Gregg Popovich | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Spurs owe success to roster full of contributors

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich started this condensed 66-game NBA schedule with the notion that his starters, some of them a bit old, would need rest and they would need it often.

“It’s probably mandatory,” Popovich said in December.

As a whole, the veterans are playing fewer minutes, as Manu Ginobili has battled a few injuries and Popovich has found opportune times for Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to join the inactive portion of the box score.

Thanks to the deepest bench in the team’s championship era and likely ever, the Spurs have the best record in the West and second best in the NBA. And recent additions have made the bench strong enough to make some think the Spurs are primed for a run at championship No. 5.

It’s been especially noticeable as the Spurs built their recent 10-game win streak. After scoring 82 points in Friday’s win over New Orleans, the most by an NBA bench since 1990, the reserves have outscored the opposing bench 245-135 in the past four games.

Express-News staff writer Tim Griffin examines how much the bench aided the Spurs’ first four titles and this season’s Spurs. See Page C6 for a statistical breakdown of the starters and reserves from these five Spurs teams and some key moments off the bench in the title runs:

1999
Veterans Jaren Jackson, 31, Steve Kerr, 33, Jerome Kersey, 36, and Will Perdue, 33, were key contributors. No reserve averaged more than 6.4 points or 18.3 minutes as Popovich stuck with his starters more than any of his other title teams.

2003
Malik Rose (10.4 ppg, 24.5 mpg) and 25-year-old rookie Manu Ginobili (7.6 ppg, 20.7 mpg) were the most important, but vets Steve Smith, Danny Ferry, Kevin Willis, Speedy Claxton and Kerr had their moments.

2005
Robert Horry hit the big shots, but Nazr Mohammed, Brent Barry, 22-year-old rookie point guard Beno Udrih and late-season acquisition Glenn Robinson all played regularly by playoff time.

2007
Ginobili was a reserve most of the season, providing 16.5 ppg as the third-leading scorer. Michael Finley and Barry also averaged more than 20 minutes a game, and Fabricio Oberto and Udrih complimented them.

2012
Three moves bolstered a strong bench with late acquisitions of Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills. Four bench players average at least 20 minutes a game and two others are close to that. With Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal, Matt Bonner and Ginobili playing well, Popovich has leaned on his bench more than any of his other teams.

TITLE MOMENTS OFF THE BENCH

The Spurs’ bench has come up with key performances that have helped produce pivotal moments in the team’s previous four championship seasons. Here is a key bench contribution in each of those seasons:

1999: Jaren Jackson goes for 22 points and 20 points in the final two games of the series helping to finish off road victories in a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.

2003: After playing only 13 minutes in the playoffs up to then, Steve Kerr comes off the bench to hit four clutch 3-pointers that fuels a series-clinching victory over Dallas in the Western Conference finals.

2005: The legend of “Big Shot Rob” continues as Robert Horry sinks a game-winning 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds in overtime to boost the Spurs to a series-turning Game 5 victory at Detroit in the NBA Finals.

2007: Manu Ginobili erupts for monster scoring games of 26 points in a Game 5 victory and 33 in the series-clinching Game 6 triumph to help finish off Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals. The series turns when Horry’s hip-check of Phoenix’s Steve Nash, sending Nash into the scorer’s table, sparks a rumble.

– Tim Griffin

Spurs beat worst to move into first

By Jeff McDonald

In the Internet age of ESPN and Twitter and smart phones and tablet apps, it is almost impossible for an NBA player to avoid the NBA standings. They are accessible to anybody, anywhere, via the simple click of a mouse.

So are scores from around the league, updated in real time, play-by-play and basket-by-basket.

Still, with all this inescapable information zipping through cyberspace at the speed of light, Spurs guard Danny Green admits he was unaware what was at stake in the Spurs’ 128-103 victory over New Orleans on Friday night at the ATT Center.

First place in the Western Conference?

“We knew we were close,” Green said. “But I didn’t know tonight would be the night.”

Combined with Oklahoma City’s loss at Indiana nearly an hour earlier, the Spurs’ unmerciful beatdown of the woeful Hornets moved them to the top of the West standings for the first time this season.

True, the lead the 39-14 Spurs hold over the Thunder is microscopic — a mere 9/100ths of a percentage point — and there is far too much season left to be popping champagne corks now. But for now, the Spurs will enjoy the view from the top while it lasts.

“It’s always good to hold your own destiny in your hands,” said guard Gary Neal, whose team owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Oklahoma City.

Against New Orleans, Tim Duncan scored 19 points to head a list of six players in double figures, and the Spurs raced to a 28-point lead in the first half before cruising to a 10th straight victory. The Spurs now own the two longest winning streaks in the NBA this season, having won 11 in a row from Jan. 30 to Feb. 20.

Win No. 10 came by way of the Spurs’ highest-scoring night of the season, surpassing a 125-90 victory in Cleveland four nights earlier.

If the Spurs appeared hyper-motivated to take advantage of Oklahoma City’s misfortune Friday, pin it on coincidence. Laser focused, many players were blissfully unaware of the various standings storylines heading into their game against New Orleans.

A game ahead of the Spurs to start the night, the Thunder fell into a 24-point hole early in Indiana before losing 103-98. By the time the Spurs took the floor against New Orleans, the West’s last-place team, first place was in play.

News of the Thunder’s struggles did not exactly spread like wildfire in the Spurs locker room before tipoff at the ATT Center.

“I think one of the ballboys came in and told us,” Manu Ginobili said.

At about the time the Pacers were finishing off the Thunder, the Spurs were putting the final polish on a season-best 72-point first half, making 30 of 45 shots and taking a 25-point lead into intermission.

With no starter logging more than Kawhi Leonard’s 21 minutes, five reserves scored in double figures for the Spurs, who recorded a season-best 31 assists.

Ginobili and Patrick Mills each produced 14 points off the bench, while all 13 members of the Spurs’ active roster scored. The Spurs’ reserves combined for 82 points, the most prolific night for an NBA bench since Jan. 3, 2000, when the Orlando subs also accounted for 82 against Detroit.

Already ahead by 10 heading into the second quarter, the Spurs reeled off a 23-5 run in the second quarter to transform the entire night into an exercise in scoreboard-watching.

New Orleans coach Monty Williams bemoaned his team’s defense after the Spurs shot a season-best 60.7 percent — “We couldn’t guard a bike if we were riding it” — but even he knew his hamstrung roster was no match for the one belonging to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

“They look like they’re primed for a championship run,” said Williams, whose team fell to 14-41.

Friday, the Spurs took over first place in the West, then reacted as if they’d just found some spare change in a couch cushion.

“We don’t want to get crazy about it,” Ginobili said.

Indeed, the Spurs have been here before, winning 61 games for the West’s top-seed last season, then tumbling in the first round against Memphis. With 13 games still to play this season, the Spurs are guaranteed nothing.

The best course of action, they’ve decided, is to do what they’ve been doing: Keep playing, oblivious to vagaries of the standings, looking up only at the end of the regular season.

First place?

“It’s great, but there’s too many games left,” Duncan said. “We’re going to go through some ups and downs. We’re going to lose some games. They’re (the Thunder) going to lose some games. We’ll see how we come out the other end.”

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Spurs 128, Hornets 103: April 6, 2012

DeJuan Blair reaches in trying to foil Carl Landry on the blocks as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Tony Parker slides between Greiis Vasquez and Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

DeJuan Blair scores from the backdoor on Chris Kaman as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

DeJuan Blair jams one as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Kawhi Leonard jams it in the face of Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Manu Ginobili scores easily on Gustavo Ayon as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

SPORTS James Anderson moves inside of Al-Farouq Aminu as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Chris Kaman pivots on Tiago Splitter as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

SPORTS Manu Ginobili coordinates the team in the first half as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Manu Ginobili goes through the net trying to score and draws the foul against Trevor Ariza as the San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Tim Duncan takes it to the hoop against Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Stephen Jackson puts up a shot in the first half as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Tiago Splitter puts up a hook shot against Chris Kaman as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

Chris Kaman pivots on Tiago Splitter as the Spurs play the New Orleans Hornets at the ATT Center on April 6, 2012. Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News (TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News)

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Spurs notebook: Popovich says rest, energy trump victories

With the regular season down to its final 14 games — to be played over the next 20 days — coach Gregg Popovich insists the Spurs’ depth is more important than it has been all season.

“Going down the stretch here we’re a lot more concerned with health and energy than we are wins and losses, as long as we’re theoretically getting better,” he said.

“I’d like to see us get better defensively in certain ways. As long as we’re trying, as long as we’re on that path, our health and our energy are more important than anything, because in the West, anybody can beat anybody, one through eight.”

The Spurs are one of two teams in the league with 10 players averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Stephen Jackson, who joined the team on March 17 after a trade deadline deal with the Golden State Warriors, isn’t playing quite as much as the player he replaced, Richard Jefferson, but he is averaging 22.1 minutes per game for the nine games he has played in silver and black this season.

Popovich understands the depth will make for some difficult decisions when he shortens his player rotations for the playoffs, as he always does.

“Rotations always get a little shorter at that time,” Popovich said, “but that’s just the way it is.”

Popovich didn’t rest any of his key players in the back-to-back set that produced Tuesday-Wednesday victories in Cleveland and Boston, but newcomers Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills didn’t see any court time in the second game, against the Celtics.

While the Australian Mills came to the team with an advantage of having played the Spurs offense as a member of the Australian national team, which is coached by Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, Diaw acknowledged it will take some time to learn the team’s plays.

“I don’t have a timeline for learning everything, but it’s getting better every game, game to game,” he said. “There are times I’m in the wrong spot on the floor. There’s still some of that, so it’s going to take a little bit.

“What’s important is that I get to know my teammates, them getting to know me and just learning to play together so we can be the most efficient as possible. That’s what I’m trying to do right now, just getting things right and getting to know everyone on the court.”

What’s in a name? Though he’s grown accustomed to being called “Patty” by nearly everyone around the NBA, Mills said he much prefers to called by his given name, rather than the truncated nickname.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said. “Either one is all right, but if you really want to know which I prefer, well, it’s Patrick.”

Mills was the Spurs’ top scorer in Tuesday’s blowout victory over the Cavaliers, scoring 20 points to become the 11th different player to lead the team in scoring this season.

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Twitter: @Monroe_SA