Tag: Antonio McDyess

Healing Spurs report no problems

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

Physically, all members of the Spurs’ “Big Three” had no problems after returning to action Thursday against the Boston Celtics at the ATT Center.

Power forward Tim Duncan, who missed the previous four games with a sprained left ankle, said the injured joint felt good and presented no problems.

Point guard Tony Parker, who sat out Monday with a bruised left patella, had no residual pain.

Shooting guard Manu Ginobili, who sat Monday with a left thigh contusion, said his leg felt a little weak, but didn’t hurt.

What did hurt was the team’s fifth straight loss, a 107-97 defeat that further eroded the Spurs’ lead over the Lakers in the Western Conference standings, and Ginobili struggled to accept a subpar game he said wasn’t linked to the injury he suffered Monday in Memphis.

“It didn’t hurt,” he said. “My left leg was a little weak. It didn’t figure as much, but it felt good. Can’t complain.”

Ginobili also was puzzled by the fact he did not get to the foul line for the first time this season in a game in which he played more than 30 minutes.

“I think I should have gone a couple times,” he said. “It just didn’t happen. But I attacked the rim. It hurt me, also, that I couldn’t make a shot. The defense wasn’t really worried about my shot.”

MCDYESS RELIEVED: Starting center Antonio McDyess felt his left foot roll when he stepped on Ginobili’s foot with 8:21 left in the third quarter and immediately jumped off his other foot to take his weight off the joint.

Though he limped to the locker room with trainer Will Sevening in tow, he was able to return to the game with no ill effects.

“I didn’t think it was real bad when I did it,” he said, “but I was afraid it was going to swell up worse than it did. Once they checked it out and retaped it, I knew I was going to be able to come back to the game.”

McDyess was relatively certain he would suit up tonight in Houston.

“It’s just a little sore,” he said afterwards. “It’s nothing serious, just a little tweak. The initial pain was a lot worse, but it went away. I’ll ice it on the plane and keep the swelling down. I’m pretty sure it will be OK.”

BAD TIMING: Rookie guard Gary Neal followed Monday’s 3-for-14 shooting performance in a loss to the Trail Blazers with a 4-for-12 game against the Celtics, then promised to keep shooting.

“All you can do is stay in the gym and keep working and hope it’s a short slump and not a prolonged one,” he said. “You’ve got to keep shooting when the shots are there.”

PERSONALLY SPEAKING: Celtics star Kevin Garnett, who scored 20 points, said Boston’s players took umbrage at the fact Spurs coach Gregg Popovich “rested” four starters on Monday.

“We know they rested their stars and were prepared for this game,” Garnett said. “We took this personally. They are the best team in the league. If you don’t come in here and play, they’ll treat you like the worst team in the league.”

Celtics veteran O’Neal returning to lineup

For Spurs starters Tony Parker, Antonio McDyess and Manu Ginobili, the prospect of returning to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics could be as simple as lacing up their sneakers.

For Boston’s Jermaine O’Neal, just finding the bus to the arena could be a problem.

“I can’t remember the last time I was on the team bus,” the Celtics center said after surviving a two-hour practice at the ATT Center on Tuesday afternoon, his first full workout in nearly three months.

O’Neal last played on Jan. 10, when he logged 21 minutes in a game in Boston against the Houston Rockets. A free-agent signee of the Celtics last summer, O’Neal has appeared in only 17 games this season because of problems with his left knee.

He tried to play through the pain through the first two months of the season but agreed to arthroscopic surgery in January.

The Celtics’ plan to have O’Neal close to game shape and rhythm by the time the playoffs begin, and that process will begin with tonight’s game.

“He had a good practice,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “He missed shots and all that stuff, but overall, I thought he was terrific. I’m going to start him and play him 40 minutes.”

The part about starting and playing 40 minutes was a joke, and O’Neal laughed at it himself.

“Today I felt pretty good, but tomorrow I know I’m going to be gassed,” he said.

DUNCAN PRACTICES: Wednesday marked Tim Duncan’s first time on the practice court since spraining his left ankle March 21 against Golden State. Duncan received positive reviews, though coach Gregg Popovich pronounced the 13-time All-Star a game-time decision.

Parker reported his longest-tenured teammate was beginning to look like his old self.

“We have to see how he’s going to react tomorrow and if there’s no swelling,” Parker said. “Hopefully, he can go.”

BUMP, SET, SPIKE: Popovich has agreed to allow Parker to return to the lineup after missing the Portland game with a left patella contusion. He made just one request of his fashion-conscious point guard, which was ultimately rebuffed.

“I wanted to give him some of those volleyball knee pads,” Popovich said. “It was uncool, he said.”

MR. ROGERS RETURNS: Celtics assistant coach Roy Rogers looked forward to renewing his ties with his former University of Alabama teammate, McDyess.

“I can’t pass up an off night in San Antonio without making ‘Dyess buy dinner for me, and I’m not talking Applebee’s,” Rogers said. “He’s going to have to reach pretty deep into that wallet.”

Rogers got his coaching start with the Spurs’ NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros, before landing a job on Lawrence Franks’ New Jersey Nets staff in 2008. After Franks was hired to replace Tom Thibodeau on Rivers’ staff, he recommended Rogers be hired to work with Boston’s big men.

Staff writer Jeff McDonald contributed to this report.

Spurs went Gaga over Tuesday’s concert

Several Spurs forgot about their disappointing performance in Miami with a respite from basketball after returning back to San Antonio the following night.

Spurs guard Tony Parker said about half of his team attended the Lady Gaga concert Tuesday night at the ATT Center. Parker posted several pictures of the concert at. And Manu Ginobili uploaded several pictures of the headliner.

“It was great. She’s a great performer,” Parker said of the concert. “She did great. I like her stuff.”

Ginobili didn’t talk to the media Wednesday as he recovered from a sore throat that was noticeable after the Miami game. But Parker said he couldn’t tell if Ginobili was screaming during the show.

“I don’t know,” Parker said. “He was sitting in front of me. I don’t know if he was screaming. But he was moving his head. I could see that.”

Eldest Spur Antonio McDyess was one of those who didn’t attend.

“Maybe the young guys were there, but not me,” McDyess said, chuckling. “I don’t know one of her songs.”