Gregg Popovich | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Spurs notebook: Dad-to-be McDyess glad to be retired

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

HOUSTON — Admitting it felt strange to be sitting in the stands 10 rows behind the Spurs bench, and even weirder seeing Tim Duncan sitting out the second half of the third game of the season because the Spurs were being blown out by the Rockets, Antonio McDyess put to rest any thoughts that he might elect to come out of retirement at any time this season.

“Uh-uh,” he said, flashing his characteristic smile. “A lot of people have been asking, but it’s not happening.”

McDyess and his wife are expecting their first child in a few days and he said he is comfortable with his decision to leave the NBA after 16 seasons, the last two with the Spurs.

The former All-Star and Olympic gold medal winner paid a short visit to the Spurs locker room after the Rockets’ 105-85 drubbing, to the delight of coach Gregg Popovich.

“The best part of this whole night was seeing Antonio,” Popovich said.

ANXIOUSLY WAITING: Second-year shooting guard Gary Neal is looking forward to the Spurs’ next practice session, whenever that may be.

Cleared to begin contact work after undergoing an appendectomy on Dec. 12, Neal has been working hard on conditioning this week but understands he needs a practice or two before he can expect to get in a game for the first time this season.

“He’s working out with Sean Marks back in San Antonio,” Popovich said. “We won’t practice tomorrow, but he’ll do something.

“He’s got to have contact before we get him into a game. It might be a month-and-a-half before we have a chance to practice again, but we can get some of the rookies in there with him so he can get some contact. I expect he’ll be back in another week, or so.”

RATINGS MONSTERS: After drawing more viewers for their regular season opener against the Grizzlies than ESPN’s Monday Night Football game that featured Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ quest for a single-season passing record, the Spurs continued their domination of local prime-time TV for their Wednesday night game against the Clippers.

That game posted an 11.1 overnight Nielsen rating, more than doubling the ratings for the University of Texas-Cal Holiday Bowl game, which came in at 5.1.

DOMINANT THIRDS END: The Spurs went into Thursday’s game against the Rockets having outscored their first two opponents 67-31 in the third quarter.

The trend ended against the Rockets, who outscored the Spurs 25-24 in the third.

What the Spurs and Warriors said after the game

Here, courtesy of the folks from Spurs media servies, are some post-game comments from the Spurs and Warriors after San Antonio’s victory Wednesday night at the ATT Center.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich:

(You used both T.J. Ford and Tony Parker down the stretch…was there something that you saw?)

“We needed to chase those guys. I wanted to get Tony back in the game, but T.J. was playing great; so we just matched them up that way. T.J. was fantastic. Danny Green was fantastic. The two of them, they gave us the energy to get that ball game. They played fantastic basketball.”

(It appeared at one point that you were trying to get Tony to be more aggressive, offensively in particular…is this accurate?)

“I want all the players to be aggressive. Everybody needs to be aggressive and in attack mode all the time. Tony’s no different. He’s a great player and when he’s in attack mode, he’s an even better player.”

Spurs guard Danny Green

(On pulling out the victory tonight…)

“We did, it was fun. In the second half we did a great job of shutting down their guards, a little bit. They came out hot and we played better defense. Our shots weren’t falling like we wanted too. Eventually they would fall, but we had to play defense and we ended up doing it.”

(Does success on defense trigger you on offense…)

“I think so; I think it triggers all teams. With us, we play some good defense and we get some stops. We’re able to get out and run and get some open threes. We’re a perimeter team and we were able to get some open looks and some of them fell eventually.”

(On finishing the game after not playing in the first half …)

“I rather finish the game than start.”

Spurs forward Richard Jefferson

(On hitting all five of his 3-point attempts…)

“Tony had some great passes. We were down quite a few for most of the night. Those two guards were on fire. We kind of caught a break with Stephen Curry going out. It allowed us to focus a little more on Monta, but even then, it was tough to stop him. Danny Green came in and played some amazing defense, but for the most part, I was getting open looks. I think every shot was assisted. They were just good passes from my teammates.”

(Was it important to win this game without Manu?)

“We have a mentality that were going to be O.K., not because we’re the San Antonio Spurs. It’s because everyone has to step up, everyone has to work extremely hard and everyone has to be more mistake free, than we normally are. Danny Green came in and played some great defense. The defense he was playing, just giving Monta a different look. That’s somebody else stepping up and every night someone else needs to step up because Manu is irreplaceable.”

Spurs guard Tony Parker

(On playing together with T.J Ford)

“They played small for almost four quarters. T.J was playing well and Pop decided to keep T.J in and I played with him for the last six minutes. It worked out pretty well.”

(How important was it to win this game without Manu…)

“It was good for our confidence. We’re going to play a long time without Manu. In a schedule like this, you have to win games at home. It was a big one for us and now we have a big one tomorrow.”

Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson:

(When asked how much the mood changed when Stephen Curry was lost with his injury)

“It’s natural to think here we go again, as a player. It was a disappointing loss. Things were still going our way. The bottom line is giving up 31 points in the fourth quarter is not a way to close out a victory on the road.”

(When asked if the Spurs did anything differently in the fourth quarter)

“They made shots. We had some breakdowns. It was disappointing.”

(When asked about the play of Monta Ellis tonight)

“He was incredible and inspiring. He made every play. I asked him if he needed a breather, he said, ‘No.’ It didn’t look like he was out of gas. Not only am I asking him to make the plays on the offensive end, but I’m asking him to defend Tony Parker on the other end. He gave me everything he had. I’m proud of his effort and his leadership. I hope that his passion for the game truly becomes contagious in the locker room.”

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry

(On re-injuring his right ankle…)

“I got the steal. It was either a steal or a deflection but I got the ball. Put up a pump fake in transition and took off on my right foot. I pushed off on my toe and it flipped over. It was just a re-aggravation of the same thing that has been happening. It’s another frustrating incident that I have to deal with.”

(Measuring the severity of his ankle injury based on his other ankle injuries…)

“The way I do it is, I tell the athletic trainers the instant pain I feel and this is the worst it has been. I am sure it has to do with the fact that it’s the third time. It is hard to say exactly how to react. I tried to put weight on it. I did put weight on it. I tried to tape it back up and lace it back up to go back out there but it started to stiffen up. We will just have to see how it reacts tomorrow. It’s déjà vu all over again.”

Bucks keep Spurs winless away from AT&T Center

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

MILWAUKEE — Winning on the road in the NBA is not an art, but a learned skill. That’s what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich believes.

It can take young players a while to come to grips with the intensity and focus needed to win games away from the comforts of home. On the road, every mistake is magnified, every possession hyper-critical.

As the Spurs proved in Tuesday’s 106-103 loss to Milwaukee at the Bradley Center, a game in which a rookie might have helped engineer a victory if not for late mistakes from the team’s most veteran hands, even old dogs can struggle to remember old tricks.

“We’ve always been able to go into places and keep our composure, make less mistakes than our opponents,” Tim Duncan said after the Spurs dropped to 0-4 on the road.

“We’re making too many mistakes right now.”

Stephen Jackson torched his old team for 34 points and eight assists, and Andrew Bogut had 14 points and 11 rebounds in his first game in more than a week, as the Bucks broke a five-game losing streak and kept the Spurs skidding on the road.

Down the stretch, many of the Spurs’ wounds were self-inflicted.

All-Star point guard Tony Parker made perhaps the game’s most momentous miscue in the final minute.

Down one, the Spurs (6-4) had a chance to take the lead when Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings poked the ball out of Parker’s hands to Jackson. The turnover gave way to a run-out dunk for Jennings and a three-point lead for the Bucks with 53.8 seconds to go.

On the Spurs’ next possession, Duncan ran over Bogut for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to Milwaukee.

Later, Duncan all but accused the Bucks center — playing his first game after missing four while dealing with a family emergency in his native Australia — of flopping.

“I enjoy banging with him,” Duncan said. “I don’t enjoy him falling down on the last play and them calling a charge.”

Even Popovich, he of 803 NBA victories, copped to choking in crunch time.

After Milwaukee’s final possession ended with a jump ball between Jackson and DeJuan Blair with 14.3 seconds left, which Blair won, Popovich wanted a timeout to set up a potential game-tying 3-pointer.

Instead of mentioning this desire to an official, Popovich tried in vain to have one of his players make the call.

Though the mad scramble that ensued produced an open, albeit unsuccessful, look for Richard Jefferson, Popovich believed a drawn-up play could have gotten something better.

“I should have been all over the official to get the timeout, and I didn’t do it,” Popovich said.

The Spurs’ mistakes, Duncan said, add up for opposing teams. Milwaukee (3-6) shot 51.8 percent, the third straight team to top 50 percent against the Spurs.

“They’re adding up into points, they’re adding up into high percentages,” Duncan said. “They’re adding up into losses.”

The late-game miscues ruined the first 20-point game of the season for Duncan, who also finished with eight rebounds and seven assists. It sullied a season-high 22 points for Parker, who ended with seven turnovers.

It turned a breakout game from rookie small forward Kawhi Leonard into a footnote. After backup point guard T.J. Ford strained a hamstring in the second quarter, shifting shooting guard Gary Neal to point, Leonard started the second half and produced season highs in points (19) and steals (four).

If young players have to learn to win on the road, class was in session for Leonard.

“Every time he gets into an NBA game, it’s going to be a lesson,” Popovich said.

The lessons continued for all the Spurs on Tuesday, not just the young ones. After another fruitless road trip, the Spurs will be back on their home floor tonight at the ATT Center, where they are 6-0.

“You have to play better on the road than you do at home,” Jefferson said. “We have yet to really do that.”

Their next chance comes Jan. 17 at Miami.

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Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut (6) dunks over San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, left, of France, drives against Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut (6) drives against San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Stephen Jackson (5) reacts after drawing an offensive foul on San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter during the first half of an NBA basketball game ,Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Stephen Jackson, bottom, reacts after drawing an offensive foul on San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Gary Neal (14) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks’ Carlos Delfino (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, right, drives against Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Stephen Jackson (5) and San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, right, look at a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Danny Green, right, drives against Milwaukee Bucks’ Tobias Harris during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ T.J. Ford grimaces after an injury against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Stephen Jackson (5) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 106-103. Jackson lead all scorers with 34 points. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Stephen Jackson(5) reacts against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 106-103. Jackson lead all scorers with 34 points. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, left, yells at Matt Bonner (15) during a time out against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 106-103. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings (3) battles San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, right, of France, for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 106-103. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)

Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut, left, reacts in front of San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair (45) and Richard Jefferson(24) at the end of the game in a NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 106-103. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP)