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Duncan, Parker boost Spurs over Hornets

By Jeff McDonald

NEW ORLEANS — Tim Duncan paused before leaving the court at New Orleans Arena, waiting a beat to savor the incredible thing that had just transpired in the Spurs’ 104-102 victory over the Hornets.

For starters, he was actually on the floor in the fourth quarter.

“It was nice to be on the floor, it was nice to make some shots,” Duncan said. “It was nice to get a win on the road. All in all, a nice night.”

Duncan made sure of that, throwing in a running hook shot over Emeka Okafor with 1.4 seconds to go for the winning basket Monday, as the Spurs escaped New Orleans with their second road win of the season.

He finished with 28 points for his highest-scoring night in more than a year, while Tony Parker passed out a career-best 17 assists to go with 20 points.

Together, with Manu Ginobili still out, the Spurs’ two remaining upright All-Stars helped them avoid a three-game losing streak.

“It feels great,” said Parker, whose sore back surely did not. “Your whole body hurts more when you lose. It feels OK when you win.”

Jarrett Jack had 26 points to lead New Orleans, which dropped its eighth in a row to fall to 3-14, while Carl Landry and Trevor Ariza chipped in 18 apiece.

The Hornets had no answer for Duncan, the Spurs’ 35-year-old power forward, and Parker, the Spurs’ 29-year-old point guard with a bad back.

Fighting off inflammation in his lower back that began in Milwaukee nearly two weeks ago, Parker picked apart New Orleans.

By halftime, he already had 11 assists. It would have been a season high if not for the 13 he had dished out in Houston two nights earlier.

His takeaway?

“You can dominate a game another way,” said Parker, whose team improved to 11-7.

For Duncan, just getting on the floor in crunch time felt like an accomplishment.

After sitting all but 5.5 seconds of the fourth quarter in a loss to Sacramento, and all of the Spurs’ loss at Houston, Duncan joked he spent the stretch run worried that Gregg Popovich would pull him.

Hoping to keep Duncan as fresh as possible for as long as possible in this lockout-compacted season, Popovich has devised a plan to prohibit him from ever playing four games in five nights again.

It is a plan sure to be met with disgust from Duncan.

“That’s just the player in me,” Duncan said. “You’re a competitor. You want to be out there every night. You want to be with your team. You don’t want to leave your team hanging.”

Popovich, however, sees value in taking a strategic loss, as he did in Houston.

Asked if he thought resting Duncan in Houston had paved the way for his big performance in New Orleans, Popovich started with a joke.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m just a friggin’ genius.”

Then, he answered — more seriously — with a question of his own.

“Do you think he’d have been that way if we’d played him in Houston?” Popovich asked.

On the floor against the Hornets, Duncan gave his answer. Playing on two days’ rest for the first time this season, he made 11 of 19 shots and scored his most points since a Dec. 16, 2010, win in Denver.

When the game hung in the balance late, tied at 102 after Landry had tipped in a rare Jack miss, Popovich drew up a play for Duncan.

Okafor defended it well, forcing Duncan to try a one-handed 13-footer.

“A mix of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” Parker said.

“And part quarterback throw,” Duncan retorted. “I think I side-armed it a bit.”

Duncan admitted his game-winner came with a little luck.

“I couldn’t do it again if I tried,” he said.

Back on the floor in crunch time Monday, Duncan at last got a chance to try when it counted.

“It went in that one time,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

– Associated Press photos

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Spurs 104, Hornets 102: Jan. 23, 2012

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) shoots over New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor for the go-ahead shot with 1.4 seconds left in an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson (24) hugs center Tim Duncan (21) after Duncan’s go-ahead shot with 1.4 seconds left in an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson (24) shoots over New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets guard Marco Belinelli (8), of Italy, shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter and guard Gary Neal (14) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talks with center Tiago Splitter (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza (1), center tries to drive to the basket between San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan, right, and forward Richard Jefferson (24) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) shoots over New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor (50) and guard Jarrett Jack in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22) drives to the basket past New Orleans Hornets center Chris Kaman (35) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor, right, blocks a shot by San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22) dunks over New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza (1) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets forward Carl Landry (24) shoots a desperation 3-point shot that did not go in as the clock expired, as San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22) defends during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams talks to forward Trevor Ariza (1) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talks to point guard Tony Parker (9) and guard Daniel Green (4) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza (1) shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

New Orleans Hornets guard Jarrett Jack (2) shoots around San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The Spurs won 104-102. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan, right, and New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor watch the ball after a pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP)

Popovich: No practices hurts

MILWAUKEE — Ask Spurs coach Gregg Popovich if he recalls the last time he was able to schedule a full practice, and it’s like asking him to calculate the square root of 1,247,211 in his head.

He racks his brain for a second before giving up.

“I do not,” Popovich said.

One of the many side effects of the post-lockout NBA schedule is a nearly complete lack of practice time. With games scheduled almost every day, coaches tend to choose rest over a morning in the practice gym.

The Spurs have not had a full practice session since the start of the regular season. Popovich might not be able to squeeze one in until after a Feb. 8 game at Philadelphia, after which the Spurs finally enjoy back-to-back days without a game for the first time this season.

“All year long, all of us are going to have to figure out ways to review things and go over things — the mental rehearsal part — without practices,” Popovich said. “It ends up being shootaround time and film time. It’s difficult for everyone.”

The Spurs remained in Oklahoma City after Sunday’s game, but did not practice. Tonight’s game at Milwaukee will be their fifth in seven days.

For a team like the Spurs, who feature only two new rotation players — rookie forward Kawhi Leonard and backup point guard T.J. Ford — the lack of practice time isn’t as big of a problem.

For teams with new coaches and new players, no time to practice can be especially detrimental. It’s a sure reason quality of play seems down across the league.

“I think the whole product will be better in about another month or so,” Popovich said. “You see a lot of games now where you want to cover your eyes.”

Spurs players certainly aren’t bemoaning the lack of practice time, even if they understand their head coach might feel differently.

“Every player probably prefers to play the game,” guard Gary Neal said. “If you ask Coach Pop, I’m sure he’d rather have time to practice.”

Neal shaping up: When Popovich inserted Neal to play point guard late in Sunday’s lopsided loss at Oklahoma City, it was with a distinct purpose in mind. It beat having Neal run conditioning sprints after the game.

“We put him back in so he could get his butt in shape,” Popovich said.

Neal missed all but the first day of training camp after having an appendectomy and has played in just four games since his return. He started the past three in place of injured All-Star Manu Ginobili.

After logging a season-high 28 minutes against the Thunder, and scoring a season-high 18 points, Neal said he’s not quite back to normal, conditioning-wise.

“If I compare it to last year, there were times I was able to pressure the ball full-court and still make shots,” Neal said. “I don’t think I’m there yet.”

Popovich would like Neal, a first-team All-Rookie selection last season, to play a larger role with Ginobili out for at least the next five weeks with a broken hand.

“With Manu out, he’s got to get in shape for us,” Popovich said. “It will take some time.”

Spurs roadkill again in OKC

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Spurs knew, as every team in the NBA knows, there would be nights like this.

There would be times, during this cruel and unusual schedule that borders on a violation of the Eighth Amendment, when their legs wouldn’t be there, their lungs would be burning, and their gas tank would be empty.

That doesn’t mean they have to like it.

“You definitely don’t concede anything,” guard Gary Neal said Sunday after Oklahoma City walloped the Spurs 108-96. “We came here to win. It just got away from us.”

True, the Spurs were playing their fourth game in five nights, with the promise of another back-to-back coming around the bend.

But they knew better than to overplay the exhausted card. Not on this night. Not with Oklahoma City on the floor for the third night in a row and yet still summoning the energy to run the Spurs out of Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Kevin Durant had an efficient 21 points and 10 rebounds, while James Harden added 20 points to spearhead a relentless Oklahoma City bench attack, as the Thunder became the first team this season to sweep a back-to-back-to-back.

Teams are now 6-0 on the third night in such a scenario, but before Sunday — when Oklahoma City followed two victories over Houston by thumping the Spurs — no team had claimed the trifecta.

“I thought we had good energy,” said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks, whose team snapped a six-game losing streak to the Spurs. “The defense was really good, the offense was really good, and we were getting out in transition.”

The Spurs arrived in the Sooner State playing with house money. They had won three in a row since losing star guard Manu Ginobili to a broken hand, including back-to-back home wins over a pair of Western Conference playoff teams, Dallas and Denver.

They leave Oklahoma City for Tuesday’s game at Milwaukee still winless on the road, dropping three away games by an average of 12 points.

Though the Spurs (6-3) played hard, and at times a little chippy, it became clear early in the second half that Sunday wasn’t going to be their night.

A 25-8 third-quarter run from the Thunder, highlighted by a run-and-gun lob from Durant to Russell Westbrook, pushed what had been a six-point Oklahoma City lead at halftime as high as 25.

The Thunder (8-2) outscored the Spurs 37-21 in the third and carried an 81-69 lead into the fourth.

“They kicked our butts in the third quarter,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who sat all his starters except Neal in the fourth.

Unlike during the Spurs’ three-game, Ginobili-less winning streak, their bench didn’t provide much meaningful help Sunday.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double, while Tiago Splitter added 10 points.

Fresh off a breakout 24-point game against Denver, reserve guard Danny Green finished with six points, going scoreless until he made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes.

Boosted by 14 first-half points from Harden, and an unexpected contribution from Nick Collison (12 points, 10 rebounds, two dunks), the Thunder bench kept the Spurs at bay until the third-quarter eruption.

“They made shots, and we didn’t,” said point guard Tony Parker, who scored four points on 1-of-8 shooting before leaving the game with a bruised leg early in the third.

“In the NBA, especially against a team like that, it can go fast.”

All in all, it was a forgettable night for the Spurs, but therein lies the beauty of a lockout-compressed season.

With another back-to-back coming around the corner, beginning Tuesday in Milwaukee, Sunday will be easy for the Spurs to forget.

“They come so fast, you can’t worry about this one,” Parker said. “You give them credit and move on to the next game.”