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Spurs’ blowout loss blemish in big picture

By Mike Monroe

DENVER — The first half of the don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it Spurs season ended with a calculated thud in Portland on Tuesday night.

The outcome of the 33rd game of the 66-game post-lockout season was a 40-point loss that will skew some of Gregg Popovich’s favorite statistical benchmarks: opponent points allowed and opponent field-goal percentage.

The Trail Blazers’ 137 points and 59.3 percent shooting were season highs for a Spurs opponent.

Count on the Spurs’ coach to use those defensive efficiency measures as a prod when he needs a motivational tool.

Loss aside, it was rest for his top two scorers one night after claiming the team’s seventh victory of the nine-game rodeo road trip that mattered to Popovich — not extending an NBA season-best 11-game win streak heading into tonight’s game in Denver.

There was little expectation the Spurs would win a road game against the Blazers without five members of Popovich’s preferred playing rotation: team captain Tim Duncan, All-Star point guard Tony Parker, star shooting guard Manu Ginobili, backup point guard T.J. Ford and backup center Tiago Splitter.

Even after ending the first half of the regular season with such a lopsided loss, Popovich knows his team has exceeded every expectation anyone had for it, including its ability to thrive after Ginobili broke his left hand in just the fifth game of the season.

Getting to the midway mark with a 23-10 record that leads the Southwest Division and is second-best in the Western Conference surprised even him.

“They’ve exceeded expectations, without a doubt,” Popovich said.

There are many explanations for such overachievement, and Popovich went down the list one by one:

?“We’ve had some people who have had some of their best years, like Matt Bonner. I think this is his best all-around season so far.

?“Tiago Splitter has given us what we thought he would give us when we brought him over (from the Spanish ACB League), so that’s been a good addition.

?“The young guys like Gary Neal, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard have all done a good job and exceeded expectations we had for them considering what kind of a season this is and how short training camp was. So you have to be pleased with what they’ve done.

?“Duncan has played at such a high level, I thought he should have made the All-Star team again.”

?“And, obviously, Tony Parker has played at a very high level. It may be his very highest level ever, because he’s not just scoring; he’s assisting, he’s playing defense and he’s leading.

Duncan and Parker will be back in the starting lineup against a Nuggets team that had to play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. The Nuggets’ charter flight wasn’t scheduled to land in Denver until after 3 a.m.

Popovich wants his players to maintain the unified play that made the first 33 games such a surprising success and re-establish their competitive edge.

“The group has played unselfishly, really played solid basketball, night in and night out and showed some mental toughness,” he said. “Hopefully, we don’t lose that edge during the All-Star break.”

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Gasol’s big game, late block boosts him to top of Thursday’s S&Ds

Pau Gasol missed out on an All-Star Game selection Thursday for the first time in three seasons.

He didn’t let that momentary disappointment affect his playing later that evening.

Gasol provided 25 points and 14 rebounds and delivered a game-saving block at the overtime buzzer that sealed the Los Angeles Lakers’ 88-87 victory at Boston.

His block of Ray Allen’s shot at the buzzer enabled the Lakers to escape with a victory, only their second win in the last eight road games.

“I’ve been in situations before in my career where you freeze … catch yourself looking at the ball and end up losing the game,” Gasol told the Asssociated Press.

Allen said he was stunned that Gasol was in position for his late play.

“I was in the perfect position,” Allen told the AP, “and he came out of nowhere.”

Lakers coach Mike Brown was just happy that Gasol was in place when he needed him.

“That shot that Ray Allen took was good, in my opinion,” Brown told the AP. “But Pau did not stop playing until he heard the horn, and he came up with the big block.”

That clutch play enabled him to lead Thursday’s Studs and Duds of the top players across the association.

STUDS

Los Angeles Lakers F Pau Gasol: Notched 25 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the Lakers’ overtime victory at Boston. Gasol’s key block at the end of overtime preserved the triumph.

Golden State G Stephen Curry: Erupted for 36 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and was plus-15 in the Warriors’ victory at Denver.

Los Angeles Lakers G Kobe Bryant: Went for 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and was plus-2 in the Lakers’ victory at Boston.

Sacramento G Tyreke Evans: Filled the stat sheet with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and was plus-7 in the Kings’ triumph over Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City G Russell Westbrook: Produced 33 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Thunder’s loss at Sacramento.

Houston’s bench: All five substitutes scored in double figures as they outscored Phoenix’s bench, 57-13, in the Rockets’ triumph over the Suns.

DUDS

Los Angeles Lakers G Derek Fisher: Missed all seven shots from the field with two turnovers and was minus-10 in the Lakers’ victory over Boston.

Phoenix G Sebastian Telfair: Missed all four shots with a turnover and was minus-19 in the Suns’ loss to Houston.

Denver G Rudy Fernandez: Went 4 for 13 from the field with four turnovers and was a team-worst minus-17 in the Nuggets’ loss to Golden State.

Oklahoma City C Kendrick Perkins: Was limited to five points on 1-for-4 shooting, had three turnovers and was minus-1 in the Thunder’s loss at Sacramento.

Boston F Kevin Garnett: Clanked through a 6-for-23 shooting effort with a turnover in the Celtics’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Spurs’ win streak comes to blazing halt

By Mike Monroe

PORTLAND, Ore. — When Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced a starting lineup for his team’s game against the Trail Blazers that didn’t include anyone named Duncan or Parker, there were Portlanders who believed he had lost his mind.

How could the coach of a team that had won 11 games in a row and already was short three regular members of his playing rotation possibly leave his two best players on the bench, with no intention to play either?

With shooting guard Manu Ginobili, center Tiago Splitter and point guard T.J. Ford injured and one-third of the Spurs’ offensive production ruled out of action, the streak hit a brick wall as the Trail Blazers scored a 137-97 victory that extended a streak of their own.

The victory was Portland’s seventh straight over the Spurs at the Rose Garden. It was also their largest margin of victory ever over the Spurs.

What the uninformed didn’t understand about Popovich’s banishment of his two stars was the utter lack of significance he places on anything as pedestrian as a win streak, even one that has reached double digits.

“We’ve had the same goal for 15 years: To be the best team we can possibly be come playoff time,” Popovich said before the game. “We’ve never ever talked about what our record should be, whether we are going to win a championship, or not. Never. It’s never come up in any practice or game for 15 years.

“We just try to get better every day, and whatever happens, happens.”

Nothing that happened on the court mattered to Popovich as much as his concern for the physical toll the season has been taking on Parker, who leads the Spurs in minutes played, and Duncan, his oldest player.

“(Tim) and Tony need a rest,” he said before tipoff. “Everybody’s played a lot of games, and somewhere along the line, everybody gives somebody a rest, and I think we’ve reached that point.

“Whether it’s three games in four nights or X nights before, I don’t know, I’ve lost track. But we’ve been going and going and going, and if we don’t do it now, I think we’re asking for trouble later.”

The fact Duncan had played 41 minutes and 20 seconds in Saturday’s overtime victory in Los Angeles over the Clippers and 37:52 in Monday’s win over the Jazz factored into Popovich’s thinking.

Replacing Duncan and Parker were 20-year-old rookies Kawhi Leonard and Corey Joseph, with Danny Green, DeJuan Blair and Richard Jefferson on the floor at tipoff.

The Spurs actually managed to hang with the Blazers through the first seven minutes and led 20-19 after a 3-point basket by Gary Neal.

Thoughts of stealing a 12th straight win were doomed when the Trail Blazers followed with a 22-0 run that included five 3-point baskets.

The Spurs’ biggest blowout loss since a 111-69 setback at Chicago on March 5, 1997, didn’t diminish what Popovich’s team had done in winning the first seven games of its annual rodeo road trip. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, teams have played at least seven consecutive road games more than 250 times, but the Spurs are one of only two teams to have a stretch of seven wins on such trips.

The other team: the 2002-03 Spurs, who won the first eight on the initial rodeo trip before losing the final one. The Spurs can match that Thursday in Denver.

Duncan and Parker are expected to be available.

mikemonroe@express-news.net

– Associated Press

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Trail Blazers 137, Spurs 97: Feb. 21, 2012

San Antonio Spurs’ Cory Joseph, right, shoots as Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) defends in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

Portland Trail Blazers’ Gerald Wallace (3) drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs’ Matt Bonner, left, and teammate Eric Dawson (23) defends in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair (45) lays the ball up as Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum, right, defends in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

Portland Trail Blazers’ Wesley Matthews (2) drives as San Antonio Spurs’ Eric Dawson (23) defends in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

Portland Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots as San Antonio Spurs’ Eric Dawson (23) defends in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich shouts to his team in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game with the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. The Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 137-97. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, left, looks on as teammate Tim Duncan, right, yawns in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game with the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. The Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 137-97. Both Parker and Duncan sat the game out on the bench. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson towels off in the second half during an NBA basketball game with the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, in Portland, Ore. The Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 137-97. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP)