In The News | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Popovich, Spurs get points across

By Jeff McDonald

For much of the season, Tony Parker has been waiting for coach Gregg Popovich to lose it.

Game in and game out, win or lose, good play or poor, Mount Popovich would not erupt. Not like it used to in its magma-spewing heyday.

“As he gets older and drinks more wine, he gets more patient,” Parker said.

Wednesday night, with a lead against Atlanta growing tenuous and the Spurs sleepwalking out of the halftime locker room, Popovich’s patience finally wore out, and Parker finally got his explosion.

A quick timeout 60 seconds into the third quarter, followed by a mass substitution that brought three starters to the bench, sent a clear message in what became an easy-does-it 105-83 win at the ATT Center.

“We weren’t playing well,” said reserve forward Matt Bonner, who had nine of his 17 points during the third-quarter charge. “Pop’s a good coach. He senses that, and he has to do something.”

Behind a trio of third-quarter threes by Bonner, 13 second-half points from DeJuan Blair and a defensive focus that limited the Hawks to just 39 points in the second half, the Spurs turned a four-point halftime lead into Atlanta’s most lopsided loss of the season.

For the Hawks, the defeat was the 14th in a row in San Antonio, a losing streak that dates to Feb. 25, 1997, the season before Tim Duncan arrived.

Blair scored 17 points, matching his highest-scoring night since New Year’s Eve, while Bon? ner equaled a season high in scoring as well. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range, kick-starting the Spurs’ decisive 22-5 second-half run with consecutive buckets.

It marked only the fifth multiple 3-pointer game of the season for Bonner, last year’s NBA leader in long-range accuracy.

“I just take it one game at a time, focus on the process and trust the results will come,” Bonner said. “Honestly, at this point it’s the key to sanity.”

If the Spurs (12-7) were aiming to drive their coach insane — to cajole him into laying the mushroom cloud Parker had been waiting for — they accomplished as much coming out of halftime.

The Hawks (13-6) ended the first half on a 14-4 spurt, reducing what had been a 14-point deficit to 48-44.

At halftime, Popovich talked to his team about playing with more energy and greater attention to detail. Specifically, he asked his players to keep Atlanta’s ballhandlers from driving to the middle of the lane.

On Atlanta’s first trip of the third quarter, Jeff Teague took Parker to the middle for two of his 20 points. On the Spurs’ first possession, Richard Jefferson missed a cut he was supposed to make.

When Josh Smith threw in a jump hook on the Hawks’ next possession, Popovich angrily signaled for a timeout, then replaced Parker, Jefferson and Blair with Cory Joseph, Danny Green and Bonner.

“We didn’t play hard enough, I guess,” Blair said. “You see what happened. We were on the bench. He shouldn’t have to do that, but it gets us going.”

The move was akin to plugging the Spurs into a light socket.

Not only did the Spurs’ bench extend the lead, with Bonner, Green and Joseph providing quality minutes, the starters played well when they returned from being grounded.

Asked what he wanted from that timeout, Popovich responded with two words: “More focus.”

Popovich continued to hammer that message throughout the rest of the blowout. When Joe Johnson hit a jumper over Bonner to bring Atlanta within 21 points with 5:33 to go, Popovich called another timeout to correct the defensive lapse.

Asked if this was a grouchy as Popovich had been all season, Bonner offered the safe answer.

“No comment,” he said.

Parker, for his part has definitely seen worse. As a 19-year-old rookie 10 seasons ago, he frequently found himself on the wrong end of a Mount Popovich eruption.

“I always tell the rookies they’re lucky,” Parker said. “Because it’s nothing like when I was a rookie. He’s so nice to them.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

– Jerry Lara photos

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Spurs 105, Hawks 83: Jan. 25, 2012

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia defends during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, right, tries to steal a rebound from Atlanta Hawks forward Vladimir Radmanovic during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green, right, loses a pass under pressure from Atlanta Hawks Tracy McGrady during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. In back is forward Tiago Splitter. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs forward Tiago Splitter goes for two against Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Cory Johnson goes through Atlanta Hawks Kirk Hinrich, (6), and Ivan Johnson, (44), during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker drives through Atlanta Hawks guard Willie Green, left, and forward Josh Smith during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Parker ended the game with 15 points.Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Matt Bonner looks to pass the ball as he drives through Atlanta Hawks guards Joe Johnson, left, and Jeff Teague during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Bonner tied with DeJuan Blair for 17 points and the team’s high scorers. Teague had the game high of 20 points. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague is fouled by San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph after stealing the ball during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Guard drives around Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard passes out to center DeJuan Blair, left, during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan defends against Atlanta Hawks Jeff Teague during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs DeJuan Blair tries to get around Atlanta Hawks Ivan Johnson during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Kawhi Leonard gets blocked Atlanta Hawks Zaza Pachulia, right, as he was trying to defend Joe Johnson, during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Danny Green, center, and DeJuan Blair defend against Atlanta Hawks Willie Green during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich talks with official Pat Fraher during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Larry Drew disagrees with a call during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the ATT Center, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Spurs won 105-83. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Express-News)

Friday: Blazers (7-3) at Spurs (7-4)

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS

Point guard
Spurs: 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 11th yr)
Blazers: 5 Raymond Felton (6-1, 7th yr)
Parker’s past two games: 50 points, 16 assists, 81 minutes.

Shooting guard
Spurs: 2 Kawhi Leonard (6-7, 1st yr)
Blazers: 2 Wesley Matthews (6-5, 3rd yr)
After Leonard’s first career start, Pop compared him to Bowen. Hyperbole?

Small forward
Spurs: 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 11th yr)
Blazers: 3 Gerald Wallace (6-7, 11th yr)
In three road games, Wallace averaged 4.7 points, made 4 of 25 field goals.

Power forward
Spurs: 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 15th yr)
Blazers: 12 LaMarcus Aldridge (6-11, 6th yr)
Aldridge has surpassed 20-point mark in six of 10 games this season.

Center
Spurs: 45 DeJuan Blair (6-7, 3rd yr)
Blazers: 23 Marcus Camby (6-11, 16th yr)
Camby second to Duncan among active players on NBA career blocks list.

SPURS RESERVES
25 James Anderson, G, 6-6, 2nd yr
15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 8th yr
4 Danny Green, G/F, 6-6, 3rd yr
14 Gary Neal, G, 6-4, 2nd yr
5 Cory Joseph, G, 6-3, 1st yr
22 Tiago Splitter, C, 6-11, 2nd yr
23 Malcolm Thomas, F, 6-9, 1st yr

BLAZERS RESERVES
8 Luke Babbitt, F, 6-9, 2nd yr
88 Nicolas Batum, F, 6-8, 4th yr
11 Jamal Crawford, G, 6-5, 12th yr
17 Chris Johnson, C, 6-11, 2nd yr
83 Craig Smith, F, 6-7, 6th yr
4 Nolan Smith, G, 6-2, 1st yr
40 Kurt Thomas, F/C, 6-9, 17th yr
9 Eliot Williams, G, 6-5, 1st

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Trail Blazers: Nate McMillan

INJURIES
Spurs: Manu Ginobili (fractured fifth metacarpal, left hand) and T.J. Ford (torn left hamstring) are out.
Trail Blazers: Greg Oden (left knee) is out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Ginobili, Ford
Trail Blazers: Oden, Armon Johnson

NOTABLE
The Blazers have owned the series of late, winning eight of their past nine vs. the Spurs. The Spurs’ lone win in that stretch was 95-78 on Dec. 12 last season at the ATT Center. … Portland is the only NBA team to win three straight season series against the Spurs. … Spurs have not scored 100 points against the Blazers since Dec. 2, 2007, a streak of 12 games. … Spurs are 7-0 at home for the first time since 2007-08, when they opened with 13 straight wins at the ATT Center.

— Jeff McDonald

Salad days gone, Duncan finds a way to stay young

ORLANDO — Tim Duncan ordered light Tuesday night. He had a Caesar salad.

And that made you sick?

“Bad eggs, bad dressing,” Duncan sighed. “Something bad.”

So Duncan was up most of the night in his Orlando hotel room. “In and out,” he said, when it was mostly out, and he missed the team meeting Wednesday morning.

Gregg Popovich didn’t want him to play against the Magic, and Duncan’s response was to the point.

“He told me to go fish,” Popovich said.

Duncan had worked too hard during the lockout to miss nights such as these. Popovich wasn’t going to keep Duncan from Dwight Howard, nor was a Caesar salad.

And this is how the Spurs won their first road game of the season.

They won it for other reasons, and the schedule was one. The Magic were not only on the third night of three games in a row, but Howard had also put in 39 minutes the night before.

Duncan, thanks to LeBron James, played less than 27 in Miami.

Then there was Tony Parker, coming alive for a burst; a Gary Neal 3-pointer that fell, in part, because one eventually had to; and the Magic’s J.J. Redick being about a second too late in overtime.

But none of it happens if Duncan isn’t cradling the game as lovingly as he does the basketball just before the tip. He spent the summer dropping both his body fat and a few thousand jump shots, and the result was clear Wednesday.

“He was fresh,” Popovich said, when he had expected something else from a sick man. “How he pivoted, and how he started and stopped, and how he moved across the lane, all of that was special. It’s a tribute to what he has done to get ready for this season.”

Duncan isn’t on his farewell tour. Most in the organization think he will try to play two to three more seasons after this one. Parker restated that again Wednesday.

But Duncan is also at a place where he takes nothing for granted. Add Howard to the equation, and a chance for Duncan to test himself yet again, and the night was mandatory.

Asked if he got amped up for Howard, Duncan nodded. “If you don’t,” Duncan said, “you will get destroyed.”

The numbers told of that. While Parker said Duncan “was unbelievable on Dwight,” imagine what Howard would have done without Duncan being unbelievable. Howard finished with 24 points and 25 rebounds.

Still, Howard didn’t score in the fourth quarter. And from the opening play to Redick’s too-late heave, Duncan pitted his knowledge and professionalism against Howard’s freakish physical ability.

They are opposites, both in age and emotions. While Duncan handled his own free agency years ago by privately assessing his options (coincidentally, Orlando was one of his options), Howard has turned his into a show.

Their differences were on the court Wednesday, too. Duncan remained typically stoic, and Howard went from playfully smiling to frustrated. Late in the third quarter, bothered by Duncan and the refs, Howard plowed into Duncan for an offensive foul.

They would trade hips and elbows the rest of the way. And shortly after Popovich ran a play in which Danny Green set up Duncan in the final seconds of regulation, Orlando had 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

Thinking about a lob?

“Yes,” Duncan with a tone that suggested he remembered everything.

In February of 2007 in Orlando, Howard went up over Duncan to take an inbounds pass at the buzzer to dunk and beat the Spurs.

“I told Dwight tonight,” Duncan said with a smile, “that’s not happening again.”

So they went to overtime, contrasts to the end. Duncan tossed in a jumper for the lead, with Popovich leaning with body language on the sideline. Howard followed with a roaring dunk after an offensive rebound.

Popovich called time to draw up Neal’s 3. As Duncan disgustingly went to the bench, a fan yelled what he’s been hearing for a while. “You’re OLD!”

But not too old, not after last summer. Not this night.

bharvey@express-news.net

– Associated Press photos

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Spurs 85, Magic 83 (OT): Jan. 18, 2012

San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan loses his grip on the ball as he is fouled by Orlando Magic’s Von Wafer (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy directs his layers during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. San Antonio won in overtime, 85-83.(AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard (12) goes after a rebound in front of San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. San Antonio won in overtime, 85-83. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic’s J.J. Redick walks off the court after the Magic’s 85-83 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. Redick made a 3-point shot after the final buzzer. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic’s Ryan Anderson, right, makes a shot past San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter, of Brazil, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. San Antonio won in overtime, 85-83.(AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker (9), of France, makes a shot over Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard (12) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. San Antonio won in overtime, 85-83. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

After sinking a 3-point shot in the closing seconds of overtime, San Antonio Spurs’ Gary Neal (14) gets a high-five from teammate Tony Parker (9), of France, in an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. San Antonio won 85-83. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (24) pump-fakes and is fouled by Orlando Magic’s Quentin Richardson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, center, fights for a rebound with San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, left, and DeJuan Blair (45) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) grabs a pass while being guarded by San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yells to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker (9), of France, passes the ball around Orlando Magic’s Ryan Anderson (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22), of Brazil, spins away from Orlando Magic’s Glen Davis (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)