San Antonio Spurs Blog – Page 39 – NBA Blog

Gregg Popovich concerned with play of Manu Ginobili

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Friday he is concerned about the ongoing struggles of guard Manu Ginobili.

“Of course I am,” he said. “He’s having a tough playoffs. He hasn’t found a rhythm or found his game yet. He’s obviously not as confident as usual. He knows full well he hasn’t performed the way he would like or the way he used to.”

But Popovich added: “It’s simplistic to say: ‘What are you going to do to get him going?’ He’s either going to get himself going or he won’t. He knows he has to play better for us to be successful.”

Ginobili scored five points on 1-for-5 shooting in 25 minutes in Game 4. He is averaging just 7.5 points in the series on 34.5 percent shooting, well below his regular-season numbers of 11.8 points and 42.5 percent accuracy.

“Yes, I am surprised,” said Ginobili, whose playoff averages have dipped to the lowest points since his rookie season in 2002-03 (10.6 points, 37.7 percent shooting).

“I wish I could score more, but it’s not happening. I have to do other stuff. … I don’t have to force the issue.”

Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

Gregg Popovich a man of few words in NBA Finals press conferences

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is known in NBA circles as a man of few words and the curt speaker has been in top form at this year’s Finals.

With media seeking sound bites during a two-day break in a best-of-seven series that is tied 2-2, the two-time NBA coach of the year was in no mood to deviate from his often hilarious style.

“I’d hate to be trite and say anything is possible. Your question demands my triteness,” Popovich told a news conference on Saturday when asked about his strategy for Sunday’s Game Five against the defending champion Miami Heat.

The crusty 64-year-old cut off another reporter mid-question when he was asked to offer his perspective on the state of the game of basketball.

“You’re not serious. You want me to talk about the state of the NBA?” Popovich replied.

Reported by Frank Pingue of the Associated Press

Tony Parker appreciates time to rest before NBA Finals Game 5

Tony Parker pushed his tender right hamstring as much as he possibly could in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and it will be hard to find a player in this series that needs the two days of rest before Game 5 more.

Parker had 15 points and nine assists in San Antonio’s 109-93 loss to the Miami Heat that evened the series at 2-2. But he was held scoreless in the second half as the Heat pulled away. Now he gets two full days for rest and treatment before the two teams play again on Sunday.

”It’s going to be huge for me,” Parker said after the game. ”Obviously, definitely got fatigued in the second half. Those two days I’m going to make sure I do a lot of treatment and get to 100 percent. Tonight I was not 100 percent. By Sunday, that’s my goal, to be good to go.”

Parker said after the game that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was hesitant to let him play after his star point guard tested it out in the morning shootaround and deemed himself ready to play. But Parker convinced his coach to let him start, and his strong play early sparked the Spurs before LeBron James and Dwyane Wade took over.

Reported by Jon Krawcyznski of the Associated Press

Heat beat Spurs 109-93, tie NBA Finals 2-2

Miami Heat owner Micky Arison had a message as he walked to the winning locker room.

”The death of the Big Three was overrated,” he said.

Sure was. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, his three prized players, are just fine.

So are the Heat’s championship hopes.

Riding big performances from their three All-Stars, the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 109-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night in Game 4…

James had 33 points and 11 rebounds after failing to break 20 points in any of the first three games of the series, and Wade scored 32 points, 11 more than his previous high this postseason.

Bosh matched his playoff high with 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, he and Wade supplying the baskets that finally put the Spurs away for good midway through the fourth quarter.

Three players, 85 points. Just the way the Heat envisioned it when they signed James and Bosh to play with Wade in 2010.

”When Bosh, Wade and James score the way they did tonight and shoot it the way they did tonight, a team is going to have a difficult time if you help them like we did,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

”When those guys are playing like that, you better be playing a perfect game.”

The Spurs weren’t, committing 19 turnovers that led to 23 points…

Tim Duncan scored 20 points for the Spurs, who have one more game here on Sunday. They fell to 10-3 at home all-time in the finals, failing to back up their 113-77 victory in Game 3 that was the third-most lopsided score in the history of the championship series…

Wade shot 14 of 25, adding six steals, six rebounds and four assists in a performance that James compared to when Wade was MVP of the 2006 finals.

Tony Parker had 15 points and nine assists for the Spurs, who made a finals-record 16 3-pointers on Tuesday but got up only 16 attempts in this one. Gary Neal scored 13 points and Danny Green had 10, solid nights but nothing like when they combined for 13 3-pointers two nights earlier.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Tony Parker will play in Game 4 against Heat

Spurs guard Tony Parker said he will play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals after his availability was in doubt because of a mild right hamstring strain.

Parker wouldn’t address his injury at practice Thursday other than answering ”I’ll be ready to go” to multiple questions about his health. The All-Star was hurt early in the second half of Game 3, which the Spurs won to take a 2-1 lead over the Miami Heat in the best-of-seven series.

The question now is whether Parker will show any signs of being sore or ailing against the Heat. An MRI taken Wednesday revealed a Grade 1 strain, the mildest level, but Parker had been uncertain about his status until Thursday morning.

Despite Parker getting hurt Tuesday night, the Spurs still walloped Miami 113-77.

Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press

Spurs rout Heat 113-77 in Game 3 of NBA Finals

Danny Green and Gary Neal aren’t NBA royalty like LeBron James.

Either undrafted or unwanted, they were once more likely to be found playing in summer league or some other country than against the mighty Miami Heat.

On Tuesday, they led the San Antonio Spurs to one of the best-shooting, biggest blowouts in NBA Finals history.

Green made seven of the Spurs’ finals-record 16 3-pointers, Tim Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and the Spurs clobbered the Heat 113-77 on Tuesday night to take 2-1 lead in the series.

Green scored 27 points and Gary Neal made six 3-pointers while scoring 24 as San Antonio went 16 of 32 from behind the arc, rolling to the third-biggest victory in finals history.

”Those guys shot incredibly,” Duncan said. ”Gave us the breathing room when we needed it.”

Neal could be even more important going forward, after starting point guard Tony Parker revealed fresh concerns about his sore hamstring. He plans to get an MRI on Wednesday…

James finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but missed 11 of his first 13 shots against the excellent defense of Kawhi Leonard, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds…

Duncan shot 3 of 13 for nine points, his worst performance ever in his 25 NBA Finals games, in the Heat’s 103-84 victory Sunday. Parker wasn’t much better, shooting 5 of 14 and committing five turnovers, and Manu Ginobili admitted afterward the veteran trio had to play well for the Spurs to win…

Mike Miller made all five 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the Heat, who broke open Sunday’s game and seized momentum in the series with a 33-5 run in the second half.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Tim Duncan must step up for Spurs in NBA Finals

On a day of rest at the NBA Finals, Tim Duncan had work to do.

Not only was he admittedly awful in Game 2, he had never been so bad on this stage. He shot 3 for 13 from the field for nine points, posting finals career lows in scoring, field goal percentage and field goals made, according to STATS.

The three-time finals MVP made only 11 of 32 shots in Miami and knows he must be better if the San Antonio Spurs are going to win their fifth title in five finals appearances.

”Obviously, they’re contested shots, but they’re the shots I feel I can make,” Duncan said after the Heat’s 103-84 victory Sunday. ”So whether it be them or me or whatever it may be, I’m going to get back in the gym tomorrow and hopefully come out with a better stroke,” he said. ”But I’m getting the shots I want. I just have to knock them down.”

The teams took Monday off, with the series resuming Tuesday night. The Spurs also will host Game 4 on Thursday and Game 5 on Sunday.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Heat beat Spurs in Game 2 to tie NBA Finals

Mario Chalmers marched toward midcourt with a message.

”I felt like we had them on the ropes at the time. I told him, ‘Let’s go for the kill,”’ Chalmers said. ”He said, ‘I’m with you.”’

And once LeBron James joined in, the Miami Heat were back with a blowout in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Chalmers led the charge, James broke out to finish it with a flurry and the Heat used a 33-5 run to rout the San Antonio Spurs 103-84 on Sunday night and even the series at one game apiece.

James missed 10 of 13 shots through three quarters and the Heat trailed by a point late in the period before unleashing the lethal brand of basketball that led them to a franchise-record 66 wins this season.

Chalmers finished with 19 points, and James had 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks – the best on Tiago Splitter’s dunk attempt – while shooting only 7 of 17 from the field…

The Heat made 10 of 19 3-pointers and got 13 points from Ray Allen, and 12 points and 10 rebounds from the previously slumping Chris Bosh.

Danny Green made all six shots, including five 3-pointers, and scored 17 points for the Spurs. They host Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker had 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting for the Spurs, who were so precise in their 92-88 victory in Game 1 but threw the ball all over the white-surrounded court Sunday, committing 17 turnovers that led to 19 Miami points…

Tim Duncan shot 3 of 13 and finished with nine points and 11 rebounds…

The Spurs had only four turnovers in Game 1, tying an NBA Finals record low. But they surpassed that total in the first quarter, Parker committing two of their five after not coughing it up once in the opener, and the Spurs looked more like the sloppy Indiana Pacers from Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals than the Spurs of Game 1.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Tony Parker having fun, happy to be back in NBA Finals

Despite the notion they’re old, the Spurs are actually overall the younger, less-experienced team in these finals. Miami has nine players in their 30s to the six on the Spurs, and their Big Three and Bonner are the only Spurs to have played in the NBA Finals.

That makes it easier for the Spurs to enjoy this trip more than when they were the team expected to be here every year.

”We definitely are having fun,” Tony Parker said. ”I think we appreciate every moment. We don’t take anything for granted, because it’s been a long time. It’s been six years. Felt like forever. After the Memphis series, there was a lot of emotion.”

Heat veteran Shane Battier wasn’t exactly sold on the notion of this Spurs transformation into a happy-go-lucky group.

”Don’t believe them, first of all,” he said. ”They are extreme competitors and they have a level of self-deprecation I think that is part of them, but don’t buy it for one second. Those guys are killers. They’re cut-throat and they will stomp on you if need be, and we’re the same way.

”We appreciate the opportunity to play in the finals. Difficult to get here. Hardest thing you’ll do in this game is to try and win a championship, so we appreciate the opportunity and we want to make the most of it,” he said.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

LeBron rethinking game plan against Spurs

Coming off a Game 1 loss when he saw his triple-double go to waste and was outdueled in the fourth quarter by Tony Parker, James knew he’d be hit from all sides about his approach for Sunday. The basic underlying tone was, why was he so content in the opener to set up misfiring teammates right until the final gun, rather than “go Cleveland’’ on the Spurs and try to win the game all by himself?

But he wasn’t about to tip his shooting hand.

“We’ll see what type of game plan I come out with,’’ he said. “It will be dumb of me to reveal it today.’’ …

He doesn’t need to reveal anything to anyone, but he does need to figure out how to solve a defense that is entirely different than the one that the Pacers presented in the Eastern Conference finals. Dwyane Wade talked about the need to “crack the code’’ in this next game to avoid a 2-0 series crater, and the one who that really falls on is James.

Reported by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News