San Antonio Spurs | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Parker leads pounding of Knicks

1 of 27 | Share

Spurs 118, Knicks 105: March 7, 2012

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili keeps the ball away from the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs forward Tim Duncan rebounds the ball under pressure from the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker is fouled by New York Knicks J.R. Smith, left, as Jeremy Lin, and Amar’e Stoudemire look on during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guard Tony Parker beats Knicks guard Jeremy Lin to the basket during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs T.J. Ford lies on the floor during the first half against the New York Knicks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guard Tony Parker drives by the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Surs Tim Duncan stuffed New York Knicks J.R. Smith late in the fourth quarter at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich goes after official James Williams as assistant coaches Don Newman, left and Mike Budenholzer try to keep him away during the second half against the New York Knicks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Popovich was ejected in the process. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guard Tony Parker goes for two as the Knicks’ Steve Novak tries to defend during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard cuts through the defense of the Knicks’ Landry Fields (left) and J.R. Smith during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs center DeJuan Blair grabs the rebound away from Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire (left) and Jeremy Lin during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan shoots over New York Knicks Amar’e Stoudemire and Josh Harrellson during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili puts pressure on the Knicks’ Landry Fields during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich follows official James Williams before he is ejected during the second half against the New York Knicks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. In back is assistant coach Don Newman. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guard Tony Parker looks at the official after he is called for fouling Knicks guard Jeremy Lin during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs forward Tim Duncan (center) keeps DeJuan Blai (left) and the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire away from each other during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs center DeJuan Blair grabs the rebound away from the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire (left) and Jeremy Lin during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard drives through the Knicks’ J.R. Smith during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili runs into the Knicks’ J.R. Smith during the second half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni looks at the scoreboard during the second half against the Spurs at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

SPURS — San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker looks to pass out to the perimeter under pressure from New York Knicks Josh Harrellson and Amar’e Stoudemire during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs Silver Dancers entertain the crowd during the second half against the New York Knicks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Spurs won 118-105. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire (right) passes the ball as the Spurs’ Gary Neal falls on Landry Fields during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs guards Manu Ginobili (left) and T.J. Ford put pressure on Knicks guard Baron Davis during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker and Knicks’ Jeremy Lin get back on the court after a time out during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Tim Duncan drives around the Knicks’ Josh Harrellson during the first half at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker acknowledges the crowd at the end of the first half against the Knicks at the ATT Center, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News (Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News)

By Jeff McDonald

Nearly four weeks ago, on a Friday night, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat in a restaurant in New York City, watching the natives go wild.

A former Harvard economy major named Jeremy Lin was taking apart Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on the television above the bar, setting in motion the international phenomenon that would soon become known as “Linsanity.”

“The whole restaurant just stopped,” Ginobili recalled.

The Spurs’ trio, in town to face New Jersey the next night, took the cue to get moving.

“We paid the check and ran back to the hotel so we could watch the end,” Ginobili said.

By the time the “Linsanity” circus made its only stop at the ATT Center on Wednesday, giving way to the Spurs’ 118-105 victory over Lin’s New York Knicks, regular sanity had been restored.

Parker, who has made one All-Star team but zero Sports Illustrated covers this season, led the way with 32 points. Duncan added 17 points and eight rebounds. Ginobili also chipped in 17 points in his most productive outing since New Year’s Eve.

Together, the Spurs’ Big Apple dinner party staked their team to a lead that got as high as 24 points in the second half, threatening to send New York to its most lopsided defeat since Lin took over as starting point guard Feb. 6.

In the end, a late Knicks rally pushed the final deficit to 13, one closer than in New York’s 102-88 loss at Miami on Feb. 23.

With the victory, the Spurs (26-12) improved to 2-2 on their seven-game homestand.

“I thought we played with a ferocity compared to the first three games after the break,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I thought a lot of minutes in the first three games we looked like we were in cruise control. It’s taken us too long to get that back.”

As if to coax a 48-minute effort out of his team, Popovich got ejected for arguing a foul call with 59.9 seconds left in the third quarter, with the Spurs ahead by 22.

“He was fighting for us out there,” rookie forward Kawhi Leonard said.

The Knicks, meanwhile, didn’t put up much of one.

Lin looked ordinary on his way to 20 points. Carmelo Anthony alternated shooting the Knicks (18-21) both into and out of the game, going 12 of 24 for 27 points. Amare Stoudemire had a quiet 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Playing without starting center Tyson Chandler, out with a sore hamstring, New York didn’t put up much resistance to the Spurs’ cadre of penetrating guards.

Parker and Ginobili scored and dished at will, as the Spurs notched 60 points in the paint and 19 from the foul line. They had seven players in double figures.

“We wanted to make a conscious effort to play better at home,” Parker said.

For Parker, it was his fifth game of 30-plus points since Feb. 4, when he dumped a season-high 42 on Oklahoma City.

That same night at Madison Square Garden, Lin — a second-year point guard who had already been waived twice this season — emerged from the end of New York’s bench to score 25 points in a win over New Jersey. “Linsanity” would soon follow, sparked by his 38-point opus against the Lakers six days later.

“You want to cheer for him,” Parker said. “It’s almost like you want him to make every shot. His story is like a movie.”

At the ATT Center on Wednesday, “Linsanity” came with a dampening dose of “Linreality.”

Lin scored six points in the first half, shooting 3 of 8. He added four assists and three steals, his final box fitting with others since the All-Star break.

Perhaps this is where the Lin story goes from here. He is a good player, but not a transcendent one, a dinner-stopping storyline but not a sustainable one.

“It’s impossible to keep that kind of level for a full season,” Ginobili said. “He’s shown everybody he can play. But you can’t expect him to score 38 or average 27 a game.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter: jmcdonald_SAEN

Atlanta end skid, frustrate Orlando

ATLANTA — It’s safe to say the Orlando Magic were disgusted with their performance Thursday night.

With the All-Star break beginning Friday, the Magic didn’t want their 83-78 loss to the Atlanta Hawks to resonate, so they held a brief players-only meeting in hopes of correcting some bad habits.

“We need to be depending on each other as a team,” forward Ryan Anderson said. “We need to rely on each other, keep each other accountable. We haven’t been playing that great and we’re still third in the East, so we must be doing something right. But it just shows that we could be that much better.”

Josh Smith scored 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to help the Hawks snap a three-game skid with the victory.

J.J. Redick finished with 13 points and Dwight Howard had 12 for the Magic, who had won two straight and six of seven.

“Our energy was bad,” Redick said. “When we play that way, we’re bad. We have to figure out a way to eliminate that.”

Howard, who has been the subject of trade speculation this season, suggested that the Magic aren’t too far from correcting their mistakes.

“You’ve got to stick together and buy into what we’re trying to accomplish and go from there,” Howard said after the meeting that lasted between 8-10 minutes. “My focus is just to keep the guys in the locker room together despite what’s being said on the outside.”

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was more succinct.

“I’ve been saying it to you guys, and I come off as negative all the time — we don’t play hard enough,” Van Gundy said. “We just don’t. We’re not going to be anywhere near contenders in the East unless we’re going to play hard all the time, and we don’t. Simple as that.”

Game rewind: Rare fourth-quarter collapse dooms the Spurs

The Spurs struggled through a fourth-quarter collapse that they haven’t endured very often this season.

Chicago charged back from a deficit to start the fourth quarter to claim a 96-89 victory over the Spurs. It marked only the second time in 19 games the Spurs have squandered a lead starting the fourth quarter and the first time in 11 home games where they lost a game after leading at the fourth-quarter break.

The only other time this season the Spurs had frittered away a game where they led entering the fourth quarter came in a 106-103 loss at Milwaukee on Jan. 10. San Antonio led that game by two points heading into the fourth quarter.

Spurs guard Tony Parker attributed the collapse as much on Spurs mistakes as Chicago’s defense. The Bulls came into the game ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia in points allowed.

“They have a good defense, but I thought we missed a lot of good shots that we usually make,” Parker said. “I know I missed about three teardrops that I usually make and I missed some easy shots. (Spurs captain) Timmy (Duncan), too. They have a good defense, but at the same time we missed a lot of shots we usually make.”

Danny Green was receiving some treatment for an injured shoulder he said he received bumping through some stiff Chicago screens.

“It was a very physical game, a playoff-like atmosphere,” Green said. “There were two good teams competing. They made some big keys down the stretch and hit some big shots. We could have done some things better, but we can’t take anything away from them. They are a great team.”

It was only the Spurs’ second home loss of the season and snapped a modest four-game home winning streak as their longest homestand of the season continues.

There were some positives for Gregg Popovich to take away from the game, but the loss ultimately made for a bitter beginning for the second half of the season.

Here’s how the Bulls did it.

The game, simply stated: Chicago used a typically dominant performance from Derrick Rose and some clutch shooting down the stretch to steal a rare home victory in San Antonio.

Where the game was won: After Gary Neal’s 3-pointer tied the score at 75 with 7:09 remaining, Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau inserted key players Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng into the lineup. Rose responded with a layup to give the Bulls the lead for good at 77-75 and Kyle Korver hit a deep three to give them a five-point cushion.

Making it close: Neal erupted for 13 consecutive points to keep the Spurs in the game. His deep three with 2:09 left pulled San Antonio within 85-82. And another Neal hoop pulled them within 89-86, but Deng’s second 3-pointer gave Chicago a 92-86 lead with 39.6 seconds left to ice the victory.

Early success: The Spurs jumped to an immediate 9-2 lead and were ahead for the entire first quarter as the Bulls missed six of their first seven shots. But Rose emerged to score all 11 first-quarter points in the final eight minutes to pull them within two at the quarter break.

Player of the game I: Rose showed why he was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player last season, ripping through the Spurs for 29 points and four assists.

Player of the game II: After struggling much of the season, Neal produced a season-high 21 points in 24 minutes, including 15 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Spurs in the game.

Player of the game III: It wasn’t the best of starts for Duncan, who missed his first five shots and eight of his first nine until early in the third quarter. But he erupted for 12 points on 6 of 7 shooting in the rest of the third quarter as he produced 18 points and 10 rebounds. And he even had three dunks.

Most unsung: C.J. Watson came off the Chicago bench to blister the Spurs for 10 points in seven-plus minutes in the second quarter, boosting the Bulls into a halftime lead.

Attendance: Not surprisingly after the strong Rodeo Road Trip, the Spurs attracted a sellout crowd of 18,581. It was their ninth sellout in 15 home games this season, including six in their last eight home games.

Did you notice I: For those watching on ESPN’s broadcast at home, analyst Jeff Van Gundy wanted no part of interviewing Gregg Popovich at the end of the third quarter. Instead, he deferred to play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman, whose absence made Van Gundy provide his own call of the first several seconds of game action when Shulman was slow to return for the start of the quarter.

Did you notice II: The Spurs picked up a rare delay of game technical foul with 5:32 left in the first quarter when game officials ruled that Neal was buzzed into the game when he was sitting and tying his shoes before entering the game. The basketball gods apparently intervened on the unusual call when Rip Hamilton missed the enusing technical foul shot.

Did you notice III: Maybe it was my imagination, but it appeared that the Bulls had more fans in the building than most rival teams. It’s safe to say that the Bulls might have the third largest contingent of fans in San Antonio besides those of the Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.

Stat of the game I: Chicago took advantage in their fourth-quarter comeback, hitting 66.7 percent from the field after earlier shooting 35.7 percent through three quarters.

Stat of the game II: Duncan’s 18 points and 10 rebounds gave him his seventh double-double in his last 10 games. In his first 23 games of the season, Duncan produced five double-doubles.

Stat of the game III: The Spurs’ loss cooled off a recent surge where they had won 12 of their last 13 games before Wednesday.

Stat of the game IV: Rose continued his blistering recent pace against the Spurs. In his last four games, Rose has averaged 32.8 points per game against the Spurs. In his first three career games against San Antonio, Rose averaged 11.7 points per game.

Stat of the game V: The Spurs’ eight-point halftime deficit marked the third time in the last four home games the Spurs have trailed at the half. And the size of the margin was tied for their second-largest home halftime deficit. San Antonio trailed by 13 points at home against Houston on Feb. 1.

Weird stat of the night: Wednesday’s loss marked the first time since the Spurs have ever lost their first home game back after the Rodeo Road Trip ended. Before Wednesday, San Antonio was 8-0 in first games back after the Rodeo Road Trip.

Weird stat of the night II: Parker struggled through a rare recent offensive clunker with 11 points. It was his fewest since scoring five points at Memphis on Jan. 30 and tied for his fourth-lowest scoring effort of the season.

Not a good sign: The Spurs fourth-quarter defensive collapse was the most troubling sign. But the Spurs got to the foul line only 12 times — second-lowest total of the season. Their only previous time with fewer foul shots came Jan. 27 in a loss at Minnesota.

Best plus/minus scores: Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair were plus-5, Green was plus-4 and Parker was plus-3.

Worst plus/minus scores: Matt Bonner was minus-16, Neal was minus-14 and James Anderson was minus-13.

Quote of the game: “There were a couple of contested floaters that went in for me. Those don’t go in for me, I’m 5 for 15 instead of 9 for 15 and I’m not doing this interview,” Neal on his big scoring game that was boosted by several big shots with defenders in his face.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs’ homestand continues with games Friday against Charlotte, Sunday against Denver and March 7 against New York. The Bulls travel to Cleveland Friday night and Philadelphia on Sunday before returning home Monday against Indiana.

Injuries: Manu Ginobili (strained left oblique muscle) missed his fourth game (Spurs 2-2) since he was injured Feb. 18 at the Los Angeles Clippers. Kawhi Leonard missed the game with tightness in his calves. Rose and Parker knocked knees midway through the first quarter but both remained in the game.