Spurs 112 vs Magic 100: And We're Good Again
by LatinD on Apr 2, 2010 11:51 PM CDT
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SuperMan(u)
Evidently, the Spurs are good.
How good remains to be seen, but after convincing wins against the Celtics, the Cavaliers and now the Magic, you have to like their chances in an eventual NBA Finals. Will the Spurs be able to slip past Dallas, Utah? Do they have it in them to counter Gasol and Kobe? More importantly, will Tony make it back in time to rediscover his healthy scoring self? Advantageous seeding might be our only chance to give him the time and basketball he needs to regain his (French) flair. Every game matters, and if you're willing to ignore the New Jersey travesty, the Spurs seem to be playing as if they knew this.
But this should be a recap for tonight's great game, not a State of the Spurs Nation soliloquy, so join me after the jump for a hack summary of Manu Ginobili's wizardry.
"MANU GINOBILI IS A MOTHERFUCKIN' WIZARD"
Aaronstampler dixit. It was his only comment, his first in months, but it summed up pretty well what Manu has become for this Spurs team: magical offense, hope-building wins, an alchemist able to turn any 5-man unit into basketball gold.
2005 Manu was a relentless slasher and a clutch assassin. 2007 Manu proved he was able to score 30 points on any given night, wake up the next day, and drop 30 more. 2010 Manu might just be better than them both, point by point. 2010 Manu slashes, executes in the clutch, makes 43 points in 35 minutes - but he also passes, distributes, runs the team, and finds time to perform at least one key defensive play per game. Him and the +/- stat have become fast friends, then lovers, and now are planning to move to Boca and build a house on the beach. 2010 Manu might lead this team to another championship, if the team accompanies him.
I've often been accused of hyperbole. All I can say is that it's not my fault: Manu is hyperbole, he embodies it; he plays as if his every move was a statement worthy of all caps and extraneous exclamation marks. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that if Timmy is the window, Manu is the frame.
Re-sign this man.
What Went Right
Basically, the offense. The Orlando Magic possess the by-the-numbers best defense on the NBA this season - the Spurs scored 112 points. Once again we've proved we can score without Tony Parker, and the mouth waters at the thought of his efficient 20 points replacing Mason's bumbling jumpers and Jefferson's powerprayers. Of course, we still need to prove we can win with Tony.
43 points for Manu on 25 shots speak for themselves. The usual Robin to his perennial Batman, George Hill, was quiet tonight with only 9 points, but he focused on distributing the ball. McDyess took a page from the Beast's book and took advantage of several putbacks to boost his stats. Jefferson tried hard, and he has that going for him. Bonner decided early on to get back every single point he lost on defense, and despite low accuracy from deep, his drives to the paint kept the Magic guessing. It's time to admit to ourselves that his "shyhook" is a weapon whose efficiency is completely unrelated to its complete lack of anything resembling aestheticism.
And yet, while Manu kept us in the game all night long, it was probably Timmy's brilliance that let us pull away during the third quarter. Early on the first quarter the referees decided to prove they were bigger than the game, and called three ridiculous fouls on Tim and two more on Dwight. The majority of the first half was thus played without the big men who form the core of their respective team's defenses, and Gortat and Bonner got the spotlight. Hilarity ensued.
When the second half rolled around, Dwight remained hesitant. He missed his first 8 free throws in a horrifying fashion, his shots so ugly that Shaq himself might retch at the sight, and got himself into further foul trouble courtesy of the Big Two. Duncan, on the other hand, reminded us what a world class player he is when he is rested - the hour-long break might've been a blessing in disguise. He scored at the post, schooling Gortat once and again with turnarounds and short hooks; he scored from the top of the key with his low-arch, almost violent jumpers; he scored off athletic layups after beautiful bounce passes from Manu. He was everything we need him to be in the playoffs, and that also gives me hope.
What Went Wrong (For The Magic)
I could complain about the RJ's boneheaded plays that exemplify an appalling lack-of-BIQ, about Mace's off-rhythm madness. I'm this close to cursing the rookie wall Blair hasn't been able to break through like the Leviathan I know he is. Why bitch and moan after such a good win, though?
Let's focus on the Magic instead. Now, I'm wary of drawing conclusions from a single game, so take this with a grain of salt the size of Blair's momentous derrière.
During the first quarter Popovich was ejected from the game. It was during a timeout, so it's not clear what happened. For all I know the ref might've just told Pop that pinot noirs were perfect for sangrias - or it could've been the many ticky-tacky fouls called in that first half. Regardless, number one assistant coach Mike Budenholzer was forced to man the ship, and considering his record this season (0-1) we all were nervous about the outcome. I'd like to publicly apologize to Mike, because Pop's absence wasn't noticed tonight, and he didn't outsmart himself with the rotations. Most importantly, during the fourth quarter Coach Bud took a ballsy decision that paid off: Hack-a-Dwight. Superman was 1-2 in both of his trips to the line, but it was a perfect call to frustrate Dwight and stop any possibility of a Magic comeback.
How can the Magic keep this from happening in the playoffs? I fully expect the NBA to take notice of how effective Hack-a-Shaq was in the past to disrupt the Suns' offense, and how psychologically weak Dwight looked tonight. We'll see if the young center has it in him to avoid that stigma.
Another low point for Orlando tonight has to be Vince Carter. As good as Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis looked tonight, as we are used to see from them, Vinsanity looked pedestrian and slow. Vince was brought to the Magic as the missing piece in their championship machine, replacing Turkoglu, the team's best closer. And yet there wasn't one moment tonight when Carter showed any sort of ability to singlehandedly turn a game around, as the Turkish wonder showed last season. The spark just wasn't there. Considering Carter's numbers are down across the board from his career averages, I can't help but wonder if this virtual trade wasn't fool's gold. His numbers in March were good, though, so as I said, I might be off here.
Your Three Stars
- 3rd. Bonner: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and the testicular fortitude to ignore his limitations and take it to the rack. Even though he wasn't as accurate as I would've liked, he made things happen for the Spurs.
- 2nd. Duncan: 23 points in 10-12 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 24 minutes. Neither Gortat nor Dwight could stop him once the referees unleashed him.
- 1st. Ginobili: 43 points, 14-17 at the line, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 35 minutes, my heart. Re-sign him now.
Oh, and By The Way
Hipuks has this to add:
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People focused too much on that NJ game. As I mentioned, that game doesn’t matter in hindsight if they continued their stronger play of late.
Hill gets lost in the great play by the others, but he had 9 assists and 1 turnover. He still made an impact even without scoring. He’s learning quickly!
And RJ didn’t score a lot, but he was big in that 3rd quarter push. He was aggressive (helped put pressure on Howard) even though he wasn’t successful at getting to the basket in the 1st quarter. +11 for him. He did have some mishaps, though. But he was more good than bad.
Also, props to McDyess. He was solid. +13 for him.
Oh and Timmy had his 1st 20 point game in ages.
23 pts in 24:05 minutes on 10-12 shooting. 3-3 from FT and 8 rebounds.
If the Spurs had won those last two gimme’s of the RRT and that @ NJ, we’d be a half a game back on Dallas with one game left against them owning the the next two tiebreakers. It might not matter in the long run, but those three losses cost us home court.
Although, if the Spurs had won those two from the RTT, Pop likely would have just sat Duncan out of the NJ game since he would have more latitude to absorb losses. We saw in this game how much rest has helped Duncan. I almost wish Pop just sat Duncan that full game since Manu was already out. Heck, I would have hoped he’d sit Hill out more of the game limiting him to around 25ish minutes, since he’s hitting that 1st/2nd year wall.
I have no idea what wall you are talking about Hill hitting. I completely agree about Duncan in NJ though. The reason why Duncan wasn’t benched was because that win was deemed necessary….and we fucked up and lost it. I wish we had matched New Jersey’s hustle and intensity by playing Ian. That sends a completely different message.
A year ago, Hill totaled 1,270 minutes in 77 games, a significant uptick from his workload in college. This season, Hill has topped that number by almost 1,000 minutes, and the odometer is still rolling.
That so-called "rookie wall" everyone warned him about last season?
"I feel like I hit it this season," Hill said.
.
MYSA – from a few days ago.
I personally haven’t seen noticed Hill hitting a wall, but I tend to miss a lot of things in life. If he is then he does a hell of a job hiding it.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
There’s a bunch of those. How about blowing a 4th quarter lead @Portland to start the RRT when Roy was out? Or the 13 point lead when we lost at home to Dallas? That one is a two game swing and tiebreaker. Add up the late lost leads @ATL, @CLE and @NJ and you need only pick a few of those to have us competing for or leading the way for the #2 seed.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
It’s frustrating, but the Spurs weren’t fully where they are now back then. Too many variables this season and it did not come together until late. Having said that, it’s not fully together since Parker is out while they are winning.
This season has never had all the blocks in the same place. Sucks so much. Post season can make up for some of the hair puling nights this year. Also, next season does look a lot more promising (if Manu is back) with the pieces they look to be adding.
by grego21 on Apr 3, 2010 5:30 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It will be interesting to see what Pop does when Parker comes back. I would like to see him coming off the bench in what used to be Ginobli’s role. His ability to penetrate would help out shooters like bonner and bogans and it gives the second unit the same scoring that Manu would provide.
by Ohio Spurs Fan on Apr 3, 2010 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions
i didn’t care about the NJ game, but it made me mad. pop kept jacking around with the lineup, kept playing scrubs, then the game was out of hand in the end. in no way was it representative of how the team is playing, i was just upset that the loss made it harder to get to the #4 position.
dave mcnulla
spurs fan
Losing to NJ was an unacceptable loss for any team, even though they are on a bit of a roll, the game should not have come down to turnover with 7 seconds left.
by Ohio Spurs Fan on Apr 3, 2010 11:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Good article LatinD. Btw RJ’s BIQ will increase, it already has. The turnovers off dribbling his foot , i have faith he will learn from these mistakes. He already has shown improvement since the start of the season with agression, his drives, rebounding, defense, and passing (two manu like assists to blair in the last few games). RMJ – last year until the playoffs he played very well. Dallas was able to key in on him, Bonner, and Finley last year. Now with a much deeper team, RMJ still CAN regain his shooting stroke. What’s worrying is he seems to have lost confidence and or is very unhappy with so little playing time. But the best for him and us is for him to keep practicing shooting cause that comes back.
On the state of the Spurs, other than fatigue and injury (which I have optimism tony can overcome) this spurs IS looking like the spurs that i envisioned. The things i would gripe about is too little time for Ian, who rebounds and scores reasonably well, in his limited minutes. Furthermore he is able to use his size to alter shots. He has massive potential and needs confidence. Also, i still can’t help but gripe that we gave Theo away. He would have been useful, in my opinion, against LA, the Magic etc.
But i’m thankful for what we have which is a Spurs team getting much much better, and definitely able to pull upsets to the power of x.
Regan
To grego21,
Was that NJ overemphasized? It was embraressing in that its the league’s worst team and showed a Spurs team that underestimated their opponennt when they needed wins. Tim looked tired which was worrying but tonight he showed that with rest, he is again Tim Duncan. whoopie.
NJ was also worrying because it showed a game where without Manu, the Spurs were unable to beat NJ. Albeit, on a back to back, which cant be underemphasized.
But yes, that game was an anomaly that we are improving in the big picture. The Spurs always learn from their mistakes and the silver lining from that game was that they learnt from that game too.
Click on “reply” at the bottom of his post. You don’t need to type “to grego”.
I smell death... everywhere.
Well, Hill and Blair are hitting the wall. Although Hill is a 2nd year guy so its not as bad. He still has found ways to contribute more. Duncan needs rest. If Parker was back already, Duncan probably would have sat out that NJ game.
As I’ve said after the NJ game, would you rather lose to Orlando or NJ? One game proves something, one does not. The right game was won between the two. Heck, if the Spurs beat the Lakers, then that NJ game shouldn’t even be brought up as embarrassing as it is to lose to a horrid team.
Now to defend the Nets. They have talent (some of which has been injured). They also have some pride and don’t want to go down as the worst team in the league.
Is Hill setting a career high in scoring and keying our defense in the game before this one not hitting the wall “as bad” as Blair?
In the regular season, a win is a win. A game (not a win) against a good team is more valuable than a game against a bad team. They are valuable because you can scout them for future playoff matches and test your lineups. You must also protect and hide your own strategies. The main things to gain from games against shitty teams are wins and momentum. NJ was a lose and could have slowed our momentum. It did cost us any chance of catching Dallas and getting home court in the first round though.
Well, Hill’s in his 2nd year. He’s a little more prepared for “the wall.” The big problem is Hill’s responsibility has ramped up tenfold. Blair’s in his first year, so I expect that. Spurs look like they’ve done a decent job managing Blair’s minutes at least.
It’s hard to say how they would handle Hill if Parker was back. At the very least, he’d probably have a chance to rest a few more minutes a game and help balance out Manu’s minutes.
A win is a win and a loss is a loss. However, at this point, momentum/confidence is key. Spurs look like they carry that confidence and momentum that they so desperately looked for all season. They’ve showed up for nearly every game. The Lakers game was only a half of it. Although if Duncan (having had a chance to rest more before this game) and Parker were around it could have been a different story.
As I mentioned in the other reply to you, if Spurs had won those two RTT games, Pop likely would have sat the guys more during this tough stretch since he had some losses to give up. No guarantee, but we can see that rest really benefits Duncan.
I’m not sure we would have rested them more seeing how tight the west is. I mean we would be battling for the 2 seed and home court in the first two rounds of the playoffs if we got those wins. Not only is that big for the team, but that is a lot of money for Holt to get more playoffs games in SA.
Pop’s plan was to rest Duncan. If Parker had not gone down, Duncan would have sat out a few games. It’s hard to speculate how things would be different.
I mean we could also argue, if they gelled at the normal time, they would also be in the 2nd or 3rd seed. It really just matters how well the team goes into the post season more than anything. That’s probably why Pop would do the resting.
Obviously Pop would have to play it smart on rest vs. position though.
that “rookie’s wall” thing is a cliche I hate. No one even knows exactly what that is. Supposedly rookies are not used to a 82 grueling season, but how the hell do they endure it a year later? (or dont, a lot of sophomores get worse). To me is just a matter of other teams learning more about those rookies, so they know what to expect and how to play against them. And maybe a season later the rookies learn how to counter
.
Think about dejuan. At the start of the season the only thing the 29 teams not named spurs the only thing that knew about him was that “he gets a lot of rebounds LOL”…..but now they know he is very limited defensively, and to make matters worse he is a rookie learning a complicated system. Now they also know that is not only a “brute force”, that he can make very acrobatic layups……..
I just hate cliches, specially sport ones
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
A year ago, Hill totaled 1,270 minutes in 77 games, a significant uptick from his workload in college. This season, Hill has topped that number by almost 1,000 minutes, and the odometer is still rolling.
That so-called “rookie wall” everyone warned him about last season?
“I feel like I hit it this season,” Hill said.
Blair never played more than 37 games in his two college seasons at Pittsburgh, and never logged more than 972 minutes. This season, he’s totaled 1,352.
"I thought he hit a wall a couple weeks ago, but he’s come out of it," Popovich said. "I think he’s starting to regenerate."
Blair is averaging 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds, good for a rookie role player, but was up and down in March. Popovich practically had to drag Blair from a March 5 win over New Orleans, when the big rookie could barely make it up the floor near the end of his 32-minute outing.
"I definitely felt it," Blair said. "Now I’m back to myself. I know what to expect now."
its all about a player not having the condition to endure a season. It has nothing to do with being a rookie.
HIll has never hit anything, he has never looked tired in his two seasons as a spur, and he is looking great now, playing his best ball since parker went down.
I expect Dejuan to have trouble playing big minutes in all his career. He has a heavy body and no ACLS
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
Yeah, because Hill is lying. Right….
He’s playing a lot more minutes than he ever has and does a lot on the floor especially now that Parker is out and it is all on Manu and him to make sure the ball moves on the floor.
He just said like “yes, im being more tired now”. But HIll played as many minutes as Dejauan as a rookie and he never hit any rookie wall. AGain, its not about being a rookie, it just depends on the player. In fact, there are a lot of rookies that start to play better the 2nd half of the season
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
“He’s starting to regenerate” is he?
Good thing that’s a skill he’s only recently learned. He never would have fallen to us if he’d regenerated his ACLs back in the day.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
He chose not to regenerate his ACLs. Don’t question the beasts’ master plan. It’s unravelling before our eyes.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
I would apologize, but right now Manu and Tim are the only players that have earned that kind of unquestioning loyalty from me.
Blair, for all of his beastliness, is still just a rookie. His body has proved its worth, but the rest of him is still untested.
I need to see him perform in the postseason before I can learn to believe that he has a master plan without being able to see it.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
That’s a fair point. Loyalty is earned where memories are made: Playoffs. A few of our biggest performers have moved on (Bowen, Finley, Horry) so I have wondered who the new clutch people will be. To advance we’ll certainly need Blair, Hill and even the ’09 disappointments of Mason and Bonner to contribute clutch game changing/winning plays.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Well, at least it appears you’ve forgiven yourself.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed. - CMoney
The comments section of that post was so cathartic, and everyone’s advice was so effective, that I was able to move on confident, effulgent and belligerent.
I guess it’s nice to know that I do have it in me to forgive someone for something as earth-shatteringly awful as what I did that night.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
The rookie wall might be over used but it’s still a real factor. You can train as much as you want but nothing can simulate an NBA season and until you’ve got a full one under your belt you are going to hit a wall.
Obviously I have never played in the NBA but I felt the same way you do about The Wall in marathons untill I started running them myself. I felt like if I train enough then I should just blow by this imaginary wall. But then your body starts to shut down and tell you, “listen, you’ve gone too far.” It is then up to your mind to convince your body that more can be endured. And thus, the break through.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
You’ve run a marathon? Kudos.
My knee rebelled last time a just went for a neighborhood jog. I’m quite displeased.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
“Neighborhood jog?” Actually, that’s amazing. Congrats. Last time I walked upstairs I nearly passed out.
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Apr 3, 2010 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions
That game had no Manu, no Tony, a tired Timmy and RMJ (who was finally hitting shots) go out early with an injury. On a back to back. They ran out of ball handlers and guys that could create their own shot. Plus the missed FTs. I don’t think they took NJ lightly, I think they had an injury driven fluke game
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Good point too. Taking into account that Tony may need time to get his legs and touch back ,and mesh into a team that has grown in his absence….it may behoove the Spurs to run into someone soft in the 1st round, then face the best teams later.
Incidentally , the Mavericks are now the number 2 seed and Utah has fallen all the way to 4th..
Crappy teams fear us !
Dallas and Phoenix have identical records.
→If Spurs hold 7th and Phoenix can pass Dallas, Spurs would see Phoenix.
→If Spurs can get to 6th seed and Phoenix holds the 3rd seed, Spurs would see Phoenix.
Spurs hold the tie break with OKC (6th spot currently). OKC/Dallas (@ Dallas) play this weekend.
If Dallas and Phoenix lose on Saturday night with Denver winning, there will be four teams in the West with identical records (seeds 2-5) with OKC one back in the loss column, Spurs 2 back. There’s still no telling where everyone will end up.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
And Spurs play both Dallas and Phoenix. Although the Dallas game will likely be a game where Spurs rest. I doubt Pop will push on that game. It’ll be interesting how that game is played (depending upon where Dallas is and SA).
That final game should certainly be about whether we need it, but I think Pop should rest Timmy and limit Manu in the prior game (MIN). Then whatever minutes Timmy plays @DAL would still make that his only game action in the seven day stretch before the playoffs begin. Tony should also see some minutes in the Minnesota and Dallas games which would help in limiting Manu and Hill’s minutes and ball handling responsibility.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
the team didn’t become much better, Ginobili’s play improved so much and made the difference. RJ is still trying, RMJ absent, Bonner unreliable and Blair playing much less.
If the team hasn’t become better, then they would be beating these teams. Manu is the leader of the turnaround, but you are overlooking the play of others and the Spurs improved team defense if you think otherwise.
RJ has improved and is much more consistent in the effort area. He’s definitely showing more confidence and has improved, even if it’s not always in consistent scoring. Do I want more from him? Yes, but he’s making an effort now and it has shown.
Bonner, is a role player. He’s a slightly above one. Those guys will never give you a consistent scorer every night. He’s more good than bad.
Bonner games in March: 47.1% fg, 38.6% 3pt, 8.7 ppg
RMJ was an ass for not bringing up his injury. I’ve never really liked him (and that includes last season too) . He’s a streaky guy.
It doesn’t help that they are minus a star, but the Spurs bench definitely has something there. The pieces need some fixing/more versatility for next season, but they aren’t that bad this season either, aside from lack of bigs.
I can see it already in one of those crucial games… nothing is going for us. But for one game Mason pulls a Kerr/Finley and breaks the record for 3 pointers in a game. We never see him again.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
to break the 3-point record, wouldn’t he be pulling a capt. jack? didn’t he have 11 in a single game for us?
He had 8 in a regular season game and a couple of 5 3pt games in the playoffs.
Kerr had an amazing 4/4 3pt game in the playoffs
Finley had an awesome 8 three pointer game in the playoffs and another 5 three pointer game in the playoffs as well.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
I’m thinking that there are no soft someones for the Spurs to run into in the Western Conference Playoffs.
You have different ideas?
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
Denver – soft minded (outside of Chauncy)/low bball IQ
Phoenix – no defense. They have their games, but over a full series, offense alone won’t get it done.
Utah is the least soft. They’ll leave you black and blue after a 7 gamer.
Exactly. To add to your list, Dallas is notoriously soft too. I think Butler makes them softer than having Howard too. Last year was about Manu and Duncan and less about the Mavs.
Denver is also soft without Kenyon Martin. He might be back for the playoffs but might be out of rhythm.
Yeah, should have mentioned Dallas. They would be a decent team for Parker to come back to and try to earn back his rhythm.
Phoenix would be the most ideal followed by Denver (since Kenyon isn’t supposed to be back until mid April).
What the $*&%)& do you guys mean by soft? The Spurs without Gino are soft. They lost do Dallas last year. Houston is soft because they did not make the playoffs. Can you please explain?
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
I think Butler makes them softer than having Howard
Sorry, but that’s a negative my friend. Butler is one of the toughest dudes in the league. I mean he chews on straws before the game, what more do you need? He’s was on the Wizards so you never really got a chance to see it since they make the playoffs like once every ten years.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
I do worry about Terry taking a swing for one of the Spurs’ nether regions. He seems to love hitting the Spurs down there.
Oh crap, and now they have a straw chewer!
Phoenix is actually trying on defense ever since Robin Lopez was introduced to the starting lineup. They’re not the Baltimore Ravens by any means, but they’re playing closer to a traditional style. They’ve won 10 in a row if I’m not mistaken.
The Suns are on a 10 game winning streak, it’s true.
And the Baltimore Ravens are undefeated since at least February! We wouldn’t want to see them in the playoffs; I guarantee you that.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
Robin Lopez has missed the last 4 wins for PHX and is out for 4 more games. He hasn’t played over 23 minutes in two weeks for them. They gave up 105 points in the first three wins without him.
He’s played good minutes in a lot of their games where they bled points though. He’s also played under 20 minutes when they’ve held teams defensively.
During the first quarter Popovich was ejected from the game. It was during a timeout, so it’s not clear what happened.
Per ESPN:
Official Tony Brown ejected him just before halftime while Popovich — who picked up his first technical arguing Duncan’s early fouls — protested that Ginobili deserved a foul shot after being bumped by Howard on a jumper.
Another snippet from the same article:
Howard said he was frustrated by the Hack-a-Howard game plan.
“My mind wasn’t on the free throws. It was on the coach for the intentional fouls,” Howard said. “Really upset about that.”
Howard was 2 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. One fan behind the Magic bench who heckled Howard to “Work on your free throws!” was removed from the arena after Howard said he continued to shout as other Magic players told the man to calm down.
“Sometimes people can take it too far,” Howard said. “It’s a great thing to have fans come to the game, but once you attack somebody personally, guys sometimes take that serious, especially after a frustrating night.”
Howard’s night ended by fouling out with 3:06 remaining.
Fittingly, it was Ginobili who drew the foul.
by ojsimpsondidit on Apr 3, 2010 12:44 AM CDT up reply actions
"My mind wasn’t on the free throws. It was on the coach for the intentional fouls," Howard said. "Really upset about that."
If only there was some way for him to defeat that…One way in which the strategy wouldn’t work…Some recourse for him to show the coach he had made a bad decision.
Well, beats me.
To serve man.
Gustatus similis pullus.
If it’s going to irk him, then its especially a good move. It means the next time they do it, he’ll be focused on “why did the coach do that?” rather than focusing on making the free throws.
Other teams that face Orlando should do that to him in the post season if it’s going to pull him out of the game enough.
You’re right. He showed a mentally unfocused side of himself tonight that Boston and/or Cleveland will prepare to use come playoff time. Not a smart move by Howard. And to think people were saying he was superior to Duncan before the game.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Shouting “Work on your free throws” is a personal attack? hahaha, what a baby.
"He was just a young skinny guy who looked like a winner. We didn’t know he was going to be as good as he is."
—Popovich on Manu Ginobili
that’s what I was thinking…..now, I get why Adonal Foyle and his team had to ask him to be a leader and stop immaturely joking around all the time…how is Ewing supposed to coach him if he can’t tell him what he needs to work on to not cost the Magic games without offending him???
how is Ewing supposed to coach him
Well, first he’d have to have good advice to give. Like maybe about how to come through in the clutch and not blow game winning layups that cost your team a trip to the Finals.
Or maybe it’s one of those, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t…” kind of things.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
As I saw it from across the court, that was not all the fan was yelling. He kept it up for some time and several Magic players were becoming agitated with him. The NBA does not want another player/fan fight ala Ron Artest.
One fan behind the Magic bench who heckled Howard to "Work on your free throws!" was removed from the arena after Howard said he continued to shout as other Magic players told the man to calm down.
OH MY GOD! USA players wouldnt last one game on one arena here…. A FAN WAS REMOVED FROM THE ARENA JUST FOR SHOUTING “WORK YOUR FREE THROWS”?!?!?!??!?!?!?
Seriously, grow a pair NBA
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
He was likely drunk and shouting a lot more. You should have respect to some degree for the place you are at, even if they are an opponent.
I don’t agree with all of the NBA’s recent rules, but I’m fine with that decision.
Here all the fans insult other players, and when i say insullt im talking abour mothers, sisters, looks, everything. And when it doesnt get violent, im fine with it. Its about passion, about making your team feel at home and the oponnent feel like they are playing in HELL.
Have you wondered why Manu is ICE COLD while playing on a so called “NBA hostile enviroment” on a road game? Because for him, who played here in Argentina and in Europe, the nba crowds are a joke. Even if stadiums are larger and can allow like 5 or 10 times more people, even if only the home team fans get to the game, still they are not even a 1/10 of the composition of noise/insults/cheering of a typical baskbetball crowd from other parts of the world (specially countries from south america and europeans like the turks or greeks)
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
Lived in Greece for awhile, and I have to agree with this assessment. Us Americans know NOTHING about “hostile environments” in sports. Other countries get straight up brutal with the heckling.
Then again, in a league where a player on the bench can be ejected for laughing at the wrong moment, this isn’t all that surprising.
"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas." -Davy Crockett
"Give me an army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win a war." -Gen. George S. Patton
Stories about players who worked in Greece are somewhere between hilarious and disturbing. They’ve got drunken locals setting off flares during games, finding players where they live and defacing their property, challenging them to fights during timeouts. They care too much.
They care too much.
100% agree. Different culture, different rules.
I wouldn’t take any of my kids into an environment like the one you’re talking about. The NBA wants to stay fan friendly and family friendly. If that means that the home crowd isn’t able to make the opposing bench feel like they’re playing in HELL, then I’m betting Stern is fine with that.
And on this one, I agree with him.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
I never said it’s not worse in foreign leagues. Doesn’t mean it should be tolerated, like players getting batteries thrown at them or worse.
Is Manu himself because of that? Or is it just because he’s also had that desire, even as a kid. There are many guys who have come over from playing in the foreign leagues that have that type of experience. There is only one Manu. So Manu is a product of a bunch of things, and not the sole experience of the crazier environments overseas.
Dont fans of Argentianian clubes also occasionally shoot each other? Maybe if they toned down the insults in the stadium this things would not happen. I think a level of civility should be kept in the stadium.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
Agreed. There should be a level of civility preserved in the stadium.
Guns are so uncouth. Switchblades are far more classy and they don’t make quite the mess of a firearm.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
I saw that play and Ginobili was definitely fouled. Pop was already ticked off about the touch foul Duncan recieved previously
Crappy teams fear us !
Hawks
“How good remains to be seen, but after convincing wins against the Celtics, the Hawks, the Cavaliers and now the Magic, you have to like their chances in an eventual NBA Finals.”
Hmmm.. Didn’t we LOSE to the Hawks in OT? Please correct me if I’m wrong…
It’s ok. There was a game we won against ATL, the game before that game against ATL that we won convincingly.
by ReganRahardja on Apr 3, 2010 2:25 AM CDT up reply actions
Some Thoughts
- I got good seats to the Houston game, and Mason’s finger splint is nasty. He had a couple bad passes/dribbles tonight which could have been caused by it, but his game on the whole looks better to me. I have no idea how long he has to wear the thing though.
- Speaking of Houston, they win @ Boston tonight without Kevin Martin and Battier. We just beat that same lineup in convincing fashion. It makes us look kind of good unless you think it’s all Boston dropping an egg.
- RJ had some silly plays and didn’t take enough shots, but Manu and Duncan called their own numbers a lot. Hill also had a some good assists, but clearly wasn’t finding RJ open. I hate how he disappears some nights, but tonight might not have been entirely his fault when Manu clearly was carrying the team for TD’s foul trouble. He played good D on the night too.
- Bonner was excellent tonight. He was given extra burn to make up for Duncan’s ref situation. He helped Manu get the team to half with the game close enough for Duncan to make a difference in the second half. By the way, Duncan got to play 20 of the second half’s 24 minutes. My problem was that Bonner got isolated at the top of key and even outside the three point line a couple times and he really needed help that never came getting burned every time.
- Our last three wins are against teams over .500 and by an average margin of almost 17 points.
- Excellent write-up, LD.
I would argue the one RJ play where he bumbled the steal was still a positive. It’s almost like deflecting a pass and it going out of bounce. Better to stop the offense than not happen at all.
There was another play where Manu passed it too long. That definitely was not RJ’s fault.
There were a few times he drove and lost the ball which was frustrating though. Although, I’d rather see those than him settling for long shots. Ultimately he helped in 3rd quarter run because he tried to stay aggressive.
As far as Boston goes, it’s a combo of both. They are starting to suck a little bit more on the consistent side. They seem to not use their home court well these days.
Over the last 18 games (all March + Orlando game)
→ are 13-5
→averaging 102.7ppg
→opponents 94.6 ppg
→9-1 when they score 100+ (Atlanta the one game lost)
→Only 5 opponents scored over 100. 3-2 record for them.
Jefferson takes people on mood swings. His foul on a 3-pointer by Pietrus, dribbling the ball off his foot when he’s got the breakaway…but he was able to do some positive things against Howard on the pick-and-roll. It’s late in the season and there are times where it still seems like he’s pressing.
McDyess also got isolated against the point guards as well. Spurs were switching on almost every screen and that allowed a guard like Nelson to get into his comfort zones. On the opposite end, McDyess also had one of his better games in a while and the Spurs needed the help with Duncan in foul trouble.
Though his foul on Pietrus was bad (never foul a jump shooter!) I was happy that he closed on with such ferocity on a legit shooting threat that wasn’t his man. It spoke to how aggressive the entire team was on defense last night and determined they were to not allow wide open 3s.
RJ’s shooting stats were poor but in watching the game he missed a dunk and had a few aggressive drives where he missed but by driving he set up a teammate for a put back. He’s doing better there but is far better on defense which matters most to me. If he had played on defense and rebounding earlier as he has lately we’d have 2-3 more wins.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Yeah, you are dead on about the Pietrus 3. It also wasn’t a bullshit foul. RJ took him out. It was a tough physical foul, something we have been wanting to see from him and Bogans all season.
One thing I’ve noticed lately is that RJ will miss a dunk, and as I’m about to say “shit”, he gets a foul call 9 times out of 10.
Houston was missing Ariza as well as Martin and Battier (and of course Yao). Shooting 12-18 from 3 helps, though.
by doggydogworld on Apr 3, 2010 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
I didn’t see the game, but I’d be curious to know how good those looks were. Was Boston challenging Houston to beat them with the three? Was their team defense bad letting them get good three attempts? Was it just a lucky night for Houston? You know what I mean?
hope and faith their back soul and love coming in....
Timmy is the window, Manu is the frame and Tony is the missing person in that “family puzzle team picture”
i have hope again
thank you pls win against l.a. sacramento and others pls win your games!pls have 53 wins this season
and tim ur our foundation so pls strengthen our hope….pls winnn!!!!!
unfortunately i woke up at 11 and watched manu going out already and hill dribbling the ball out…but so what we won!
great black Saturday start for me!
anyways every prayer paid off
great holy week for us!
this preview is so great keep it up!
Resign this man.
One slight correction: Stick a hyphen in there (re-sign) – otherwise it implies that you want Manu to quit!
Brazilian to English translation FAIL.
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Apr 3, 2010 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions
dwight is a better ft shooter in playoff’s time
and that’s weird he didn’t have a single foul against the mavs and he had 6 against us!that’s big!
vince is not a big bust in orlando…he is playing well not that well tonight though
and for hedo..i think his a bust in toronto
i think vince should go back to toronto and hedo in orlando!
(wow that rhymes)
love the comic lol
anyways bonner,i really think his t floaters and “shyhooks” are accurate than his 3.
i mean its like this past 10 games i may have watched where he used it its like he only missed twice or thrice with those floater and “shyhooks” lol
i don’t know if my eyes or matt is fooling me!
lol
im thinking if tony was 6’10 he may have looked like bonner
and bonner at 6’2 would have married eva and have the patented tear drop
its just weird bonner is not a pf nor a center his a shooting gurad/point guard trap in a pf/center’s body
but seriously the way he runs his not even a pg
is their a position for guys who are just shooting threes floater and shyhooks?
shygurad?not that shy maybe if his with garnett(they had a fight when matty was in toronto…seriously i can’t find the video its on youtube nba fights i think)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FASClJTnJ4I&feature=PlayList&p=6A5220B285B3C42D&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=25
oh here it is,there at 3:19
I like Bonner, but I have a hard time understanding him too. I think that is why he might be so good for us.
Bonner is a guy who would do whatever to help the team and who never whines. And he seems to be working on his game constantly. I’m impressed to see how he adds to his arsenal constantly. He used to disappear on defensive end, but he became much more assertive recently. He played very good games against both Boston and Orlando.
Next season doesn't exist. Only today exists. So say we all.
Great recap, LD – like reliving the thrill of the game! Many native English speakers would envy your way with words…
Honestly. You kids today, with your hippity-hop music and your Twiddle. - Lauri
Pop tossed!
Popovich must have the patience of Jobe! The offficiating in the game was absolutely horrible. I wore the stripe shirt for 20 years and I’m absolutedly flabbergasted at how bad the NBA officials have become. They blow the whistle on anticipation of contact a lot. They miss big time fouls right under their noses and too many suffer from serious cases of rabbit ears. Against Orlando there were several uncalled fouls that reminded me of football tactics. Howard threw an elbow into Bonner’s face one time and the Red Rocket responded by wrapping up Howard who missed at the line. But the elbow was a flagrent one and should be put in the same category as a punch. Another time Howard used an elbow first forearm check that was in the same category. The referees were calling ticky-tacs on Duncan and letting Howard use blows on defense. But the Magic had some legitimate gripes too. The Spurs got away with a few hacks and grabs that looked like make-ups to me and Ginobli went to the line twice on invisible fouls. But this type of officiating has become the norm and it really needs to be cleaned up. If it isn’t then fans will begin to stay away from the games. What the officials will tend to do, which I see happening a lot, I have NBA League Pass…., is become full time homers. That hurts the game too. What say you all???
The crowd loudly shouted, at least twice during the game, “Ref, you suck!” The chanting was some of the loudest I have heard at AT&T Center, and it came from all over the arena, not just one or two sections. The atmosphere at the game was like it was a playoff game – the normally sedate Spurs fans were really behind the team.
the normally sedate Spurs fans were really behind the team.
Another reason we won
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
LD, your recap is like a leaning, one-handed, buzzer beating 3-pointer by Manu. Amazine, otstanding and abso-freaking-lutely brillian work!
I was not able to watch the game, but I’m ecstatic that we won. I’m hoping that me missing the Lakers game too brings about the same results.
by CapHill on Apr 3, 2010 9:40 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Way to do your part for the no-jo, Cap! Tho’ I hate to think the lack of female presence in last night’s thread influenced the outcome of the game!?!
Honestly. You kids today, with your hippity-hop music and your Twiddle. - Lauri
If it helps you feel better, the Q and I were screaming our asses off at the game. :)
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed. - CMoney
Was it WVATS who twiddled before the game that Manu didn’t seem well? Bet it was his SuperManu mask:D
Honestly. You kids today, with your hippity-hop music and your Twiddle. - Lauri
Wayne and I were watching Manu together during shootaround and he saw Manu grimace as he was stretching. I told him Manu always grimaces when he stretches. I did notice that he kept stretching his back. That is not something he has been doing a lot (usually it’s his quads and hamstrings that he stretches during the game), but it may be at the advice of trainers to keep his back from tightening up on him. He was walking a little stiff after his postgame on-court interview, though.
Thanks for your perspective, JA! Wayne also tweeted about Roger’s shoes…did you by chance get a foto?
Honestly. You kids today, with your hippity-hop music and your Twiddle. - Lauri
Good recap. Always encouraging to see the Spurs win when not shooting well. They did it by getting into the paint:
12-33 (36%) from outside
31-50 (62%) in the paint
Meanwhile Orlando shot a little better than the Spurs from outside and especially from 3, at 40% and 41.6% respectively. And like the Spurs, Orlando hit 60% of their shots in the paint. It was the mix that made the difference, The Spurs went into the paint for 50 shots vs. only 33 outside jumpers. Meanwhile, Orlando settled for jumpers 45 times vs. only 35 shots in the paint.
Great recap LD. I missed this one, but it sounds like things went well. I have to be honest, I don’t think any top team in the East can match up with a top team in the West.
by Big50 on Apr 3, 2010 11:21 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Anyone know the reasoning why the Spurs let
Theo Ratliff go? It is gonna hurt them in the playoffs when they go up against the big teams. Theo seems to be doing well in Charlotte, especially his defense. Very strange of the Spurs.
His blocks are nice, but they often (usually) come at the expense of the team defense which San Antonio’s system is built on. The Spurs kept him for as long as they needed to see whether he’d be able to come around, and they eventually parted ways.
His defensive #‘s look good in the box score, but watch his games and see how he’s accomplishing them. See how many times he leaves his man, only to see him get an easy basket.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
very much like Camby. i don’t know if Camby would have adjusted to SA’s system though.
just having fun...
by day_late_friend on Apr 3, 2010 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, whatever the case...
if they go up against the Lakers, they will be eaten up alive assuming Bynum is healthy unless Iahmini is a secret defensive gem that Pop is waiting to unveil during the playoffs. There is a good chance the Spurs will drop to 8th considering their tough last few games.
by inquisitiveman on Apr 3, 2010 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, they will be eaten alive, then they’re gonna cut that Laker gut from the inside and emerge victorious.
just having fun...
by day_late_friend on Apr 3, 2010 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
No photos of this game – still trying to master the action shots with the new camera. I did get some good shootaround photos and other rather still shots. You can check them out on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51600&id=1547353210&l=dc560e9f4f
My father was sitting 4 rows behind the Magic’s bench. He said that Howard is a head case. He said the guy was talking trash to the fans around him. He said at one point, he tried to go after someone in the stands. He said the guy that was thrown out said a lot more than, “Work on your freethrows.” The guy was apparently daring Howard to come into the stands for five minutes straight and the security guys finally kicked him out. He said he used a lot of words that would not be printed. At the end of the game, Howard lost it. He was throwing elbows at everyone nearby and the refs finally fouled him out. Hack a Howard is going to be used by everyone that the Magic play. This should be fun.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
"I mean, we really suck. Temple will beat the hell out of Cornell. Promise." -- Me
Hey to piggy back on what your father said about Dwight, I know someone who used to do security at the Staples Center and he said Dwight wasn’t the nicest guy, to put it gently. I took the guys comments with a grain of salt and never took much from it till now. I’m starting to believe Dwight puts on a bit of a show for the public, and maybe he’s not such a gentleman.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
I’m quite pleased at this win and the current run without Tony. It should not be lost on us how crucial a healthy Tony Parker is to our team, so doing this without him says more about the level of focus and effort from the guys playing than it does Tony’s worth. We very much need him and still have not yet hit our ceiling.
The defense was much better than the box score shows. A number of the Magic’s made 3s came off offensive boards where a shooter got open in the scramble for the rebound. We defended them better than last game and much better than last year’s game in SA. 44 second half points allowed.
Manu was awesome (duplicative statement) and Timmy was ticked off which was nice to see. His rest due to foul trouble may truly be a break in our favor. I must also commend the Red Rocket, who came in for TD and didn’t settle at the 3-point line. A team like Orlando seems to be a good matchup for him. I continue to be leased with the improved defense and aggressiveness of RJ even if it doesn’t always equate to points. He’s now doing what we need: score in double figures, rebound, play team defense and get a few assists.
LD – excellent recap.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Jesus, the stars standings are aligned just right.
Play Dallas in the 1st round, then winner of Utah/Denver, then Los Angeles ? Yes , pleeeeaaaase.
This would give Parker the time needed to blend into the teams newfound chemistry , and give Rogers pinky more time to heal.
Crappy teams fear us !
great stuff LD, but i’m leaving town 3-0. what was the spurs record on your trip? i might need to extend my stay for a couple of months at this rate………
We only had 8 turnovers in the game without our only true PG. That is really huge. Manu and TD, are main offensive focal points, had a reasonable 2 a piece. RJ, Dice, Hill, and Mason each had 1 a piece, also reasonable. Bonner played 30 minutes and took 14 shots without a TO. Good game for everyone. No player on the Spurs had more TO’s than assists.
Hill: 9 assists to 1 turnover.
Turnovers were our top reason for losing a lot of games early in the season.
Turnovers were our top reason for losing a lot of games early in the season.
So, so true. The lack of cohesion cost us numerous games, Tony’s injury and Manu’s slow starts aside. Just improving turnovers makes us a top team. Add in Manu returning to himself and Tony (eventually) being healthy, plus the improvement of Hill and this team is a legit top three team in the West regardless of what the playoff seedings say.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Phoenix is playing very well going into the playoffs…
I would actually be a little concerned to run into them if their defense wasnt still putrid after all these years…they rank 24th in defensive efficiency
Crappy teams fear us !
Their win streak is deceptive, only good wins came against Utah and Portland. Every other win came against scrub teams. The Suns don’t want to see the Spurs in the playoffs, won’t be good for them. In fact LA is the only team that I would be worried about in the playoffs
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
I worry about Utah. We lost all four games against them. Granted one of them came in the tail end of a back to back, one of them was without tony or manu and three of them where early in the season but still 4 wins against us are 4 wins.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
Great recap, LD. Magnifique! Makes me feel better after not having watched this one.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 3, 2010 9:31 PM CDT reply actions
dear sweet magical latin d,
While i find your writing fantastic, i am often left wondering….“what can this guy do for me?” I mean, i took you all around California….. ok, while that wasn’t me, it was someone who lived here. Can you recommend a hotel in Buenos Aires? My brother and his soon t be wife want to honey moon there (american for, go somewhere nice and see nothing.". While you may be wondering “what can this guy do for me” well i will tell you…..nothing, but i will send them with in and out 3×3?
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