1 of 13 | Share
Spurs 114, Cavaliers 98: April 22, 2012
The Spurs’ Stephen Jackson drives to the basket between Cleveland Cavaliers’ Alonzo Gee (left) and Samardo Samuels during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili looks for room around Cleveland Cavaliers’ Luke Walton during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili shoots between Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson (from left), Anthony Parker, and Kyrie Irving as teammate Tiago Splitter looks on during first half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Stephen Jackson shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers’ Alonzo Gee during first half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Danny Green shoots a free throw after being poked in the eye by Cleveland Cavaliers’ Manny Harris during first half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard goes up for a dunk over Cleveland Cavaliers’ Antawn Jamison during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Boris Diaw shoots around Cleveland Cavaliers’ Omri Casspi during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Tiago Splitter is fouled by Cleveland Cavaliers’ Luke Walton during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Tony Parker (top) checks on teammate Danny Green after he was poked in the eye by Cleveland Cavaliers’ Manny Harris during first half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ DeJuan Blair shoots between Cleveland Cavaliers’ Antawn Jamison (left) and Tristan Thompson during first half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yells instructions to the team against the Cleveland Cavaliers during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Tony Parker pauses during second half action against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
The Spurs’ Tony Parker defends Cleveland Cavaliers’ Manny Harris during second half action Sunday April 22, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 114-98. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)
By Mike Monroe
There was a buzz in the Spurs’ locker room in the final minutes before the team headed out to the ATT Center court to warm up for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Spurs players sat by their lockers and watched videotape of Cleveland’s Friday victory over the Knicks, making mental notes they would apply in rolling to a 114-98 victory that extended their latest win streak to seven games.
Now and again, a player or two wandered into an adjacent room, where the telecast of the Lakers-Thunder game was viewable.
“We were going back and forth to see what was happening,” said guard Manu Ginobili, who scored a team-high 20 points in 22 minutes against the Cavs.
Their coach could scarcely accuse the players of dividing their focus. Gregg Popovich was just as curious about the game in Los Angeles that had significant implications for his team’s quest for the top spot in the Western Conference standings.
“Does anyone have a question,” Popovich asked when there was a lull in his pregame session with reporters about an hour before tipoff. “Because I want to watch the Lakers’ game. I’m scouting.”
By gametime, Popovich knew the Lakers had rallied from 18 down in the second half to beat Oklahoma City, a result nearly as important to the Spurs as their own victory.
With two games remaining, second-place Oklahoma City (46-18) can win no more than 48 games. The Spurs (47-16), who have three games left, own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Thunder. That means one more victory will assure the Spurs of the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the second consecutive season.
They will get first crack at earning the No. 1 position when they play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at the ATT Center.
“We have a great opportunity to clinch it at home,” said Tony Parker, the All-Star point guard and leading scorer who chose to be a facilitator against the Cavaliers, assisting on nine Spurs baskets in a little more than 21 minutes of court time. “We’ll make sure to get some rest tonight. It’s going to be a tough game. Portland always plays us tough.”
Popovich took yet another pregame opportunity to register his anger at his team’s eight-games-in-11-nights closing schedule, calling it “just ridiculous.”
By unofficial count, it was the fifth time in the past week Popovich has termed the cram-packed schedule “ridiculous,” and that is what made Sunday’s outcomes, both in Los Angeles and at the ATT Center, so consequential.
“We have to take advantage of this opportunity,” Parker said. “Then Pop can be super creative in the last two games. I don’t know what he will do, but we’ll see.”
For weeks, Popovich’s focus has been on keeping his team healthy and energized for the playoffs, with veteran players sitting out selectively. On Sunday, it was team captain Tim Duncan’s turn for another rest. Though he dressed for the game, the two-time Most Valuable Player didn’t play a minute.
Beating Portland tonight would afford Popovich the opportunity to rest his most important players without consequence when his club makes its final road trip to Phoenix and Golden State on Wednesday and Thursday.
Might he be tempted to leave Duncan, Parker and Ginobili in San Antonio, as he did when the Spurs played at Utah on April 9?
“No, that’s too much time away,” Parker said. “We’ll all play one of the two. I just don’t know which one.”
Popovich swears his team’s focus won’t be any different tonight than any game this season, no matter what is at stake.
“We just keep our main focus of trying to get better every day, stay healthy, keep our energy and keep our rhythm,” he said. “We’ll be trying to do that (tonight).”
mikemonroe@express-news.net