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gr8 article! i remember a few threads about duncan's performance in the all star shooting contest... and i do remember fratello saying that...
Buck Harvey: Gray matters: The Spurs hack into the minds of the Suns
Web Posted: 04/26/2008 11:20 PM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
PHOENIX — Tim Duncan hadn’t made a 3-pointer all season, which is why most were shocked when a smooth, confident stroke followed.
San Antonio celebrated, as did a small, blonde woman who stood next to Duncan on the court. Becky Hammon was one of his Shooting Stars partners, along with David Robinson, at an All-Star Game event in New Orleans last winter.
“Gregg Popovich is turning over right now,” Mike Fratello said that February night on TNT, “thinking he’s got to set up threes for Duncan.”
A few months later, Popovich set up Duncan to do just that. With a whirling, spot-on pass from Manu Ginobili, Duncan again stood at the top of the half circle, again with an uncontested 3-pointer, again with the same mental freedom.
With that, Duncan changed every psychological angle to this series except for one.
Hacking Shaq took care of that.
It’s fitting these longtime rivals are pivotal in this mental turnaround. Duncan is the one with the psychology degree, and Shaquille O’Neal is the one who thinks that calling people names is intimidating stuff.
It’s fitting, too, that Shaq left practice Saturday without talking to anyone. That’s the state of the Suns.
Mike D’Antoni says he noticed the shoulders of his players “sagging,” and Amare Stoudemire notices more. Stoudemire sees championship qualities in the Spurs he doesn’t see on his team.
But no one saw such things just a few days ago. In the series opener, the Suns were in control, and D’Antoni’s we-are-the-better-team contention made sense.
Then Duncan’s 3-pointer followed, as did a reversal of all brain waves. In the space of a week Phoenix went from y to collapsing, and both franchises look back and see the craziness of that.
Steve Kerr certainly does. He wonders what would be different today if his Suns had won Game 1.
Everything wouldn’t be different. The Spurs would still be smarter and sturdier, and Steve Nash would still be trailing behind Tony Parker looking like tabloid paparazzi.
Still, if Duncan’s three had rimmed out, would the Spurs have pressed in the second game? Even if the Suns had lost that one, wouldn’t they have gone home tied 1-1 and feeling good about themselves?
But psychology was also in play when Duncan changed everything. He reacted well — with the right mix of belief and abandon — because no one expected him to make it.
He doesn’t practice 3-pointers, but he’s not a poor long-distance shooter. He knows that. So when he shot, it was as if he were back in New Orleans, playing around with Becky and David.
In that same game, Shaq faced the opposite. Then, with nothing working, Popovich opted to hack Shaq.
Shaq has called Don Nelson a “coward” for doing the same once before, but Popovich bravely went on. When it worked, Popovich did what any coach would do. He did it again.
The strategy seemed to be a mistake in the second game, when Shaq converted 5 of 6 in a stretch. But even then there were advantages. The Spurs rested on defense, and they took away the threat of a 3-point Phoenix play.
Better yet, they created some conflict. When D’Antoni benched Shaq, was Shaq happy?
More conflicts came Friday night. Then hack-a-Shaq frustrated a Phoenix team that needed to rev up its offense to get back in the game. The Suns were stuttering enough already, but, with Shaq waddling to the line, they were out of rhythm and running out of time.
Steve Nash reacted accordingly.
After another foul on Shaq, after Shaq had already committed a few foot faults, Nash picked up the ball and hurled it in disgust.
So there were sagging shoulders, and the Phoenix crowd booed its team instead of the hated Spurs, and there’s no telling what everyone will do in Phoenix if Duncan finishes off the Suns today the way he finished off the Shooting Stars compe ion.
Making a half-court shot to win would blow everyone’s mind, wouldn’t it?
gr8 article! i remember a few threads about duncan's performance in the all star shooting contest... and i do remember fratello saying that...
Steve Nash would still be trailing behind Tony Parker looking like tabloid paparazzi.
Buck didn't pull any punches on this oneEverything wouldn’t be different. The Spurs would still be smarter and sturdier, and Steve Nash would still be trailing behind Tony Parker looking like tabloid paparazzi.
RE: Hackashaq in game 2.
Everyone remembers Shaq made 5-6 of those FTs. What they don't remember is that he started missing them in the 4th quarter of a close game when he was fouled normally during the course of play.
I have to believe the mental pressure of shooting FTs has been implanted in Shaq's mind. It isn't the single blow that cracks the rock but the repeated blows that went before.
Um Tim practicing the 3 point shots.
maybe he is not doing additional practice on that area but he is practicing 3pointers as everybody else. Po said that so I belive him.
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