Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Spurs’ playoff exit at Memphis ranks as worst memory of year

The Spurs made history in the recent playoffs. Unfortunately for them, it came in a not-so-positive manner.

Their stunning six-game elimination at the hands of the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies ranks as only the fourth time in NBA history a No. 1 seed failed to advance out of the first round.

And their series loss to the Grizzlies ranked as only the second time in NBA history that a No. 1 seed was eliminated in the first round in a best-of-seven series.

The Grizzlies’ series victory wasn’t a fluke. Lionel Hollins’ team outplayed the Spurs throughout and could have eliminated the Spurs a game earlier if it hadn’t been for some late heroics from Gary Neal in Game 5.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol continued their domination of the San Antonio players inside in their 99-91 Game 6 victory on April 29 to end the Spurs’ season earlier than anybody would have expected.

The Spurs won 61 games during the regular season — third-highest total in franchise history and more victories than in any of their championship seasons. But they couldn’t overcome the loss of Manu Ginobili for the first game of the series and Memphis’ determination as the Grizzlies claimed their first playoff series victory in the franchise’s history.

Instead, the Spurs were eliminated in the first round for the second time in the last three seasons with an unceremonious ending to what was expected to be a long playoff run.

No. 1:  Z-Bo’s monster fourth quarter caps off stunning first-round series loss to Grizzlies.

When: April 29, 2011

Where: FedExForum, Memphis

What happened: Randolph scored 17 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to lead the upstart Grizzlies to a 99-91 victory over the Spurs, finishing their six-game series victory. The Spurs claimed their first lead of the game at 80-79 with 4:41 left, but Randolph scored 10 of the next 14 points for Memphis to put the game away.

What was said, Part I: ”They were the better team. They played better than we did in the stretch of six games,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on Memphis’ play during the series.

What was said, Part II: ”We played well all season long. It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t play well in the playoffs,” Spurs guard Tony Parker, describing his emotion to the Express-News after the series completed.

What was said, Part III: “Not a lot of people knew about us coming in, but we certainly have made some noise and turned some heads and got some attention that probably wouldn’t have been given to us if we’d lost this series. We’d just be another eight seed losing to the No. 1 seed,” Hollins, on his team’s improbable series victory.

What was said, Part IV: ”From a pick-me-up perspective, we just got on his back, and we rode him like he was an English warhorse. He was really carrying us, We were just hanging on,” Hollins on Randolph’s fourth-quarter effort.

What was said, Part V: “Emotion is high, not just for the Memphis Grizzlies but for the whole city of Memphis and the fans. It’s something. It’s a great accomplishment,” Randolph, reflecting on the first series victory in franchise history. Before the series, the Grizzlies had never won a playoff game.

GAME  NOTES: The Spurs’ loss finished off their second series loss in the first round in the last three seasons. The Spurs led only twice in Game 6, 2-0 after Tony Parker’s early basket and 80-79 on Antonio McDyess’ jumper with 4:41 left. After San Antonio’s first basket of the game, the Grizzlies answered with 14 straight points on a spurt that boosted them to the lead for the rest of the next three-plus quarters. The Grizzlies led 28-16 after one quarter as the Spurs committed six turnovers. But Tim Duncan helped spark a late run at the end of the half, providing a rim-rattling dunk that pulled the Spurs within 46-43 at the break. But Memphis’ strong duo of Randolph and Gasol enabled Memphis to notch a series-best 62 points in the paint in the game and outrebound the Spurs 43-32.  The Grizzlies had a 22-12 edge in free throws and continued their strong defense that snuffed out the Spurs’ perimeter game. San Antonio hit only 5-for-22 from beyond the arc (22.7 percent). One of the few that fell for the Spurs in this game was a shot from halfcourt by Ginobili that pulled the Spurs within 70-66 after three quarters. Parker had 23 points, Ginobili added 16 and Duncan had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Richard Jefferson was shut out, marking the second time he failed to score in the final three games of the series. Before the series, the Grizzlies had never won a playoff game in three previous series. Against the Spurs, they won four games in a span of 13 days.

Previous bad memories:

No. 10: .

No. 9: Black Friday fourth-quarter collapse against Dallas helps snap Spurs’ .  

No. 8: : Spurs blown out by Orlando by 22.

No. 7: Lowly Clips to Spurs.

No. 6:  Heat’sfrom 30-point loss 10 days earlier.

No. 5: Blowout loss to Lakers .

No. 4: Duncan’s ankle injury.  

No.3: Manu injures elbow in.

No. 2: Grizzlies stun Spurs in Game 1 .  

Previous good memories:

No. 10: .

No. 9: boosts comeback victory over Thunder.

No. 8: leads overtime victory over Memphis.

No. 7:boosts Spurs past Warriors.

No. 6: TD becomesin one game.

No. 5:with record 3-point binge.

No. 4: Pop passes Auerbach on.

No. 3: McDyess’ tip over Lakers.

No. 2: “Big Three” erupts for 80 as .

Rick Barnes says Spurs have a keeper in Cory Joseph

University of Texas coach Rick Barnes believes that the Spurs might have a strong contributor in point guard Cory Joseph.

Joseph was ranked by most talent analysts before the draft as a second-round selection. But Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said that Joseph can help the team defensively at point guard as he explained why he was picked 29th in the first round with the Spurs’ second first-round draft selection.  

Buford should know. He saw Joseph play often during his freshman season as a teammate of his adopted son, Texas forward Alexis Wangmene.

Joseph played in all 36 Texas games as a freshman, leading the team in assists, steals, 3-point percentage and minutes played. He averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, reaching double figures in scoring in 21 of the Longhorns’ 36 games last season.

“Cory is a player who, as a coach, you really enjoy being around because of his approach to the game and his work ethic,” Barnes said. “He simply loves to be in the gym and compete.”

That competitive streak should help him prosper in the NBA, Barnes said.

“Cory has a quiet confidence about him and he does all the little things that help a team,” Barnes said. ”We would have loved the chance to work with him at Texas for a longer period of time, as we understand that he is just beginning to develop into the type of player we know he can become.”

Joseph was the third Texas player selected in the first round Thursday night, joining forward Tristan Thompson (No. 4 pick by Cleveland) and Jordan Hamilton (No. 26 pick by Dallas, eventually traded to Denver).

Buck Harvey: The way Leonard can beat a lockout

The founder and president of Impact Basketball began his business with low overhead.

“It used to be me and the ball,” Joe Abunassar said.

Now his one-stop training school has dozens of employees operating in four states. So he’s busier. But Abunassar still works the gym, and he did this spring. Then, he oversaw the pre-draft training of Kawhi Leonard “every day” for two months.

Abunassar thinks Leonard showed both improvement and promise. Then again, Abunassar should say that; Leonard is a client, after all.

But Abunassar says something else, and this fits into what the Spurs’ intel told them before the draft.

It’s a quality that means more this season than any other.

Leonard has been in San Antonio this week getting acquainted and getting in some work. But when the lockout begins Friday, as most expect it will, Leonard will have to find someplace else to go.

He won’t be able to talk to Spurs coaches. He won’t have access to the Spurs’ practice facility. He won’t play in a mini-camp or a summer league. He also might miss his first NBA training camp and even the first three or four months of his rookie season.

Congratulations on being a first-round draft pick — and see you when we see you.

Most NBA players will create a workout regimen in the vacuum, and many will have the best intentions. But some will do more, because that’s who they are, and Abunassar has seen this firsthand.

He was once a student manager for Bob Knight at Indiana, and he worked his way to an assistant’s position at the University of Wyoming in the mid-1990s. Then, about the time he failed to sign a Denver schoolboy named Chauncey Billups, he realized he liked recruiting less than player development.

Among his first clients, coincidentally, was Billups. Through that relationship he built others; Kevin Garnett has worked with him before, as have Matt Bonner and James Anderson.

Prepping players for the draft is a major part of his business. Last year, 17 of his clients were drafted, and this year 12. One of them, paying the $1,000 weekly fee like everyone else, was Leonard.

“I’ve had a lot of top-10 picks in my day,” Abunassar told a newspaper before the draft, “and I’d be really surprised if he’s not one.”

So when Leonard fell to No. 15?

“I still think he is a top-10 talent,” Abunassar said over the telephone this week.

Two hours before the draft, reflective of their partnership, Abunassar told Leonard not too worry too much about how high he was drafted. “It’s about what comes next,” he told him.

Abunassar sees a lot coming, and he thinks Leonard’s jumpshot is a simple fix. He says the ball rotation and footwork is fine. In drills, he tried to shorten his stroke and get the basketball on his fingertips and out of his huge hands.

It’s likely something the Spurs tweaked this week, too. Abunassar thinks it’s easily correctable when Leonard returns to work with him in a few weeks.

“It’s just a repetition thing,” Abunassar said.

But repetition isn’t always fun. Leonard turned 20 on Wednesday. How many guys that age, finally free of school and with some money, really want to spend summer sweating in a gym?

Leonard appears to be one. “If his workout was scheduled for 9 a.m.,” Abunassar said, “then he was in at 7:45 a.m.”

Sometimes he stayed until 11:30 p.m. Sometimes they had to tell him he had to leave.

“Kawhi is one of the most focused and serious,” Abunassar said, “I’ve ever had.”

It’s a profile the Spurs always target. But maybe it’s never been more important now.

As the lockout begins.

bharvey@express-news.net