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Heat 104, Spurs 101: Green has big shooting day

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Starters Danny Green and Tim Duncan led the Spurs’ offense in a 104-101 preseason loss to the Heat on Saturday afternoon in Miami.

Green was 5-of-8 on 3-pointers and 6-of-10 from the field for a team-high 17 points.

Duncan sat out the fourth quarter after recording 15 points and 6 rebounds in 16 minutes. Gary Neal had 12 points off the bench.

Rashard Lewis led the Heat with 15 points off the bench. Dwyane Wade had 13 points.

The Heat outscored the Spurs 27-16 in the fourth quarter with mostly subs on the floor for both teams.

Fourth quarter: The Spurs lead 97-95 with 2:33 left in the game. For the Spurs it’s Cory Joseph, Nando De Colo, Danny Green, Josh Powell and DeJuan Blair. For the Heat it’s Garrett Temple, Terrel Harris, Mickell Gladness, Rodney Carney and Josh Harrellson.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Josh Powell was 9-of-10 for the preseason before today’s game. This is called “regression to the mean.”

Matt Bonner, Derrick Brown and Patty Mills haven’t played today for the Spurs. Mills has been out with an injury.

It’s not a good shooting day for either Manu or Mini-Manu. Ginobili is 1-of-7 from the field. Nando De Colo is 1-of-4.

Danny Green and four subs are on the floor with 7:18 left and the Spurs leading 93-91. Gary Neal is also out there and has 12 points.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN DeJuan Blair makes his first appearance of the game with 8:07 remaining.

Both teams are heading into the stretch with all their starters on the bench. We’ll get to see how some young guys and bench players perform under pressure. Even though it’s preseason, it really is pressure for the guys trying to make a team.

Danny Green is the only Spurs starter on the floor at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It’s Gary Neal, Green, Manu Ginobili, Stephen Jackson and Joseph Powell — basically three guards, a small forward and a power forward.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Nice quarter for Spurs. Behind Duncan’s 11-point quarter, they take an 85-77 lead into final frame.

Spurs 85, Heat 77 – third quarter: Tim Duncan looking steady with 15 points and 6 rebounds in 16 minutes. Gary Neal has 12 points. The Spurs had a 12-0 run in the quarter.

Dan McCarney @danmccarneysaen Gary Neal briefly considers diving for the loose ball. Screw it, it’s the preseason.

Danny Green is 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 on 3-pointers for 17 points. The Spurs lead the Heat 84-74 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

The Heat’s main guys – not including LeBron James, who is sitting today – are getting a lot of playing time. They have their five starters on the floor together with four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Spurs aren’t using as many crazy combinations as they did the first couple of playoff games, but coach Gregg Popovich is still taking a good look at a few young guys and getting his bench guys playing time.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Josh Powell at the table to check in. Interesting no Derrick Brown yet, even tho Pop singled him out pregame as a candidate for 15th spot.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Tim Duncan just took a turnover coast-to-coast for and-1. Spoelstra might want to have a talk with his guys about transition defense.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN After starting the preseason 1 of 10 for 3, Green has made 8 of 12 in last two games. #streakshooter

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Danny Green is 5-for-7 from 3 today. That’s almost Mike Miller-esque.

Danny Green has five 3-pointers. The Spurs still haven’t slowed down the Heat. It’s 72-72 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

Nando De Colo starts the second half in place of Tony Parker. It’s De Colo, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw and Tim Duncan.

Heat 62, Spurs 57 – halftime: Both teams are lighting it up. The Heat are 6-of-13 on 3-pointers. Danny Green hit his second 3-pointer for the Spurs late in the half. He has 8 points. Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter and Eddy Curry lead the Spurs with 9 points each off the bench. Dwyane Wade has 13 points for the Heat and Mike Miller has 12.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Offensively, Spurs’ execution and ball movement is still a thing of beauty. Giving up 62 points and 57-percent shooting not so much.

Dan McCarney @danmccarneysaen 62 pts on 57% prolly wasn’t what Pop had in mind when he called for better defense at media day.

Dan McCarney @danmccarneysaen Who’s got the best slide dribble, Manu or D-Wade? Tough call.

Dan McCarney @danmccarneysaen Miller, Allen, Neal…got some textbook perfect strokes in this here game today.

Tiago Splitter got off to a good start at the offensive end. He made his first four shots. The Heat lead the Spurs 49-40 with 4:51 left in the second quarter.

Every acted like Mike Miller would retire after Heat won the title. He can still hit 3-pointers. He’s 4-of-4 so far today.

Dan McCarney @danmccarneysaen Pittman does look pretty good. I can see why they let Curry go. They’ve already got their Reformed Fat Guy position covered.

Gary Neal looks like the old shooting guard Gary Neal. He hit 3 of 4 shots and leads the Spurs with 9 points off the bench.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN A Tiago Splitter sighting! He’s got 8 straight points for the Spurs, dating to end of 1Q. Being the roll man for Manu looks like fun.

Heat 30, Spurs 26 – first quarter: Dwyane Wade scored 11 points in a quarter that saw both teams shoot well. The Spurs hit 52 percent from the field and Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard both made early 3-pointers.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were the last two Spurs starters to sub out. They both played more than eight minutes to start the game. Duncan had 4 points and 4 rebounds. Parker had 3 assists.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Miami’s small lineup allows Spurs to go small too: Parker, Neal, Manu, Jack, Duncan.

Young guns Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard each hit an early 3-pointer. They scored five points each in the first six minutes of the game before going to the bench. The Spurs lead the Heat 18-14 with 5:02 left in the first quarter.

Gary Neal and Stephen Jackson are the second and third players off the Spurs’ bench. Gary Neal and Tony Parker are on the floor together, rather than Neal replacing Parker at point.

Manu Ginobili is the first player off the Spurs’ bench. He enters the game at the 6:52 mark of the first quarter. He replaces Danny Green.

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard have combined for Spurs’ first 10 points. What shooting slump(s)?

Today’s game between the Spurs and Heat is underway. Danny Green hits a long jump shot followed by a 3-pointer for the first points of the game.

Spurs starters: Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw and Tim Duncan. For the Heat – no LeBron James today.

Jeff McDonald reports the Spurs go with their usual starting lineup today: Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw.

The Heat announced that LeBron James, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem will not play.

The Spurs play on the road today at 2:30 p.m. (Central) against the Miami Heat.

Join Jeff McDonald and Dan McCarney for a pregame chat (below) from 2 p.m. to 2:35 p.m.

Follow along here for updates throughout the game.

You can also follow the Spurs Nation staff on twitter all season long:
Jeff McDonald at
Dan McCarney at
and Mike Monroe at

When the NBA stars align

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When the NBA stars align

Express-News staff writer Dan McCarney takes a look at signature playoff performances over the years from the NBA’s best.

LeBron James played arguably the finest game of his career in Miami’s Game 6 victory over Boston on Thursday night, becoming the first player to record 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a playoff contest since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964.

That 98-79 win set the stage for Saturday’s Game 7 win, which sent the Heat to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. With James about to lead Miami to Oklahoma City for a much-anticipated matchup, Express-News staff writer Dan McCarney takes a look at other signature playoff performances over the years from the NBA’s best. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press)

CHARLES BARKLEY, SUNS
Stat line: 44 points, 24 rebounds
Result: 123-110 over SuperSonics
When: Game 7, 1993 West finals
Details: Sir Charles had struggled in Game 6, scoring just 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting two days after recording a monster triple-double. He bounced back in a huge way with the season on the line, setting a career playoff high for rebounds and coming within three of his postseason scoring best to lead the Suns to the Finals. (Vince Bucci / AFP/Getty Images)

TIM DUNCAN, SPURS
Stat line: 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, eight blocked shots
Result: 88-77 over Nets
When: Game 6, 2003 NBA Finals
Details: Duncan saved the best of his remarkable 2003 playoffs for last with perhaps the greatest closeout performance in NBA history. The near quadruple-double — which would have been the first in postseason annals — brought his gaudy playoff averages to 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and 3.3 blocks. (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

MAGIC JOHNSON, LAKERS
Stat line: 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists
Result: 123-107 over 76ers
When: Game 6, 1980 NBA Finals
Details: A misnomer about this legendary performance: Johnson jumped the opening tip, but did not actually replace the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center. He more than made up for the reigning MVP’s production, however, leading the Lakers to a road victory with a quintessentially magical display of versatility. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

MICHAEL JORDAN, BULLS
Stat line: 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists
Result: 90-88 over Jazz
When: Game 5, 1997 NBA Finals
Details: For all his majesty, what made Jordan truly great was his relentless competitive drive. That was the only thing that kept him going during the famous “Flu Game,” carrying Chicago to a two-point road victory despite a debilitating intestinal virus. Scottie Pippen helped his teammate walk off the court at game’s end in one of the more indelible images in NBA history. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

DIRK NOWITZKI, MAVERICKS
Stat line: 48 points, 12 of 15 field goals, 24 of 24 free throws, six rebounds, four assists, four blocks
Result: 121-112 over Thunder
When: Game 1, 2011 West finals
Details: There have been more than 2,500 playoff outings with at least 25 true shot attempts (field goals and free throws) in the shot-clock era. None were more efficient than the one registered by Nowitzki, whose 93.9 true shooting percentage broke the previous record by more than 10 points. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)

HAKEEM OLAJUWON, ROCKETS
Stat line: 39 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots
Result: 100-95 over Spurs
When: Game 6, 1995 West finals
Details: The Dream had plenty of gaudier performances, including one of four quadruple-doubles on record and six “five-by-fives” (at least five in the five major statistical categories). But on the postseason stage, he put the finishing touch on a legendary series in which he averaged 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocks against David Robinson and the Spurs. (Jeff Haynes / AFP/Getty Images)

BILL RUSSELL, CELTICS
Stat line: 30 points, 40 rebounds
Result: 110-107 (OT) over Lakers
When: Game 7, 1962 NBA Finals
Details: Russell’s teams were 10 for 10 in Game 7s, and performances like this were a big reason why. Russell, the most prolific winner in the history of United States professional sports, simply refused to let Boston lose with a Finals single-game record for rebounds. He likely would have had more than a few blocks had they been recorded at the time. (Associated Press file photo)

By Dan McCarney

dmccarney@express-news.net

Mike Monroe: Bowen’s No. 12 jersey should be recognized

Just about this time a dozen years ago the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers were in Denver to play the Nuggets in a regular-season game, but reigning MVP Shaquille O’Neal was avoiding the media after his team’s morning shootaround at the Pepsi Center.

He was changing his size-22s in a courtside seat when a couple of reporters sneaked past his bodyguard and asked if he would answer a few questions.

“I’ll answer all your questions,” he said, “if you’ll answer one for me.”

O’Neal pointed to a banner hanging high in the rafters.

“Who is Beck?” he asked.

There, next to similar banners with names O’Neal recognized — Issel, English and Thompson — was the stumper, the name emblazoned beneath the No. “40.”

Byron Beck was an original Denver Rocket, a hook-shot specialist center who was the first player drafted by the franchise that became the Nuggets. He was the only Denver player to go all the way from the franchise’s first season in the ABA through its first season in the NBA, which would be the final one of his career.

Beck retired with pedestrian career averages of 11.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, but for the Nuggets franchise his presence from its inception had been enough. Retiring his number made perfect sense to Nuggets management, so when Beck left the game in 1977, his number went straight to the rafters.

Had the Internet been around in those days, there likely would have been the same sort of catty online comments that accompanied the announcement Monday that Bruce Bowen’s No. 12 will be retired by the Spurs in ceremonies at the ATT Center on March 21.

One reporter who has covered the Heat since Miami joined the NBA as an expansion franchise took to Twitter to suggest, facetiously, that Miami consider a similar honor for Keith Askins, a defensive specialist guard-forward for the Heat for nine seasons. During that period, Askins averaged 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds.

Bruce Bowen (right) made a career of pestering offensive standouts such as Suns guard Steve Nash. (Edward A. Ornelas / eaornelas@express-news.net)

Retiring a number is the ultimate honor a team can bestow on one of its own and each franchise establishes its own criteria. This is evident when you run through the list of numbers retired by NBA teams and understand the various sentiments that produce such veneration.

The Nets retired Drazen Petrovic’s number and the Timberwolves retired Malik Sealy’s after tragic accidents took them in the prime of their careers. Similarly, the Celtics retired Reggie Lewis’ number after he died at age 27. The Royals (now the Kings) retired Maurice Stokes’ number after the 25-year-old All-Star forward’s career was cut short by paralysis from a brain injury precipitated by a fall during a game in 1958.

Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond played only two seasons for the Cavaliers. But he was from Akron, a basketball hero in Northeast Ohio long before his pro career, and he helped lead the expansion Cavs to their first playoff appearance.

The first number retired by the Blazers was that of Lloyd Neal, a rugged power forward with career averages of 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds. Like Bowen, Neal was a versatile defensive specialist. His ability to guard the game’s top centers, even though he was 6-foot-7, made him beloved by the team’s players, coaches and fans, who thoroughly endorsed his recognition.

Defense was the hallmark of all four Spurs championship teams and Bowen was the best perimeter defender on three title teams.

Hanging Bowen’s number alongside those of David Robinson, George Gervin, James Silas, Johnny Moore, Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson doesn’t diminish those Spurs standouts. His offensive numbers may not be gaudy, but there is one number that screams for recognition: Eight.

That’s the number of times Bowen was recognized on the NBA’s All-Defensive team, a unit selected annually by the league’s head coaches.

Every coach who ever sent a high-scoring shooting guard or small forward on the court to be tortured by Bowen would endorse the honor the Spurs have chosen to give him.

mikemonroe@express-news.net