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Notes on a scorecard: Can the Spurs’ perimeter shooting carry them in the playoffs?

The Spurs finished up their home regular season schedule Saturday with the kind of game that has marked their season.

Their 57.7 percent shooting percentage was one of their best efforts of the season as they hit for eight 3-pointers en route to a 111-102 victory over Utah.

The Spurs already have broken the previous team record  for 3-pointers, set in 2008-09 with 625 3-pointers. They currently have 671 for the season.

If they maintain their current pace of about eight 3-pointers a game in their final two games of the season, they will finish among the top 21 teams in NBA history in terms of total 3-pointers made.

And that’s the rub. None of those teams have won a championship. The high for an NBA championship team was Houston in 1994-95 with 646 3-pointers.

Those long jumpers sometimes miss, leading to easy transition buckets on long rebounds by the other team. The Spurs have seen that happen occasionally this season.

It will be interesting to see if Gregg Popovich dials back the perimeter game and tries to win with a more balanced attack in the playoffs.

Past history shows that some kind of  transformation will be necessary to be able to win a championship.

But can this team change its stripes in the playoffs? We’ll have to wait and see, beginning next weekend.

Here are a few other notes and tidbits after the Spurs’ fourth straight victory after their season-worst six-game losing streak.

  • The Spurs featured seven players in double figures and almost had two more as George Hill (nine points) and Matt Bonner (seven points) just missed. The Spurs are now 3-0 when seven Spurs score in double figures and 2-1 in games where eight players reach double figures.
  • Richard Jefferson led the team with 20 points. It was his first 20-point effort since scoring 22 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 10.  Jefferson notched three 20-point efforts in the first seven games of the season and then produced a high of 19 over the next 72 games before Saturday night.
  • Jefferson also continued a recent shooting binge. He’s averaging 10.8 points in his last six games. And he’s shooting 61.5 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from 3-point range during the Spurs’ four-game winning streak.
  • Tiago Splitter finished with 13 points and eight rebounds – with 10 points and six rebounds in 12 minutes in the fourth quarter. It was Splitter’s fourth-highest scoring game of the season and tied for fifth in rebounds. His 18 minutes, 56 seconds of playing time was his most since making his last start against Portland on March 28 in a game where he produced 14 points and nine rebounds. In his previous four games before Saturday, Splitter was averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds and three times in those four games he played 4:12 or less.
  • Tony Parker played 29:15 against the Jazz, marking the third time in four games he’s played 30 minutes or less. His 13 points and seven assists helped him continue a recent shooting surge since a 2-for-11 outing against Phoenix three games ago. Since then, Parker is averaging 18 points per game, shooting 60 percent from the field and averaging 5.7 assists per game.
  • DeJuan Blair got his first start since March 6, and produced 12 points and seven rebounds in 24:21. It marked his second-longest playing stint since his demotion. His 12 points marked his most since scoring 14 points in back-to-back games on March 11-12. Blair hit 6-for-9 from the field in a turnaround from a recent mini-slump where he had averaged 4.8 points and shot 37.9 percent from the field in his previous six games.
  • Manu Ginobili benefitted from some rest, playing only 27:21 to mark his third game in the last four with less than 30 minutes. Ginobili is averaging 18.3 points, shooting 58.8 percent from the field and averaging five assists in his last three games.
  • Ginobili failed to attempt a 3-pointer. It was the first game where he has failed to attempt a 3-pointer since Game 4 of the first round of the 2008 playoffs against Phoenix. He also notched six assists for the 36th time this season. When Ginobili has at least six assists, the Spurs are 27-9 (.750). In the rest of their games, they are 43-10 (.811).
  • Gary Neal’s recent surge continued with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. It marked his fourth double-figure scoring game in his last five games. During that span, he’s hitting 60.6 percent from the field and 60 percent of his 3-pointers.
  • Tim Duncan notched 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots in 22:23. Before Saturday, in his five games since returning the lineup from his sprained ankle, Duncan was averaging 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds.
  • Duncan had four blocked shots marking among his top nine games of the season in that statistic. In games where Duncan has blocked at least three shots this season, the Spurs are 26-0.  It marked the fifth time this season that he has produced at least 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots in the same game.
  • Hill’s string of double-figure scoring games was snapped at three after scoring nine points. Hill had averaged 20.3 points in his previous three games, hitting 55.3 percent from the field during that span.
  • The Spurs had limited opponents to less than 30 points in 16 quarters before allowing Utah to score 30 points in the third quarter. The last time an opponent scored more than 30 came in the second quarter of the loss at Houston last week.
  • The Spurs hit 57.7 percent from the field after hitting 60.5 percent against Sacramento in their last game. They have hit at least 50 percent from the field in four of their last five games. In games where they have shot 50 percent or better this season, they are 26-4, including 16-0 at home.
  • San Antonio shot 75 percent from the field in the second quarter, coming close to their season high for the second quarter of 78.6 percent against Detroit on March 9. And they shot 80 percent from the field in the third quarter, just less than the 82.6 percent they shot in the third quarter against Sacramento on Wednesday night.
  • The Spurs allowed Utah to hit 53.8 percent from the field. It was the first time an opponent hit better than 50 percent since Boston hit 54.8 percent last week. When opponents hit 50 percent or etter, the Spurs are 7-13, including 4-4 at home.  
  • James Anderson and Danny Green did not play. Da’Sean Butler, Chris Quinn and Antonio McDyess were inactive.
  • Hill led the team with a plus-minus score  of plus-11. Jefferson was at plus-10. Duncan was plus-9. Splitter had the only negative score at minus-1. The San Antonio starters were plus-24. The bench was plus-21. Utah’s starters were minus-36 and the Jazz’s bench was minus-9. 

Notes on a scorecard: The return of the Spurs’ perimeter game

All season long, the Spurs have relied on their outside shooting to carry them to success.

It’s not suprising that with shooting percentages of 24.0 percent (against Portland), 27.6 percent (against Boston) and 26.3 percent (at Houston) have resulted in three losses in the team’s biggest collective shooting slump of the season.

That’s why the team’s quick start in their 114-97 victory over Phoenix Sunday afternoon was so vital.

The Spurs hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter as Richard Jefferson and George Hill both sank two apiece.

Hill’s entry into the game marked where the game turned. The Spurs were trailing when he came into the game.  The Spurs made seven of their next eight shots, including five from Hill. Two of them were 3-pointers.   

It didn’t stop from there until the Spurs finished at 15-for-29 from behind the arc. Their 51.7 percent from beyond the arc was their highest since hitting 60.7 percent against Miami on March 4. It marked one of eight times this season the Spurs have hit above 50 percent of their 3-pointers this season.

With Tim Duncan playing inside, the Spurs obviously are getting different looks when other teams have to account for him. Five different Spurs hit 3-pointers in the long-range barrage.

“We shot it a lot better,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It makes things a little bit easier, that’s for sure.”

Popovich was greatly understating the obvious there.

The Spurs have hit 12 or more 3-pointers  in 12 games this season. They are 11-1 in those games.

The outside shooting binge paved the way for the Spurs to halt a six-game losing streak in the best way possible for them.

No starter played more than Tony Parker’s 28 minutes, 12 seconds. Manu Ginobili was limited to 23:43. Antonio McDyess played 18:29. And most importantly, Duncan played 18:19.

The victory, coupled with the Lakers’ loss against Denver later Sunday afternoon, gave them some breathing room heading into the final 10 days of the season.

Here are a few notes and factoids from Popovich’s 794th victory with the Spurs. He’s one triumph away from catching Red Auerbach for second place on the NBA’s list of most coaching wins with one team. Jerry Sloan has the NBA record with 1,127 triumphs.

  • Hill torched Phoenix for 29 points. It was tied for third on his career-scoring list, topped only by a pair of 30-point efforts including his game March 27 against Memphis. He also tied his regular-season career mark with four 3-pointers. His career high of five 3-pointers came against Dallas in last season’s playoffs.
  • Matt Bonner busted out of his slump by starting his emphasis on inside shooting and then moving outside as he produced 16 points and 11 rebounds. It was his eighth career double-double and first since notching 11 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 18, 2009, against Dallas. Bonner also came within one assist of matching his career high of five assists.
  • Something about playing on Sundays must agree with Bonner. His big game came on the same day of the week as his 7-for-7 performance against Oklahoma City on Nov. 14. Bonner is hitting 62.2 percent of his 3-pointers on Sundays. His 3-for-4 effort against Phoenix was the first time he topped 50 percent of his 3-pointers since his 6-for-7 effort against Miami on March 4. During his previous 14 games before Sunday, Bonner had hit 22 percent of his 3-pointers.  His 16 points was tied for his fourth for his highest  scoring game of the season and was his biggest game since the March 4 game.
  • Gary Neal’s 15-point game was his highest scoring game since his career-best 25-point game effort against Denver on March 23. Neal also is in a mini-surge in his last two games after hitting 26.1 percent in two games before the Houston game. Since then, Neal has averaged 12.5 points per game and is shooting 62.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 63.6 percent of his threes in his last two games.  Neal also matched his career high with four assists, last set March 6 against the Lakers.
  • Jefferson’s quick start enabled him to match his top 3-point shooting game of his career. He hit all four 3-point attempts, matching his previous career-high game without a miss of four set March 19, 2008 when he played for New Jersey. His 12 points on Sunday was his fifth double-figure game in his last eight. His seven rebounds were his biggest game since Jan. 21 against New York. And he’s shooting 55 percent from the field, 69.2 percent of his 3-pointers and averaging 10.3 points in his last three games.
  • Duncan notched eight points and four rebounds in only 18:19. It marked his smallest playing time in a game where he wasn’t injured since Feb. 12 against Washington, where he posted 12:10. And his reduced role snapped a recent surge where he averaged 21.5 points and 13 rebounds in his last two games since coming back from a sprained left ankle.
  • Ginobili’s reduced playing time contributed to him scoring six points in 23:43. It marked the third time in four games where Ginobili has failed to score in double figures. During that span, Ginobili is averaging 10 points per game, hitting 36.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from beyond the arc.
  • More concerning, Ginobili failed to go to the foul line for the third time in his last four games. He’s done that six times this season.
  • Parker struggled through his second worst shooting night of the season as he hit 2-for-11 from the field. His only worse game this season was a 1-for-6 shooting effort in the loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 1.
  • Parker notched eight assists for the 27th time this season. When he’s collected at least eight assists, the Spurs are 26-1 this season.
  • There was an interesting substitution pattern as DeJuan Blair didn’t enter until the second half. Blair accounted for two points, tying his single-game low since being demoted out of the starting lineup on March 9. But his eight rebounds were his second most since the change, topped only by nine rebounds March 12 at Houston.
  • One concern to close out the game came with San Antonio’s sloppy ball handling — understandable because of their big lead. The Spurs had eight of their 16 turnovers in the fourth quarter, including five during a span of 2 minutes, 19 seconds late in the game. James Anderson had four to lead the team. 
  • The Spurs jumped on Phoenix for a 31-point lead on Ginobili’s layup with 8:23 left in the third quarter. It was their largest lead since leading by 31 against Miami on March 4.
  • San Antonio’s 70 points in the first half, capped by a 15-footer by Hill at the buzzer, was their second most this season. The Spurs scored 72 points at Washington on Feb. 12.
  • The Spurs shot a little better from the foul line with 13-for-18 (72.2 percent). But they are still struggling with 67.5 percent from the line over the last six games.
  • Phoenix is one of the league’s worst rebounding teams and the Spurs took advantage with a 51-37 rebounding edge. It was the fourth-highest total of rebounds for San Antonio this season.
  • After allowing their last four opponents to score at least 100 points, the Spurs limited the Suns to 97. It was only the fifth time the Spurs have limited an opponent to less than 100 points in their last 14 games. They are 40-7 this season when limiting opponents to less than 100 points.
  • Bonner  led the team with a plus-31 plus-minus score. Other top San Antonio producers included Hill at plus-28,  Neal at plus-22 and Ginobili at plus-21. Anderson had the worst score at minus-23, with Blair at minus-10. 
  • All 12 San Antonio players on the roster scored. Danny Green, Chris Quinn and Da’Sean Butler were inactive.

Popovich: Hill to start if Manu can’t

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

Manu Ginobili continues to be listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game with a sprained right elbow, but he was hard at work at the team’s practice facility on Friday.

While his teammates prepared for Game 1 of the Spurs-Grizzlies first-round playoff series, injured guard Ginobili worked on cardiovascular conditioning and strength training.

Some of his strength training included lifts with his injured right arm.

While reiterating that there is no change in Ginobili’s status for Sunday’s game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich expressed confidence he would return to action during the series.

“He will be back at some point for sure,” he said.

If Ginobili does not return on Sunday, George Hill will start in his shooting guard spot.

“George Hill will probably take his place as a starter, if, in fact, Manu doesn’t play, and right now, it looks that way,” Popovich said. “We’ve got a day and a half to see if (Ginobili) heals any more, see what’s going on, but at this point George Hill would be the guy who starts.”

It will be important, Popovich said, for Hill to play the aggressive, purposeful game that makes him, in Popovich’s words, “Indiana George.”

“Pop means Indiana George from back in Indianapolis, from college and high school,” Hill said, “being a freak of nature on offense with defense coming first or second. But just having fun out there. Being aggressive at all times.”

Popovich said Hill will be important even if Ginobili suits up.

“With or without Manu, George Hill is important to us,” he said. “He’s a fine, young player and does a good job at both ends of the court. Manu’s injury has nothing to do with George, in that sense. Even with Manu, he’s got to play well for us.”

BRING IT: Convinced the Grizzlies rested key players in their final two games to ensure they would land in the No. 8 seed and face the Spurs, rather than the No. 2 seed Lakers, the Spurs have mustered up a sense of mild outrage.

“Let’s play basketball,” Hill said. “I can see them going through those steps. Who cares what they did, if they sat, or if the coach coached or didn’t coach. The playoffs are different though. I don’t know why they want us so bad. We’re 2-2 against them. Fifty percent. But if that’s what they want, to take their chances against us, then bring it, I guess.”

ZZ TIM: Spurs captain Tim Duncan hasn’t shaved in a while, a scraggly beard getting a tad shaggy in recent days.

Is it a traditional playoff beard, the sort favored by some pro athletes who vow not to shave as long as the playoffs continue?

“It’s more of a laziness beard,” he said, “but we’ll call it a playoff beard. I’ll take that. It won’t last for long, though. My wife’s already disowned me.”