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Props to Stoudemire.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....b3136193.html
Spurs notebook: Bowen revels in playing connoisseur
By Mike Monroe
Bruce Bowen played 109 minutes in the five games of the Spurs’ Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns and scored only four points, but the reason he starts for the Spurs has nothing to do with offensive production.
Bowen made what may have been the biggest defensive play of the series-clinching Game 5 when he tipped an in-bounds pass from Phoenix’s Raja Bell and knocked it off the hand of Suns guard Steve Nash with 24.5 seconds left in the Spurs’ 92-87 victory at the AT&T Center.
With the Spurs leading 90-87, the Suns missed a vital offensive chance and were forced to foul to stop the clock on every Spurs possession there?after.
“The biggest defensive play was Bruce Bowen’s,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
“He didn’t play that much, and he sat there for a while. To be able to have that mental awareness and toughness to come in the game in that situation and create that turnover was just fantastic.”
Bowen said he approached the play like he was a defensive back in a football game.
“Steve kind of curled, and not feeling where I was at that moment, I was like a defensive back on a receiver. The best angle I could get to get my hand on the ball, I could create a little deflection. He wasn’t able to see it, and it went off his hands.”
Stoudemire eats humble pie: Sitting Tuesday morning near the very spot where Nash was knocked into the scorer’s table at the AT&T Center in last season’s Game?4 of the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire acknowledged that his suspension for leaving the bench after that incident was deserved.
Asked if he thought Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins and Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams might be suspended for briefly stepping on the court from the bench during a first-half melee that erupted in their playoff game Monday night in Atlanta, Stoudemire said neither player had committed a suspendable offense.
In the process, he acknowledged that he had earned his suspension for Game 5 of last season’s matchup.
“I don’t think they really stepped too much toward the altercation,” Stoudemire said. “Maybe an inch or two off the bench, but it’s not like my situation (last year). I walked up to the scorer’s table. They barely got on the court.”
Reminded that he had contended after the game that he was merely on his way to check into the game, Stoudemire laughed.
“That’s right,” he said.
Asked if he recalled how much he had tried to sell that alibi — “I was just doing what the coach told me,” he said then. “He told me to check in.”
Stoudemire laughed harder, then said, “I plead the fifth.”
Learning curve: Ime Udoka, one of two Spurs players without prior playoff experience, said he has been learning, game to game, about the intensity of the postseason.
“It’s been great,” he said. “This is a team made up of veteran guys. It’s a matter of them sharing their experiences. It’s what you expect when you come to San Antonio, so it was something I was looking forward to all year.
“Just coming into the building, you can feel the atmosphere is different. I try to approach it the same like, like it’s just another basketball game. But you can tell the crowd is totally excited for it.”
Props to Stoudemire.
Man, I'm starting to think he hired a PR company. If so, they are earning their money, because he's saying all the right things.
DerMarr Johnson being the other? Didn't know he was still on the playoff rosterIme Udoka, one of two Spurs players without prior playoff experience, said he has been learning, game to game, about the intensity of the postseason.
I like how Bowen never goes for steals or blocks ... unless it's late in the game. The number of times he's come up with big plays to win games or series is getting tough to count.
If Amare keeps this up, I might actually start rooting for him.
Either Amare smoked a lot of weed and mellowed out or he met a damn good psychiatrist
Agreed. I'm actually earning a lot of respect for him with all the class he's showed this series.
It's possible said psychiatrist's name is Steve.
Not Nash.
I hope so. Kerr is a smart man no matter what you think about the Shaq trade.
But a source said that Kerr would make a few demands in the postseason debriefing: that D'Antoni devote more practice time to defense; have more confidence in his bench players, i.e., go to an expanded rotation; develop a clearer plan for a point guard to back up Steve Nash; get more planned touches out of Amare' Stoudemire in post-up situations.
Actions speak louder than words.. reports are he made a beeline for the dugout after the buzzer sounded like last year.. poor loser.
If he's tired of a coach that has no class and won't focus on defense, his actions might be indicative of something else.
This series was a prime example of how important Bruce is.
He only played about 20 mpg because the Spurs needed more O (not that anyone else really brought it from the bench though). He did his job. He counseled the other players about rotations, etc on the bench. And when his number was called, he went into the game and owned Steve Nash. Not just tonight, but in general throughout the series he did a great job denying him the ball and disrupting his rhythm.
I think we'll see more Bruce next round.
I still think the Shaq trade was good. If Shaq shows up in shape next season and is utilized properly, they can be very good. Besides, Marion was gone so there's really not that much downside, other than salary, and the Suns spent the previous year clearing that out.
I hope so. Kerr is a smart man no matter what you think about the Shaq trade.
I'd have had the Suns run their offense the same way they had before the Shaq trade and then bring Shaq in for spot duty when they needed to run some clock, set up some set plays or slow the game down and play some defense.
Bowen is always under the radar“Steve kind of curled, and not feeling where I was at that moment, I was like a defensive back on a receiver. The best angle I could get to get my hand on the ball, I could create a little deflection. He wasn’t able to see it, and it went off his hands.”
This series was a prime example of how important Bruce is.
He only played about 20 mpg because the Spurs needed more O (not that anyone else really brought it from the bench though). He did his job. He counseled the other players about rotations, etc on the bench. And when his number was called, he went into the game and owned Steve Nash. Not just tonight, but in general throughout the series he did a great job denying him the ball and disrupting his rhythm.
I think we'll see more Bruce next round.
Bruce is going to be more important vs the Hornets and Lakers than he was against the Suns...by far. He's flat out the key to beating both of them.
he did it again, huh.
Bruce is part of the big 4... and he'll be vital in the next round... he is already on CP3's head...
Bowen is the guy who probably will be an assistant coach in few years from now.This series was a prime example of how important Bruce is.
He only played about 20 mpg because the Spurs needed more O (not that anyone else really brought it from the bench though). He did his job. He counseled the other players about rotations, etc on the bench. And when his number was called, he went into the game and owned Steve Nash. Not just tonight, but in general throughout the series he did a great job denying him the ball and disrupting his rhythm.
I think we'll see more Bruce next round.
Thse who were criticising Bruce may eat crow or other bird
Peja is probably Bowens biggest in the league...other than Ray Allen... i mean we could put Bowen on Paul... and Peja will still go 1-13 just from the sight of Bruce.
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