What the Spurs and Nuggets said after Saturday’s game

The Spurs and Nuggets were talkative after San Antonio’s 121-117 victory Saturday night at the ATT Center.

The folks from the Spurs media service were ready with these quotes from both locker rooms.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

(On Richard Jefferson’s late block and then coming back for the three)

“It was a good play.  He’s been shooting the ball well.  He’s playing aggressively and he’s got a lot of confidence.  He’s been a big part of winning ball games.”

(On Danny Green…have you been surprised with what he’s been able to do?)

“He’s an NBA player and he’s playing with confidence.  He’s been through a lot.  He’s been through a lot of trials and been denied many times over the last several years.  He’s a great example of sticking with it and not getting down on one’s self….continuing to play, improve, listen and right now he’s playing well and been a significant part of what we’ve done.”

(On Tim Duncan resting most of the second period…was that the plan?)

“You don’t plan for something like that ahead of time, you play the game and whatever the game dictates, that’s what you try to do.  Everyone is very different.”

Spurs guard Danny Green

(On his career-high in scoring)

“Luck and opportunity. A lot things went well. My teammates made the game easier for me. Tim led us and Tony does what he does, penetrate and kick. He got me a lot open shots and I played defense.”

 (On feeling comfortable…)

“I do more and more each game. I know the system well from being here last year. I’m starting to feel comfortable in it and comfortable playing my game now, so hopefully it’ll continue and stay consistent.”

 (On imagining these last three games…)

“I wouldn’t of thought that but I like I said, Manu is down and everybody has to step up their game. Luckily, I got an opportunity to do so and when I got in, I give as much effort as I can on defense. That’s my game and everything fell in place offensively. Tonight it did.”

Spurs forward Richard Jefferson

(On blocking a shot and scoring a three on the same possession…)

“They were running down our throats the entire game. The last two days, all coach was talking about was transition defense. They’re an aggressive physical team. After I got the block, I saw he was down and I just tried to sprint back. Fortunately, my teammates found me and I was able to knock it down.”

(On Danny Green…)

“He was impressive. His defense is what got him on the court, initially. He played great defense on Monta Ellis and he got the call against Jason Terry. Now he’s on the court. He’s starting to feel comfortable and starting to get his legs underneath him. Now, he’s able to hit some shots. He’s played great and without him, who knows what our record would be in the last three games.”

(On sharing the basketball)

“Everyone is going have to chip in when you’re missing Manu. There’s going to be a lot of teams that are going to have injuries with hamstrings and knees throughout the season because of the awkward start. The team that stays together, plays together and also have others step up are going to the be the team that prevails.”

Spurs guard Tony Parker

(On Jefferson’s play…)

“He did a great job. That was a great play and he’s been playing well since the beginning of the season.  He’s been knocking down shots and being ready and defensively that was a very, very good play. Big play in the game”

(On playing small with T.J)

“I think so. I would like to play with TJ. We did it against Golden State and it worked out very well. Tonight it worked it well. We’re going to go small. T.J can take point guard and I can chase somebody around.”

(On Danny Green…)

He played great. He was very aggressive. He shot the ball well. He’s going. He had more confidence. He’s improving game by game. That’s great with Manu out. If Danny can play consistently like that, it’s great for us.”

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl:

(Opening statement)

“I thought in the first 12-15 minutes of the game we did what we had to do.  We had opportunities to maybe come back and win the big game.  I was disappointed in our defense early in the game, as well as our mental effort.  We didn’t do anything.  We gave them lay-ups, we gave them shots, we turned it over, and we gave them offensive rebounds. We gave them everything early in the game. I think from early in the second quarter we played better then they did the rest of the way.”

 (When asked why he went small against the Spurs tonight)

“In general if the big guys aren’t giving me what I think they should be giving me, I would rather have playmakers that can make basketball plays.  It’s speed versus size. Sometimes size is needed on the court, but our size wasn’t creating anything for us.”

 (When asked about the play of Danny Green tonight)

“He shoots the ball pretty well.  He got to the rim more than I thought he would.  He played with composure. We realized midway through the third he was going to have one of those huge games.  Next time we’ll realize it a little earlier.”

Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson:

(Struggling with defense early on with improvements throughout the game)

“I can’t really put my finger on it. We just came out and started slow. The Spurs came out and knocked down shots and got everything they wanted. We kept trying to play catch up but with a team like San Antonio you just can’t do that.”

(Positives from tonight game)

“We played hard. Shows how much heart our team has. We battled back from almost 20 down to make it a game at the end. It shows a couple things went our way but also how much heart we have.”

 (On playoff football: Broncos or Steelers?)

“Come on, man. Broncos all day!”

 Denver Nuggets forward Corey Brewer:

(On Denver’s slow first quarter)

“We need to try and get out to a better start whether we are at home or on the road. We fell behind and started fouling.”

(Getting his number called after a slow start)

“Go make something happen, right away and just try to make stuff happen. I was trying to get us back into the game. With our team, we tried to cut it down and when we got it down to eight, it felt like we could win. We got it down to about six or seven.”

(On Danny Green’s play)

“He played great. He has to make his shots. He had one of his best games and it makes it tough.”

(Gallinari’s play)

“We need him to do that. He needs to be aggressive. Since he can be moved from the three to the four, big guys can’t guard him. That allowed for mismatches and chances to get buckets for us. Gallinari has been doing this night in and night out. He just has to be aggressive.”

Game rewind: Horrible start to new year in frigid Minneapolis

It would be hard to imagine much worse of a start for the new year than what the Spurs endured Monday night.

The Spurs lost All-Star guard Manu Ginobili for an extended period after he sustained a fractured fifth metacarpal of his left hand. It is Ginobili’s dominant shooting hand.

Making matters worse, a blistering perimeter game by Minnesota catapulted the Timberwolves to a 106-96 victory for the Spurs’ second road loss in as many games.

Here’s a look at how the Wolves punctuated the most successful back-to-back of the team’s recent woeful history after beating Dallas Sunday night.

Game analysis: The Spurs looked old and slow in their defensive rotations as Minnesota blistered them for 87.5 percent 3-point shooting in the first half and cruised to their first victory over them since Jan. 3, 2007. 

Where the game was won: After James Anderson’s 3-pointer pulled the Spurs within 72-65 with 7:38 left in the third quarter, the Timberwolves erupted for 10 straight points to put the game away on a 3-pointer and three assists from Luke Ridnour. The Spurs never came within single digits during the rest of the game.

Player of the game: Kevin Love. The skinnier version of Love looks like he has picked up where he left off during his breakthrough season last year. Love torched the Spurs for 24 points and 15 rebounds, including four 3-pointers.

Player of the game II: Ridnour. His playing time eventually might be impacted with the emergence of Ricky Rubio, but Ridnour expertly directed the Timberwolves’ offense with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and nine assists. He hit his first five shots and then sparked the finishing kick late in the third quarter that put the Spurs away.

Player of the game III: Tim Duncan bounced out of his recent slump to provide a season-best 16 points and five assists. It was his strongest offensive game of the season.

Most unsung: Danny Green. Before Ginobili’s injury, Green might have been expendable when Gary Neal came off injured reserve. But his strong game Monday night and Ginobili’s injury should give him an opportunity to showcase his skills. He made a good first start Monday nbight with nine points, three rebounds and suffocating defense on Rubio in 17 minutes. He was also one of two Spurs to have a postive plus-minus score at plus-1, along with Matt Bonner.

Stat of the game: The Timberwolves shot 57.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent of their 3-pointers, including 87.5 percent behind the arc in the first half.

Stat of the game II: Minnesota’s starting backcourt of Wesley Johnson and Ridnour combined to shoot 81.3 percent from the field. Wesley Johnson hit all six field-goal attempts and Ridnour went 7 for 10.

Stat of the game III: The Spurs had 30 rebounds against the Timberwolves Monday night. It was their fewest rebounds in game since grabbing 27 against Memphis last March 27.

Weird stat of the game: The Spurs limited Minnesota to 12 points in the fourth quarter. It was the lowest-scoring quarter by a Spurs opponent this season.   

Quote of the game: “He’s pretty important to us. And we lost him. We’ve just got to deal with it,” Spurs coach Gregg  Popovich to reporters after the game on the loss of Ginobili.

How the schedule stacked up: The Spurs rested Sunday before their arrival in Minnesota. The Timberwolves were on the second night of a back-to-back after beating Dallas on Sunday night.

Injuries: Neal sat out his fifth regular-season game of the season with an appendectomy. Ginobili sustained a fractured fifth metacarpal on his left hand late in the second quarter. Minnesota guard Jose Juan Barea missed the game with a strained left hamstring and did not dress. Neither did guard Malcolm Lee, who underwent surgery last week to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He’ll be sidelined indefinitely.

What’s up next: The Spurs return home Wednesday to play Golden State at home, starting a run of six games over the next eight days. Minnesota will face Memphis Wednesday night, starting a run of five games over seven days.

Game rewind: No style points, but it’s still a win over Dallas

It might have been ugly only in the eye of the beholder.

The Spurs’ 93-71 victory over Dallas Thursday night showed post-lockout basketball at its very worst.

But even with the offensive challenges for both teams, the Spurs claimed their fifth straight home victory as they endured their first three-games-in-four-night stretch of the season.

Here’s how they did it. 

Game analysis: It was an understandable result in a game where the Spurs utilized one of their best 3-point shooting games in team history against one of Dallas’ worst. Throw in 10 Dallas turnovers before San Antonio’s first miscue and a blowout might have been expected.

Where the game was won:  The Spurs jumped on Dallas early, scoring on a 3-pointer by Gary Neal on their first possession and never trailing. In the first five minutes, they hit Dallas with a 19-4 run keyed by three 3-pointers and never looked back.

Player of the game I: Matt Bonner went for 17 points, including five 3-pointers  in his best shooting game of the season.

Player of the game II: Richard Jefferson was efficient in many areas Thursday night. Not only did he continue his recent scoring binge with 16 points, but he also provided some tough rebounding and even a couple of notable defensive plays.

Player of the game III: Danny Green wasn’t hesistant to look for his shot as he scored eight points in 24 minutes. He again was an active on defense and was Popovich’s first substitute, gaining his trust to play a lot of early minutes.

Most unsung: Gary Neal. Without Manu Ginobili in the lineup,  the Spurs needed somebody to step up. Neal did it quickly with three 3-pointers in less than six minutes. The game was effectively over by the time he left the lineup for the first time.

Did you notice: Play was stopped in the third period when referees noticed that a fan was shining a laser light at players on the court. After the perpetrator was found, the game continued.

Stat of the game: The Spurs hit 16 3-pointers and Dallas had one.

Stat of the game II: Before Jason Terry’s 3-pointer late in the third quarter, the Mavericks missed their first 13 3-pointers.

Stat of the game III: For the first time since 2007-08, the Spurs have won their first five home games of the season.

Weird stat of the game: The Spurs shot 34.0 percent of their shots inside the 3-point arc against Dallas and 48.5 percent of their attempts outside of it.

Weird stat of the game II: According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Spurs became only the 16th team since 1985 to win a game by at least 22 points when shooting less than 40 percent from the field. San Antonio finished at 39.5 percent.

Quote of the game: ”You didn’t see the real Dirk Nowitzki tonight, that’s for sure,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, commenting on Nowitzki six points on 3-for-11 shooting in 24 minutes. It was the first time that Nowitzki had scored six points or less in a game  with at least 20 minutes since a playoff loss to Portland on May 2, 2003. 

How the schedule stacks up: The schedule can be blamed for the struggles by both teams Thursday night. Both teams were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Spurs are in the middle of a run of four games in five nights. Dallas was playing its fourth game in five nights and will finish a stretch of five games in seven games with a home game against New Orleans Saturday night.

Injuries: Ginobili missed his second game after undergoing surgery earlier in the day for a fractured fifth left metacarpal. Dallas guard Jason Kidd suffered a lower back injury in the final minute of the first quarter and did not return. Kidd failed to score in 11:32 of game action.