San Antonio Spurs

[tackielarla]

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Sorry Suns fans... we still have your number! 114-104 Spurs! Yebah!!!

[tackielarla]

Surprisingly, the Suns started fouling Bruce Bowen intentionally—similar to the Spurs’ often-used strategy of Hack-A-Shaq against O’Neal. Bowen, who had made only two of eight from the line this season, was 5-for-6 during the quarter.

Ginobili leads Spurs past Suns - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

Ahahaha! Hack-a-Bowen! Sorry wa ni gana!

[EvenStar]

hahaha congrats Spurs inyo gipaksit ang Phoenix Scums!!! naghilak na ron si yokam.

[tackielarla]

Saying the Spurs and Suns have a rivalry is like saying a hammer and a nail have a rivalry.

[jasonrey]

Saying the Spurs and Suns have a rivalry is like saying a hammer and a nail have a rivalry.

hahahahaha! this is funny! nice one! congrats Spurs fans sa win over the Suns!

[tackielarla]

Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Suns - Jan. 29

The San Antonio Spurs went into Phoenix and did what they usually do against the Suns. Keeping the game close throughout, the Spurs executed better and played smarter down the stretch to pull out a win by a final score of 114-104.

The key basket for San Antonio came courtesy of Tony Parker. Following a three-point play by Grant Hill that cut Phoenix’s deficit to three points with 1:06 to go in the final stanza, Parker’s 22-footer from straightaway was the final nail the Spurs needed on the night. Manu Ginobili hammered that nail into the Suns’ coffin with five more free throws before the buzzer sounded.

The Suns undoubtedly looked forward to this game and the loss has to be demoralizing. However, there were a few bright spots for Phoenix. Steve Nash and Grant Hill played well, while Amare Stoudemire scored easily against the Spurs. Their two major weaknesses for the Suns remain defense, especially against dribble penetration, and clutch offensive execution.

As for the Spurs, this was a second very impressive win on the road. After dropping that game against the Lakers, the Spurs have responded well. Although their defense against the Suns certainly could have been better, overall it’s difficult to fault any aspect of their effort.

Tim Duncan

41 minutes, 20 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three turnovers
6-for-16 from the field, 8-for-12 from the line

Tim Duncan wasn’t spectacular but he was the foundation of what the Spurs did on the night. Defensively, he guarded Shaquille O’Neal well for a majority of the game. He also was active in the pick-and-roll defense and clogged the middle relatively well. On offense, he struggled a bit on his own shot but he made up for it by getting to the line a dozen times and passing the ball very well. Perhaps the most dominating aspect of his game was his rebounding on both ends. Many of his six offensive rebounds were momentum-changers and he pulled down a number of contested boards on the defensive glass.
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Manu Ginobili

32 minutes, 30 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals
6-for-13 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 18-for-18 at the line

In scoring a season-high 30 points, Manu Ginobili was stubbornly relentlessness. His 18-for-18 showing at the line was arguably the most important stat in the game. Ginobili’s attacking of the basket was vintage and hopefully a preview of what is to come. Part of the reason why Ginobili was so effective on the offensive end was his patience. He waited for the perfect time to attack against the Suns’ vulnerable defense instead of forcing the action when he saw a glimpse of open space. The patience also allowed him to not turn the ball over in his 32 minutes. When Ginobili wasn't hitting free throws, he mixed in acrobatic scores and a number of crisp passes, including the assist on Parker’s 22-foot clincher. Defensively, he didn’t make many mistakes and especially helped out with his nine defensive boards. A good sign for Ginobili is that he was so effective on offense despite not connecting on a three-pointer. In fact, the 30 points he scored was a career-high in a game in which he was held without a three-point make.
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Tony Parker

34 minutes, 26 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals
12-for-21 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line

Tony Parker played a very smooth game and was instrumental in the victory. His ten points in the first ten minutes really set the tone for the Spurs and kept the Suns on their heels from the opening tip. In the pick-and-roll action, he was equally as deadly going all the way to the basket and shooting the midrange jumper. Defensively, Parker stayed within the game plan but his overall aggressiveness was low on that end – likely due to early foul trouble. On the whole, the Spurs have to be happy with the consistent and seemingly effortless performance they got from their point guard.
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Roger Mason, Jr.

32 minutes, 12 points
3-for-9 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 at the line

Roger Mason, Jr. had a game of spurts. The two three-pointers he hit came in a span of 35 seconds in the second quarter. He also started the game off poor defensively before picking it up on that end of the court in the second half. Consistency from quarter to quarter and game to game seems to be an issue with Mason right now but it’s to be expected, all things considered. The good news is that he seems to be progressing and Pop continues to show trust in him.
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Michael Finley

20 minutes, six points, three rebounds, two assists
2-for-5 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers

Although Michael Finley didn’t have a particularly good game, he looked livelier than he’s been in the last couple of weeks. He had good arc on his shot, he was jumping better and he even drove the ball to the basket. However, Finley still struggled on defense – especially when he tried to move laterally. In January, Finley’s numbers are down across the board but being the streaky player that he is, he’ll probably start trending back the other way before too much longer.
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Matt Bonner

26 minutes, three points, three rebounds
1-for-3 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers

Matt Bonner found it difficult to be much of a help against the Suns. On defense, he practically begged Stoudemire to take the perimeter jumper rather have him drive it into the lane. The problem is Stoudemire is a very good outside shooter and he proved that once again. Bonner also didn’t help much on the boards on the defensive end. Offensively, the Suns paid extra attention to him and limited his attempts, although Bonner helped out by passing up a few shots.
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Kurt Thomas

21 minutes, six points, eight rebounds
3-for-5 from the field

If Kurt Thomas played the Suns every night, he could have a case to return to Phoenix in a few weeks for the All-Star game. His defense was dominant at times and he did a wonderful job against O’Neal. Thomas also contested shots and stepped out on the perimeter when it was needed. Offensively, he knocked down a few jumpers to spread the defense and he was a beast on the offensive boards. All in all, the Spurs couldn’t hope from much more out of Thomas.
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Bruce Bowen

19 minutes, nine points
1-for-3 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 6-for-8 at the line

Bruce Bowen added another chapter to his Suns slaying legacy. With the game tied at 79 late in the third quarter, Suns coach Terry Porter opted to employ Hack-a-Bowen. After missing his first free throw, he subsequently connected on five straight to doom the strategy. Prior to this game, Bowen was 2-for-8 on the season at the line, so he ended up doubling his attempts and tripling his makes in this one contest. While Bowen’s destruction of Porter’s strategy was a humorous side note, it was Bowen’s defense that really stood out. The defense for the Spurs looked much better with Bowen in the game and the numbers back it. The Suns scored 90.8 points per 48 minutes when Bowen was on the court. When he was on the bench, the Suns scored 112.3 points per 48 minutes.
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George Hill

14 minutes, two points, two rebounds
1-for-1 from the field

Though his play was far from flawless, George Hill gave good effort and provided a lot of energy. Defensively, he applied pressure on the ball and helped out on the boards. On offense, he wasn’t as successful but he didn’t back down and a good job of kept the team in rhythm. Hill’s best moments came at the end of the first half when he helped the team weather Parker’s foul trouble.
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Gregg Popovich


Pop had a standard rotation but his gameplan shined. He drew up plays that had the Suns rotating on defense while at the same time trying to stop penetration from Parker and Ginobili. The amount of movement in the sets really helped the Spurs to have one of the better offensive showings of the season. On defense, not much was working but Pop smartly went to Bowen and Thomas when he needed stops.
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Offense

The 114 points scored by the Spurs were the most they’ve put on the board since scoring 133 against Dallas on Dec. 9. Why did the Spurs score so well? Getting to the line 44 times, a season-high, obviously helped. For the night, the Spurs shot 46.1% from the floor and turned the ball over only six times. It was a rare game in which the Spurs shot poorly from three-point land (6-of-19), didn’t get many assists (16) and still had a very successful offensive outing. If the Spurs ever wonder why getting to the line is important, they should pop in a tape of this game.

Defense

Defensively, the Spurs again weren’t very good. They followed the same pattern as the Jazz game – three ugly defensive quarters and then a strong fourth period. Overall, the Suns shot 49.4% from the field, handed out 22 assists and only turned the ball over seven times. It should be noted that all seven of the turnovers were committed in the second half by the Suns when the Spurs began picking up their defensive pressure. Perhaps the only consistent thing San Antonio did on the defensive end was to keep Phoenix off the three-point line (4-of-7). The 45-37 advantage on the glass was also a bright spot for the Spurs.

Drive to Five

The difficult games keep coming as the Spurs take on the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night in their final game at home before the Rodeo Road Trip. Although it will be tough contest, a win would give the Spurs a good amount of momentum before they embark on their annual journey.

Believe.

[jasonrey]

i do hope the Spurs win at home over Paul, West and the rest of the Hornets.

this line gives me the confidence that they will:

Including postseason, the Hornets are 1-10 in their last 11 trips to San Antonio.

from here: Hornets-Spurs Preview - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

[mab]

a big win for the spurs against the hornets!

[tackielarla]

Good win by the Spurs. That dunk by Manu over Armstrong was just siiiiiiiiiiick!

[tackielarla]

The top two teams in the Southwest Division clashed on Saturday night in the AT&T Center when the San Antonio Spurs hosted the New Orleans Hornets. While this contest on paper looked like it was going to be a heated one, the Spurs pulled away with relative ease and posted a 106-93 victory.

The indisputable highlight of the night was a classic Manu Ginobili throw down. With 4:20 to go in the third quarter and the Spurs up by nine points, Ginobili took a pass from Matt Bonner, curled to the basket and then did this:

As for the Hornets, they obviously aren’t playing their best ball at the moment. Tyson Chandler being out is a big hole to fill, especially against the Spurs. And although they’ll probably reclaim it at some point, their chemistry doesn’t seem to be as impeccable as last season.

All things considered, this was another fine win for San Antonio. They’ve responded with three straight victories after the lackluster effort against the Lakers and this was the most impressive win of the bunch. The Spurs now lead the division by two games in the loss column and three games overall.

Tim Duncan

37 minutes, 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks
5-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from the line

Offensively, Tim Duncan had it much easier than usual against the Hornets due to Chandler’s absence. New Orleans tried to compensate by sending extra help Duncan’s way. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Duncan recognized how he was being played and picked apart the defense with his passing. Although he hit half of his shots from the field, almost all of his shots were very makeable. On defense, Duncan was decent. His rotations were a bit slow but he held his own in one-on-one matchups.
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Manu Ginobili

26 minutes, 22 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals
7-for-15 from the field, 2-for-6 on three-pointers, 6-for-6 at the line

While Manu Ginobili’s night will be remembered for The Dunk, his overall game was very sharp. As was the case in his previous two games, Ginobili did a great job of letting the game come to him and settling into a groove. Pop’s gameplan had Ginobili getting the ball off of movement and put him in position to finish. And finish he did - either with shots of his own, pinpoint passes or a thunderous dunk. Defensively, Ginobili started off slow but he got much better as the game progressed. In the last three games, the Argentine sensation has gone 31-for-32 at the free throw line. This was also the first time this season Ginobili has had at least 20 points in back-to-back games.
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Tony Parker

35 minutes, 25 points, seven assists, three rebounds
12-for-18 from the field, 1-for-1 at the line

Although Tony Parker made a few questionable decisions along the way, there’s no arguing the quality of his stat line. He had seven assists and only one turnover, and after starting the game 1-for-4 from the field, he hit 11 of his final 14 shots. His passing was good for the most part, however the timing wasn’t always there. Defensively, the gameplan was to lay off of Chris Paul and turn him into a scorer so that he couldn’t get his teammates involved. You can say the gameplan worked considering Paul scored a season-high 38 points and dished out season-low four assists. When the two Western Conference All-Star point guards were in the game at the same time, they relentlessly attacked each other – with Paul outscoring Parker 22 to 21.
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Roger Mason, Jr.

32 minutes, ten points, three rebounds, two assists, four steals
3-for-12 from the field, 0-for-3 on three-pointers, 4-for-5 at the line

Roger Mason, Jr. continues to look just a half step out of rhythm. He’s getting good shots but he’s just not able to knock them down like he was earlier in the season. For the month of January, Mason shot just 38.3% from the field – down from his 45.4% shooting from the field in December. Hopefully he can regain his shooting touch on the Rodeo Road Trip. Against the Hornets, his defense was better and he really gave good effort on that end of the court.
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Michael Finley

35 minutes, 20 points, six rebounds
8-for-10 from the field, 4-for-5 on three-pointers

Michael Finley was the shooting star of the game on Saturday night. His 16 first half points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field was a big reason why the Spurs were able to build a lead. Plus, Finley’s two shots in the second half came on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter after the Hornets had cut the Spurs’ lead to seven points. On the defensive end, Finley played well and helped out on the boards by pulling down a few difficult caroms. It’d be nice if Finley could go on a hot streak while the Spurs are out on the road.
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Kurt Thomas

17 minutes, two rebounds, one block

Getting the start to matchup against David West, Kurt Thomas battled foul trouble but did fine work defensively against West. He bodied West and made him work for his points. However, outside of his defensive effort, Thomas didn’t do much. He only had two rebounds and didn’t attempt a shot on the offensive end. It’ll be interesting to see if Thomas will continue to start against the more talented bigmen in the league.
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Matt Bonner

27 minutes, 13 points, three rebounds, two assists
5-for-6 from the field, 3-for-3 on three-pointers

Matt Bonner came off the bench for the first time since Nov. 29 and actually played rather well. He hit his first five shots from the field and all three of his attempts from three-point land. Bonner has now hit 10-of-11 three-pointers over his last three games and his shooting 48.9% from deep on the season. Defensively against the Hornets, Bonner left a lot to be desired. He gave good effort but West usually scored on him when they matched up. His rotations were also a step slow on the night and his rebounding was sub par. However, it’s a good sign that Bonner played well on the offensive end even though he was coming off the bench and playing against the team he had his worst offensive game of the season against.
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Bruce Bowen

12 minutes, one assist, one rebound
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers

All 12 of Bowen’s minutes came in the second quarter. Not coincidentally, the 20 points the Hornets scored in the second quarter was their low for the game. Bowen played good pressure defense and switched assignments to cool off the hot player. On offense, Bowen was held scoreless for the first time in seven games.
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George Hill

Nine minutes, two points, one rebound
1-for-3 from the field

George Hill had a rough night, especially when he went head-to-head against Paul. In the five and a half minutes he spent guarding him, Paul scored 16 points and taught the rookie a lesson about going under the pick-and-roll too far. On offense, Hill didn’t make very good decisions but his confidence and composure remained high.
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Fabricio Oberto

Six minutes, two points, one rebounds
1-for-1 from the field

Fabricio Oberto played his six minutes at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter. Defensively, Oberto didn’t help his cause if he wants to play more minutes. His pick-and-roll defense was lazy and he was slow to rotate back to his proper position. On the other end, Oberto looked comfortable and made a few good passes and set a couple solid screens.
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Malik Hairston

One minute, one block

Playing in his first NBA game, Malik Hairston had an impressive block against Julian Wright in his one minute of play. The best news? Hairston’s debut looked a lot like someone else’s NBA debut.
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Gregg Popovich


Pop made a number of interesting decision in this game, the most interesting of which being to bench Bonner in place of Thomas. Although I wasn’t sold on the idea prior to tip off, I have to admit Pop had a point after seeing how well Thomas defended West and how much Bonner struggled against him. One thing I don’t like is that Pop’s leash on Hill is getting shorter and shorter. If Hill is going to be ready for the playoffs, he’s going to have to get as much experience as possible during the regular season. Let him be, Pop.
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Offense

The offense was very good again for the third straight game. During that stretch, the Spurs have averaged 108.7 points per game and shot 50.7% from the field. Against the Hornets, the Spurs connected on 54.7% of their attempts from the field, hit 9-of-18 three-pointers, handed out 26 assists and only turned the ball over 12 times. The only disappointing numbers were the 15 free throw attempts and the three offensive rebounds.

Defense

The strategy against the Hornets was to stay tight on the shooters, be physical with West and turn Paul into a scorer. It ended up working relatively well. As a team, the Hornets shot 49.4% from the field but outside of Paul’s 15-for-22 performance the rest of the team shot 42.4%. On three-pointers, Paul was 5-for-6 while his teammates were 1-for-5. Paul even had five of the Hornets’ 11 free throw attempts. The strategy paid its biggest dividends in the assists category, where New Orleans was only about to muster a total of ten. The one area the Hornets really outshined the Spurs was on the boards as they posted a 41-31 advantage. The best defense of the night might have been played by Hornets head coach Byron Scott. Playing Paul only 33 minutes was a head-scratcher, especially considering Paul averages 38 minutes and regularly plays more than 40 minutes. Thanks, Byron.

Drive to Five

The Rodeo Road Trip is now a reality. The Spurs kick it off with a difficult back-to-back set against the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets. Though the Warriors aren’t very good, they make you expend a lot of energy. Playing the Nuggets less than 24 hours later won’t be easy. Let’s hope the Spurs can take care of the Warriors early and begin this road trip in fine fashion.

Believe.