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Tyson is an idiot
SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Consecutive third-quarter breakdowns. Tough nights for their top players. And now, an 0-2 deficit to a young and athletic team.
It’s all happening to the San Antonio Spurs, the defending NBA champions.
The Spurs, who came into this series looking like their usual dominant selves after dispatching the Phoenix Suns in just five games, are struggling against the New Orleans Hornets and searching for answers before Thursday’s Game 3.
“It’s always a worry when you’re down two, no matter what it is,” Tim Duncan said after Monday’s Game 2 blowout loss. “Obviously the goal is to get four games and they’re a lot closer than we are. So it’s about going home and getting this first one. That’s the most important thing to come and we worry about things after that. I know it’s cliche but we’ve just got to take it one game at a time and try to worry about what’s in front of us next.”
It’s the Hornets that remain squarely in front of the Spurs as they try to win back-to-back les for the first time. Each of the last three times the Spurs have sought to defend a le, they’ve been eliminated in the conference semifinals or earlier.
The last time the Spurs were down 0-2 was 2001, when they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. But the Spurs’ first two losses that season were at home before suffering blowouts on the road.
It may not be panic time yet. San Antonio has a chance to even the series with two victories at home.
“I think everyone’s going to bring a different level of intensity, and different level of focus, without even having to say anything,” Duncan said. “So it’s a great situation and a great team to have like that and we’re just going to have to do it all together and put it on the floor together.”
The Hornets, led first by David West and then Chris Paul, have so far made that pretty tough for San Antonio.
“When you beat the defending champions by 18 and 19 points the first two games, No. 1 it shows how good you are as a basketball team, but I think it kind of shows people around the league that what we’ve done this year hasn’t been a fluke from Day 1,” New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. “We are for real and we’ve got a very good basketball team.”
Scott said he’s confident his squad can get a win in San Antonio, where the Spurs lost just seven games this season, including one to the Hornets.
“We’re in a groove right now. We’re playing good basketball and we hit our stride at the right moment,” said Hornets center Tyson Chandler. “I don’t know if there’s been a time this year where we’ve been consistent the way we are right now on both ends of the floor.”
The Spurs have also been in the Hornets’ position, only to go on to lose a series. In 2004, San Antonio was up 2-0 against the Lakers before losing the next four in the conference semifinals.
“I still think people, even though we’re up 2-0, still think we’re going to lose the series,” Scott said. “What we’ve done is get everybody’s attention.”
In both Games 1 and 2, the third quarter was pivotal. On Monday, the Hornets outscored the Spurs 36-18 in the third period; in Game 1, it was 29-17.
Duncan had a career playoff-low five points and just three rebounds in Game 1. He scored 18 points in Game 2, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili struggled, combining to shoot 9-of-24 from the field for 24 points. Ginobili also had five of the Spurs’ 15 turnovers.
“We’re playing against a very good team and twice they’ve done the same thing,” Parker said. “They jumped on us in the third quarter. From there, you know, we’ve had a hard time coming back. We just have to find a way to play better in the second half, especially the third quarter.”
Duncan said the key for the Spurs will be to play better defense—something that’s always been San Antonio’s specialty and the word that ends each team huddle.
“We have to find a way to get stops and play off of that,” he said. “That’s how our team always works—try to get some stops and try to push it back at them—and we seem to, every time we do get a stop, they’re on the offensive glass and making plays. We’ve got to find a way to counter that a little bit better.”
Chandler said the Hornets will focus on keeping Parker and Ginobili away from the rim for easy layups. And doubling Duncan has worked so far for New Orleans, leaving the Spurs to go to outside shooters instead.
“Our whole game plan is to keep them out of our paint,” Chandler said. “As long as we keep Tony and Ginobili out and keep their guys shooting jump shots, we’ll be all right.”
AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Last edited by spurscenter; 05-07-2008 at 05:11 PM.
Tyson is an idiot
Why?
Every team's game plan against the Spurs is to keep them out of the paint. It's just that most teams can't do it.
what's this lady game plan?
Let's just focus on Game 3 victory....Go spurs Go....
at least the Hornets have a game plan.....I don't know what ours is....
i say this cause you dont ever say your game plan. i dont care what it is. if the other team cant figure it out then so be it. you dont hear pop, duncan or ginobili say what they do in specifics or what they will do.
tyson should know not to expose your gameplan to a very smart bball team like the spurs. byron scott is going to regret this gameplan once the spurs start knocking thier shots down.
[QUOTE]
tyson should know not to expose your gameplan to a very smart bball team like the spurs. byron scott is going to regret this gameplan once the spurs start knocking thier shots down.[/QUOTE]
Hopefully, they start knocking them sooner than later b/c it might be too late.
That's a terrible photo.
Damn it Tyson! Way to let the cat out of the bag! There's NO way the Spurs championship coaching staff was going to be able to figure THAT out!
Also, I don't think Pop would tell you what he ate for breakfast if you asked him.
I don't think the Hornets' gameplan has been particularly difficult to figure out. I'm not sure that Tyson Chandler has exactly let state secrets out with his statement. And if the Spurs didn't already know that the Hornets are focused on turning Parker and Ginobili into jump shooters, they have bigger problems than anyone imagined.
You actually think that the Spurs don't know that the Hornets game plan is to keep the Spurs out of the paint? Every coach says that's the key to beating the Spurs before every game all season long. He didn't reveal any secrets.
The Spurs players say similar stuff about the keys to beat other teams all the time.
And it's not like we don't play into that strategy with four down every time down either...
We haven't forced the Hornets to make one defensive adjustment yet.
what about the game plan on Tony Parker's pants?
Does that say HOT ?
new pants
gangster pants
big and tall pants
business pants
hot pants
white pants
shirts
small shirts
"keep em off the paint" suit
and then the re
Last edited by spurscenter; 05-07-2008 at 06:04 PM.
“Our whole game plan is to keep them out of our paint,” Chandler said. “As long as we keep Tony and Ginobili out and keep their guys shooting jump shots, we’ll be all right.”
Who didn't know that?
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