Ludden: Spurs let one get away

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs let one get away
Web Posted: 11/22/2004 12:00 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....7d8d3357.html

TORONTO — Vince Carter is a five-time All-Star but a disgruntled one these days. He asked Toronto before the season to trade him, then spent this past week listening to reports the Raptors were considering shipping him to Portland.

Though Carter was still wearing a white-and-red jersey Sunday, many of the 17,264 at Air Canada Centre appeared ready to give him their own sendoff. They booed when he re-entered the game in the second quarter. They booed when he missed a shot. They booed him when, of all things, he caught a pass.

"Hey Vince," yelled one middle-aged man seated in the front row, "we don't need you!"

He might be right. With Carter and two other starters on the bench, the Raptors pulled off their greatest fourth-quarter comeback, rallying from 19 points down to stun the Spurs 96-91.

The Spurs failed to match the franchise's best 10-game start and dropped into a tie with Dallas atop the Southwest Division.

"Obviously we cashed it in and played like the game was over," coach Gregg Popovich said, "and they got a group on the floor that was very energetic and played very well.

"They got themselves back in the game, and, as all of us know, sometimes it's hard to turn it back on."

The Spurs had won their previous six games, the last two requiring fourth-quarter comebacks. But as well as they dealt with adversity in Philadelphia and Boston, the Spurs seem to have a few things to learn about handling their prosperity.

"Hopefully that will be a great lesson for us," Popovich said. "I didn't know we would need that kind of lesson with this group."

Tim Duncan wasn't all that pleased with his performance. He overwhelmed Toronto with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the first two quarters but had only five points after halftime. He missed all four shots in the fourth quarter, including a dunk blocked by Raptors forward Lamond Murray, as well as half of his six free throws.

The Spurs matched their record low with two field goals in the final quarter. The nine points scored was one more than another franchise low.

"I'll put that on my shoulders," Duncan said of the loss. "I had a bunch of layups, I missed some free throws with an opportunity to go up six and eight points and dampen their spirits."

The Spurs end their travels tonight in Memphis in a fourth game in five days. They hope to rediscover the energy they displayed during the trip's first two games and Sunday's first three quarters.

With the game tied 54-54 early in the third quarter, the Spurs outscored Toronto 26-6 over the next 7 minutes, 34 seconds. They were still up 19 at the start of the fourth quarter.

"It was tough," said Sam Mitc , Toronto's new coach. "I mean, they have a team that is picked to win the championship, and they were rolling on us."

Near the end of third quarter, Mitc sat Carter, who scored only four points, and starting center Loren Wood. He also kept Jalen Rose, who had bruised his thigh in a collision with Manu Ginobili, on the bench to start the fourth.

That left the Raptors with Rafer Alston, Chris Bosh, Morris Peterson, Milt Palacio and Murray on the floor. The quintet may have been lacking star power, but certainly not energy.

"They came at us hard," Tony Parker said, "and it looked like we didn't know how to react."

The Spurs struggled to keep Alston (20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds) out of the middle of the lane. All 13 of Murray's points came in the final quarter, including a 3-pointer to give Toronto a 92-90 lead with 1:29 left. Mitc didn't subs ute a single player in the final quarter until 5.9 seconds remained.

"We were up 20 with (Carter and Rose) on the bench," Ginobili said. "We thought it was done. I'm very upset, very upset with what we've done.

"We were doing a great job, playing strong 'D,' making smart choices on offense. Then in the last quarter we just turned it off. We forgot how to play."

Bosh defended Duncan well in the final minutes. So did Murray, who stuffed Duncan's dunk attempt with the Spurs trailing by two points with a little more than minute remaining.

"I'm a small forward and he's the No. 1 power forward/center in the game right now," said Murray, who is 4 inches shorter than Duncan. "Just to be in the game and get a block against a guy of that caliber is a great feeling."

The Spurs naturally didn't share the same sentiment. Asked if he ever remembered the team suffering a similar collapse, Parker didn't need long to answer.

"The year we won the championship," Parker said. "A lot of games we were up 20 and we lost. We just can't make (this) a bad habit."

[whottt]

Sounds like the team knows they packed it in...

But there is one other thing...they did try to go to 4 down to much...that has always been the reason we blow leads. Manu did need more touches and we probably did need to try and shoot more 3 pointers...our guys were getting wide open shots.

I also wouldn't have minded having Malik get some minutes down the stretch since Malik is a good rebounder.

This loss wasn't entirely caused because they turned it off in the third quarter...I think it's a mistake to chalk it all up to overconfidence. They were playing hard from the time Orlando got back in the game...they just couldn't get it going again.

Pop needs to trust our offense in crunch time...not just Duncan.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

You let me worry about my prediction, Whottt.

[whottt]

Well, at least you realize that you need to worry about it lol.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Well, at least you realize that you need to worry about it lol.

Only about the post-game updating of my sig.

[GoSpurs21]

the 2-16 3pt shooting by Manu, Tony and Bret sure didnt help