Very gutsy win by the Spurs. I don’t want to blow it out of proportion since it’s still an early regular season game but it was rather nice to come away with the W. The Spurs as a team fought through their early struggles, hit their groove and then held on for the win. To take down the Dallas Mavericks without Tim Duncan after struggling as much as they did in the first half was pretty impressive.
For most teams, this would be a confident boost. But really, with the Spurs and their four championships, I don’t think any regular season win or loss stands out over others. That said, this game was at least a good exercise for the perimeter players to figure out how to operate against the Mavs’ personnel.
For the Mavs, they appear to be the same tough team. If I were a Mav Fan, I wouldn’t be too worried. Dallas looks as good as or maybe even better than last year. Brandon Bass looks like a great find and he’s someone who could really help the Mavs in the playoffs because he’s their closest thing to a low post threat. On the other side of the coin, someone needs to tell Jason Terry that this is still the regular season. Cheap shots are uncalled for in December.
-Manu Ginobili was very good. He started off a little slow and was obviously gassed in the fourth quarter, but he was lights out in the meat of the game. His play in the third quarter basically won the game for the Spurs. Terry pi$$ed him off a bit and Ginobili took it out on the Mavs’ defense. It’s exciting to think of the possibility of the Spurs in the playoffs with Ginobili playing at this level. With a healthy Duncan and Parker combined with this Ginobili, it’d be hard to beat the Spurs.
-Tony Parker’s stats aren’t that pretty but I like how he continued fighting. He missed some shots early and battled foul trouble all game. Despite that, he continued to attack. While he didn’t play particularly well, he did play hard and came up with some nice plays at the end. I thought his defense on Dirk Nowitzki when the Spurs switched on pick-and-rolls was outstanding. That was the most physical defense I’ve ever seen Parker play.
-It was a bad day for Bruce Bowen’s shot to be off but Bowen contributed well in other areas. He had a season-high eight rebounds and had a couple big steals. His defense wasn’t very good early in the game but it improved as the game progressed. It would have been nice if Bowen had hit any of his seven shots but the intensity was there and he found ways to make an impact.
-Fabricio Oberto had another solid showing. Eight points and five rebounds in 25 minutes is good work for Oberto. While his defense suffered at times and he ended up fouling out, Oberto’s pick-and-roll play was key to the victory.
-Francisco Elson was his erratic self. One second he looked really good, the next second he looked clueless. A good example was the final sequence. First, Elson comes up with a huge block against Jason Terry with under five seconds to go in the game. However, on the inbounds pass, he doesn’t switch onto Nowitzki and Nowitzki had a wide open three-pointer to win the game. Four points and two rebounds in 25 minutes isn’t anything to write home about, but that block was enough to make this a decent enough game for Elson.
-Michael Finley came off the bench for the first time this season and came away with his best performance of the season. With nobody outside of Ginobili and Parker able to do much of anything, it was Finley who stepped up and supplied just enough offense for the Spurs to win. In 32 minutes, Finley had 14 points and eight rebounds, while shooting 5-of-9 from the field including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. His defense was also better than normal and he had some big rebounds.
-Brent Barry could have really helped the Spurs by hitting some open threes, but his shot was off this game. To compound problems, Barry had one of his poorer defensive showings of the year. This wasn’t the best game for Barry to have a sub par showing, but he’s been playing well enough lately that this game is excusable.
-Jacque Vaughn had a good game. He had to play more minutes than normal due to Parker’s foul trouble and responded with a very cerebral game. He took the shots he was supposed to take and didn’t try to do too much. He’s tended to be a bit wild this season but he was very much under control this game.
-Robert Horry didn’t do much of anything out there in his six minutes. However, he did come up with a nice block – giving him three rejections in limited time this year. He obviously still has a ways to go in terms of getting into playing shape, but at least his athleticism looks to still be there.
-Matt Bonner got six minutes but was hardly noticeable. He had two points and two rebounds, both of which were offensive. As usual, his energy was there – as was his poor defense.
-Pop made some nice moves during the game. Starting Ginobili with Duncan sidelined made a lot of sense. Calling endless pick-and-rolls with either Ginobili or Parker was the right call offensively. Defensively, the switching of the pick-and-rolls worked well. Parker fought Nowitzki and the bigs were able to stay in front of the perimeter players. I’m not sure if I want that strategy in the playoffs, but it worked well enough to get this win. Pop might have played Ginobili a bit too much. Playing 39 minutes, Ginobili was visibly tired heading into the fourth quarter. On that last out of bounds play, I would have preferred Pop subbed in a more defensively savvy player in place of Elson – perhaps Horry. Overall though, good game by the Spurs. It’s still just a December victory but beating the Mavs is always a good thing.
This was a great game to be at.
I was all pumped up for this match up and it did not disappoint.
That last block by Elson. Holy Cow. Wherever that came from, more of it please.
There aren't enough words to accurately prop Gino. He is the man, pure and simple.
I loved how everyone somehow stepped up when it counted whether it be with a monster block or awesome D.
Our team rocks!
I barely have a voice left but the Spurs got the win so all is well.
Go Spurs!!!!!!!!
Timvp are you saying that foul by Terry on Parker when Parker was going full speed to the basket was flagrant-worthy? I saw it again and again and I'm still on the fence, I don't think it was that bad. As far as the elbows and checking goes, that was uncalled for, for sure.
Psssssssst! 3 words.........
Mavs got Pw3nd!
Two more words.
Without Timmy.
It looked like a cheap foul. Parker sucks at flopping so I think he really was knocked off balance pretty violently. That's a good way to mess up a shoulder.
But when Ginobili came over to help up Parker and push Terry away, Terry threw a chicken wing at Ginobili. And then Terry had that hard foul after the whistle on Ginobili and another time he held Ginobili's leg while he was in the air.
Terry AKA The Angry Carlton needed to be Tony Massenburg'ed or Melvin Ely'ed.
I agree with almost everything, except I don't think Manu's performance tonight gets nearly enough love here. The man was out- ing-standing!
I don't think it was flagrant either. It was more o how Parker fell than anything. That's how Nash would've looked had his hair not got in his face and tumpled into the scorer's tableThat said, it was a clear path foul IMO
Ginobili was no doubt awesome but he's been so awesome this year it's tough coming up with new ways to say it. Like I said, he almost single-handedly won the game ... not sure what higher praise could be.
you just lack the vocabulary
It looked like a cheap foul. Parker sucks at flopping so I think he really was knocked off balance pretty violently. That's a good way to mess up a shoulder.
But when Ginobili came over to help up Parker and push Terry away, Terry threw a chicken wing at Ginobili. And then Terry had that hard foul after the whistle on Ginobili and another time he held Ginobili's leg while he was in the air.
Terry AKA The Angry Carlton needed to be Tony Massenburg'ed or Melvin Ely'ed.
Yeah, Manu and Tony got beat up a lot but a lot of the Mavs tonight.
Definitely would have been useful to have an enforcer.
-Fabricio Oberto had another solid showing. Eight points and five rebounds in 25 minutes is good work for Oberto. While his defense suffered at times and he ended up fouling out, Oberto’s pick-and-roll play was key to the victory.
-Matt Bonner got six minutes but was hardly noticeable. He had two points and two rebounds, both of which were offensive. As usual, his energy was there – as was his poor defense.
What a joke. The pick and roll play that led to 2+ turnovers? Oberto has no defense just like Bonner. The only edge he has over Bonner on defense is he knows how to take a charge like a true Argentinian and doesn't get out of position near as much as Bonner. Standing up straight and putting your arms up/taking a flop is not defense. the Bonner hate, he had a nice monster rebound.
It looked like a cheap foul. Parker sucks at flopping so I think he really was knocked off balance pretty violently. That's a good way to mess up a shoulder.
But when Ginobili came over to help up Parker and push Terry away, Terry threw a chicken wing at Ginobili. And then Terry had that hard foul after the whistle on Ginobili and another time he held Ginobili's leg while he was in the air.
Terry AKA The Angry Carlton needed to be Tony Massenburg'ed or Melvin Ely'ed.
Werd, Terry is a piece of and this game cemented that even further for me. The dude needs his face punched in.
yeah, he definitely won it for us on that 3rd quarter run
Ginobili did win the game. Period, all by himself...
Parker was a lunatic out there.
Both meaning Manu and Tony...
You were just getting rebounds you were supposed to get.
Manu was simply amazing tonight as far as him being a first option kinda guy he can when he needs to be like tonight. Obviously when you have Tim Duncan on your team you don't have to score 37 a night. As far as Parker goes i mean he's good and everything but what the was he doing tonight? He tried to go 1 on 5 time after time and it just wasn't working. He finally started scoring when he started taking jumpers. Don't get me wrong i love tony it just seems like he put to much pressure on himself to score tonight with Tim out and it was actully hurting us rater than helping.
DuuuudeIt looked like a cheap foul. Parker sucks at flopping so I think he really was knocked off balance pretty violently. That's a good way to mess up a shoulder.
But when Ginobili came over to help up Parker and push Terry away, Terry threw a chicken wing at Ginobili. And then Terry had that hard foul after the whistle on Ginobili and another time he held Ginobili's leg while he was in the air.
Terry AKA The Angry Carlton needed to be Tony Massenburg'ed or Melvin Ely'ed.
man you post all the good but i swear you and I think on the same page
I was just telling my chick after the 2nd quarter was what this team lacked was that big strong semi-muscular player to knock a Maverick on his ass with no regard to any context in the game. Not injury-wise but just to knock those fools on their asses. And we don't have that. And we haven't since Tony Massenberg. It took long enough to explain to her who Massenberg was and his context in this era of spursdom but the point remains the same:
WE HAVE NO ENFORCER!!!!
I saw Eva in the crowd. Tony probably hit that in Pop's office before the game, so he came out a bit sluggish at first, but he shook the afterglow off and got down to business.
Matt says thanks, but he asks that you not defend him anymore.
A man amongst boys tonight.
Horry looked like he wanted to send a message but Pop didn't put him back in.
Let me at him!
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