope Tuesday's victory over New York will serve as a springboard for their four-game trip, the team's second-longest of the season.
"It makes you feel good and confident that if we continue to go out and play this way, there's no reason why we can't take it to the road," Barry said. "I think we're up to the challenge. We're looking to win all four and it's going to start in Philly."
Ludden is good.
This is 4-year Spurs losing streak that needs breaking, esp with game coming at the start of the Spurs' road trip. Spurs need to develop road-worthiness and confidence in winning on the road.
This game is going to be tough. Iverson is close to an impossible matchup for the Spurs and the Sixers have enough bigmen to slow down Duncan. If the Spurs aren't hitting a high enough percentage, the streak may go to five.
"It makes you feel good and confident that if we continue to go out and play this way, there's no reason why we can't take it to the road," Barry said. "I think we're up to the challenge. We're looking to win all four and it's going to start in Philly."
Dam Barry is confident
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions