We got ourselves a matinée today, on national television. Neither of those things are normally good signs for the silver and black. Can the Spurs overcome those kind of odds to get an important win against a (very) good team? Or will they fold like they did in their previous meeting with Denver? It would be really nice to salvage a .500 homestand and head into the Rodeo Road Trip™ on a 3-game win streak.
Seriously, a Spurs win today will make my upcoming road trip infinitely more enjoyable. Especially since I have to wake up early(before noon) on my damn vacation to catch the start of this game. I'm sure CapHill would really, really enjoy a win against her favorite NBA coach today, too.
You know who needs to have a big game for us to win tonight this morning?
That's right, the Beast needs to be extra-beastly today.
 Denver Nuggets @ San Antonio Spurs Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX When: January 31, 2010; 12:00 PM Spurs time Watch: ABC
How They Stack Up
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Matchups
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 George Hill Cue-bits |
Point Guard George has been kicking some ass since being put in the starting lineup, but Billups is the guy that makes the Nuggets go. Stats don't measure what he brings to this Denver team, unless you're talking about their win-loss record since his arrival. However, George could also have more of an impact on this game than meets the eye - with his defense. You know what they say, if you want to kill a snake, cut off the head. Also, Tony needs to dominate Fisher.
Advantage: Nuggets |
 Chauncey Billups Head of the snake |
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 Manu Ginobili DEL POTRO!!! |
Shooting Guard Bogans probably gets the start, and he can't afford to let Afflalo out of his sights. On the other end, Afflalo will probably be assigned to guard our $14M small forward at first, then switch to Manu once he enters the game. Advantage: Spurs |
 Arron Afflalo Underrated |
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 Richard Jefferson $14 Million Man |
Small Forward I don't feel the need to explain the white box, but I will say that RJ's defensive efforts as of late have not gone unnoticed. His reward? A matchup against the league's leading scorer. Perhaps it is small consolation that Melo's missed a few games with an ankle injury, but he is expected to play today. Make him work for it, Rage. Advantage: Nuggets |
 Carmelo Anthony 30 PPG |
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 Tim Duncan MVP candidate |
Power Forward Timmeh wins, end of story. Advantage: Spurs |
 Kenyon Martin Hot Lips |
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 Antonio McDyess SAM |
Center Dice has been playing well over the past 3 games, but he's physically outmatched here today. However, the mismatch here isn't as bad as Timmeh's advantage over K-Mart, and the bench should provide a major boost for the Spurs at this position(see below) as well.
Advantage: Nuggets |
 Nene Brazil's other big man |
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 DeJuan Blair Destroyer of Limbs |
Bench & Role Players Smith and Ty Lawson are incredibly dangerous... on offense. But the BAM still packs more punch than any other bench unit in the league, even with Hill starting. DeJuan is a matchup nightmare for the Nuggets, and I expect him to be ready to play some very productive minutes. Advantage: Spurs |
 JR Smith "Thuggets" Personified |
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 Gregg Popovich Wino |
CoachI'll let CapHill explain why Pop gets the nod. Advantage: Spurs |
 George Karl Assistant to Chauncey |
| images via yahoo.com | ||
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Other Factors
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Intangibles |
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Melo's back for them, but we're at home. Advantage: Tied |
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Mojo |
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The Spurs have won 2 games in a row against good teams. Denver got blown out by the Thunder on Friday night. Advantage: Spurs |
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Winner: |
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| Because I said so, damn it. | ||
Keys To The Game
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Strength of ScheduleBoth teams are coming off a day of rest after playing Friday night. But, the Moonmen are playing a SEGABABA tomorrow, while the Spurs next game isn't until Wednesday night's rodeo trip opener at Sacramento. Last Time They MetThe Spurs lost in their first meeting with Denver back in December, after giving up a lead they had held all game in the fourth quarter. A repeat of that performance would be most unwelcome. |
Some Other ReadingGrizzliesDenver Stiffs - This is the Nuggets' SBN home. There's some good stuff here, and you can probably expect a few of them to wander over here. Spurs48 Minutes of Hell: The best TrueHoop team blog is now even better, after adding two new writers. Congrats to Jesse and Andrew, who are already doing good work. |
Where to Tune In
TVThis game will be aired nationwide on ABC. If you have cable or satellite, you'll have to look up your individual channel. And of course, there's always League Pass for the haves. For the have nots, read on. OnlineI'm not aware of anywhere that this game will be streaming online, unless ESPN360 is going to carry it(not likely). Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to poundingtherockmail@yahoo.com for more assistance. NBA League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out. RadioIf you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). |