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Nice to hear, Barry's gonna playing again.
NBA: Spurs marching into April
Web Posted: 03/31/2008 10:31 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
The Spurs awoke this morning to some fantastic news. It turns out that March is over.
The Spurs survived a rugged 18-game month intact, salvaging it with a seven-game winning streak they will carry into tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center.
Now it's April, a month guaranteed to feature high drama, high stakes and high blood pressure for many teams still clawing for playoff spots in the uncommonly jam-packed Western Conference.
"It will be interesting," Spurs guard Michael Finley said. "Most of the time, teams like to rest a lot of their veteran players the last few games of April and get ready for the playoffs. Not everybody is going to be able to do that this year."
The Spurs won't find themselves in that category. A 12-6 run through the March gauntlet has afforded them a chance to stick to the end-of-season script that has worked so well for them the past decade or so.
With an 11th consecutive postseason berth all but mathematically secure, the Spurs will spend the remaining eight games girding themselves both mentally and physically for the playoffs.
A high seed would be nice. So would home-court advantage. But coach Gregg Popovich's goals are more modest.
"You'd never give those things away, if someone offered them to you," Popovich said. "(But) it's just about trying to play well, trying to establish a rhythm and a rotation, trying to stay healthy. If you also happen to have home-court, that's great."
Heading into April, the Spurs finally look like a team prepared to make a playoff push. Some of the more intriguing developments:
The Spurs are playing suffocating defense, surrendering a conference-low 90.9 points per game.
After a dry spell that engulfed most of his March, Michael Finley is knocking down shots (31 of his past 45).
Tony Parker, last year's NBA Finals MVP, is beginning to look like his old self after battling a heel injury.
All of that was on display in the Spurs' latest victory, a 109-88 thumping of Houston on Sunday that rates as one of the team's most complete of the season.
"I think there is always room for improvement, but we are focused," Parker said. "Everyone understands we have eight games left, and the real stuff is about to start."
Two weeks ago, when the Spurs were scuffling through a stretch of six losses in seven games that had sunk them to sixth in the conference race, Popovich outlined his apocalypse scenario for the season's final month.
In his view, the worst thing that could have happened was for the Spurs to be forced to exhaust their energy just to qualify for the playoffs, then have insufficient gas left in the tank to survive them.
"You end up fifth, you end up third, and you're dead come playoff time, Popovich said. "It's a real fine line to walk. For our part, we're going to try to win games, but it's more important to just try and do the best you can without overplaying people."
Had it not been for the Spurs' closing kick to March, which left them in second place in the West, that plan would have been out the window.
"If we were in a situation where it was a question of whether we'd even be in the playoffs," Popovich said, "then you've got no choice but to bust your ass and overplay people."
Barring an unfathomable collapse over the next eight games, the Spurs won't have to worry about that. Popovich can afford to carefully manage players' minutes and can even opt to rest starters if he deems it necessary.
Don Nelson has no such option with the Warriors.
If the playoffs began today, Golden State would be on the outside looking in.
The Warriors are a healthy 45-28 but, illustrative of the wildness of the West this year, are the odd man out in a three-way tie with Dallas and Denver for the two final postseason spots. They come into the AT&T Center tonight embroiled in a fight to save their season.
"If we're going to be a playoff team, we've got to treat these next nine games like the playoffs," Golden State guard Baron Davis said.
That's the best thing about the Spurs' situation. Thanks to their fabulous finish to March, they can delay their postseason by three weeks.
Notebook: Brent Barry, who has not played since he re-signed with the Spurs on March 23, could return to action by the end of the week, Popovich said. ... Popovich is less certain of the prognosis of Robert Horry, who has missed five games with a left knee contusion. Horry is still listed as day-to-day.
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Nice to hear, Barry's gonna playing again.
I'll be very curious to see what Barry has left in the tank for the season, coming off of his injury.
Good news.
Damn Horry stand up! We need you
I wonder if barry will be 90% next week
This PO will be intresting. The Suns are going strong right now, but how many they are leaving for the playoffs? The same situation about the spurs, what's left in the tank cause I know they can play better then this.
standard response if the Spurs lose any of the last 8 games due to <insert name here> not playing in the crucial stretch of the game.
Good luck you will need it!
I'm a re ed bag
I love that Spurs won't try to get #1 seed, instead they will get in playoff form
Exactly. Popovich knows what he's doing. Seeding is pretty unimportant this year. I mean, here's the list: Hornets, Rockets, Mavs, Lakers, Suns, Jazz, Nuggets, Warriors. Is there anyone you WANT to play? They're all dangerous, good teams. Does it really matter what order you play them in?
You could make an argument that the Nuggets and Warriors would be favorable opponents... but actually the Spurs have struggled at times with both of them, they have the athleticism and quickness that tends to bother the Spurs.
And, HCA is overrated. You can work and struggle and burn energy all season to get HCA. Then, you lose one game at home in the first 2. Poof -- your HCA is gone, just like that. Suddenly you have a best-of-5 series with 3 games on the other guy's court. He's looking to eliminate you in 6. And there's a decent chance he will.
Wow. I honestly think Pop is in CIA form. He doesn't want to give up home court advantage. I know he doesn't want to overplay his starters or vets, but he also doesn't want to play most of the games on the road.
I wish I could agree, but time and time again while watching games, I see that the HCA is a real factor in the NBA.
The great teams (like the Spurs) can win on enemy courts, but in general, I think you can't rule out the home-court as an advantage. Just ask Utah.
Not too worried about Rockets, Mavs, Jazz, Nuggets and Warriors. Suns and Hornets could be very tough...and Lakers, but only if Gasol and Bynum are back healthy and in rhythm.
For what it's worth, the Spurs could clinch a playoff birth tonight with a win and a Denver loss.
To me the Houston game was the barometer on how far we've come. It's been a long time since the Spurs dominated a contending team from start to finish. I think they've arrived and will only get better when Barry gets back.
I don't measure with the win over Houston because of the fact that Yao is not there. They have a good team, but not great. You're missing someone who gives you 20 and 10 and that is hard to overcome. They did great with that 22 game winning streak, but they are not as good w/out Yao.
I hope Pop is playing CIA with "we just want to get in the playoffs and are not worried about HCA."
Most years I'm not too worried about HCA but this one I think is different. Too many tough teams and that extra game in your crib may turn out to be crucial. This has to be the strongest 1 - 8 I've ever seen in one conference.
The Houston game was encouraging even though Yaoless. I liked our energy and offensive flow. That game was a welcome sight. Something that I've been looking for in quite some time.
Good news for Barry. Spurs have two days off after tonight game, Barry will be able to practice a little with the team before coming back.
I'm not worried about Horry being back before the playoff. What worry me is if he will be able to get his rhythm back.
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