http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.355591d.html
'Soft' Spurs chuckle at their newer, tougher reputation
Web Posted: 05/13/2007 11:19 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
They are a motley collection of spindly foreign parts and past-their-primers waiting for their Social Security to kick in, many of them still a couple value meals shy of 200 pounds.
Their coach calls them soft twice a season, and their star forward's rap sheet begins and ends with an ejection for laughing. They have been branded too nice, too boring — the NBA's Milk & Cookies Gang, a label affixed by one of their own.
And yet the Spurs have somehow arrived here, dirty and bruised, one eye nearly swollen shut, their backs stiff from pushing and being pushed, their elbows (and at least one knee) allegedly sharpened to a razor's edge.
The Spurs lead the Phoenix Suns 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series with Game 4 tonight at the AT&T Center, and if you ask their opponent, the difference has been fouls, physicality and toughness.
"We realize for a long time people want to call the West soft, call the Spurs soft," Robert Horry said. "We're just going out trying to play hard."
Manu Ginobili's puffy left eye was the latest piece of evidence. Raked in the face Saturday night by Suns forward Shawn Marion, Ginobili began his Sunday morning with a visit to the doctor.
When he later met reporters, his eye was narrowly opened, and the welt underneath had turned from red to purple to green. He said the eye has bothered him when he moves his head quickly but that the doctor told him those symptoms should clear before tonight's game.
"I just felt a little pressure inside the eye, but no big deal," Ginobili said. "I'm good to go."
From Ginobili's eye to Steve Nash's split nose to Bruce Bowen's "clip" of Amare Stoudemire, the series has had its share of spilled blood and raised tempers. Stoudemire called the Spurs dirty, saying Bowen intentionally kicked him, and Bowen didn't help his reputation Saturday when he kneed Nash in the crotch — an incident the NBA is investigating, a league spokesman said Sunday night.
As a result, the Suns spent much of their pre-practice media session talking about their need to get tougher.
"I don't think it's matching elbow for elbow," Phoenix guard Raja Bell said. "Look, you get caught up in that with them and you will lose. They're good at it.
"You can't get caught up in that as much as everyone would like to spin it and have us out there fighting tomorrow night. I hope guys understand that's not the answer.
"More so, the answer is being mentally tough against a team like that."
The Spurs have shot 45.6 percent in the series to Phoenix's 49.2 percent, but have outrebounded the Suns by an average 53.3-44.0. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni expects his team to raise its physicality tonight, but also wants to cut back its fouls.
"That's what San Antonio does," D'Antoni said. "Or they don't get called. You just can't get called on your fouls. You've got to be smart."
Stoudemire has had a difficult time following that edict. His 3.6 fouls per game were the league's fourth-highest average during the regular season. Further foul trouble limited him to 21 minutes Saturday, including just eight in the second half.
"There's just a few possessions that you have let players dunk or score to stay out of foul trouble," Stoudemire said. "I think giving up two points, if it helps me stay on the court, is more important. I've got to stay on the court."
The Spurs, who have been called for 65 fouls in the series to the Suns' 62, have laughed at their sudden makeover. In past seasons, they shouldered criticism for being a finesse team. Now they're rugged or, at least in Stoudemire's opinion, dirty.
Duncan couldn't stifle a laugh Saturday when asked if this was one of the most physical playoff series of his career.
"Did you watch last series?" Duncan said, referring to the Spurs' first-round tussle with the Denver Nuggets. "Those guys last series were a lot more physical than these guys."
That said, the Spurs also know they're facing a defense much better than its reputation. They've already suc bed to Phoenix's aggressiveness in Game 2 and the Suns — not wanting to go home in a 3-1 hole — will be playing even more desperate tonight.
"Every time you cut down the lane you're going to feel a bump," Ginobili said. "We can't set clear screens because everybody is in the paint, trying to push each other. ... so it's hard to get easy layups and stuff like that.
"That's how it usually is in the playoffs: Nobody wants to give anything."
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Heh, good point. When did the Spurs morph from a soft team with no heart, into a rough and tumble bunch of dirty thu...errrr hard-nosed players?
And why aren't the Suns getting slapped with the soft label? As far as I can tell they are the ones whining like es about physicality and .
Probably because some Spurs fans like to obsess over how dirty a player Raja Bell continues to be. I'm just sayin'...
"There's just a few possessions that you have let players dunk or score to stay out of foul trouble," Stoudemire said. "I think giving up two points, if it helps me stay on the court, is more important. I've got to stay on the court."I can just picture Amare in tonights game telling himself "I've got to stay on the court!, I've got to stay on the court!, I've got to stay on the court!"
Well of course he's dirty! He learned defense in San Antonio.
Raja Bell went into Phoenix with the label of a defensive stopper. I think at times he works doubly hard to make sure that he lives up to that label. However, I don't think he's dirty.
On another thread I saw someone comparing Bowen to Laimbeer. What I'm about to say also applies to Bell...no one and I mean no one operating today even comes close to approaching the Pistons of the 80s. Are you kidding me?
But seriously, why aren't the Suns getting slapped with the soft label by the media? Is it because of their overwhelming love for Nash? The style they play isn't particularly 'tough', they haven't even gotten to the finals yet, they whine and complain when they get pushed around, their designated 'man in the middle' wilts under pressure...am I missing something here?
For the record though, I don't consider them soft...just kinda marshmallowy.
Well of course he's dirty! He learned defense in San Antonio.
Raja Bell went into Phoenix with the label of a defensive stopper. I think at times he works doubly hard to make sure that he lives up to that label. However, I don't think he's dirty.
On another thread I saw someone comparing Bowen to Laimbeer. What I'm about to say also applies to Bell...no one and I mean no one operating today even comes close to approaching the Pistons of the 80s. Are you kidding me?
But seriously, why aren't the Suns getting slapped with the soft label by the media? Is it because of their overwhelming love for Nash? The style they play isn't particularly 'tough', they haven't even gotten to the finals yet, they whine and complain when they get pushed around, their designated 'man in the middle' wilts under pressure...am I missing something here?
For the record though, I don't consider them soft...just kinda marshmallowy.
I really like the Suns BUT can you think of ANY team in the NBA who is softer? - I can't
we're branded tough now because we are currently playing the softest bunch of sissies in playoff history, lead by the whiniest coach.
our toughness will last this series, then we'll really face the really tough team in Utah.
The Mavericks.
But seriously, the Suns aren't soft. Nash certainly isn't soft. Amare complains a lot, but that doesn't make him soft.
I respect the Suns, and expect a good game tonight.
IMO, the Suns are not a soft team. I think because of their style of play, some consider them soft. They are gonna be tough to finish off. Nash is pure heart and won't let them go down without a fight.
We as Spurs fans should count our blessings we got a split and hope our boys put a foot on their throats tonight.
i think the denver series helped us out a lot. we had to get physical to match them, and now we are rebounding like we shouldve all season.
thank you nene
"I don't think it's matching elbow for elbow," Phoenix guard Raja Bell said. "Look, you get caught up in that with them and you will lose. They're good at it.
Yeah, it's funny that teams have gameplanned to be physical with the Spurs for the past three or four years and I don't recall any collective screams from the organization about it. Now suddenly the Spurs are the 1990 Pistons.
I wonder what these Suns would have thought to have to play against the likes of Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman or Charles Oakley?
Oakley would break Amare in half. , I think Oakley could still break in half most of the PFs in the league today. That was one scary mofo.
Current Suns=Kings from a few years back.
Phoenix are a group of over-hyped, overpaid, losers. I wouldn't necessarily call them soft though. Just mentally weak and unprepared to play championship calibre basketball.
Updated: May 13, 2007, 4:53 PM ETthe hardest foul was delivered by a guy named Amare Stoudemire, followed up by Manu Ginobili getting raked in the eye. The game ended with the Suns convinced -- particularly by a dubious knee from Bruce Bowen into Steve Nash -- that they were roughed up worse.
Spurs and Suns get in contact
Stein
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
SAN ANTONIO -- It was easy to dismiss all of that Spurs-are-dirty talk as the usual playoff rhetoric that bubbles up when you have three off days between games.
It seemed easy, anyway, until these Western Conference heavyweights started playing again.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...ilydime-070513
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