Tag: Gary Neal

Game rewind: Baby steps leading to better Spurs defense

One of the biggest concerns that Gregg Popovich had throughout the early part of the season was his struggling defense.

At one point, Popovich ripped his current players for the worst defensive effort during his coaching tenure.

And that might have been the case when the Spurs were singed for 58.2 percent in an earlier loss to Miami, 50.6 percent and 55.7 percent in losses to Houston and 50.6 percent to lowly New Orleans. That game might have been the low point as they allowed the Hornets to top 100 points for the first time all season in a narrow two-point victory.

Since that game, the Spurs have played noticeably better. Only one team has topped 100 points during the last six games. The Spurs have limited opponents to an average of 86 points and 43.2 field goal shooting after permitting an average of 96.4 points and 46.3 percent in the first 18 games of the season.

And the Spurs’ defense in their most recent game against New Orleans was much improved as they held the Hornets to 44.6 shooting in an impressive 93-81 victory Thursday night at the ATT Center.

San Antonio was particularly strong in the fourth quarter, limiting the Hornets to 13 points and 28.6 percent. Both totals ranked among their best this  season in fourth-quarter defense.

“I think we had a great run as our defense stepped up a little bit,” Spurs forward Tiago Splitter said. 

It’s ben a nice run. But the Spurs will be tested against an Oklahoma City team that ranks among the top three teams offensively in scoring and field-goal percentage.

It will be a truer test for San Antonio’s defense than any previous game in the recent surge.

Among the highlights of the victory over the Hornets include the following.

Game analysis: The Spurs finally broke away in the fourth quarter after a gritty start against an undermanned New Orleans team missing its top two scoring threats in Jarrett Jack and Eric Gordon.

Where the game was won: The Spurs blew the game open with a 14-2 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter. It started on Gary Neal’s 3-pointer to close the third quarter and also included four points and three assists from Tony Parker — one a behind-the-back pass to Matt Bonner for a clutch 3-pointer to cap the run.

Closing it out: The Spurs defense punctuated the victory by limiting New Orleans without a point for more than five minutes at the end of the game. After Trevor Ariza’s 3-pointer pulled the Hornets within 84-77  with 6:01 left, they missed their next eight shots with two turnovers before Carl Landry hit a jumper to pull them to 93-79 with 43.4 seconds left.

Player of the game I: We again saw Tim Duncan inside more, resulting in more shots around the basket en route to game-high totals of 19 points and nine rebounds. Unlike his season-best 28-point effort against the Hornets on Jan. 23, Duncan was a beast in the paint.

Player of the game II: Parker notched 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished off seven assists. He scored only two points in the first half, but finished with a flourish with eight points and four assists in the fourth quarter.

Player of the game III: Landry kept New Orleans close  for most of the game with 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting, although he was limited to only two points in the fourth quarter.  

Most unsung: Splitter’s work with Parker was critical in the fourth quarter. It helped him score seven of his 16 points in the quarter to help put the game away as they abused New Orleans’ defense with a steady dose of pick-and-roll plays.

Did you notice I: The Spurs had surprising difficulty running their offense, picking up two 24-second violations and nearly picking up another one. They had difficulty at times getting a shot up quickly in the possession and at times resulted for poor choices at the end of the possession.

Did you notice II: Like in the past several games, the Spurs’ lineup in crunch time late in the fourth quarter has Duncan and Splitter playing together. They were together for a closing 8-0 spurt that put the game away.  

Stat of the game:  After missing 14 of their first 15 3-pointers, the Spurs finished by hitting three of  their last four 3-point shots.

Stat of the game II: The Spurs limited New Orleans to 13 points in the fourth quarter. It was the lowest total this season for the Spurs except for 12 points allowed at Minnesota on Jan. 2.

Stat of the game III: New Orleans was limited to 28.6 percent in the fourth quarter, enduring scoring droughts of 3:19 and 5:18 during the quarter.

Stat of the game IV: New Orleans starting forwards Ariza and Jason Smith clanked through a combined 4 for 21 shooting night and were limited to 11 points.

Stat of the game V: Since going 0 for 2 Jan. 5 against Dallas, Splitter has hit 69.7 percent from  the field over his last 17 games. He was 7 for 9 against New Orleans Thursday night.

Weird stat of the game: Before the fourth quarter, the largest lead for either team was four points.

Not a good sign: DeJuan Blair missed several easy jumpers as he went 1 for 6 from the field and scored only three points. He’s averaging 3.6 points and shooting 33.3 percent in his last five games.

Best plus/minus scores: Splitter was plus-13, and Duncan, Neal and Danny Green all were plus-11.

Worst plus/minus scores: James Anderson and Kawhi Leonard were the only Spurs were minus-4 — the only Spurs with negative scores.

Quote of the game: ”He was wicked spry,” Bonner , on the recent athleticism exhibited by 35-year-old Tim Duncan.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs will meet Oklahoma City, the NBA team with the best record, Saturday night at the ATT Center. They then embark for the Rodeo Road Trip with starting games Monday night in Memphis and Wednesday in Philadelphia. New Orleans travels Saturday to Detroit before home games Monday against Sacramento, Wedneday against Chicago and Feb. 10 against Portland.

Injuries: Manu Ginobili missed his 19th game (Spurs record 12-7) after undergoing surgery for a fractured fifth left metacarpal.  T.J. Ford missed his 14th game (Spurs record 9-5) with a torn left hamstring. New Orleans played without leading scorers Gordon (right knee contusion) and Jack (sore knee).

Spurs patching up defense on the fly

By Jeff McDonald

PHILADELPHIA — A 14-point lead had vanished. The Memphis Grizzlies had awoken to take a six-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The Spurs were on the verge of a disheartening opening to their 10th annual rodeo road trip.

On the edge of unraveling Monday night in Memphis, Tenn., the Spurs called on an old friend.

Their defense saved them, holding the Grizzlies to just 11 points in the final frame as the Spurs rallied for an 89-84 victory they hope sets a tone for the rest of the nine-game trek.

“That’s what we’re going to have to bank on,” forward Tim Duncan said. “We’re not going to score a bunch of points every night.”

As their epic road jaunt continues tonight in Philadelphia, the Spurs know their defense is still light years from the unit that once strangled opponents en route to four NBA titles.

In truth, it might never get there.

Even so, there’s no disputing the Spurs are playing better defense now than they were on Jan. 10, when they shot 60 percent and lost at Milwaukee, causing coach Gregg Popovich to bemoan “the worst defensive team we’ve ever had.”

“I think we’re starting to understand the system a little better, taking a little more pride in it, becoming a little more consistent in execution,” Popovich said. “We’re making fewer mistakes in certain areas.”

Tonight in Philadelphia, where points are sure to come at a premium, the Spurs’ ability to keep the score low will be paramount. Under coach Doug Collins, the 76ers are allowing an NBA-best 86.64 points per game.

“Since I’ve been in San Antonio, we don’t have a good record in Philly,” said point guard Tony Parker, whose team has lost four straight in the City of Brotherly Love. “They always play well against us. We’re going to have to match their energy.”

Before the season, Popovich announced his intention to return the Spurs to the top echelon of NBA defensive teams. Twenty-one games in, that goal remains elusive.

The Spurs rank 24th in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 45.3 percent. They are 12th in scoring defense (93.5 points per game).

Over the past eight games, however, the Spurs’ defense has shown palpable signs of life.

They didn’t surrender triple digits in regulation in any of those contests, limiting foes to 42.9 percent shooting and an average of 87 points.

With a handful of young players populating the rotation — including rookie forward Kawhi Leonard, third-year swingman Danny Green, and a pair of second-year players, center Tiago Splitter and guard Gary Neal — improvements have had to come almost exclusively on the fly.

“It’s almost all from playing, because there aren’t any practices,” Popovich said.

“While they’re playing, we’re coaching and teaching and making adjustments, and getting on them, and congratulating them, and getting on them — just so they understand what we’re looking for.”

Monday in Memphis provided the blueprint. Against the Grizzlies, the Spurs’ defense allowed them to hang on despite a nearly six-minute scoring drought in the third quarter.

The Spurs took control by holding Memphis without a point for the first 5:23 of the fourth quarter, then sealed the game when Duncan blocked Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol in the last 34 seconds.

With Memphis down three, Gay had a chance to tie, but his 3-pointer out of a timeout was well defended and hit nothing.

“We know the fourth quarter is where we need to focus on defense, make our stops,” Green said. “If we make our stops, we know we’ll be OK.”

The phrase “stops on demand” used to be a popular T-shirt slogan around the Spurs’ practice facility. Lately, that motto has seemed to go the way of “Where’s the Beef?”

If Popovich gets his wish, stops on demand might be back in style again.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Game analysis: Sunday’s loss will hurt more later

The Spurs’ hardest week of the season to date started Sunday night in a bad way.

After struggling down the stretch against Minnesota Friday night, the Spurs almost stole a victory at Dallas thanks to a dramatic bench performance before falling 101-100 in overtime.

As much as the Spurs might feel good about the bench’s effort, the realization that games against Memphis, Houston, New Orleans and Oklahoma City loom in the next six days remains daunting.    

Sunday night might be a moral victory for some, but the Spurs still lost to a division foe and their most bitter rival to boot. They fell out of first place in a game where they limited Dirk Nowitzki to 10 points on 5-for-14 shooting and still lost.

The bench played well, but ran out of gas at the end.

It’s a loss that likely will hurt more on April 26 — the day the season ends — than it does now.

Game analysis: After a struggling effort by the regulars, the Spurs’ bench made a strong comeback before wearing out late in regulation and in overtime against the defending NBA champions.

Where the game was won: After Danny Green’s layup gave the Spurs a 98-95 lead with 1:18 left in overtime, Dallas went to its veterans to claim the comeback. Nowitzki overcame a frigid shooting night to hit a banker. Jason Terry then hit 12-foot turnaround and a pair of free throws to put them ahead 101-98. Gary Neal’s layup pulled them within a point, but Green’s game-winning 27-footer at the buzzer clanked off the rim to allow Dallas to escape.

Look at the monitor to see how close the Spurs came:   The Spurs had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Green’s game-winning hoop was waved off when replays showed it was released a millisecond after the buzzer.

Give it up to the bench: Terry’s jumper gave Dallas a 67-49 lead with 3:43 left in the third quarter, the Spurs bench hit the Mavericks with a 35-8 spurt that gave them an 84-75 lead on Neal’s jumper with 5:33 left. Popovich stayed with them for the rest of regulation and the subs couldn’t make that cushion stand up as Dallas charged back.

Player of the game I: Spurs Nation favorite Terry earned a few more boos on his next trip to the ATT Center after erupting for a season-high 34 points on 14-for-23 shooting.

Player of the game II: It looked like  it was 1999 all over after a couple of Vince Carter’s circus shots. It helped him score 21 points as the Spurs struggled to contain him throughout the game.

Player of the game III:  Neal had been looking for a breakout game all season as he plays himself into shape after missing training camp with appendicitis. He might have gotten that effort Sunday with a season-high 19 points, seven assists and three 3-pointers as he helped  boost San Antonio’s strong bench effort with 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Most unsung: Most observers think  the Mavericks will miss  Tyson Chandler as the season progresses. That might be true, but Rick Carlisle got a nice effort out of his pivot tandem of Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi. The center duo combined for only seven points, but contributed 16 rebounds and six blocked shots as they made life difficult inside for the Spurs throughout the game.

Did you notice I: The loudest cheerleaders for the Spurs at Sunday’s game were their starters on the bench.  Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were giggling like JV members throughout the fourth quarter as the Spurs’ bench nearly escaped with the victory.

Did you notice II: The men in the striped shirts didn’t have a good night — particularly down the stretch. First, game officials appeared to miss a traveling call on Nowitzki as he clumsly tried to get the ball up court while appearing to try to call a timeout before Dallas’ final possession of regulation. And Bill Kennedy was woefully out of place on the Spurs’ final play in overtime, running into Green before his desperation heave at the buzzer.

Stat of the game: After being outscored by the Dallas bench 26-4 to start the game, San Antonio’s substitutes accounted for its final 51 points of the game.

Stat of the game II : San Antonio hit 7 of 8 from 3-point territory in the fourth quarter after starting the game hitting 4 of 14 from beyond the arc.

Stat of the game III: The Spurs hit only 10 of 19 foul shots. Their 52.6 percentage was a season-low and was their lowest since shooting 50 percent from the line in a loss to Portland on March 28, 2011.

Weird stat of the game: Nowitzki was limited 10 points in 37:54. It marked only the eighth time in Nowitzki’s career that he has been limited to 10 points or less in at least 37 minutes.

Weird stat of the game II: After grabbing only two offensive rebounds Friday night at Minnesota, the Spurs bounced back to grab 14 against the Mavericks. It was one of their five top offensive rebounding efforts of the season.

Not a good sign: The Spurs hit 41.5 percent from the field, marking their second straight game below 42 percent. The Spurs have shot 41.4 percent in their two most recent road losses after hitting 52.9 percent in victories over New Orleans and Atlanta last week.

Best plus/minus scores: James Anderson was plus-17, Neal was plus-9 and Tiago Splitter and Green were plus-8.

Worst plus/minus scores: Kawhi Leonard and Parker were minus-10 and Richard Jefferson was minus-9.

Quote of the game: “You don’t see that very often, but we were on fire shooting threes. That got us back in the game. It was simple as that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich describing his bench’s late perimeter spurt.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs will travel to Memphis for the back end of a back-to-back on Monday. They then will entertain Houston on Wednesday, New Orleans on Thursday and Oklahoma City on Saturday. Dallas will travel to Phoenix on Monday before home games Wednesday against Oklahoma City and Friday against Indiana.

Injuries: Manu Ginobili missed his 16th game (Spurs record 9-7) after undergoing surgery for a fractured fifth left metacarpal.  T.J. Ford missed his 11th game (Spurs record 6-5) with a torn left hamstring. Minnesota starting point guard Jason Kidd is expected to miss about a week with a strained right calf. Nowitzki returned to action after missing the last four games with knee/conditioning issues.