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Young Spurs put away Portland

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

There were times last season when Tiago Splitter might have wanted to leave. Just pack his bags, turn in his passport and return to Spain, where he was an MVP, as opposed to San Antonio, where he was a mess.

Injured for most of his rookie year, and flat out of sync for the rest of it, there were times last season when Splitter wondered what he was doing in the NBA at all.

And he probably wasn’t the only one.

“You start to think you’ve forgotten how to play basketball,” Splitter said.

Game by game in his second NBA season, and most recently in the Spurs’ slump-busting 99-83 victory over Portland on Friday, the game seems to be coming back to Splitter.

Splitter scored nine of his 14 points in the third quarter, his 6-foot-11 frame standing at the heart of a rally that took the Spurs from teetering on the brink of yet another loss to the Trail Blazers to a resounding victory.

With the win, just their second against Portland since Feb. 25 2009, the Spurs ran their home record to 8-0 this season, their best start at the ATT Center since opening 2007-08 with 13 in a row.

“I thought we earned it,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team is 5-2 since Manu Ginobili went down with a broken hand.

The Spurs (8-4) earned it despite a season-high 23 turnovers — including 10 in the first quarter — and 29 points from Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge. They won with a mixture of youth and solid bench play, prerequisites for success in this lockout-compacted season.

Reserve swingman Danny Green had eight of his 13 points in the second quarter to help the Spurs transform a turnover-plagued start into a 50-47 halftime lead. Rookie Kawhi Leonard had nine of his 11 in the fourth to help keep Portland (7-4) at bay.

In between, the Spurs turned to a once-overwhelmed Brazilian to help steady the ship in the third quarter, at precisely the moment it appeared to be sinking.

The Spurs managed just one basket in the first 7:19 of the second half, going 1 for 9 with four turnovers as Portland eked out a 57-52 edge. Splitter broke the scoring drought with a free throw at the 4:50 mark, then — after Tim Duncan rebounded a miss of the second foul shot — found himself posted on the smaller Nicolas Batum.

Recognizing the mismatch, Splitter called for the ball, spun quickly and finished a layup. A bucket-and-a-foul against Gerald Wallace followed, then another free throw.

“It’s just about confidence,” said Splitter,who made all five of his shot attempts Friday.

Somewhere in Splitter’s third quarter, which also included a block of Wallace and a nifty assist to Tony Parker, his teammates began to see a player they’d been longing to meet.

“He reminded me of when he was in Vitoria,” Parker said, referring to the Spanish League club for whom Splitter was MVP in 2009-10.

For Splitter, nights like Friday arrive from a blend of patience and opportunity. Besieged by injury, the former first-round draft pick appeared in just 60 games a rookie.

“He has the exact same skills he had last year,” Popovich said. “He’s just healthy, and he’s playing.”

Even through the struggles, Parker said he never doubted Splitter could be a contributor. He compared Splitter’s learning curve to that of Fabricio Oberto, an afterthought of a rookie in 2005-06 who went on to start for the Spurs’ 2007 title team.

“I knew Tiago was going to play a lot better this year, because he proved it in Europe,” said Parker, who scored 12 of his team-leading 20 points in the fourth. “If he played great in Euroleague, there’s no reason he doesn’t play great here.”

Deep down, Splitter always believed as much. That’s why he never packed his bags. It’s why he kept coming back. On nights like Friday, he’s glad he did.

“It’s all about playing, working hard,” Splitter said. “If you work hard, you know things are going to come. That’s the feeling I’m having now. I’m playing basketball again.”

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Spurs 99, Blazers 83 – Jan. 13, 2012

Spurs’ Danny Green (04) shoots over Portland Trailblazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (02) goes low for a shot against Portland Trailblazers’ LeMarcus Aldridge (12) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Portland Trailblazers’ Gerald Wallace (03) dunks over Spurs’ Tim Duncan in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (02) drives to the basket against Portland Trailblazers’ Marcus Camby (23) in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (24) struggles for a rebound against Portland Trailblazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Danny Green (04) heaves a shot against Portland Trailblazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tony Parker (09) gets his shot tipped by Portland Trailblazers’ Marcus Camby (23) as LeMarcus Aldridge (12) closes ranks in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (right) dives for a loose ball with Portland Trailblazers’ Marcus Camby in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22) goes up for a shot against Portland Trailblazers’ Chris Johnson (17) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Splitter added 14 points off the bench. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (left) dives for a loose ball against Portland Trailblazers’ LeMarcus Aldridge (12) in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tony Parker (09) drives past Portland Trailblazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Parker had a team-high 20 points. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (left) questions a foul during their game against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (left) tries to regain control of the ball against Portland Trailblazers’ Kurt Thomas (40) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ James Anderson (25) dunks over Portland Trailblazers’ Chris Johnson (17) and Luke Babbitt (08) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Gary Neal (14) pushes the ball upcourt against Portland Trailblazers’ Elliot Williams (09) in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Neal had a bandage on his head from an off-court injury. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (02) clears out Portland Trailblazers’ LeMarcus Aldridge after stealing the ball from Aldridge in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (center) greets teammates DeJuan Blair (left) and Danny Green (right) at a timeout in a game against Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs Silverdancers perform during a timeout in a game against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the ATT Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Five quick takes: Why RJ now works better than Howard

Here are five quick thoughts in the wake of the Spurs’ 104-89 victory over Utah Saturday night.

1. Josh Howard was a ballyhooed potential free-agent who thought about coming to San Antonio for a few days before accepting a more lucrative offer from the Jazz. Howard went for 18 points and seven rebounds against the Spurs Saturday night, but at least for this season, Richard Jefferson might be a better fit in the Spurs’ rotation. Jefferson’s institutional knowledge after two seasons makes him more adaptable in the present for Gregg Popovich’s whims. Howard might be more creative, but Jefferson provides what the Spurs need him to do. And he even got into the scoring act with the second unit again Saturday night when he was inserted with them in the second quarter.

2. Maybe it came after exchanging dollars for rubles for a few weeks during the lockout. Or it could have been the frank exit interview he had with Popovich on his way out of San Antonio after last season. But DeJuan Blair appears to be a changed player. His 17 points Saturday against the Jazz finished off his strongest three-game scoring effort of his career. Take away his foul trouble in the opener and he’s been the Spurs’ most consistent player this season. He had a similarly strong start last season before the Whataburgers caught up with him. Now, we’ll see if he can steer clear of those temptations to continue his personal growth this season.

3. Gary Neal is still a week away from getting back into the lineup. It will be interesting to see whose minutes he will impacts when he returns. T.J. Ford has provided a lift with the second unit, but I’m thinking that Neal will see more playing time at point guard than he did last season. And that could affect Ford’s role on the team and perhaps even determine whether Cory Joseph sticks with the squad over the long haul.

4. Popovich steered away from much emotion about his 800th victory. But veteran players like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili were eloquent in their praise for the only NBA head coach they have played for. It’s hard to imagine the three of them not being together.

5. The Jazz looked like a classic NBA team on the back end of a back-to-back with their early struggles Saturday night. They clanked 13 of their first 17 shots and never appeared to be in a groove offensively before the Spurs took control. We’ll see a lot of tired teams that will look like that over the course of the season. Take the Spurs Thursday night in Houston.

Spurs seek more ugly wins during grueling schedule

After the Spurs laid waste to the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, Tim Duncan took the extraordinary step of conducting his post-game media session seated in front of his locker, instead of his customary spot standing in another corner of the room.

In this lockout-compressed season, in which most every night is game night, it seems any amount of wear and tear saved on Duncan’s 35-year-old knees is a worthwhile investment.

“Hopefully, we can get a lot of games like this, so we can rest guys and not wear ourselves out,” Duncan said after the Spurs’ convincing 93-71 victory.

What the Spurs will take in this 66-game sprint of a season are wins — any which way they come.

With star guard Manu Ginobili out for the next six weeks with a fractured shooting hand, and with the schedule starting to stack up on them, the Spurs see no reason to quibble with the scoreboard.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back Thursday, the Spurs missed 52 of 86 shots against Dallas, becoming only the 16th team since 1985 to win a game by at least 22 points while shooting worse than 40 percent.

They did so, in part, because the Mavericks — the oldest team in the NBA — were also playing for the second time in as many nights, and went 27 for 77 from the field, including 1 for 19 from the 3-point arc.

“It doesn’t matter how you win, ugly or pretty, so long as you win,” said guard Gary Neal, providing the mantra for the season.

Not-so-fresh off that not-so-pretty win over Dallas, the Spurs tonight open another back-to-back — at home against Denver, then on to Oklahoma City — sure to test both their physical conditioning and mental toughness.

It will mark the third of 17 back-to-back sets this season. The Spurs will also face a pair of back-to-back-to-backs.

Youthful and nimble and deep, neither the Nuggets nor the Thunder represent the preferred fare for a gassed Spurs team amid a four-games-in-five-nights stretch.

“You’ve just got to dig deep,” said backup point guard T.J. Ford. “This season is going to be about mental toughness, and it’s only going to get tougher.”

Now more than ever, style points are irrelevant. Across the NBA, the art of winning ugly is en vogue.

Of course, the Spurs knew that from the moment the shrinky-dinked schedule was announced in early December, none of them more keenly than Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich.

Both were around in 1999, when the NBA’s last lockout shriveled the season to 50 games. Of course, Duncan was then only 23 years old.

“I was running up and down like a deer,” Duncan said. “I wanted to play every day.”

The Spurs lost just 13 games that season en route to claiming the franchise’s first NBA title, but five of those defeats came after playing the night before. Overall in 1999, the Spurs were 10-5 either on the second night of a back-to-back, or the third night of a back-to-back-to-back.

Popovich came into this season with a plan to play more players and minimize minutes for older veterans. So far, he’s seen no reason to deviate from that prescription.

“You play to win, but you don’t want to drive anybody into the ground,” Popovich said.

For Duncan — the only player older than 31 on the Spurs’ suddenly fresh-faced active roster, now that Ginobili is out — that’s meant playing past the 30-minute mark only once in seven games. In all, 12 Spurs players are averaging double digits in minutes.

“I think everybody is feeling good about that part of it,” Duncan said. “It’s a long season. Pop understands that.”

If it keeps Duncan off his feet, and the ugly wins piling up, the Spurs will take it.

“Every team has to go through those stretches,” Duncan said. “We just have to find a way to fight through them.”