Originally Posted by
o_bama
noy idol.you are the best...
OT: Dude, stay on topic. The bossing is watching.
Anyways...
Spurs get a leg up
Jeff McDonald
Tim Duncan would like to correct the record when it comes to his health. He has not been playing on one leg, as Tony Parker told reporters earlier this week.
“That's an exaggeration,” Duncan said. “I feel like I've been playing on a half a leg.”
That Duncan could joke about his crotchety knees in the aftermath of the Spurs' 105-99 victory over Utah on Friday provided one sign as to how much better he felt.
Then Duncan showed it on the court at the AT&T Center, scoring 15 points, grabbing nine rebounds and looking more nimble than he did on Wednesday, when Gregg Popovich basically had to drag him off the floor by his collar in the fourth quarter of a loss to Portland.
“The one leg felt pretty good,” Duncan said.
When it came time to win a game that was as grueling as it was necessary, the Spurs turned to a player who seemed to be playing on four legs.
When Parker wasn't scooting by Deron Williams for a key three-point play in the fourth quarter, he was rattling in a midrange jumper to keep the Jazz honest.
Parker pumped in 31 points, 13 of which came from the foul line, to keep the Spurs from capsizing after giving up another big early lead. It was the 13th 30-point game of the season for Parker who, more than any player, has carried the Spurs through injuries to Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
With the victory, the Spurs moved into a tie with Houston for first place in the Southwest, pending the results of the Rockets' late game at Golden State. Portland's victory over the Lakers puts the Trail Blazers third in the West.
“We had better focus than we did the last game,” Popovich said. “That tenacity is important, especially against a team like Utah.”
As they did two nights earlier before losing to Portland, the Spurs jumped out to a large second-quarter lead (15 points), then squandered it. This time, the Spurs persevered.
“It was a mirror image of some of the games we lost,” said forward Drew Gooden, who had 14 points off the bench. “Up by lots of points early on, and teams come back. This time, we took it back over.”
After the Jazz pulled within 84-81 midway through the fourth quarter, Parker and Duncan combined for the next 14 points to help the Spurs go up by 10 heading into the final 1:23. They made six straight free throws in the last 11.6 seconds to hold on.
It was a big win for the Spurs, who were 5-5 in their previous 10 games before Friday night.
They survived 25 points and 10 assists from Williams, as well as 22 points and 10 rebounds from Mehmet Okur, to get it.
“It was a good win tonight, and it's definitely important to keep it going,” Duncan said. “Every win is important right now, but more than that (it's) just keeping our confidence up.”
Duncan could be considered a microcosm of that. He scored four points in the loss to Portland and was pulled from the game with seven minutes left after Popovich thought he looked a little too gimpy while chasing a loose ball.
Duncan arrived at the arena Friday with his head shaved to the scalp — a sure indication that he meant business — and having ditched the twin knee pads he'd been wearing since his bout with tendonosis in February.
He started spry, spinning past Mehmet Okur for a basket, then throwing in a straight-out-of-2001 14-foot hook off the glass.
Though his final line in the box score was nothing gaudy, Duncan certainly passed the eye test. He looked better, looked healthier, than he had against Portland.
“I felt good today,” Duncan said, setting the record straight.
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