San Antonio Spurs Blog – Page 49 – NBA Blog

Spurs shrug off fine, beat Grizzlies

So that’s what $250,000 worth of rest looks like.

Tony Parker scored 30 points and Tim Duncan had 27 points and 15 rebounds, giving the San Antonio Spurs their money’s worth for the unprecedented fine from the NBA they absorbed for putting rest over the league’s business interests in a 99-95 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Coach Gregg Popovich said before the victory he was ”disappointed” by the $250,000 fine levied by Commissioner David Stern after the Spurs sent Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili – three of the NBA’s biggest names – home from a road trip early instead of playing them against LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Thursday in a nationally televised game.

This might ease his frustration. Because chances are Popovich wasn’t second-guessing his decision while watching the 36-year-old Duncan put up his best game this season, Parker eclipsing 30 points for the third time in five games and Ginobili sinking the tying 3-pointer with under a minute left to force overtime…

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 20 points. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 15 rebounds and was one of three Memphis players with double-doubles.

Mike Conley had 18 points and 12 assists, and Rudy Gay had 15 points and 10 rebounds…

The Grizzlies played without Tony Allen for a second straight game because of an injured groin. It’s unclear when their starting shooting guard may return.

— Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press

Spurs re-assign Cory Joseph to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have re-assigned guard Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Joseph started the season with the Spurs before being assigned to the Toros on Nov. 15. He was recalled on Nov. 21. For the season, Joseph has appeared in four games for the Silver and Black, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 assists in 7.8 minutes.

Last season Joseph had three stints with the Toros, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.29 steals in 32.9 minutes in 14 games, helping guide the team to the 2012 NBA D-League championship.

San Antonio Spurs fined $250,000 for sending players hope prior to game

The NBA announced today that the San Antonio Spurs organization has been fined $250,000 for its decision to send four players home prior to the Spurs’ Nov. 29 game in Miami. The Spurs’ actions were in violation of a league policy, reviewed with the NBA Board of Governors in April 2010, against resting players in a manner contrary to the best interests of the NBA.

NBA Commissioner David Stern stated: “The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”

Short-handed Spurs fall to Heat, 105-100

When Gregg Popovich gives his best players a night off to rest, it’s not uncommon for the San Antonio Spurs coach to get letters from upset fans.

This time, he’s going to hear from an upset commissioner – even after Popovich’s short-handed team nearly knocked off the Miami Heat.

Ray Allen’s 3-pointer with 22.6 seconds left gave Miami the lead, LeBron James finished with 23 points and the Heat rallied to beat the Spurs 105-100 on Thursday night – digging deep despite San Antonio’s decision to have four top players resting at home in a move that bothered NBA Commissioner David Stern.

The Spurs played without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green, all sent back to San Antonio by Popovich, who said the move was in his team’s best interest…

Allen scored 20 points, Dwyane Wade added 19 and Chris Bosh finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, now 7-0 at home.

Neal had 20 points for the Spurs. Tiago Splitter scored 18 points, Nando De Colo added 15, Boris Diaw scored 12 and Bonner had 10 for San Antonio, which finished a six-games-in-nine-nights road trip with a 5-1 record. Bonner also had 10 rebounds, one more than he had grabbed all season entering the game…

San Antonio closed the first quarter on a 21-6 run, taking a 27-22 lead after the period, and simply did not go away. The Spurs led by as many as seven at one point, and after James Anderson made a pair of free throws with 0.6 seconds left in the third, San Antonio held a 76-73 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Al Horford and Tim Duncan named Players of Week

The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford and the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 25.

Horford led the Hawks to a 4-0 week, averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He recorded a career-high 10 assists on Nov. 21 as Atlanta topped the Washington Wizards 101-100. Horford’s 26-point, 13-rebound double-double in a 101-91 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Nov. 23 helped the Hawks to improve their road record to 4-2, tops in the conference.

Duncan helped the Spurs to a 3-1 week with averages of 22.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks. He posted three consecutive point-rebound double-doubles in games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. Duncan’s lone game last week without a double-double still showed a balanced stat line of 26 points, six assists, five rebounds and three blocks as the Spurs bested the Raptors 111-106 on Nov. 25 – a game in which Duncan recorded his 2,500th career block.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Charlotte’s Ramon Sessions, Denver’s Andre Iguodala, Houston’s Chandler Parsons, Memphis’ Rudy Gay, Miami’s Chris Bosh and LeBron James, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans.

Spurs recall guard Cory Joseph from D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have recalled guard Cory Joseph from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Joseph has seen action in one game for the Spurs this season prior to his assignment to Austin on Nov. 15. For his career, the University of Texas product has appeared in 30 games for the Silver and Black, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes.

Joseph will be available tonight when San Antonio plays at Boston at 6:30 p.m.

Spurs sign guard James Anderson

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed James Anderson of the NBA D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Anderson is the second NBA D-League call-up of the season.

Anderson participated in training camp with the Atlanta Hawks this past October before signing with the D-League. He appeared in six preseason games in Atlanta and averaged 2.0 points in 10.7 minutes.

The 6-6 guard was drafted by the Spurs with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma State University. In 77 career games in San Antonio from 2010-12, Anderson averaged 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.5 minutes.

Anderson will be available Wednesday night, Nov. 21, when San Antonio plays at Boston at 6:30 p.m.

Stephen Jackson to miss 4-6 weeks with broken pinkie

For the second time in less than a week, the Spurs have lost their starting small forward.

Stephen Jackson, starting his second game at the position because Kawhi Leonard is out with tendinitis in his left quadriceps, suffered a non-displaced fracture of a bone in his right pinkie finger during the first quarter of the Spurs’ 92-87 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at the AT&T Center.

Jackson is expected to be out four-to-six weeks.

Jackson battled Clippers forward Caron Butler for a loose ball with 7:49 remaining in the first quarter. He knocked the ball off Butler on the sideline to gain possession but came out of the scrum holding his right hand, and the Spurs called for a timeout.

— Reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News

Paul and Griffin lead Clippers over Spurs 92-87

The San Antonio Spurs had rallied within a basket of the Los Angeles Clippers with less than 30 seconds remaining and the crowd was buzzing.

Some would call it a tense situation. Chris Paul calls it ”winning time.”

Paul had 19 points and eight assists and the Clippers beat San Antonio 92-87 on Monday night for their second win against the Spurs this season.

Paul’s 10-foot jumper in the lane with 24.6 seconds left gave the Clippers a 91-87 lead…

Spurs guard Gary Neal missed a 3-point attempt on the subsequent possession, which Eric Bledsoe gathered for his fifth rebound. Bledsoe, who had nine points, made one of two free throws for the final margin.

Matt Barnes added 14 points, DeAndre Jordan 13 and Blake Griffin had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers (8-2).

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs (8-3), who suffered their second home loss this season. Manu Ginobili added 15 points and Tony Parker 11…

San Antonio needed the late rally after losing a lead and Stephen Jackson after the first quarter. Jackson, who suffered a non-displaced fracture to his right pinkie finger late in the first quarter, is expected to miss four to six weeks.

— Reported by Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard out 10-14 days

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Kawhi Leonard is suffering from quadriceps tendinitis in his left knee.

The diagnosis was confirmed in an MRI which was performed earlier today.

Leonard is expected to be out of action for 10-14 days. He is not scheduled to travel with the Spurs on the team’s upcoming six-game road trip that begins on Wednesday, Nov. 21 in Boston.