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Spurs face sizable dilemma in Splitter

Spurs center Tiago Splitter wasn’t fazed earlier this week when coach Gregg Popovich informed him he’d be making his first start of the season against the Lakers at the Staples Center.

He was equally unfazed a night later in Sacramento, when he learned he was heading back to the bench, even though Tim Duncan was out.

If Popovich one day told him he’d be starting at point guard, Splitter would make believe he saw that coming, too.

“On this team,” the second-year big man said, “you have to be ready for anything.”

Popovich’s scavenger hunt for a secondary big man to complement Duncan began nearly a year ago, after Memphis’ Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol punished the undersized Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

With another postseason at hand, a relative lack of size remains the biggest — and perhaps only — question mark for a Spurs team with the best record in the Western Conference.

For several games, Popovich has been tinkering with various big man rotations, toggling between the 6-foot-11 Splitter, an undersized DeJuan Blair, the sharpshooting Matt Bonner and 6-8 hybrid Boris Diaw as Duncan’s running mate.

“He’s still learning it himself, along with everybody else,” Duncan said. “We can change from team to team. We can change it mid-game. We can attack people in different ways.”

Tonight, as the Spurs face the Lakers and their frontline of gargantuans for the third time in nine days, Popovich will have another laboratory in which to conduct his size experiment.

The idea of a Twin Towers pairing of Splitter and Duncan has been a cause célèbre among Spurs fans, but one Popovich has been hesitant to embrace.

After watching 7-footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol all but mug the Spurs’ frontline in a 98-84 Lakers victory April 11, Popovich at last relented in the rematch in Los Angeles, replacing his smallest big man with his tallest.

It marked Splitter’s first career start alongside Duncan. The 6-7 Blair, who has started a team-high 59 of 61 games, did not play at all.

“We wanted to match up with their big guys,” Splitter said.

The specific results of the change were mixed, though the outcome — a 112-91 win — was much better for the Spurs.

Plagued by early foul trouble, Splitter was no match for Bynum’s strength on the block.

What Splitter did well was help keep Bynum off the glass. After grabbing a career-best 30 rebounds in the first meeting — part of a 60-33 edge for L.A. — Bynum had just seven in the rematch.

“Tiago does what he does,” Popovich said. “He’s a hard worker. He does all that dirty work out there.”

Yet coupling Splitter with Duncan also comes with a downside.

The Spurs have been heavily reliant on their offense this season to win games, and that offense is based predominantly on the pick and roll. Duncan and Splitter are essentially both pick-and-roll big men, rendering one of them redundant when paired.

According to an NBA.com database, the little-used Duncan-Splitter combo rates as one of the Spurs’ worst offensive lineups. It is the reason the two had logged just 108 minutes together before Tuesday.

Therein lies Popovich’s dilemma. In order to address his team’s biggest perceived weakness — a lack of size in the frontcourt — the Spurs must subtract from their greatest strength.

Whether Popovich will give the Splitter-Duncan combination another crack against Bynum and Gasol tonight remains to be seen.

“I don’t know,” Splitter said. “You have to ask Pop.”

All Splitter can do is be prepared.

“You just have to take the opportunity you have,” Splitter said. “If you play four minutes or 40 minutes, it doesn’t matter. Winning is the only job.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Duncan & Co. bear down in 2nd half, beat Grizzlies

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Spurs 107, Grizzlies 97: April 12, 2012

The Spurs’ Tony Parker drives to the basket under Memphis Grizzlies’ Gilbert Arenas as Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol looks on during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tim Duncan and Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol grab for a rebound during first half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker shoots over Memphis Grizzlies’ Marreese Speights during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili shoots around Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ DeJuan Blair looks for room around Memphis Grizzlies’ Marreese Speights during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili is fouled by Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol as Memphis Grizzlies’ Quincy Pondexter looks on during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tim Duncan shoots around Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker shoots between Memphis Grizzlies’ O.J. Mayo and Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tim Duncan and Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol grab for a loose ball during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili defends Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay grabs for a rebound over the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, and Kawhi Leonard during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker looks for room under Memphis Grizzlies’ O.J. Mayo during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yells instructions to the team against the Memphis Grizzlies during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker lies on the floor after getting fouled by Memphis Grizzlies’ Gilbert Arenas during first half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tony Parker (from left), Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan stand during the national anthem before the game with the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili grabs a rebound over Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

The Spurs’ Tiago Splitter defends Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph during first half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (EDWARD A. ORNELAS / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

FOR SPORTS – San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan shoots around Memphis Grizzlies’ Marreese Speights during second half action Thursday April 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. The Spurs won 107-97. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

FOR SPORTS – San Antonio Spurs’ Stephen Jackson drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay during first half action Thursday April, 12, 2012 at the ATT Center. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS) (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

By Jeff McDonald

Time after time, the Spurs came down the floor in the second half Thursday and pulled out a playbook page from their past.

On five consecutive occasions during a rugged 107-97 victory over Memphis at the ATT Center, the Spurs cleared out for Tim Duncan on the low block and let him go to work.

The play is called “four down.” And Duncan could scarcely recall the last time he’d seen such a steady diet of it.

“It’s been forever,” he said. “Since the old days.”

Fueled in part by four down, Duncan matched a season high with 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and added a pair of blocks for good measure, at times simply willing the Spurs to win over the Grizzlies and steering them clear of a three-game losing streak.

It was a stirring bounce-back win for the Spurs, who a night earlier on their home floor were beaten up by the Lakers’ twin tower tandem of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

After the loss to Los Angeles, Duncan guaranteed his team would put forth a better effort against a Grizzlies club that had won nine of its last 11 and had clobbered the Spurs into submission in last season’s playoffs.

A night after being outrebounded by 27 against L.A., the Spurs (41-16) battled the Grizzlies to a draw on the glass, holding Memphis to just 15 rebounds in the second half, including three in the third quarter.

“We got pushed around and beat up against the Lakers,” forward Stephen Jackson said. “They were the most physical team, and it showed. Today, we hit back.”

Before the game, and again at halftime with the Spurs trailing 49-45, coach Gregg Popovich challenged his team with a test of its toughness.

After the Spurs finished off a 4-0 regular-season sweep of Memphis (34-24), Popovich said he was proud of the way his team rebounded — in more ways than one. He praised the Spurs — who remained tied in the loss column with Oklahoma City for first in the Western Conference — for playing with “physicality” and “a bit of an edge.”

“I was proud of them to come back after an embarrassing loss like that and play the way they did,” he said.

One moment in particular provided the snapshot. When Zach Randolph rose for a shot in the fourth quarter, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili jumped him from behind, coming away with both the ball and Memphis forward’s signature headband as spoils.

Ginobili finished with 20 points, including 10 in the fourth. He was 11 of 11 from the foul line, hitting six free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

For the Grizzlies, it snapped a string of 11 straight games without surrendering 100 points.

Duncan, the Spurs’ venerable captain, expected such a bounce-back after the way the Lakers had handled them so easily.

“I didn’t have to say anything,” Duncan said. “We were disappointed in ourselves. We refocus. We come back. We play better. We always do.”

On a night that could have gone the other way, with the Spurs trailing well into the third quarter, it was Duncan —13 days shy of his 36th birthday —who carried them.

Duncan scored the Spurs’ first eight points of the second half, beginning with a vintage turnaround jumper on Marc Gasol, and totaled 14 points in the third.

Duncan finished 10 of 15 from the field and went to the foul line 11 times, converting eight. Eventually, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was left with little choice but to double him.

Behind Duncan’s eruption, much of it coming out of “four down” calls, the Spurs took an 82-74 lead into the fourth quarter and never trailed again.

This is the Duncan the Grizzlies did not see in last season’s playoffs. Playing on a chronically sore knee and recently sprained ankle, he averaged a meager 12.7 points and was often exposed defensively in the six-game series.

He’s turned back the clock this season, and Thursday he flipped back the pages of the Spurs’ playbook.

“He was a monster,” Popovich said.

Just like the old days indeed.

jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Game rewind: Duncan turns back clock for another vintage effort

Tim Duncan used to be able to carry the Spurs in a manner befitting one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.

Those glimpses don’t come along as often as they used to. And when they do, they assuredly are something special for Spurs Nation to savor.

Duncan had one of those games Monday night in the Spurs’ 89-84 victory over Memphis, dominating the game inside in the fourth quarter to help nail down the Spurs’ season-best fifth consecutive victory.

“Tim has been playing well lately. He’s feeling good,” Spurs point guard Tony Parker told reporters after the game. “His knee is doing well. Hopefully, he will stay like that.”

The Spurs captain produced 19 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Spurs’ victory.

” That’s a great game from Timmy — 19 and 17,” Parker said, chuckling. “Those are big numbers at 45 years old.”

Duncan, who will turn 36 on April 26, isn’t quite there yet.

And thankfully for his team, he can still occasionally provide the kind of lift that used to be expected.

Here are a few other highlights from the first game of the Spurs’ Rodeo Road Trip.

The game, simply stated: The Spurs employed a tenacious defensive effort and big games from Parker and Duncan to win at Memphis for the second Monday night in a row against the tired Grizzlies.

Where the game was won: After Memphis jumped on the Spurs for a 25-6 run to end the third quarter and claim a six-point lead, the Spurs defense picked up. San Antonio limited Memphis to a season-low 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies shot only 20 percent from the field.

Closing it out: The Spurs took the lead for good on Parker’s layup with 5:10 left. After Memphis had closed within one when Danny Green was whistled for goaltending on O.J. Mayo’s short jumper, Mayo missed the enusing foul shot. Duncan then put the game away with a critical three-point play and a dunk that iced the victory.

Player of the game I: It was just like old times for Duncan, who provided 19 points, and season-best totals for the Spurs of 17 rebounds and five blocks. He was especially big in the fourth quarter with nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks to lead the comeback.

Player of the game II: Parker struggled a little in the second half with only six points, but he still finished with team-high totals of 21 points and seven assists.

Player of the game III: Memphis center Marc Gasol bounced back after a struggling performance Sunday in Boston to lead the Grizzlies with 22 points and nine rebounds. He had as many turnovers as points — seven — in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Celtics.

Most unsung: Matt Bonner came off the bench to score eight points and provide three rebounds. And he even came up with some strong defense by running at Rudy Gay’s potential game-tying 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds left.

Attendance: Is some of the bloom off the Grizzlies after their recent struggles that has seen them lose seven of their last nine games? The game attracted a crowd of 13,527 to the FedEx Forum — Memphis’ second-smallest crowd of the season and nearly 1,600 below the crowd the Spurs attracted for a game against them seven nights ago on a similar Monday night.

Did you notice I: Mike Conley’s bank-shot 3-pointer was an answer to a Memphis prayer with 1:10 left to pull them within 87-84. The best show of emotion after that shot by a Spur came by Manu Ginobili, who fell back in his chair in amazement after the lucky shot.

Did you notice II: After failing to play in the first three quarters, Gregg Popovich turned to James Anderson for 7:35 in the fourth quarter. Anderson botched a layup, but later provided a critical 3-pointer that helped kick-start the Spurs offense.

Stat of the game: The Spurs limited Memphis to 11 points in the fourth quarter. It was the Grizzlies’ lowest scoring quarter of the season and the lowest scoring quarter for a Spurs’ opponent.

Stat of the game II: Duncan grabbed 17 rebounds to set the Spurs season high after grabbing 15 and setting the team’s previous high Saturday night against Oklahoma City. It marked his first back-to-back games with at least 15 rebounds since Dec. 16-Dec. 19, 2009 — a period of more than two years.

Stat of the game III: Parker scored 21 points to mark the 12th time in the 21 games since Ginobili was injured that Parker has topped 20 points. And with his 42 points against Oklahoma City Saturday night, his 63 points in the last two games are the most in consecutive games since he went for 69 points in the final two games of the Spurs’ first-round 2009 playoff loss to Dallas.

Stat of the game IV: The Spurs notched 15 assists — tied for their second-lowest total of the season.

Stat of the game V: Sparked by Duncan’s big game inside, the Spurs matched their season high with nine blocked shots. It was previously recorded in their overtime victory over Houston on Jan. 11.

Weird stat of the game: Duncan has blocked at least five shots in 133 playoff and regular season games in his 1,254-game career. His two most recent times before Monday both came against the Grizzlies in games last Feb. 27 and April 23.

Not a good sign: Struggling against Memphis’ ball pressure, the Spurs contributed 19 turnovers to come within one of their season high of 20 against Atlanta on Jan. 25.

Not a good sign II: After hitting their first five 3-pointers of the game Monday, the Spurs finished the game 2 for 11 from beyond the arc.

Best plus/minus scores: Anderson was plus-9, DeJuan Blair was plus-7 and Duncan was plus-6.

Worst plus/minus scores: Bonner was minus-5 and Kawhi Leonard was minus-4. They were the only Spurs players with negative scores.

Quote of the game: “It was tough. A couple of guys were fatigued from playing a lot of heavy minutes. It was one of those games that slipped away from us,” Gay on the Grizzlies’ late collapse after playing Sunday in Boston.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs will continue the Rodeo Road Trip Wednesday night in Philadelphia and Saturday night at New Jersey. The Grizzlies will have their next three games at home as they face Minnesota without Kevin Love on Wednesday, Indiana on Friday and Utah on Sunday.

Injuries: Ginobili missed his 21st game (Spurs record 14-7) after undergoing surgery for a fractured fifth left metacarpal. T.J. Ford missed his 16th game (Spurs record 11-5) with a torn left hamstring. Memphis played without starting guard Tony Allen, who missed his second game with a sore left hip and knee. Memphis All-Star forward Zach Randolph missed his 21st game (Grizzlies record 11-10) with a torn right MCL. Memphis forward Darrell Arthur (torn right Achilles) is out for the season.