Tag: Gregg Popovich

Spurs drop game to Hornets

Spurs 9-game streak began and ended with Hornets

The San Antonio Spurs said all the right things before Monday nights game at the New Orleans Arena; IE that this is a dangerous team and you must play a complete game against them. Well, the Spurs seemed to have forgotten that as the 4th quarter rolled around.

Head Coach Monty Williams praised his team and especially their defense after the game.

“To hold this team to 88 points is a great sign for our defense,” coach Williams said. “Confidence, to me, comes when you defend the right way, and I thought we did that tonight.”

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich  could do nothing but agree with his former player turned head coach.

“We played a well-coached aggressive, well-executing team,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “They did a great job at both ends of the court. They just whipped us.”

The Spurs next face the slumping LA Lakers Wednesday at 8 pm.

 

Spurs second/third team nearly beat defending champs

In a move that would not normally be scrutinized, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich decided to send his big three plus one back home to San Antonio to rest up and prepare for the NBA leading Memphis Grizzlies.

But, with rare exception, NBA Commissioner David Stern took umbrage with Pop’s move and found it necessary to issue the following statement:

“I apologize to all N.B.A. fans.  This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs, and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.”

For Popovich, it is all about strategy and the health of his team.

“Perhaps it’ll give us an opportunity to stay on the court with Memphis on Saturday night,” Popovich told reporters before the game. “Historically, when you’re on a long road trip, that first game when you come home is really tough. And Memphis is one of the best teams in the league. They’re of much more concern to us than playing four games in five nights. It’s pretty logical.”

While there was no intentional snub on Pop’s part, he must have known that the commissioner would not appreciate the move with only two NBA games scheduled Thursday night.  But, when Popovich did pretty much the same thing back in April against the Utah Jazz, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said the following:

“The strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within the discretion of the teams.”

So whether or not the NBA decides to “sanction” the Spurs remains to be seen but it hardly matters to Pop as Gary Neal made this point.

“Coach Pop is the coach of the San Antonio Spurs, and he did what’s best for us.”

The Spurs face the Memphis Grizzlies on December 1st.

 

 

Spurs/Clippers rematch tonight

The San Antonio Spurs will meet up with the LA Clippers tonight at the AT&T Center for a rematch of two of the premier teams in the Western Conference.

The Clippers are riding a five-game winning streak that began with the 106-84 victory over the Spurs at the Staples Center.  The basis of their victories is their defense which is now holding teams to a stingy 86 PPG.

“The reason we’re having fun right now is because we are defending,” said PG Chris Paul, who is sixth in the NBA in steals. “It’s amazing because our season is pretty much predicated on defense because we have the offensive firepower.

The Spurs, winners of four of their last five games,  realize that this game is a match up of two of the best teams in the Western Conference and that defense is what will win the game for one of these teams.

“I know that they played with a lot of energy,” Head Coach Gregg Popovich said of the Clippers’ game. “We didn’t guard them very well. They pretty much scored at will.”

Tickets are still available for the game tonight so be sure to get out and support your San Antonio Spurs!