Tag: coach

Spurs cool the Heat in Game 5, prepare for Game 6

The San Antonio Spurs, those of silver and black who were supposedly too old to take the NBA’S biggest stage have roared back to take a defining 3-2 lead in the best of seven series with a114-104 thumping.

Argintinian Guard Manu Ginobili was reinserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season and responded with a solid game in which he scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists.

“He (Coach Popovich) told me yesterday that I was going to start because of the way they were playing, four smalls,” Ginobili said. “He told me to go ahead and play. Be more intuitive and don’t think so much.”

The Spurs relied on great defense and the hot shooting of second year player Danny Green, who set an NBA Finals record with 25 (and counting) three-pointers in the finals.

“I’ve been getting lucky,” Green said after the game. “I was moving around a lot. Our transition helps us, our pace. Tony penetrating and Manu penetrating, making the defense collapse is the reason why I’ve been getting open. Luckily, a couple have dropped for me.”

The Spurs can close the series and take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy tomorrow night when they meet the Heat for Game 6 at American Airlines Arena.

“We challenge ourselves to see if we’re a better team than we were,” Dwayne Wade said after the game.

Tip off is at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

Spurs drop one on the road, return to San Antonio even

The San Antonio Spurs had opportunity and the lead for most of Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-finals of the NBA Playoffs this weekend.  Golden State, however, had other ideas on how this Mothers Day showdown would unravel.

“We put ourselves in a position to win the game and it’s frustrating because we feel like we gave it away,” PF Tim Duncan said.

The Spurs, who led the majority of the game, fell flat as the game slipped into overtime.  The Warriors were led by PG Stephen Curry who was working on a sprained ankle and was not even sure if he was going to play per Head Coach Mark Jackson.

“He said, ‘I’m going to give you what I got, coach,’ That’s not the language he speaks. I knew right away that he was not 100 percent,” said Jackson, “Once again, it’s that same spirit flowing through that locker room that refuses to quit.”

Game 4 is on Tuesday May 14th at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Tickets are still available!

Spurs sweep Lakers, await winners

The San Antonio Spurs have earned this mini vacation and you best believe that Head Coach Gregg Popovich will take full advantage of the respite because whoever the Spurs face next (either the Warriors or the Nuggets), they will be running.

“It’s going to be track and field,” PG Tony Parker said. “Whoever we play, it’s going to be a lot of running.”

While Coach Pop may think that the Lakers series “wasn’t a fair fight,” the Nuggets or Warriors will provide much more firepower and that’s okay with Pop because the formula will not change.

“We respected them (Lakers) every night,” said the Spurs coach. “We played hard, followed the game plan and we were very active and energetic every night, and sometimes that’s hard to do when your opponent is wounded.”