Spurs/Nuggets Previews (Monday's Game)

[duncan228]

Starting early, it's distracting me.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...rack-vs-spurs/

Nuggets aim to get on track vs. Spurs
Paul Willis

How’s this for a change? The Nuggets have a chance to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in a series.

OK, so it’s not a playoff series, but a win Monday night at the AT&T Center will give the Nuggets a 3-1 win in the regular-season series against the team that ousted them from the first round of the playoffs last season and in 2004-05, each time by a 4-1 margin.

The Nuggets, who ended San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak Friday in Denver before getting trampled 132-105 at Utah on Saturday, haven’t been much more than speed bumps for the Spurs, who marched to NBA les each season they eliminated Denver.

That doesn’t mean the Spurs are eager to meet Denver again in the playoffs, assuming the Nuggets, currently two games out of the eight and final spot in the Western Conference, get in.

“I’m never going to say that last year was an easy thing to beat them,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “We beat them 4-1 but every game we had to fight.”

Granted, the Spurs likely wouldn’t provide any bulletin-board fodder by proclaiming they would love to meet Denver again in a playoff series, but it appears at the very least, the Nuggets have earned some genuine respect from the defending champs.

“They’re a dangerous team year in and year out with their athleticism and their two guys, the two scorers,” said Spurs forward Tim Duncan, referring to Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. “Then (Friday) they got a good effort out of Eduardo (Najera) that really hurt us. They’re as dangerous as they always are. They’re always someone that people look at and don’t want to see in a playoff series. They’re that good.”

Despite Denver’s ninth-place standing in the conference - - with a 37-25 record - - and four-game deficit to Utah in the Northwest Division, Duncan said the Nuggets are perceived around the league as a top-flight contender.

“Nobody in the West is a 7 or 8 (seed),” Duncan said. “Those teams need to be respected as much as a 1, 2, 3 or 4.”

Nuggets coach George Karl claims Monday's contest “will be a like a playoff game” and that each team will be “kind of reshaping what worked and what didn’t work” on Friday.

Whether this season is an issue of the Nuggets narrowing the gap on San Antonio or the Spurs inability to fully capture their groove is debatable. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hinted the latter might be the case.

“We’re not at the same level we were last year at this time even though we seem to be situated relatively well in the West,” said Popovich, whose team entered Sunday’s game at Phoenix 43-18 and a half-game behind the Lakers for the top spot in the conference. “This team isn’t as good as last year’s as we sit. We’ve got significant improvement we have to make both mentally and physically to be able to contend for the championship.”

Like Denver, the Spurs didn’t make a huge splash near the trade deadline, but they did trade former Nuggets center Francisco Elson to Seattle for workmanlike center Kurt Thomas and signed free agent point guard Damon Stoudemire. The Spurs had been 6-0 with since the acquisition of Thomas, who has been placed in the starting lineup, before the loss to the Nuggets.

“He’s been working out great,” Duncan said. “Pop’s trying to get him a lot of time on the floor and trying to get him acclimated to what we do and an understanding of what we do. They’ve thrown a lot of stuff at him and he’s sucked it all up and he’s really reacted and picked our team up.”

It will be seen Monday whether the prospect of winning a series against the Spurs picks the Nuggets up after Saturday’s blow out.

NUGGETS AT SPURS

Starting lineups:

Denver (37-25) Pos. Ht. Pts.

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 25.9

4 Kenyon Martin F 6-8 11.4

23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 9.4

3 Allen Iverson G 6-0 26.8

25 Anthony Carter G 6-2 7.8

Coach: George Karl

San Antonio (43-19) Pos. Ht. Pts.

12 Bruce Bowen F 6-7 5.7

21 Tim Duncan F 6-11 19.6

40 Kurt Thomas C 6-9 7.1

4 Michael Finley G 6-7 10.0

9 Tony Parker G 6-2 18.6

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Injuries: Nuggets: Martin (mild concussion), probable; F Nene (testicular cancer surgery), out. Spurs: None reported.

Notes: Martin is expected to start after being lost for the night late in the first quarter of Saturday’s 132-105 loss at Utah when elbowed by Utah’s Mehmet Okur . . . Nuggets center Steven Hunter, who missed the past two games due to his grandmother’s funeral in Chicago, said he’ll miss Monday’s shootaround but will be back for the game . . . The Spurs had won 11 straight prior to losing 109-96 at Denver on Friday and 94-87 at Phoenix on Sunday . . . The Nuggets haven’t beaten San Antonio in a season series since 1987-88, but a triumph would give them a 3-1 win this season . . . After starting three straight and 17 of his past 18, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili scored 22 points off the bench Sunday.

[duncan228]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280310024

Nuggets-Spurs Preview
STATS LLC

The San Antonio Spurs followed up an 11-game winning streak with a pair of road losses. They hope a return home can help them shake that funk as they also look to create some breathing room atop the Southwest Division.

San Antonio will try to accomplish both on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, the team that halted its best run of the season.

The Spurs (43-19), owners of the fourth-best home record in the NBA at 26-5, lead the Southwest by one game over red-hot Houston and New Orleans. The Rockets are going for their 19th consecutive win against New Jersey -- losers of five straight -- on Monday, while the Hornets are idle.

San Antonio will try to avoid matching a season-high three-game slide after falling 94-87 at Phoenix on Sunday. The Spurs squandered a five-point lead with 3:40 to play.

"I had two turnovers and two missed layups down the stretch," said the Spurs' Tim Duncan, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds. "We're up five with three-something left-a situation where we usually play a lot better than that."

Sunday's defeat came two nights after a 109-96 loss at Denver (37-25), which ended San Antonio's 11-game run. The Spurs have dropped two of three to the Nuggets this season, and have not lost a season series to them since 1987-88.

San Antonio, which is seeking a sixth consecutive win at the AT&T Center, has alternated wins with Denver in the last six home meetings, including a 102-91 victory on Dec. 15.

The Spurs hope Manu Ginobili, the team-leader with 20.7 points per game, can help snap that trend. He had 22 points Sunday after putting up 24 against the Nuggets. The guard is also averaging 25.8 points on 52.6 percent shooting (110-for-209) over the last 13 games.

The Nuggets, losers of five of their last six road games, are looking to close the two-game gap on idle Golden State for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after losing 132-105 at Utah on Saturday.

"It's important for us to take all of the positive things we did tonight -- what little positive things there were -- to San Antonio and leave the negative here," said the Nuggets' Allen Iverson, who had 28 points despite a sprained finger on his right hand.

Iverson, the third-leading scorer in the league at 26.8 points per game, suffered the injury against the Spurs on Friday, but he still managed to shoot 10-for-16 to finish with 29 points and nine assists. Iverson had 30 in his last game at San Antonio.

Carmelo Anthony wasn't as successful in that matchup, scoring 15. However, he had 25 on Friday, and followed that up with 24 against the Jazz. Anthony is right behind Iverson with 25.9 points per game, ranking fourth in the NBA.

Denver hopes to have Kenyon Martin back in the lineup after he suffered a mild concussion nine minutes into Saturday's loss when he was hit by an elbow from Mehmet Okur. The forward is third on the team in scoring (11.4) and second in rebounding (6.3).

Gameday Matchup

W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK L10
DEN 37-25 107.6 105.1 25-7 12-18 L1 5-5
SA 43-19 95.9 90.9 26-5 17-14 L2 8-2

2007-08 Season

Denver leads 2-1
Sat 12/15 @SA 102, DEN 91 Recap | Box Score
Thu 1/3 @DEN 80, SA 77 Recap | Box Score
Fri 3/7 @DEN 109, SA 96 Recap | Box Score
Mar 10, 2008 DEN @ SA 8:30 PM ET

Injury Report

DENVER
· Linas Kleiza SF - Mar 8: Day-to-Day
· Chucky Atkins PG - Mar 8: Day-to-Day
· Carmelo Anthony SF - Mar 8: Day-to-Day
· Allen Iverson SG - Mar 8: Day-to-Day
· Steven Hunter C - Mar 5: Day-to-Day

SAN ANTONIO
No significant injuries

Last 5 Games

DENVER
Mar 08 @UTA Loss 132-105
Mar 07 SA Win 109-96
Mar 05 PHO Win 126-113
Mar 02 @HOU Loss 103-89
Feb 29 LAC Win 110-104

SAN ANTONIO
Mar 09 @PHO Loss 94-87
Mar 07 @DEN Loss 109-96
Mar 06 IND Win 108-97
Mar 04 NJ Win 81-70
Mar 02 @NJ Win 93-83

Depth Chart

POS DENVER (PPG) SAN ANTONIO (PPG)
PG A. Carter 7.8 T. Parker 18.3
SG A. Iverson 26.8 M. Ginobili 20.7
SF C. Anthony 25.9 B. Bowen 5.9
PF K. Martin 11.4 T. Duncan 19.7
C M. Camby 9.3 F. Oberto 4.9

Team Stat Leaders

DENVER SAN ANTONIO
Points A. Iverson 26.8 M. Ginobili 20.7
Rebounds M. Camby 13.8 T. Duncan 11.5
Assists A. Iverson 7.3 T. Parker 5.8
Steals A. Iverson 2.0 M. Ginobili 1.6
Blocks M. Camby 3.9 T. Duncan 1.9

Today's Line

FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U
@SAN ANTONIO --7 -0 DENVER --
ATS Denver San Antonio
Record: 37-25-0 (.597) 43-19-0 (.694)
As Favorite: 30-12-0 (.714) 41-10-0 (.804)
As Underdog: 7-13-0 (.350) 2-9-0 (.182)
At Home: 25-7-0 (.781) 26-5-0 (.839)
On Road: 12-18-0 (.400) 17-14-0 (.548)

[Amuseddaysleeper]

you should be a publicist for the Spurs

thanks for posting the articles

[duncan228]

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_8516064

Martin's head back in game
Forward shakes off concussion, ready to face dominant Duncan
By Benjamin Hochman
The Denver Post

SAN ANTONIO — The Nuggets' best one-on-one defender should play tonight, which is good news for them, since they need him to defend an all-star bound for the Hall of Fame.

Power forward Kenyon Martin is probable to play against Tim Duncan and San Antonio, after a mild concussion he suffered in Saturday's loss at Utah.

"I'll be all right. It's just something I've never dealt with," said Martin, who had a postgame headache and stomach queasiness.

His first-quarter injury left Denver with a ubiquitous hole in its defense; Utah's low post was overwhelming in the Jazz's 132-105 win.

But the evening prior, Martin helped smother San Antonio in Denver's second home win, 109-96, against the Spurs, the first time the Nuggets swept them in Denver since 1988-89. Denver (37-25) is 2-1 this season against the defending champions, and this will be its final game against San Antonio.

Though Denver does rotate its defensive assignments, Martin should spend some time against Duncan, who started the All-Star Game. On Friday, Nuggets coach George Karl even put the versatile Martin on Tony Parker at times, in efforts to shake the point guard. Parker scored just four points with six assists and five turnovers.

On Friday at Pepsi Center, San Antonio (43-19) was limited to 31 rebounds, including just three offensive. This was a season low for a Nuggets opponent in both categories.

Recovered from knee surgery, Martin has improved steadily this season. And in the past 22 games, not counting Saturday at Utah, he has averaged 14.3 points on 53.9 percent shooting, and 7.0 rebounds.

Martin missed Denver's first game at San Antonio because he was suspended for a flagrant foul against New Orleans. In the second matchup Jan. 3, an 80-77 Denver win at the Pepsi Center, he had four points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven blocked shots. Then in Friday's victory, he had eight points and five rebounds, but no blocks.

Spotlight on Tim Duncan: The all-star power forward scored 23 points against Denver in the Nuggets' win on Friday. For the season, he is averaging a sturdy 19.7 points per game, along with 11.5 rebounds (sixth-best in the NBA) and 1.91 blocked shots (eighth). On Sunday against Phoenix, he had 17 points but was 6-for-19 from the field.

NOTEBOOK

Nuggets: A win tonight would give the Nuggets their first season series win (3-1) against the Spurs since 1987-88. . . . On Friday, guard Allen Iverson shot 62.5 percent from the field against the Spurs (10-for-16). Denver is 5-1 this season when he shoots 60 percent or better. . . . Starting point guard Anthony Carter went scoreless in Denver's last game at Utah, missing all four shots from the field. . . . Reserve center Steven Hunter is expected to reunite with the team for tonight's game. Hunter missed the past two games to attend a funeral for his grandmother.

Spurs: San Antonio won its only other home game against Denver this season, 102-91 on Dec. 15. . . . In the Spurs' 94-87 loss to Phoenix on Sunday, forward Michael Finley scored just one point, while missing all six field-goal attempts. . . . In that same game, guard Manu Ginobili had five turnovers.

[bdictjames]

WTH is up with all these previews? Its re ed, its like Spurs fans cant wait to get to the playoffs already.

I just want this team to get it right. I still think it needs Brent Barry for it to be stable.

[duncan228]

WTH is up with all these previews?

I do one thread for each game that covers the previews from the main angles.
The AP, the Spurs, and the opponent.
Sometimes I throw in others that I think are interesting.
Sometimes other people post ones they think are interesting.

People have responded that they like it, they can get it all in one place and not have to jump around the net, especially if they're at work or don't have a lot of time.

Sometimes people use the preview thread to talk about the game until the game blog comes up.

That's why I do them.

[loveforthegame]

Thanks for posting these. I appreciate it and look forward to them.

[duncan228]

Spurs.com

http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/080310.html

Probable Starters:

Parker
Guard
18.3 PPG
Finley
Guard
9.9 PPG
Bowen
Forward
5.8 PPG
Duncan
Forward
19.7 PPG
Thomas
Center
7.0 PPG

Spur in the Spotlight
Ime Udoka
Ime Udoka had a solid game against the Suns with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

Did You Know...
Nuggets head coach George Karl appeared in 264 games for the Silver and Black and was an assistant coach during the 1979-80 season … Denver assistant coach Doug Moe coached the Spurs from 1976-1980 … he is second on the Spurs all-time list for coaching victories … San Antonio held Denver to an NBA-low three points in the first quarter on 11/27/02 … Spurs center Francisco Elson spent the previous three seasons with the Nuggets, where he averaged 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 201 games … Denver forward Eduardo Najera attended high school at Cornerstone Christian Academy in San Antonio … the Spurs defeated the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round of the 2007 playoffs.

[41times]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280310024

[Last 5 Games

DENVER
Mar 08 @UTA Loss 132-105
Mar 07 SA Win 109-96
Mar 05 PHO Win 126-113
Mar 02 @HOU Loss 103-89
Feb 29 LAC Win 110-104

SAN ANTONIO
Mar 09 @PHO Loss 94-87
Mar 07 @DEN Loss 109-96
Mar 06 IND Win 108-97
Mar 04 NJ Win 81-70
Mar 02 @NJ Win 93-83
(.548)

4th game in 5 nights is usually the Kiss of Death or a "Scheduled Loss" as i call them.

Spurs playing their 4th game in 5 nights and are favored by 7 points to a team they lost to 3 nights ago by 13?

I'm won't say the Spurs for sure lose, but my Money is on the Nuggets + 7 points!

[ancestron]

WIn or lose, I just want to see the Spurs clicking. I want to see Damon Stoudamire do something positive, I want to see some chemistry. The Spurs seem to be suffering from indecisiveness a lot lately and as a result they are forcing too much and playing tentatively. I hate seeing the Spurs look like they don't know what to do, and thats exactly how they loooked in the loss against Denver Friday night. It was painful.
If I know this team they will bounce back tonight and get the much needed W.

[1Parker1]

The Nuggets' best one-on-one defender should play tonight,

It's a sad defensive team when K-Mart is your best one-on-one defender....