Tag: DENVER

Spurs rising in nearly every power ranking with playoffs approaching

The Spurs’ recent four-game winning streak has caught the attention of the basketball pundits across the blogosphere.

San Antonio moved up in the weekly power rankings of every poll we surveyed except one.

But in all cases, the Spurs are ranked behind the Chicago Bulls, who are the unanimous choice in every poll this week as the league’s No. 1 team.

Here’s a sampling of what our pollsters had to say about the Silver and Black this week:

, NBA.com

3. San Antonio (last week No. 4): How ridiculous was the San Antonio offense last week? Over their three games, only one Spur didn’t make at least half his shots. That was Matt Bonner, who shot 5-for-18. Richard Jefferson’s resurgance (21-for-36 from 3-point range over the last nine games) has made up for Bonner’s slump.

Teams ahead (in order): Chicago, Miami

, Fox Sports.com

4. San Antonio (last week No. 7): The Spurs have the league’s best record, seem to be healthy and have created a bit of momentum for themselves. But when you start looking at the next couple of months and start asking about LeBron, Kobe, D-Rose, Durant and such, do you actually think the Spurs can survive? They can, but only if they get some bounces and get excellent play from Richard Jefferson and George Hill.

Teams ahead: Chicago, Oklahoma City,  Los Angeles

, ESPN.com

4. San Antonio (last week No. 6): Should the Spurs, holders of the league’s best record since mid-November, lay down Tuesday night in L.A. to make sure the Lakers don’t fall all the way to the No. 4 seed and right into their bracket? You tell me.

Teams ahead:  Chicago, L.A. Lakers, Miami

, ESPN.com

5. San Antonio (last week No.7): Also pegged at an 18.0 percent chance of making the NBA Finals and an 8.7 percent chance of winning the championship (behind Chicago at 27.8 percent, Miami at 14.8 percent, Denver at 11.4 percent and the Lakers at 11.2 percent.)

Teams ahead:  Chicago, Denver, Miami, L.A. Lakers.

, Hoops World.com

4. San Antonio (last week No. 5): The Spurs have gotten through their injury woes and at 61 wins, and are tied with Chicago for best-overall record.

Teams ahead: Chicago, Oklahoma City, Miami.

, CBS Sports.com

3. San Antonio (last week No. 5): Season’s biggest surprise: George Hill. If the Spurs win the title, he’ll be the reason. His 30 minutes a night have helped keep Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili fresh.

Teams ahead: Chicago, Miami.

, SI.com

No numeric rankings this week (last week No. 7) Grade for season: A (trailing only Chicago’s A+. Memphis and Oklahoma City also received A marks): Whatever concerns exist about their lack of frontcourt size and depth or the advanced age of their stars, the Spurs have earned the No. 1 seed in the West while winning at least 60 games for the first time since 2005-06. Gregg Popovich deserves Coach of the Year votes for tinkering with the offense to emphasize the transition skills of a healthy Manu Ginobili (who has set a career high for minutes) and perpetually underrated Tony Parker (the NBA’s best finisher at point guard over the last five seasons), along with spreading the floor for spot-up three-pointers by Ginobili, Matt Bonner, Richard Jefferson and Gary Neal before defenses could get set. The result is the NBA’s second-most-efficient offense (behind Denver’s). Like Boston, San Antonio knows its championship window is closing and that it will need more minutes and vintage defensive excellence from Tim Duncan in the weeks ahead. But give this team its due for an outstanding regular season.

Teams ahead: Chicago.

, Pro Basketball Talk

4. San Antonio (last week No. 7): The Spurs offense is back in its groove, but Tuesday night in Los Angeles look for Gregg Popovich to sit his stars. He does not want the Lakers falling to the four seed, which could still happen.

Teams ahead: Chicago, Miami, Oklahoma City.

, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

2. San Antonio (last week No. 2): Can veterans last in playoffs?

Teams ahead: Chicago.

Spurs’ Game 1 history only goes so far

Gregg Popovich can be a stubborn man, the type to talk the sky out of being blue, but even he can’t argue with fact.

Yes, Popovich has been forced to acknowledge, ever since upstart Memphis swiped Game 1 of this first-round playoff series Sunday, his Spurs team has a habit of turning postseason-opening 0-1 deficits into NBA championships.

It happened in 2003. And in 2005. And again in 2007.

Turns out, there’s a good explanation for that.

“Because we were better than the team we were playing,” Popovich said.

In what was either a thinly veiled challenge to his team, or simply a matter of good public relations, Popovich then wondered aloud Monday if that were still true in 2011, against an eighth-seeded Memphis team targeting a monumental upset.

“We’ll see if we’re a better team than the team we’re playing,” Popovich said. “If we’re not, they’ll win the series.”

The Grizzlies drew first blood in Game 1, riding Shane Battier’s 3-pointer with 23.9 seconds left to a 101-98 victory at the ATT Center that was the first in the club’s playoff history.

Whether Battier’s bomb represents the opening salvo in just the second first-round takedown of a No. 1 seed in the best-of-7 era — or was simply another bothersome first-round blip in a tradition of them for the Spurs — will be settled in the coming days.

What is for certain, thanks to Battier’s clutch shooting, is that Game 2 on Wednesday has taken on the whiff of a must-win for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.

Only three teams in NBA history have lost the first two games of a series at home and recovered to win the series. The most recent to do it were the 2005 Dallas Mavericks, who pulled that Lazarus routine on Houston in the first round that year.

“We’re a confident team,” Spurs forward Richard Jefferson said. “We understand it’s a seven-game series for a reason.”

Though not a guarantor of future success, history can offer the Spurs some comfort, though they’d probably just prefer to have Manu Ginobili back from injury.

Beginning with the 2003 playoffs, the Spurs are 6-3 in series that started with an 0-1 deficit, including one first-round series against Phoenix and two against Denver in championship years.

A No. 7 seed last season, the Spurs dropped Game 1 in Dallas, then recovered to win their first-round series in a breezy six games.

Through one reading of Sunday’s outcome, Battier’s game-winner is simply a reboot of Stephon Marbury’s buzzer-beater for the Suns in 2003 or Andre Miller’s 35-point game for the Nuggets in 2005. Sound and fury, signifying little.

“Each year is different,” guard Tony Parker said. “It’s not the first time we lost Game 1. Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage.”

Easing the pain of — or perhaps enhancing the frustration of — their latest Game 1 defeat, the Spurs accomplished much of what they wanted Sunday.

Had it not been for Battier’s 3-ball, the storyline would have been Matt Bonner’s two clutch fourth-quarter threes, or Jefferson’s solid 13-point, six-rebound contribution, or the way the Spurs kept the gritty Grizzlies off the glass.

For the first time this season, the Spurs outrebounded Memphis (40-38), owned the offensive boards (11-5) and scored more second-chance points (15-5).

“If you had told me before the game we’d do all those things, I would say it was a win,” Popovich said.

Battier’s 3-pointer, part of a 55.2-percent shooting performance for Memphis, negated that good work. With it, the Grizzlies announced their presence in the series, as surely as guard Tony Allen later announced their intentions.

“We didn’t come here to win one game,” Allen said. “We came here to win the series.”

The Grizzlies could do just that, if they prove to be the better team. Before the series is over, the Spurs expect to have their say.

One and not done

Until 2003, the Spurs were 0-17 in NBA playoff series in which they lost the opener. The team is 6-3 since in such scenarios, including at least one series win in each of its past three championship seasons. The following shows how the Spurs have fared after losing the first game of a series since 2003:

2003: Beat Phoenix 4-2 in first round; beat Dallas 4-2 in Western finals; won NBA championship

2005: Beat Denver 4-1 in first round; won NBA championship

2007: Beat Denver 4-1 in first round; won NBA championship

2008: Beat New Orleans 4-3 in Western semifinals; lost to L.A. Lakers 4-1 in Western finals

2009: Lost to Dallas 4-1 in first round

2010: Beat Dallas 4-2 in first round; lost to Phoenix 4-0 in Western semifinals

2011: Trailing Memphis 1-0 in first round

Blistering Willie Green hits 12 straight to lead Hornets closer to No. 6 seed

There’s hot.

And then, there’s being ridiculous.

Willie Green set a franchise record by hitting his first 12 shots en route to a season-best 31-point effort in New Orleans’ 109-97 victory over Phoenix Friday night. His big effort kept the Hornets in the seventh slot in the Western Conference playoff spot and only half a game behind Portland for sixth place.

 ”I knew I was in a rhythm. I knew I was in a zone. But I didn’t know I was 12-for-12,” Green told NBA.com. “It was a good feeling. I had it going and I was trying to keep it going. I was just trying to be aggressive. It was a good win. … Once I got it going, I was asking for it (the ball).”

Green’s blistering effort left New Orleans coach Monty Williams grasping for a description of his big effort.

“I don’t know if you say en fuego or caught fire, whatever the case was, he got hot tonight,” Williams said.

However you delineate it, Green certainly deserves to lead Friday’s Studs and Duds after that sizzling performance.

STUDS

New Orleans G Willie Green: Blistered Phoenix for his first 12 shots of the game en route to a 31-point, four-assist, plus-29 game in the Hornets’ 109-97 victory over New Orleans to notch their first three-game winning streak since mid-January.

Indiana F Danny Granger: Went for 28 points, seven rebounds, two assists and was plus-9 in the Pacers’ 114-102 victory over Atlanta — their fifth victory in their last six games.

Oklahoma City F Kevin Durant: Notched 28 points and seven rebounds in the Thunder’s 104-89 triumph over Denver in a potential first-round playoff preview.

Memphis F Zach Randolph: Produced 27 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, four steals and was plus-16 in the Grizzlies’ 101-96 victory over Sacramento — wrapping up their first trip to the playoffs in five season.

Miami F Chris Bosh: Notched  27 points and 10 rebounds in the Heat’s 112-103 victory over Charlotte — their 12th victory in their last 15 games.

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Tallied 27 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals and was a team-best plus-15 in the Heat’s victory over the Bobcats.

Detroit F Chris Wilcox: Produced a season-high 27 points and 13 rebounds and was plus-9 in the Pistons’ 110-100 victory over Milwaukee — their second straight triumph

New York F Carmelo Anthony: Notched 25 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and was plus-18 in the Knicks’ emphatic 116-93 triumph over New Jersey — completing their sixth straight victory and their first season sweep of the Nets since the strike-shortened season in 1999.

Chicago F Carlos Boozer: Went for 24 points, 11 rebounds and two steals as the Bulls claimed a 93-82 victory over Cleveland to wrap up the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1998.   

Miami F LeBron James: Produced 23 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals and was plus-12 in the Heat’s victory over Charlotte.

Philadelphia F Elton Brand: Tallied 22 points and eight rebounds to pace the 76ers’ 98-93 victory over Toronto, snapping their three-game losing streak.   

Boston F Paul Pierce: Went for 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots, two steals and was plus-24 in the Celtics’ 104-88 victory over Washington.  

Portland F LeMarcus Aldridge: Notched 24 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and was plus-10 in the Trail Blazers’ 93-86 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki: Tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and was a team-best plus-30 in the Mavericks’ 107-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.   

Dallas G Corey Brewer: Produced 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and was plus-9 in the Mavericks’ triumph over the Clippers.

Boston G Rajon Rondo: Filled the stat sheet with 20 points, 14 assists, six steals, three rebounds and was plus-20 in the Celtics’ victory over the Wizards.

Portland F Gerald Wallace: Notched 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and was plus-27 in the Trail Blazers’ victory over the Lakers.

Portland G Wesley Matthews: Scored 18 points and was a team-best plus-29 in the Trail Blazers’ triumph over the Lakers.   

Oklahoma City G Russell Westbrook: Tallied 17 points, eight assists, six steals and was plus-4 in the Thunder’s victory over Denver.

Indiana G Darren Collison: Produced 16 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, two steals and was plus-14 in the Pacers’ victory over the Hawks.

Memphis G Mike Conley: Went for 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and was plus-16 in the Grizzlies’ victory over Sacramento.

Milwaukee G Brandon Jennings:  Erupted for 31 points and four assists in the Bucks’ loss at Detroit.  

Los Angeles Clippers G Mo Williams: Scored 29 points, produced six assists, five rebounds and had two steals in the Clippers’ loss at Dallas.

Toronto G DeMar DeRozan: Notched 27 points, three assists and three steals in the Raptors’ loss to Philadelphia.

Toronto G Jerryd Bayless: Tallied 24 points, eight assists and two steals in the Raptors’ loss to the 76ers.

Charlotte C Kwame Brown: Produced 23 points, 13 rebounds and two steals in the Bobcats’ loss at Miami.

Cleveland F J.J. Hickson: Muscled for 22 points and 15 rebounds in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Bulls.

Sacramento F Samuel Dalembert: Went for 17 points and 16 rebounds in the Kings’ loss at Memphis.

DUDS

Milwaukee F Carlos Delfino: Missed all seven shots as he was shut out and was minus-8 in the Bucks’ loss at Detroit.

Dallas G Roddy Beaubois: Missed all seven shots with two turnovers and was minus-5 in the Mavericks’ triumph over the Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers G Kobe Bryant: Went 10-for-25 from the field with three turnovers and was a team-worst minus-25 in the Lakers’ loss at Portland.

Denver G Wilson Chandler: Clanked through a 1-for-10 shooting effort and was minus-7 in the Nuggets’ loss at Oklahoma City.   

Atlanta F Marvin Williams: Went 2-for-7 from the field and was minus-7 in the Hawks’ loss to the Pacers — their third straight defeat.      

New Jersey G Jordan Farmar: Struggled through a 3-for-12 shooting effort, including missing all five 3-pointers, with four turnovers and was minus-13 in the Nets’  loss to the Knicks — their eighth defeat in their last nine games.   

Denver G J.R. Smith: Went 1-for-6 with two turnovers and was minus-21 in the Nuggets’ loss at Oklahoma City.  

Los Angeles Lakers F Pau Gasol: Hit 4-for-11 from the field with two turnovers and was minus-12 in the Lakers’ loss at Portland.  

Phoenix G Aaron Brooks: Hit 2-for-7 from the field with two turnovers and was minus-2 in the Suns’ loss at Hornets.  

Washington G John Wall: Went 7-for-18 from the field with seven turnovers and was minus-20 in the Wizards’ loss at the Celtics.  

Charlotte F Boris Diaw: Went 5-for-13 from the field with three turnovers and was minus-16 in the Bobcats’ loss to Miami — their fifth straight defeat.

Cleveland G Anthony Parker: Went 2-for-6 from the field with three turnovers in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Bulls.

Sacramento’s backcourt: Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton went 15-for 34 from the field with seven turnovers and were a combined minus-14 in the Kings’ loss at Memphis.

Philadelphia G Jodie Meeks: Hit 2-for-11 from the field in the 76ers’ victory over Toronto.