Pounding The Rock - Full Coverage: San Antonio Spurs at Boston CelticsFor all your Manu Ginobili loving and San Antonio Spurs newshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/12497/ptr-fv.jpg2014-02-13T10:01:09-06:00http://www.poundingtherock.com/rss/stream/51689172014-02-13T10:01:09-06:002014-02-13T10:01:09-06:00GIF Breakdown: Spurs at Celtics
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<figcaption>Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Spurs ended the East-Coast part of their Rodeo Road Trip with a win over the Celtics on Wednesday night, and there were lots of plays that deserve a second look. Here are nine of them. </p> <p><span>Boris Diaw</span> had a nice game against Boston finishing with 18 points on 12 shots, and here are the first two of the game. Boris goes to work against <span>Brandon Bass</span> and finds himself in the lane where he sinks a nice hook. He starts his move quickly and doesn't hesitate going into his shot at all, In fact, Boris shoots so quickly that Bass isn't even able to get off the floor at all. Diaw is dangerous when he's looking to score, as well as a ton of fun to watch.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3996881/boris_into_lane_hook.gif" class="photo" alt="Boris_into_lane_hook"><br id="1392271229013"></p>
<p><span>Tim Duncan</span>, great outlet passer that he is, secures a rebound and looks down the court to where Boris has leaked out to start a <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#OMFB" target="_blank">OMFB</a>. Duncan's pass leads Boris and he is aggressive immediately. 100 times out of 100 Boris should attack <span>Kelly Olynyk</span> if that's all that's between him and a bucket. That was too easy for Bobo, who gives a fake to his left before driving around Olynyk and finishing with a nice reverse-layup. Again, Diaw's defender can't even contest the shot.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/3996869/timmy_outlet_to_Boris.gif" class="photo" alt="Timmy_outlet_to_boris"><br id="1392271487385"></p>
<p>This is Shannon Brown's first dunk as a Spur. <span>Cory Joseph</span> grabs a loose ball and makes a little pass to Brown, who wastes no time showing off that big vertical he has. Not much Bayless could do there, and Shannon finishes with ease.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3996865/shannon_brown_dunk.gif" class="photo" alt="Shannon_brown_dunk"><br id="1392271721484"></p>
<p>Here we see Cory Joseph use a Boris screen (Diaw sets some of the best screens you'll see in the NBA) to work his way into the lane. CoJo loses <span>Kris Humphries</span> by stopping on a dime, spinning on his pivot foot to get some separation, and then gets a quick shot off before Humphries can get to it. Excellent stuff here from Cory that reminds me of <a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/2743655/Kawhi_stop-spins-LeBron.gif" target="_blank">this GIF of Kawhi Leonard</a> spinning LeBron James around in last year's Finals. It's almost like someone is teaching all of the Spurs the same moves, or something.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3996851/boris_screen_COJO_nice_movein_lane.gif" class="photo" alt="Boris_screen_cojo_nice_movein_lane"><br id="1392271851781"></p>
<p>Here Diaw is again featured again -- he really had a nice game. In this one Timmy makes a move through the lane, but the ball takes a tough bounce off of the rim. No problem, because Boris is there to grab the rebound and put the ball back up with some outrageous spin to get it to go. That's a pretty tough layup to make, and it's so great to have a guy that I feel confident can make it. Notice that it's the right spin to score the ball off the glass and/or the front of the rim.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3996845/tim_miss_boris_cleanup.gif" class="photo" alt="Tim_miss_boris_cleanup"><br id="1392272044046"></p>
<p>Here are two for the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> that pretty much sealed the game. Marco almost fakes himself out with a shot fake, his feet are as close to coming off of the ground as it's possible to be without actually travelling. He then drops off a fantastic bounce pass to Big Fun, who <i>just barely </i>gets enough out of some tired legs to throw down a one-hand jam. Pretty good stuff from the GOATPUFF. The bench, yeah, they like it.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3996837/marco_to_timmy_dunk.gif" class="photo" alt="Marco_to_timmy_dunk"><br id="1392272249946"></p>
<p>Let's watch Tim work his magic in the left block. Spin move, pump fake, up-and-around, before finally -- the bank shot. Classic Duncan.</p>
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<p><span>Marco Belinelli</span>, who had a fantastic game of his own - finishing just shy of a triple-double, finds <span>Danny Green</span> -- who has beaten the entire Celtic team in transition -- with a 60-foot outlet pass. Great vision and pass from the Italian, and Danny flushes the wide-open dunk.</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3996821/marco_to_danny_outlet.gif" class="photo" alt="Marco_to_danny_outlet"><br id="1392272651291"></p>
<p>We'll end this edition of GIF Breakdown with another Marco assist to Danny. Okay, maybe he wasn't trying to pass the ball to Danny (and he sure wasn't credited with an assist) as it was more of a desperation turn-around jumper as the shot clock was winding down. Danny's tracking it the whole way and finds himself in just the right position to catch it and put it back up in about half a second -- which was necessary as he let go of the ball just before the 24 second clock expired. Sometimes things break your way, and at this point in the game, things were breaking for the Spurs. Good win from the good guys going into the all-star break.</p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/13/5407340/gif-breakdown-spurs-at-celticsChris Itz2014-02-13T08:01:14-06:002014-02-13T08:01:14-06:00Rehash: Spurs head into the break with a win
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<figcaption>David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>It's okay to admit you're too angry with the Warriors and Wizards to enjoy this recap. Lord knows I was when I wrote it. </p> <p><b>Game 53 @Boston: Spurs 104, Celtics 92 Record: 38-15 1st in Southwest, 2nd in West Streak: W-1</b></p>
<p>The Celtics share their arena with the Boston Bruins, so maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise that on their last game before the much-needed All-Star break, the Spurs decided to play some hockey.</p>
<p>No, there were no fights or rough-housing or goonish fouls, nothing like that. It was a clean game from a physicality standpoint, even too clean at times with the home side clearing loafing.</p>
<p>What I mean is that if you didn't watch the game and just looked at the box score, you'd be misled into thinking this was another cliche "team win," for the Spurs, with five in double figures, led by Tim Duncan's 25. Sure, it looked pretty, with the Spurs pulling off a 50-40-90 slash line as a team and combining for just nine turnovers, and it's not like the Spurs played ugly, per se, what I saw was one of the most individualistic games of the season, with different Spurs attacking the Celts in shifts.</p>
<p>Boris Diaw got the game going with a couple of layups against Brandon Bass. Then, in the middle part of the first quarter, Marco Belinelli scored six straight for the good guys, to stretch the lead to 15-4. Toward the end of the period it was native New Englander Matt Bonner, with a runner and then an open three, to make it 23-14.</p>
<p>After a three minute stretch of ineptitude to begin the second, Patty Mills scorched the nets with 10 of the next 12 Spurs points, including a couple of threes, to keep the Spurs in the game. Diaw ended the half with a couple more layups.</p>
<p>The third quarter belonged to Tim Duncan, who had all of two points in the first 24 minutes but scored 11 of the Spurs first 16 after intermission.</p>
<p>Mills helped out with six of the Spurs next 12 points overlapping the third and fourth quarters and then it was Duncan again, with 10 of the next 12.</p>
<p>The common string through most of the carnage was Belinelli, with a brilliant all around game of 16 points, a career-high 11 boards and a career-high-tying 8 assists, and there were flashes of brilliance throughout, including a soaring dunk from Shannon Brown and perhaps the most acrobatic bucket of Danny Green's career, a sweet reverse lay-up putback that looked remarkably coordinated for a fella who seems to be good for one air-ball a night.</p>
<p>Still, it was hard to notice how many Spurs had these moments of mini hot-streaks throughout the game, as if the whole squad was just so tired and they could just muster these brief bursts of individual brilliance before passing the baton to the next guy.</p>
<p>Or maybe it was just how the Celtics defense set up or a coincidence. I can only imagine Pop's eye roll if I proposed the theory to him.</p>
<p>Whatever it was, the Spurs were able to go into the break without too much stress or drama and were able to do so without the services of Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. They'll now have six days off to take a breath and mend their wounds. Two of those gentlemen, if not three, figure to be in uniform by the time the Western leg of the Rodeo Road Trip tips off in Los Angeles next Tuesday. This has traditionally been the stretch of the regular season where Pop's teams come out roaring, before dialing it down in April prior to the playoffs.</p>
<p>I think what I'm trying to say is that while I appreciate the contributions of Nando De Colo, Matt Bonner, Jeff Ayres and Shannon Brown, I'm more than ready to see a lot less of them, and I think most Spurs fans feel the same.</p>
<p>However, I will add that Cory Joseph has really impressed me with his consistent play and effort on both ends of the floor over this past month and if any Spur deserves to stick in the rotation even with a full healthy squad, it's he, but I don't know how can work with Patty Mills also essential. Nonetheless, there's no doubt about it in my mind: Joseph is a legitimate NBA player and a quality backup point. I'd argue he's the tenth-best player on the team, and he's a lot closer to ninth than 11th.</p>
<p>Also, Joseph is from Canada, the home of hockey, and now we've come full circle.</p>
<p>(The Spurs aren't the only ones looking forward to the break.)</p>
<p><b>Standard Pop Quote:</b></p>
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<p><i>"He had a tough first half, he just had a tough first half, but in the second half he was a monster; he led the way for us. I thought our defense picked up pretty good, the guys were filling in for the injured guys, just giving it everything they got. They got loose balls and really worked hard. It was a good win for us on the road, we're real pleased with it."</i></p>
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<p>(Pleased, but <i>not</i> happy.)</p>
<p><b>By the Numbers:</b></p>
<p><b>17,922:</b> The paid attendance at the TD Garden, named, I assume, because the Celtics thought they were going to draft Tim Duncan in 1997. Oops.</p>
<p><b>50.0: </b>Spurs field goal percentage.</p>
<p><b>47.4:</b> Their three-point percentage (9-of-19).</p>
<p><b>92.9:</b> Their free-throw percentage (13-of-14).</p>
<p><b>9:</b> Their turnovers. Combine those four things and it all adds up to one of the Spurs cleanest offensive games of the season.</p>
<p><b>1-of-4: </b>Duncan's shooting line in the first half.</p>
<p><b>8-of-11:</b> His shooting line in the second half.</p>
<p><b>-15:</b> In 9:14 for Nando De Colo. Oh, Nando.</p>
<p><b>6:</b> Days before the next Spurs game. Thank God.</p>
<p><b>Sequence of the Game:</b></p>
<p>With the Celtics clawing within six at 85-79 with six minutes to go following Rondo's ridiculous transition three, Duncan silenced the crowd with a short turnaround banker and then, following a 3-point miss from Jeff Green, Belinelli found Danny Green for a breakaway dunk, thanks to Boston's awful transition defense, prompting a time out from coach Brad Stevens. Rondo missed his first three of the night following the time out, leading to two foul shots for Duncan on the other end and then another bad turnover for the Celtics led to two clear-path free throws for Joseph and the back-breaking three for Belinelli as the Spurs retained possession. Just like that it was 96-79 with four minutes to go and game over. That clear-path call was fortunate, by the way, and could've just as easily been called an offensive foul on Joseph, who initiated the contact in my view.</p>
<p><b>Tweets of the Night:</b></p>
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<p>Tim Duncan is older (April 25 1976) than Brad Stevens (October 22 1976) go figure.</p>
— Pounding the Rock (@poundingtherock) <a href="https://twitter.com/poundingtherock/statuses/433762175757209600">February 13, 2014</a>
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And way better at basketball.</p>
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<p>Gerald Wallace taking out of rhythm long twos. Try and convince me the Celtics aren’t tanking.</p>
— Pounding the Rock (@poundingtherock) <a href="https://twitter.com/poundingtherock/statuses/433765072540672000">February 13, 2014</a>
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P.J. Carlesimo said during the broadcast that Wallace did an excellent job for him last year in Brooklyn, which goes a long way toward explaining why P.J. was doing color commentary tonight.</p>
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<p>That Danny Green shot off the dribble in the corner was as disastrous a shot as you’ll ever see a Spur take.</p>
— Matthew R Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matthew_Tynan/statuses/433770600784347136">February 13, 2014</a>
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In a 35-way tie with 34 other Green shots.</p>
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<p>Can probably expected to get pounded by Drummond and Monroe with no Splitter. But Olynyk (10 pts) and Kris Humphries (eight)? Not so much.</p>
— Dan McCarney (@danmccarneysaen) <a href="https://twitter.com/danmccarneysaen/statuses/433772755847102464">February 13, 2014</a>
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Not sure why this is so surprising. Bigs who shoot long twos will thrive against the Spurs defense.</p>
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<p>oh come ON rondo.</p>
— Pounding the Rock (@poundingtherock) <a href="https://twitter.com/poundingtherock/statuses/433789379476086784">February 13, 2014</a>
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Pull-up threes in transition are shots you take when you just don't care. Or you're Patty Mills.</p>
<p><b style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Random Observation:</b></p>
<p>During the off-season I was all but certain that the Celtics would trade Rajon Rondo, figuring that he wouldn't want to stick around for a long-term rebuilding plan. However, Rondo was quoted as saying that he'd developed a fast friendship with new coach Brad Stevens and now, having observed him closely, not only do I not think that Rondo will be traded, but I believe he is fully aboard the team's strategy of tanking. Rondo's one of my favorite players in the league and I couldn't believe how out of it he was mentally in this game. Maybe his intensity waned because the challenge of facing Parker wasn't there for him, but to me Rondo, who's clearly not 100 percent physically yet as he recovers from an ACL tear, is using these games to experiment more than compete. Against the Spurs he never looked to go to the rim and hardly ever tried to make a play for a teammate. Instead, he just chucked up a bunch of threes, which he's been doing all year, I think, so he can have another weapon in his arsenal next season when he is fully healthy. Still, it was weird not seeing him set everyone up for a bunch of open looks.</p>
<p>Oh, also, before the game after the lineups were introduced, Duncan and Diaw were engaged in a bit of last-minute tactical discussion, but Mills kept playfully whacking Diaw on the arm repeatedly and chirping at him until finally Diaw just turned and yelled at him, "SHUT UP!" Who says the Spurs don't have any internal dramas?</p>
<p><b>Your Three Stars:</b></p>
<p><b>3) Boris Diaw (41 pts): </b>Got the Spurs off to a good start in the game and made Brandon Bass and Kelly Olynyk look positively silly at times --though the latter doesn't need much help there-- with his up-and-under fakes and twisting half-hooks. A Diaw who's hungry to score is a dangerous land mammal.</p>
<p><b>2) Tim Duncan (105 pts): </b>After a lackluster first half where he didn't do much, Duncan took it upon himself to make sure the Spurs went into the break on a good note, scoring 23 points after intermission on 8-of-11 and sealing off the paint from Boston's motley crew of bigs.</p>
<p><b>1. Marco Belinelli (34 pts): </b>16-11-8 for Rocky, the first Spur to flirt with a line like that besides David Robinson and The Big Three, though I suspect that Alvin Robertson may have done it a time or two in the 80's. Remarkably, not only did Belinelli <a href="http://stats.nba.com/playerGameLogs.html?PlayerID=201158&pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&Season=ALL&sortField=REB&sortOrder=DES">set a career-high with those 11 boards</a> (it was only the second double-double of his career), but he also <a href="http://stats.nba.com/playerGameLogs.html?PlayerID=201158&pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&Season=ALL&sortField=AST&sortOrder=DES">tied a career-high with eight assists</a>, which he'd previously set in the Spurs first meeting with the Wiz. Belinelli has played 412 regular season games in the league, not exactly a tiny sample size, and I'd have to think it's pretty rare for a guy to set career-highs in both rebounds and assists in the same game.</p>
<p><b>Up Next @Los Angeles Clippers (36-18), Tuesday, Feb. 18:</b> The Clips are about to tip off at home against Portland as I'm tappity-tapping away so that result is pending (Editor's Note: Clippers beat the Trailblazers 122-117), but their most recent game was a 45-point thumping of the hapless Brett Brown-led Sixers, in which they set a franchise record for margin of victory and led 46-15 after one quarter. They "only" shot 72 percent in that opening period, which seems a bit low for 46 points, so there had to have been quite a few threes and freebies in there, too. Blake Griffin is en fuego and became the first Clipper to score over 30 in three straight games before rout of Philly and he had 26 in that one and would've obviously gone over 30 if he played more. Also notable in that blowout was the return of Chris Paul, who finally made his way back into the lineup after missing a bunch of games with a sprained shoulder. The Spurs and Clips have traded home butt-whoopings against each other, with <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489236">Lob City winning 115-92 on Dec. 16</a> (Parker hurt his ankle in the third quarter and the Spurs had a season-high 22 turnovers) and the <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489367">Spurs returning the favor on Jan. 4</a> (Splitter had a season-high 22 but sprained his shoulder late in the third quarter) in a game where both Paul and J.J. Redick were out for L.A.</p>
<p>Last season, in much the same spot, where the Spurs struggled with some injury issues prior to the All-Star break (and post, as we'd discover), they opened eyes around the league with an emphatic <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278530">116-90 win at the Clips</a> a couple nights after action resumed around the league. Parker had 31 in that one and pretty much stole Paul's lunch money, to really get the "Is this guy an MVP candidate?" talk started. Well, among Spurs fans anyway. San Antonio didn't have Leonard in that game but did have everyone else, including Ginobili trying to round his way back into form after a hamstring injury kept him out awhile. It will likely be the same scenario this next game, with everyone but Leonard available. Hopefully we'll have deja vu in the game.</p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/13/5406962/rehash-shifty-spurs-pull-away-from-celtics-in-the-fourthAaronstampler2014-02-13T06:34:28-06:002014-02-13T06:34:28-06:00Game Links: Spurs at Celtics
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<figcaption>Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Right on time for the All-Star Break, Spurs earn a win and some R&R. Boston, on the other hand, gets an unfriendly reminder: Tim Duncan!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><a href="http://www.popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20140212&game=SASBOS">Game Flow</a> | <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/shotchart?gameId=400489653">Shot Chart</a></span></p>
<p>In <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/12/5407146/san-antonio-spurs-boston-celtics-recap-rodeo-road-trip">PtR’s Recap, J. Gomez</a> points out that <span>Tim Duncan</span> decided the <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> were going to win this one…and that’s that!</p>
<p>Coach Popovich talks about the Spurs bench, filling in for injured players, during this video interview: "<a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10447877&ex_cid=espnapi_public" style="background-color: #ffffff;">They give everything they’ve got.</a>"</p>
<p>More Pop: After watching Tim Duncan turn back the clock, Coach Pop went sci-fi with it-"<a href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2014/02/12/spurs-104-boston-92-duncan-turns-back-the-clock-again/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">He was a monster</a>".</p>
<p>Once again, Tim Duncan gives Boston fans a reminder of what they could have had. Check out this <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgUpmftCcAAzrB7.jpg" style="background-color: #ffffff;">shot chart</a> by halves.</p>
<p>Speaking of bad Boston memories…<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0lwhooquX1qgjs8go1_500.jpg" style="background-color: #ffffff;">The Dynasty That Wasn’t: </a> ‘Nuff Said!</p>
<p>Steve Bulpett, of the Boston Herald, goes with a familiar headline-<a href="http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/celtics_insider/2014/02/celtics_cant_handle_duncan_spurs" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Celtics can't handle Duncan, Spurs.</a></p>
<p>Coach Brad Stevens, commenting on an injured Spurs squad, considers this to be the "<a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140212/SASBOS/gameinfo.html?ls=slt" style="background-color: #ffffff;">most inspiring basketball I've ever watched</a>". Scroll down to the notes and see for yourself.</p>
<p>Chris Forsberg, of ESPN, thinks the <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4710886/rapid-reaction-spurs-104-celtics-92?ex_cid=espnapi_public" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Turning Point</a> of the game came a minute into the 4<sup>th</sup> Quarter. A healthy dose of Diaw, Patty and Timmy can do that.</p>
<p>Silver Lining Time: Tim MacLean, over at <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/2/12/5406670/cs-begin-all-star-break-after-a-loss-to-the-spurs" style="background-color: #ffffff;">CelticsBlog</a>, thinks their bench was the main reason the game was "<a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/2/12/5406670/cs-begin-all-star-break-after-a-loss-to-the-spurs" style="background-color: #ffffff;">as close as it was</a>".</p>
<p>As fans, we may be focused on the current injury epidemic. Kevin Erickson, of <a href="http://isportsweb.com/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">isportsweb</a> gives us a solid reminder of how Coach Popovich is <a href="http://isportsweb.com/2014/02/11/san-antonio-spurs-popovich-giving-role-players-valuable-experience-playoffs/">just preparing for the playoffs</a>.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Gerry Callahan offers Danny Ainge a friendly reminder: <a href="http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/gerry_callahan/2014/02/callahan_say_tanks_a_lot_danny_ainge" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Tanks A Lot</a>. The emphasis is on tanking.</p>
<p>As the Eastern Conf. Player of The Week<a href="http://www.projectspurs.com/2014-articles/february/duncan-dominates-second-half-leads-spurs-to-win-over-celtics.html" style="background-color: #ffffff;">, Jared Sullinger was averaging 20 points a game</a>. San Antonio held him to 4 points, on 2-9 shooting.</p>
<p>You know, this post felt like I was kicking dirt in Boston’s eye. We’ll end it on a high note: <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/2/12/5406252/bill-russell-turned-80-years-old-today" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Happy Birthday, to the great Bill Russell!</a></p>
<p>Up Next: The <a href="http://www.nba.com/news/as.game/2014-all-star-schedule/index.html" style="background-color: #ffffff;">NBA All-Star Game</a> of course! See you on the other side.</p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/13/5407388/game-links-spurs-at-celticsTrooperJoe732014-02-12T23:03:00-06:002014-02-12T23:03:00-06:00Spurs close first leg of their RRT with 104-92 win
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<p>The Spurs were clearly looking forward to the break but mustered enough focus to beat a rebuilding Celtic squad.</p> <p></p>
<p>This was an unsurprisingly strange game. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a> are not far away from the playoffs in the East but are clearly in a transitional period and winning doesn't exactly benefit them right now. Coach Brad Stevens has been doing a great job of developing their young players while getting Rondo back in the fold but the Cs are a couple of years away from relevancy.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> were missing arguably four of their top five players and came limping into the last game before the All-Star break. The Spurs needed the win after dropping a game in Detroit, which is, I'm assuming, the only reason <span>Tim Duncan</span> didn't sit next <span>Tony Parker</span> on that flight to San Antonio. Unless something went wrong, the Spurs were going to win this one. It didn't, fortunately, and the Spurs got their fourth win in their last six games on the road.</p>
<h3>The Game</h3>
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<p>The Spurs dominated early thanks to some stellar offensive play by <span>Marco Belinelli</span>. The Italian finished the opening quarter with nine points and five assists and generally salvaged a few Spurs' possessions by creating shots for others or converting tough looks. With Joseph starting, Pop moved Marco to the starting five and it paid off. The Spurs' defense was in control and only a couple of surprising <span>Rajon Rondo</span> three pointers allowed the Celtics to slowly erase an eleven point lead. After one, the Spurs led by six, 25-19</p>
<p>The second quarter saw the Spurs' bench struggle to contain their Celtic counterparts. Boston took the lead quickly after a 7-0 run and the teams would mostly trade buckets from their on out, with Mills and Diaw keeping the Spurs afloat. A buzzer-beating driving layup by <span>Jeff Green</span> cut the Spurs' lead to 48-44 at the half.</p>
<p>While it was the role players that were driving San Antonio's offense early, the second half belonged to Tim Duncan. Timmy scored 23 of his 25 points after the break on only eleven shots. Pop made looking for Timmy against <span>Kris Humphries</span> a priority and Duncan took advantage of the match up to first help the team withstand the Celtics' final push and then pull away.</p>
<p>After keeping the game close for three quarters, the Cs finally relented and the Spurs managed to get a double digit lead they would go on to manage en route to a 102-94 win. It wasn't pretty but it will do for now for the injury-ravaged Spurs.</p>
<h3>Observations</h3>
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<li>Rondo is taking more threes this season but we are still talking about a career 25% shooter going off for four threes on five attempts. The Spurs were sagging off him and he kept hitting shots, which kept an anemic Boston offense from completely falling apart. With Jeff Green and <span>Jared Sullinger</span> struggling mightily from the floor, the Celtics seemed doomed. But Rondo's uncharacteristically hot shooting, along with their great mid-range jumper accuracy as a team (15-29), kept them in it.</li>
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<li>Tim Duncan decided in the second half that the Spurs were to win this game and that was that. Facing a rebuilding team with a recovering star and with his own team missing very important cogs, Duncan was clearly the best player on the floor. And he played like it. I only have fading memories of watching Maradona on the pitch and I could only watch Michael Jordan play on the TV a few times a year here in Argentina. So I'm so glad I'm getting to witness Tim Duncan be this amazing at age 37.</li>
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<li>Marco Belinelli was two assists shy of a triple double, finishing the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. With Joseph starting, Pop was wise to also insert Marco into the starting five, to provide the play making the team would surely lack. Belinelli responded by starting out hot and helping Duncan and Green close the game out.</li>
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<li>The Spurs that did well were the ones you would expect to. After a couple of weeks with great performances by deep bench guys, it was he players that get minutes when everyone is healthy that came through. Belinelli, Diaw, Mills and Green combined for 57 points, 17 assists and 21 boards. The only outlier from the mop up crew was <span>Cory Joseph</span>, who put together a pretty great all around game, contributing 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.</li>
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<li> <span>Shannon Brown</span>, on his first game fresh off a new 10-day contract, played a little over 11 minutes, all in the second half after De Colo proved to be off. He still looks a bit lost out there but he got to dunk at the end of the third quarter... </li>
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<p align="center"><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/2057837/ibfh5IS7im5ZD6.gif"><img alt="Ibfh5is7im5zd6_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/2057837/ibfh5IS7im5ZD6_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p align="center"><i>GIF courtesy of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SanAntonioGiant" class="poster" target="_blank">SanAntonioGiant</a></i></p>
<p><br id="1392268579218"> ...and it was glorious. I doubt he gets his contract guaranteed for the rest of the season with Ginobili potentially returning soon. But it was not a bad gamble by the Spurs to sign him</p>
<p>The Spurs move to 38-15 and are 4-2 in the Rodeo Road Trip despite having most of their best players out with injury at one point or another. The next few games will be tough, as the Spurs will battle against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, Blazers and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Suns</a> after the All-Start break before finally returning to San Antonio for a three-game home stand. Let's hope everyone has healed by then.</p>
<p>For the opponent's perspective, visit <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a></p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/12/5407146/san-antonio-spurs-boston-celtics-recap-rodeo-road-tripJeje Gomez2014-02-12T21:46:24-06:002014-02-12T21:46:24-06:00Final Score: Spurs outlast Celtics, win 104-92
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<p>Marco Belinelli went all Larry Bird in Beantown, finishing just shy of a triple-double, and the Spurs blitzed the Celtics in the fourth quarter to enter All Star Weekend on a high note.</p> <p> </p>
<p><span>Marco Belinelli</span> nearly notched a triple double (16 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists) and <span>Tim Duncan</span> scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half to carry the banged-up <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> to a much-needed victory in their last game before the All Star break.</p>
<p>I'd begun to wonder about Marco's confidence going into the Three Point contest on Saturday. He's been in a prolonged slump but perhaps this performance against the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a> will light a fire.</p>
<p>The first half of this game featured a Spurs offense running through <span>Boris Diaw</span>. With Timmy still finding his rhythm, BoBo went to work, hitting outside jumpers and awkward hook shots with abandon. He finished the night with 18 points on 8-12 shooting. After two quarters, the Silver and Black were up 48-44.</p>
<p>There were several moments during the third quarter where the Spurs could have blown this game wide open if it weren't for some pretty decent outside shooting from the Celtics. Most notably, Rajon Rondo, who's a career sub-30% three point shooter, inexplicably hit 4-5 from downtown, finishing the game with 16 points. The C's also received impressive outings from Kris Humphries and the bountifully-coiffed rookie <span>Kelly Olynyk</span>, chipping in with 15 points apiece.</p>
<p>Up five heading into the fourth quarter, Timmy went to work down low, finally getting the bounces (and whistles) that had eluded him earlier. His resurgence opened up the perimeter for Marco, Cory Joseph (11 points) and Patty Mills (16) to operate and the Spurs opened up a double-digit advantage that they held safely through the final horn.</p>
<p>Your Spurs move to 38-15 on the Season. Next up are the high-flying <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> in L.A. on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Word is a certain Argentinian legend may be available after the All Star break. Could this be the game? Let's hope so.</p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/12/5406540/final-score-belinelli-fills-stat-sheet-as-spurs-beat-celtics-104-92Jake Middleton2014-02-12T02:00:59-06:002014-02-12T02:00:59-06:00Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Boston Celtics
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<p>The Spurs look to head into the All-Star break on a high note as they visit Boston to play the Celtics. </p> <div id="preview-wrapper">
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<h4><b>San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics</b></h4>
TD Garden House, Boston, MA<br>February 12, 2014, 6:30 PM Spurs Time<br> TV: FSSW - RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI</div>
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<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-146dfc9b-2468-56bc-f42a-5641bd4ea5d9"> </b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>It could be argued that the Spurs need the All-Star break more than any team in the league. Judging by the reactions on websites, Twitter and radio, Spurs fans fall under two categories: either you think this team will be fine once it gets healthy or you think this team is a candidate to get bounced out early in the playoffs because of its inability to stay healthy and beat the top teams in the league this year. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle because it is not a given that the injury-stricken Spurs get healthy at the right time. That is a lot of assuming for a team that has failed to be healthy for much of this season.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr">San Antonio sits at second in the West, despite losing to Detroit on Monday night in what might have been the ugliest loss for the Spurs this season. Without Tiago Splitter, <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> and <span>Manu Ginobili</span>, the <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pistons</a> bullied San Antonio throughout the contest, and head coach Gregg Popovich made his feelings about his team's performance well known at post-game press conferences. The Spurs have been beaten up and it is a testament to how good this organization is that it is still 37-15 on the season, but the Spurs showed true fatigue in the Detroit loss.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Luckily for them, there's just one last obstacle before a much-needed All-Star break and that is the Boston Celtics. Boston made it pretty clear what its intentions were heading into the season. Danny Ainge let <span>Doc Rivers</span> go to the Western Conference while also getting rid of stalwarts like <span>Paul Pierce</span> and Kevin Garnett. Boston brought in hot-shot college coach Brad Stephens, and despite a 19-34 record, its fans seem pretty happy with the job the coach ha done with this young and usually overmatched squad.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Boston isn't the most talented team on the offensive end, but Stephens has the group playing hard. That is seen in the fact that the Celtics are eighth in the league in points allowed and 15th in overall rebounding. Without Rajon Rondo for much of the season, Boston has struggled offensively in waves, averaging just 95.1 points per game, which is 25th overall. Rondo has been relatively pedestrian in his return, but he is under heavy minute restrictions as he gets back to full health. In his nine games this season, Rondo is averaging 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists to go along with a 14.4 PER.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The best player for the Celtics this year has been small forward Jeff Green, who erupted again in Boston's last game, a win over the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bucks</a>. Green is leading Boston with 16.6 points per game. The rest of the roster, while talented, is limited on the offensive end. Without Rondo to create for much of the season, the offensive load has fallen on Green and in moments he has looked like a guy that could compete for an All-Star spot. He's still the number-one option when Boston is in the half-court.</p>
<p dir="ltr">San Antonio won't have to worry about an injured Avery Bradley, but center Jared Sullinger is really hitting his stride in the lane. We just watched Detroit dominate on the glass and in the paint against the Spurs, so slowing down the junkyard-dog type production from Sullinger will be one of the keys to this game. Sullinger has started 38 of the 51 games he has played in, averaging over 13 points and eight rebounds a contest. His PER is 17.4.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rondo was rested the last time Boston played, but the Celtics have developed nice depth at the point guard position with Phil Pressey, who had 13 points and six assists in the win over Milwaukee. Rondo is expected to suit up against the Spurs and having Pressey come off of the bench makes a pretty poor Celtics second unit become a little more dangerous.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Guys like <span>Gerald Wallace</span>, Brandon Bass and Kelly Olynyk have provided quality minutes in the front court for Boston, but other than Jerryd Bayless, the Celtics second unit doesn't have much fire power off of the bench on the perimeter.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Matchup to watch: Rondo and Green are obvious choices here, but how well San Antonio does in keeping Sullinger and the other bigs off of the offensive glass will tell the story of this game, especially with Splitter out of the lineup. Sullinger wins with effort and the Spurs looked very flat in the paint against Detroit. Boston is no Detroit on the boards, but the effort will still need to improve.</p>
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<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 12px;"><b>Lineups</b></div>
<p><b>Starters</b><br><b>PG:</b> <span>Cory Joseph</span><br><b> SG:</b> <span>Nando De Colo</span><br><b> SF:</b> <span>Danny Green</span><br><b>PF:</b> <span>Tim Duncan</span><br><b>C:</b> <span>Jeff Ayres</span><br><br><b>Key Bench Players</b><br><span>Patty Mills</span><br><span>Boris Diaw</span><br><span>Marco Belinelli</span><br><br><b>Head Coach</b><br><span>Gregg Popovich</span></p>
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<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 12px;"><b>Lineups</b></div>
<p><b>Starters</b><br><b>PG:</b> <span>Rajon Rondo</span><br><b>SG:</b> <span>Avery Bradley</span><br><b>SF:</b> <span>Jeff Green</span><br><b>PF:</b> <span>Brandon Bass</span><br><b>C:</b> <span>Jared Sullinger</span><br><br><b>Key Bench Players</b><br><span>Kelly Olynyk</span><br><span>Kris Humphries</span><br><span>Jerryd Bayless</span></p>
<br><b>Head Coach</b><br><p><span>Brad Stevens</span></p>
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<p><br>Celtics perspective can be found here: <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a></p>
<p>Game Prediction: Spurs by 6.</p>
<p>Line in Vegas: Spurs by 3 1/2.</p>
<p>As always <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/pages/ptr-lexicon#tonydominatefisher" target="_blank">Tony must dominate Fisher</a>, and NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. 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.</p>
<p>Get your San Antonio Spurs tickets from Daniel Farias with Spurs Sports & Entertainment:</p>
<p>Tel: 210-444-5607 | <span>dfarias@attcenter.com</span></p>
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https://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/2/12/5403502/game-preview-san-antonio-spurs-at-boston-celticsMike Craven