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Game rewind: Pop seething about ‘soft’ second-half effort

It was a tale of two halves Tuesday night for the Spurs.

The first part of their game Tuesday against Miami might have been their best performance of the young season. They led by 17 points late in the second quarter and had a 14-point halftime lead after Danny Green’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

After that, the bottom fell out as the Spurs struggled through one of their worst halves in team history. They were outscored by 27 in the third quarter as Miami cruised to an easy 120-98 victory.

The final margin actually looked a little more appealing after Miami led by up to 26 late in the game. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan rested during the fourth quarter and most of the other San Antonio starters were missing in garbage time.

It’s hard to believe a team could play so well in the first half and so awful in the same game. It was one of the most amazing collapses in recent NBA history.

Here’s a look at how it happened.

Game analysis: Even with Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, the Spurs had no answer for remaining Heatles LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Toss in a sizzling first-game perimeter shooting performance by Mike Miller and it was understandable why the game got out of hand in the fourth quarter.

Where the game was won: The Heat blew the game open with a 25-1 run in the middle of the third quarter punctuated by a 3-pointer by James, another by Mario Chalmers and another from James that put them ahead 78-68 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

A little earlier … The Spurs hit 12 of their first 15 shots and led by 17 points with 3 minutes remaining in the first half. They even left with a surge of momentum when Green hit a buzzer beater from beyond midcourt that gave them a 63-49 halftime lead.

Player of the game I: It took awhile for James to get going, but he once he got started, the Spurs couldn’t stop him. James erupted for 33 points, including 17 in the third quarter. James also added 10 assists, five rebounds, hit four 3-pointers and was a team-best plus-19 to help Miami end a three-game losing streak.

Player of the game II: Bosh was a force all over the court, notching 30 points, a game-high eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in a strong all-around performance.

Player of the game III: Green was the Spurs’ major offensive force with a team-best 20 points, including 11 in the second half. He hit a career-best six 3-pointers, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Most unsung: Miller was expected to play a few minutes in his first game back after missing the Heat’s first 12 games recovering from sports hernia surgery. When he was inserted into the game, he hit all six 3-pointers to account for 18 points in 15 minutes.

Did you notice: James personally outscored the Spurs in the third quarter, 17-12.

Did you notice II: The Spurs got into early foul trouble in the first quarter when they were whistled for nine fouls before Miami picked up its first one. By then, Tiago Splitter was benched with three fouls in 73 seconds and two more for Duncan and DeJuan Blair before the first quarter ended.

Stat of the game: Miami outscored San Antonio 39-12 in the third quarter. It matched the second-largest differential for any quarter in Heat history, and matched the second-worst differential for a period in Spurs history, according to STATS LLC.

Stat of the game II: The Spurs’ road losing streak was extended to five games to start the season.

Stat of the game III: Miami hit 6 of 8 from 3-point territory in the third quarter and finished with a season-best 16 3-pointers.

Weird stat of the game: The Spurs’ 17-point second-quarter advantage is the largest lead they’ve squandered this season in a game they eventually lost.

Quote of the game: “They just outphysicaled us and beat our — in the second half. We should be embarrassed by that, playing that soft,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on his team’s second-half collapse.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs travel to Orlando in the back end of a difficult back-to-back Wednesday night. They have lost their last three games there by an average margin of 20 points a game. After a day off, they will return home Friday to meet Sacramento before traveling to Houston on Saturday. The Heat will host the Lakers Thursday night before a home back-to-back against Philadelphia Saturday and Milwaukee on Sunday.

Injuries: Manu Ginobili missed his ninth game after undergoing surgery for a fractured fifth left metacarpal. T.J. Ford missed his fourth game with a torn left hamstring sustained last week in Milwaukee. Gary Neal returned to the lineup despite a contusion of the right quadriceps. Miami played without Wade (sprained ankle) and center Dexter Pittman (flu-like symptoms). Miller returned to the lineup for the first time this season after missing all of the previous Heat games after recovering from sports hernia surgery.

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)

Ford’s injury throws backcourt in turmoil

MILWAUKEE — When limped off the floor at the just before halftime Tuesday, it didn’t just change the look of the Spurs’ bench.

It likely changed their starting lineup as well.

In what he termed “a freak accident,” Ford strained his left hamstring after a driving layup with 30 seconds left in the first half of the Spurs’ 106-103 loss to Milwaukee. He had to be helped to the locker room by two members of the Spurs’ support staff.

“I just came down wrong,” Ford said.

Ford, who left the Bradley Center under his own power, did not undergo an MRI or any other tests at the arena. He expects to be re-examined today in San Antonio.

With no other point guards on the Spurs’ traveling roster, shooting guard took over as ‘s primary backup, with rookie sliding into Neal’s starting spot.

It is a look Spurs coach hinted might open the game tonight when Houston visits the ATT Center. It would also not be surprising for rookie to be recalled from the for depth purposes.

There is no immediate timetable for Ford’s return. For now, Neal is prepared to log time at point guard, a position he practiced during the lockout before Ford was added to the roster.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the course of a season,” Neal said. “I have to be prepared.”

With already sidelined, Ford’s absence robs the Spurs of their two most prolific set-up men. Invoking a bit of NBA parlance, Spurs captain called Ford’s injury “a big loss for our littles.”

“It puts a lot more pressure on T.P. and Gary,” Duncan said. “Both their minutes are going to go up a little bit.”

THE IRON MAN: Duncan, the Spurs’ oldest player at age 35, pronounced himself no worse for wear after logging a season-high 35 minutes, 50 seconds in Tuesday’s loss.

With Popovich aiming to keep Duncan’s minutes down during this condensed season, it marked just the second time the Spurs’ power forward had crossed the 30-minute threshold.

“It felt good to be out there that long,” said Duncan, who had his first 20-point game of the season to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. “I know we have a game (Wednesday), so we’ll see how I feel then.”

ANOTHER AZTEC: Leonard should see a familiar face in the Spurs’ locker room tonight at the ATT Center.

Malcolm Thomas, Leonard’s teammate and roommate last season at San Diego State, is expected to be in uniform for the Spurs tonight against Houston after being called up from the Development League.

Thomas, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in eight games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, was in San Antonio for a physical Tuesday.

“He’s athletic, he does a good job on defense,” said Leonard, offering the scouting report on the 23-year-old Thomas. He comes from help side, blocks shots. He’ll get tip-backs and rebounds. He’s a great team player.”