Category: In the News

Game rewind: Manu demands back-to-back action and thrives because of it

Manu Ginobili was ready and determined to play Wednesday night.

Recent reports that Ginobili’s action in back-to-back games would be limited proved to be a little premature as he rehabilitates from a recent hip flexor.

Ginobili told FOX Sports Southwest after the Spurs’ 117-112 victory over Sacramento that he wanted to play against the Kings.

It led Ginobili to tell Spurs coach Gregg Popovich he wanted to test himself in a back-to-back game for the first time this season. Coming off the bench, Ginobili responded with a team-high 20 points.

“I asked him to play this back-to-back because I was starting to feel good and I need to play,” Ginobili said. “I’m starting to feel better and I wanted to be with the guys and play.”

The Spurs still have a tough 17-game schedule looming over the remaining 29 days of the season. Ginobili doesn’t promise to play in all of them. But at least on Wednesday, he wanted to be in the lineup.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to play whenever we play that back-to-back-to-back, because that’s too much and kind of risky and we’re doing pretty well,” Ginobili said. “But I asked today to play because I was ready.”

The Spurs’ deep bench will enable Popovich to bring Ginobili along as he wants.

But after Wednesday night, Ginobili had cleared one remaining hurdle.

Here’s a detailed look at the Spurs’ sixth straight victory of the season — made even more impressive because they have been played over the last eight nights.

The game, simply stated: Even with some defensive ruts along the way, the Spurs employed sizzling shooting down the stretch to complete a wire-to-wire victory that was their fifth victory in six nights.

Where the game was won: After Isaiah Thomas’ 3-pointer pulled the Kings within 93-92 with 7:06 left, the Spurs put the game away with a 10-4 run that included Tony Parker’s driving layup, two baskets from Tim Duncan and hoops from Stephen Jackson and Kawhi Leonard. The rookie’s 7-foot running jumper with 3:48 gave the Spurs a 103-96 advantage with 3:48 left.

A little too close for comfort?: Two foul shots by Jason Thompson pulled the Kings within 103-98 with 3:04 left. But a long jumper by Jackson and a 3-pointer by Parker — both coming on assists from Duncan — iced the victory.

Close but never ahead: Sacramento cut the Spurs lead to one point on seven occasions in the third quarter and nine times in the second half, but never tied the game or went ahead.

Player of the game I: Ginobili came off the bench to score 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field, three 3-pointers and five assists.

Player of the game II: Leonard played with a confidence that belied his rookie season. He scored 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting, three 3-pointers, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Player of the game III: Thomas erupted for a career-high 28 points, along with four rebounds and a team-high 10 assists.

Most unsung: This is the first time all season that Tony Parker has earned this mention. He produced only 10 points, more than nine below his season average. But he also provided seven rebounds,  seven assists and two steals. .

Attendance: The days when Phil Jackson complained about the Arco Arena as the NBA’s noisiest facility are a long time removed. The Kings have some exciting young players and a new arena on the horizon. But they still drew a crowd of just 13,119 for the Spurs — more than 4,000 below the building’s capacity. Sacramento has attracted four sellout crowds this season, but two came for their first two home games of the season.

Did you notice I: Popovich was like a kid with a new toy as he tweaked his rotation. He had already employed 11 players before the end of the first quarter.  And nine of them scored.

Did you notice II: The Spurs continued to pound the ball inside as they have throughout the recent winning streak. In the second half, San Antonio had 22 two-point baskets, with 17 hoops coming on points in the paint.

Stat of the game I:The Spurs claimed their sixth straight victory and their 13th road game in their last 15. Before that stretch, the Spurs had lost eight of their first 10 road games of the season.

Stat of the game II: San Antonio’s winning streak is the longest current streak in the league and their 9-1 record in the last 10 games is the best in the league.

Stat of the game III: The San Antonio bench was its most dominant element as the Spurs’ substitutes outscored Sacramento’s non-starters, 55-20.

Stat of the game IV: After struggling the several games, the Spurs’ perimeter game returned with 10 3-pointers in 20 attempts for 50 percent. It was their most 3-pointers since hitting 11 in Dallas on March 17 — a stretch of six games. The Spurs shot at 50 percent for the first time since beating Orlando on March 14 — an eight-game stretch.

Stat of the game V: Parker notched his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 assists. It was his fourth double-double in his last eight games.

Stat of the game VI: The Spurs claimed their seventh straight victory in Sacramento and their 13th triumph in their last 14 games  against the Kings.

Stat of the game VII: Dominating inside, the Spurs racked up 60 points in the paint, marking the eighth straight game they have reached at least 50 paint points and 10th in their last 12 games. They have reached 60 points in four games this season, including three times in their last 12 games.

Stat of the game VIII: The Spurs set a season record by hitting 67.5 percent from the field (27 of 40). They also achieved a feat  by hitting 65 percent from the field in the third quarter and 70 percent in the fourth. It was the only time this season the Spurs shot at least 60 percent in the third and fourth quarters of the same game.

Weird stat of the night I: The Spurs had only two players with more than 30 minutes —  Leonard (33:12) and Parker (31:21). 

Weird stat of the night II: Parker matched his season high with seven rebounds and also led the team with seven defensive  rebounds. Leonard and Duncan were next with five defensive rebounds apiece.

Weird stat of the night III: The Spurs shot 70 percent in the third quarter and were still outscored by Sacramento, 29-28.

Weird stat of the night IV: Matt Bonner logged 23 seconds of playing time at the end of the first quarter for his only game action. It was his shortest playing stint since logging seven seconds against Phoenix on Feb. 28, 2010.

Weird stat of the night V: The Spurs improved their shooting in each quarter in Wednesday’s game, hitting 40.7 percent in the first quarter, 45.8 percent in the second quarter, 65 percent in the third quarter and 70 percent in the fourth quarter. It’s the second time they have accomplished that feat this season after also doing it against Atlanta on Jan. 25.

Weird stat of the night VI: The Spurs never trailed for  their eighth wire-to-wire victory this season.

Not a good sign: The Spurs permitted  Sacramento to hit 54.7 percent from the field. It was the highest opponent field-goal percentage since Portland hit 59.3 percent in its blowout victory over the Spurs on Feb. 21. The Spurs allowed opponents to shoot 50 percent or better in five of their first 10 games and eight of their first 18 games. Since then, opponents have reached 50 percent or better in only five of their last 31 games.

Best plus/minus scores: Leonard, Duncan and Parker shared the team lead, all at plus-14. Stephen Jackson was at plus-8.

Worst plus/minus scores: Tiago Splitter was minus-9, Neal was minus-6 and James Anderson was minus-5.

Quote of the game: “They play like a championship team. They play together and they look like they love playing together. That’s  a team we need to look up to because they are very solid in every area,” Sacramento rookie guard Isaiah Thomas, to the Associated Press about his respect for the Spurs.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs stayed in Sacramento Wednesday night and won’t play again until Saturday night at home against Indiana. They then will have a back-to-back Tuesday night in Cleveland and Wednesday night in Boston. Sacramento travels to Utah for a Friday game before home games Saturday against New Jersey and Monday against Minnesota.

Injuries: The Spurs had a complete roster with no injuries for the first time since the trade deadline and utilized 13 players. Sacramento was missing G John Salmons (sore right hip). G Marcus Thornton hit his head on the floor during a wild scramble at the end of the third  uarter. He was tested for a concussion, but returned to play 7:19 in the fourth quarter.


Green, Spurs put Cavaliers to the sword

By Mike Monroe

CLEVELAND — Getting cut by the Cleveland Cavaliers three weeks into training camp before the 2010-11 season came as no great surprise to Danny Green, who started his 23rd game for the Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday and scored 19 points in their eighth straight victory, 125-90, over the undermanned and overmatched Cavs.

In 2009-10, Green played only 20 games as a rookie who had made Cleveland’s roster as a second-round pick. At camp with a non-guaranteed contract the next fall, he’d seen minimal playing time in exhibition games. The 6-foot-7 swingman could read between the lines in the sports section.

On Oct. 19, 2010, his name went on the waiver wire.

It was what happened in the days and weeks that followed that tested Green’s nerve.

“As weeks went by, I didn’t know what was going on,” he recalled after his 16 first-half points staked the Spurs to a comfortable lead that eventually grew to their largest margin of victory all season. “You talk to your agent, wait for phone calls, work out at home and wait.

“I had a lot of fun my first year (in Cleveland). It was a good organization, and I had a lot of great teammates. I didn’t think I would be out of the league so long and struggling to find another place to call home.”

San Antonio has been Green’s basketball home since last March 16, when he signed with the Spurs for the remainder of the 2010-11 season.

Tuesday’s game was his first in Cleveland since his rookie season, and he gave those among the announced crowd of 14,759 who remembered him reason to wonder why the Cavaliers let him go.

Making 6 of 9 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, he sparked a 60-point surge in the first half that sapped the will from the Cavs so thoroughly that coach Byron Scott accused them afterwards of failing to compete.

Green also did the bulk of the defensive work on Cavaliers rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, the likely Rookie of the Year, helping to limit him to 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

“Defensively, Danny’s been really solid,” Spurs captain Tim Duncan said. “He’s actually done a lot more than we thought he could do. He’s guarding a lot of different positions. He’s got some great hands. He’s been a great surprise for us.”

That left All-Star point guard Tony Parker guarding Anthony Parker, a pairing sure to confuse those listening on the radio, but intended to limit the wear and tear on Tony Parker’s legs.

“T.P. has done a pretty good job for us this year, and sometimes he’s going to need a little break,” Green said. “We can’t have him running around on offense and doing the same thing on defense chasing those really fast guards.

“He needs somebody to help him out a little bit, somebody younger. I volunteer sometimes. Hopefully, I can be effective and get some stops.”

Parker, who matched Green’s 19 points, played only 22 minutes and 40 seconds as coach Gregg Popovich used every player on his bench. No starter played more than Green’s 25:49.

Patty Mills scored 20 points in his third appearance for the Spurs, making 4 of 5 on 3-pointers.

Duncan, who took only six shots in his 23:25, called the game a perfect setup for tonight’s game in Boston against the Celtics, who have won five in a row.

“It’s good to have games like this for a number of reasons,” he said. “We got a lot of guys in there playing good amounts of time, getting guys comfortable with what we’re doing. We get to spread it out, and we’re on a back-to-back, so we got a little rest for the second game.

“Perfect scenario? Pretty close.”

The Spurs (37-14) now own two of the three longest win streaks of the season. Their 11-game roll from Jan. 30 to Feb. 21 is the league’s longest.

mikemonroe@express-news.net
Twitter: @Monroe_SA

What the Spurs, T’wolves said after Wednesday’s game

The Spurs and Timberwolves were talkative in the locker rooms after San Antonio’s 116-100 victory Wednesdaynight.

The good folks from the Spurs media services office were there to collect some of what they said.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

(Any word on Tony Parker?)

“I think they said mild hamstring, so we won’t know much until tomorrow.”

(How did you feel like Gary Neal did filling in the second half?)

“Gary did a great job for a two guard.  He did a great job.  He’s not a one (guard), but I think he kind of likes it for some strange reason.  We are happy that he can do what he does at that position and Manu does it a little bit, so the two of them kind of share it.”

(Talk about Tim Duncan setting the tone early on the boards…)

“Tim’s been really fresh all year long.  I’m really enthused about his health and his body…the way he’s taking care of himself.  He’s got quickness and he’s got more agility than he’s had in a while.  He’s had it for the whole season, so it’s been fun to watch.”

(Is that as good of a job as you’ve done keeping Kevin Love from dominating?)

“I think so. I thought the guys were really focused on that and at the same time, I think he helped us out.  I think he was hurting a little bit.  I don’t know what it was but I think it’s his back or something.  He looked like he was a little stiff tonight, so he helped us out too.”

(How do you think Kawhi Leonard did against him in the post?)

“He and Jack kind of shared it down there.  I think they busted their butts trying to keep him from catching it, so he definitely had fewer catches than he would have had if we had just had a big standing behind him someplace.  So, they did a good job.”

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili:

(On filling in for Tony Parker after leaving with an injury…)

“We have been doing this for short periods of time. The mindset was the same. We tried to get everybody involved and create. This did not change much. You know your role and it is just different. I think we did pretty well.”

 (On Parker’s injury with back-to-back-to-back game coming up…)

“It is very bad. Everybody knows how important Tony Parker has been for us right now. It is going to be difficult. We need to figure out. Great teams figure it out. Whether you are missing a player or not you have to find a way.”

(On his minutes and play…)

“Today I felt pretty good. The best I have felt. I was very happy about it. I played 25 minutes. I know I did not play 35 but I felt good and my legs are starting to respond better. They are not cramping or hurting now. I have to see tomorrow how I feel, but I am optimistic because it is the best I have felt.”

Spurs forward Stephen Jackson:

(On first game back in this arena…)

“We won. That’s what I am all about. I am glad to be here on a team that wins. It feels good to finally get back on the court and get this first home game out of the way. I did not have too many jitters because I have been doing this for a long time. To be able to get out there and win this game is great.”

(On shooting his 3-point shots)

“A lot of those shots just came through the offense and gave me wide-open looks. We practice this everyday and these are the shots we are going to get with this offense. We just need to knock them down.”

(On how it was playing with Tim Duncan again…)

“This is the Tim I have always known. He is moving great. From watching him last year to now, he definitely looks like the old Tim Duncan. To get where we want to be, we are going to need him to play like that.”

(On Tony Parker coming out in the second quarter…)

“Things are going to be difficult for us playing without Tony. We are in a good position with Ginobili being able to play point and move the ball. We just have to figure it out. We did not expect for this to happen but Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili are picking up the slack.”

Timberwolves center Kevin Love:

(Do you feel like the Spurs were making a big effort to keep you off the glass?)

“Yeah, as a group. They did a good job on the offensive boards. They had three days of rest and we just seemed to not have any legs, me included.”

(Did they seem like a different team since the last time you both played each other?)

“Yes, they are in playoff mode. You can tell and they’re ready for the post-season.”

(Is there a fatigue factor?)

“Yeah, we need a full roster if we’re going to win against teams like this. It’s tough. I know it wasn’t just me. It was the whole team. We just didn’t have our legs.”

 (How much does Nikola Pekovic not playing effect the team?)

“(Pekovic) is huge for us. He’s the guy we can throw it into and know we can get easy buckets and keep the other team off the glass. It was tough for us.”

Timberwolves guard Jose Barea:

(What does a team like this learn from a game like this tonight?)

“We played against a tough team tonight. They are playing really good. You have to give San Antonio a lot credit. We didn’t come ready. We started bad and we started the second half bad. They played with more energy and it’s tough without a center. We have to definitely play with some more energy on Friday and see what happens.”

(On playing without Nikola Pekovic Friday?)

“We have done a good job of bouncing back this year. I know we’re going to play a lot harder on Friday and with more energy. We definitely have to defend better.”

(What makes Tim Duncan so impressive for so long?)

“He’s just so smart. I think his coach (Popovich) helps him out a lot. I think their system and they way they have been running it for years shows they’re good at it.”