http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...N.25f16aa.html
Oberto OK after LeBron head-butt
Web Posted: 01/18/2008 09:43 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
Spurs center Fabricio Oberto arrived at practice Friday morning no worse for wear after taking LeBron James' head to his chest in the closing stages of a loss to Cleveland the night before.
Given Oberto's history of heart trouble, he admits he could have come away from the game with something worse than a bull's-eye of a bruise on his sternum.
Just before the start of the playoffs last season, Oberto had to undergo a minor heart procedure after an elbow to the neck from Dallas' DeSagana Diop triggered an arrhythmia.
"When it happened last year, I got hit in the neck, in the jugular," Oberto said. "It was a freak thing. This time, it was just the chest. I am OK."
Oberto reported no ill effects after Friday's workout, held just before the team boarded its charter flight to Houston.
He earned his latest bruise on what turned out to be the winning play in Cleveland's 90-88 victory.
Finding the lane clogged, James ducked his head and barreled into the 6-foot-10 Oberto to create space. James' floater from 3 feet broke an 88-88 tie with 33.6 seconds to play.
Many Spurs argued that James should have been called for an offensive foul.
"I was surprised," Oberto said. "He just lowered his head and came in there like a bull."
On the road again: If the Spurs are going to break out of their current funk, which has dropped them to sixth place in the Western Conference playoff race, the catalyst is probably going to have to come on the road.
Beginning with tonight's game at Houston, 12 of the Spurs' next 14 games — and 13 of the next 16 — will be played away from the AT&T Center.
The Spurs are 6-8 this season on the road, where they have dropped five of their last six.
At least they will hit the pavement relatively healthy, after the incident-free return of reserve guard Brent Barry from injury Thursday.
"It's not that one game is going to turn it around, or one player coming back is going to turn it around," Barry said. "We just have to get back to playing well, and slowly work our way back to playing the type of basketball Coach (Gregg Popovich) will be happy with us playing."
Mahinmi update: Ian Mahinmi, the Spurs' first-round draft pick in 2006, is enjoying a robust year in the NBA Developmental League, averaging 18.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting 64.3 percent from the field for the Austin Toros.
Still, the Spurs have no plans to call him up this season.
A 6-foot-11 center, Mahinmi, 21, is playing in his first season in the United States.
In order to hone his game, the Spurs would prefer Mahinmi remain in Austin and log at least 30 minutes a night.
"The best thing for him is to be down there, getting to play," Popovich said. "We want to keep him down there."
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LOL....I thought Fabs "flopped" on that play.
It's weird, but that isn't the first time I've seen James do that and get away with it.
They mentioned he played some football. Looks like maybe that running back mentality takes over at times on the court.
Only Argentines have mastered the fine art of flopping to the extent that they can actually flop bruises on themselves afterwards.
Flop or not that was a charge
video?
Last night in the Bulls/Warriors game Ellis made a similiar move on Nocioni and was called for the offensive foul.
thank you, refs.
Once again lets drop the bad call. It was a bad call...yes, but there were plenty on both teams at the end. By the way LeBron was and all-state Wide Receiver in Ohio and had scholorship offers to play at USC among other schools. Id say he made a good choice.
the refs basically lost the game with some untimely nocalls and bad calls against the Spurs. in a close game you CANNOT overcome that.
-Mars
Yes but LeBron got hacked taking it to the rim towards the end, but we have to get over it!
-Djohn
After seeing the uninspiring and sometimes downright awful play of our other bigs *cough* Elson *cough*, I would hope that Pop rethinks this theory. It may not be the best thing for Ian's development, but I just can't stand seeing the same type of poor play out of our current "other big" options.
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