Tag: Player

Game rewind: Spurs had a lot going right heading into Saturday’s win

Give the Spurs a day of rest, Gregg  Popovich a day of practice and Manu Ginobili a chance to return to the lineup and good results should  be expected.

The Spurs’ 103-89 victory over struggling New Jersey Saturday night wasn’t really much of a surprise.

It continued the Spurs’ strong charge through the Rodeo Road Trip as they stretched their winning streak to seven games.

During victories over Memphis, Philadelphia and New Jersey, the Spurs have been able to stay ahead during most of the games.

Out of possible 144 minutes over the last three games, the Spurs have been behind only 13 minutes, 31 seconds in those games. And most of that time (10:15) came in the Memphis game.

Those leads have enabled the Spurs to control game tempo and play like one of the league’s elite teams.

After the first three games of the road trip, the Spurs have put aside lingering concerns about their ability to play away from the ATT Center.

It’s been a good start after the first three games of the road trip. Here’s how the Spurs claimed their victory Saturday night.

The game, simply stated: With the return of Ginobili energizing them, the Spurs pounced  on the NBA’s worst defensive team and cruised to an easy 103-89 victory over the Nets. 

Where the game was won: Danny Green snapped out of a shooting slump to hit a pair of 3-pointers that started and punctuated a 10-4 run midway through the second quarter. Green’s first shot gave the Spurs a 31-24 lead with 8:25 left in the second quarter and his next one pushed the advantage to 38-28 with 5:41 left. Both came on passes from DeJuan Blair. 

Closing it out: After Deron Williams’ three had pulled the Nets within 62-56 with 5:49 left in the third quarter, the Spurs finished the quarter on a 15-3 spurt that put the game away. The Nets missed their final 10 shots of the quarter and had three turnovers as they failed to score a field  goal during that stretch.

Player of the game I: Gary Neal came off the bench to score 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting including two 3-pointers. Neal hit his first five shots as they did not miss until late  in the third quarter as the biggest catalyst off the Spurs’ bench.

Player of the game II: Tim Duncan filled the score sheet  with an efficient game, logging 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocked shots and a steal in 23:30 of playing time.

Player of the game III: Williams provided most of the Nets’ offense with 27 points and eight assists. But Williams struggled as the game continued, hitting only 5 of 15 shots after the first quarter.

Most unsung: Blair provided his strongest game in several weeks, providing 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Attendance: The Nets mean for Saturday night to be a nod to the Nets’ ABA roots, but the crowd at the Prudential Center didn’t respond very well. It appeared the Spurs had a sizable contingent among the crowd of 15,272 — nearly 3,000 less than the building’s capacity. The struggling Nets have attracted two sellouts all season and none since LeBron James and Miami visited in their third game.

Did you notice I:  Ginobili seemed to be favoring his injured left hand early in the game. That reflexive action will dissipate with the more playing time he receives.

Did you notice II: Spurs television analyst Sean Elliott called Blair him “the dancing bear” because of a couple of agile moves. But when Blair is active and productive in the post, it gives the Spurs’ offense a completely different look.

Stat of the game:  The Spurs hit 52.5 percent from the field. It was their best shooting effort since hitting 54.7 percent in the victory at New Orleans on Jan. 23 and among their five best shooting efforts this season.  

Stat of the game II: San Antonio limited New Jersey to 89 points. It marked the 10th consecutive opponent the Spurs have limited to less than 100 points in regulation. 

Stat of the game III: One of the Nets’ few strengths coming into the game was their perimeter shooting as they ranked 11th in the league in 3-point percentage. But they clanked to a 29.2 percent effort against the Spurs — one of their nine worst 3-point shooting efforts of the season.

Stat of the game IV: The victory was the Spurs’ seventh in a row and is their longest streak since winning eight straight games between Jan. 7-21, 2011.

Stat of the game V: It was the sixth straight loss for New Jersey, which fell to 3-10 at home.

Stat of the game VI: Duncan notched a double-double  in points and rebounds for the fourth straight game. It marked the first time he acheived that feat since the final game of the regular season and first three games of the playoffs against Memphis last season.

Weird stat of the game: The four Williamses on the Nets roster  — Deron, Jordan, Shawne and Shelden — combined to hit 10 for 35 from the field (28.7 percent). The rest of the Nets team went 25 for 52 (48.1 percent).

Weird stat of the game II: The Spurs efficiently picked apart the Nets for 25 assists on their 42 field goals. All but one Spurs player produced at least  one assist as Kawhi Leonard was the only player to miss out.

Weird stat of the game III: Green snapped his field-goal streak at 17 consecutive misses before hitting a 3-pointer with 8:25 left in the second quarter. His last successful field goal before that came in the third quarter of the Spurs’ Feb. 4 victory over Oklahoma City — a span of nearly a week.

Not a good sign: Tony Parker cooled down after his recent blitz to make the All-Star team. He hit 4 of 11 from the field and scored 12 points. His 36.3 percent shooting from the field was one of his six worst shooting efforts of the season and his points ranked among his seven lowest-scoring outings of the season. 

Best plus/minus scores: Parker was plus-15, Green was plus-12, Neal was plus-11 and Tiago Splitter was plus-10.

Worst plus/minus scores: Cory Joseph was minus-4 and James Anderson was minus-1.

Quote of the game: “Conditioning-wise, I’m behind. Basketball-wise, I’m behind. I know the only way to get back is to play,” Ginobili, to reporters about his return to the lineup.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs will take two days off — their second two-day break in less than a week — before a back-to-back Tuesday night in Detroit and Wednesday night in Toronto. They will return home briefly before beginning the Western part of the road trip Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Clippers.  The Nets will have three days off before hosting Memphis on Wednesday and road games Thursday at Indiana and Saturday at Chicago. 

Injuries: T.J. Ford missed his 18th game (Spurs record 13-5) with a torn left hamstring. New Jersey was missing center Mehmet Okur (sore lower back), guard DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee), guard Keith Bogans (fractured left ankle/torn deltoid ligament), guard Damion James (right foot surgery) and center Brook Lopez (broken right foot).

No lull in the action around a Spurs broadcast

Spurs player-turned-TV analyst revealed he sometimes gets “night sweats” after a game when “I think I said something I shouldn’t have said.”

Saturday night, however, he seemed cool as a cucumber; his hands lay casually in his lap as he spun his colorful commentary, bounced ideas off seasoned play-by-play man Bill Land and playfully worked the telestrator – you know, the technology that allows him to draw circles and arrows with his index finger.

By contrast, I must have looked like a frazzled mess sitting next to him, listening through a headset, as the players raced around a few feet in front of me.

Thanks to the , it was one of the most memorable nights of my 29 years as a columnist.

I had been invited to be a fly on the wall, so to speak, during the live production of a game broadcast: first in the TV truck with director ; then in the ATamp;T Center with the broadcasters.

It was crazy exciting and more than a little dizzying as I witnessed the many components that go into delivering the pleasing show you get in your living rooms game after game. On this night – which was broadcast on KENS – was the standout, breaking the franchise’s assists record. Like a sharp detective, Elliott unraveled on the spot the mystery of Parker’s determined “huffing and puffing” around Oklahoma City’s .

“I just figured this all out,” Elliott told TV viewers. “Tony Parker is going after Westbrook tonight. … Westbrook is going to be named to the All-Star team as a reserve. And Tony is trying to prove he belongs there as well.”

During a rare break, Elliott joked that Coach “Pop” “lets me say anything I want … as long as I don’t give away too many secrets.”

He became more serious, however, when recalling a confrontation with the mother of a player on another team. She wasn’t at all happy with candid statements about how raw her son, who was a rookie at the time, was on offense.

“She was very upset,” he said. “They were new to the league, and it was tough to take any constructive criticism. But what I said was the truth.”

Earlier that night, I was privy to a different perspective on the production: from inside the broadcast truck. A wall of TV monitors with different views of the action made my head swim. Some 25 employees – in charge of graphics, audio, replays – buzzed around me. Kickirillo, the Scorsese of the group, was orchestrating what should be added to the game open to make it visually interesting – colorful fans with balloon hats, for instance.

“Kick,” as he’s affectionately known, likes to keep things laid back to set a comfy tone. Since it’s a live broadcast, things sometimes go wrong, and everyone has to react on the fly. One such moment happened when Parker scrambled for the ball and his pants slid down.

“Don’t show his butt,” boomed an order over headphones.

Though the initial shot couldn’t be avoided, Kickirillo explained, “I didn’t want the cameraman to linger. Our job is to make sure everybody is presented in the right way.”

Usually, the culprit is a glitch in technology. When all else fails, the director said, “I’ll just open up Sean’s mike and say: ‘Go.’

“He’s so good. He’s been around these guys, knows the ins and outs, when to be funny, when to be serious. Sean is the guy next door; he’s entertaining, but you feel comfortable around him.”

I certainly did. Moreover, when the Spurs play against Philadelphia on Fox Sports Southwest tonight, I’ll look at the game with much more appreciation.

Sure, Spurs fans are “ravenous,” as Kick put it, which may be the primary reason ratings are so high. (I’m told Saturday’s primetime broadcast drew numbers that more than tripled the second-most-watched show.)

Still, there’s no doubt in my mind – especially now – that the talent, on air and behind the scenes, deserves a huge and hearty hand as well.

 

Jeanne Jakle’s column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in S.A. Life, and she blogs at Jakle’s Jacuzzi on . Email her at .

Game rewind: Just like old times as TD torments Suns

The beat went on again Sunday at the ATT Center as the Spurs picked up another victory.

San Antonio ran its home winning streak starting the season to nine games with a 102-91 victory over Phoenix.

It was like the old games between the two bitter rivals in one sense. Tim Duncan contiunued a career trend as he ripped the Suns’ leaky defense like so many times before.

Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni might be long gone, but Duncan picked up against Marcin Gortat just like the good ol’ days against Planet Orange with 24 points and 11 rebounds in the Spurs’ victory.

Duncan notched his 49th career game against the Suns with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, including playoff games.

Phoenix has been victimized for Duncan’s biggest games more often than any team in those games.

The Lakers are next with 40 of Duncan’s 20-10 games, followed by 39 against Dallas and 28 against Sacramento and Seattle/Oklahoma City.

Here are the highlights of Sunday’s victory for the Spurs. 

Game analysis: The Spurs pounded the ballrelentlessly inside to take early control. The Suns’ weak interior defense didn’t have an answer early as the Spurs rang up 12 of their first 16 points in the paint. DeJuan Blair (10 points in the first quarter) and Duncan (eight points, four rebounds) dominated inside as the Spurs took control and never trailed after the opening 2 1/2 minutes.

Where the game was won: Phoenix closed to 92-87 on  Gortat’s layup with 5:29 left. On the ensuing possession, the Spurs bled the clock before Duncan hit a clutch 15-foot turnaround over Channing Frye as the clock expired. It started San Antonio’s 10-4 spurt to close the game out.

And don’t forget about this, either: Duncan made history with his final basket of the first half. His 18-footer with 1:29 left in the second quarter boosted him past Gary Payton for 26th place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Duncan’s season-high 24-point effort gave him 21,829 points. Next up is Clyde Drexler in 25th place with 22,195 points.

Player of the game I: Duncan was the Spurs’ primary scoring option with 24 points, but he also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and dished off four assists in a vintage all-around performance that was his first 20-10 effort since late last season.  

Player of the game II:  Tony Parker ran the offense efficiently and went for 17 points and nine assists. In his last four games, Parker is averaging 21.8 points and 8.5 assists per game.  

Player of the game III: Gortat was the prime beneficiary of Steve Nash’s return to the Suns’ lineup. Gortat produced season-high totals of 24 points and 15 rebounds coming at the end of a seemingly endless run of pick-and-rolls with Nash.

Most unsung: Matt Bonner had struggled offensively and defensively in a recent slump. He was active and helped the team with a strong all-around game Sunday, hitting for eight points,  five rebounds, three assists and was plus-9.

Did you notice: The Spurs widened their lead in the second quarter when Phoenix hit only 26.1 percent from the field. Other than Gortat, the rest of the Suns’ team clanked through a 2-for-16 shooting effort in the quarter.

Did you notice II: Popovich didn’t hesitate to insert rookie point guard Cory Joseph for playing time early in the fourth quarter. That move effectively bridged the gap until Parker could return. And when Parker was inserted in the lineup, he contributed four points and three assists to help seal the victory.

Stat of the game: Duncan’s throwback scoring and rebounding helped subdue the Suns. Including playoffs, it was his 49th career 20-10 game in 81 career games against Phoenix.

Stat of the game II: After struggling through his worst career start after 10 games, Duncan has picked up his performance in his last four games. During that period, the Spurs’ captain has averaged 17.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot 58 percent from the field.

Stat of the game III: Nash provided 20 points and 10 assists in the Suns’ loss to the Spurs.  Including Sunday’s loss, Nash’s career record against the Spurs including the playoffs is 36-49, a .424 winning percentage.

Weird stat of the game: Richard Jefferson contributed four assists on the Spurs’ first nine baskets. During that same period, Nash had none. Jefferson ended up with five assists — tied for second most in his Spurs’ career.

Quote of the game: “I always think he has ‘it,’ even on the nights he doesn’t have it. I think it’s amazing how he gets all of those rebounds, blocks and he’s just good on defense. He’s always doing a lot of things that probably never show up in the stat sheet,” Jefferson on Duncan’s importance to the team.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs take tomorrow off before a key road back-to-back with games Tuesday at Miami and Wednesday at Orlando before returning home Friday night against Sacramento. The Suns started a five-game, seven-night road trip Sunday while Disney on Ice’s Toy Story 3 takes over the US Airways Center. Their upcoming schedule includes games Tuesday at Chicago, Wednesday at New York, Friday at Boston and Jan. 23 at Dallas. 

Injuries: Manu Ginobili missed his eighth game after undergoing surgery for a fractured fifth left metacarpal.  T.J. Ford missed his third game with a torn left hamstring sustained Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Rookie forward Malcolm Thomas missed the game with gastroenteritis. Guard Gary Neal left the game with 7:39 remaining in the second quarter after suffering a contusion of the right quadriceps. He did not return and his availability for Tuesday’s game in Miami is undetermined. And Bonner left the game after banging knees with Phoenix forward Markieff Morris with 10:07 left in the fourth quarter. Bonner told Mike Monroe his bruised right knee wasn’t serious and he should be available for Tuesday’s game. Nash (right quad contusion) and Grant Hill (right quad tendon strain) both played after missing the Suns’ loss Friday night in New Jersey.