San Antonio Spurs Blog – Page 57 – NBA Blog

Spurs beat Celtics for 9th straight win

Tim Duncan had 10 points and 16 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs won their ninth straight game, recovering to beat the Boston Celtics 87-86 on Wednesday night after blowing a 17-point, first-half lead.

Duncan also stopped Paul Pierce on the final play, forcing him into a step-back jumper that bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

Danny Green scored 14 points and Gary Neal had 13, including a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left that gave the Spurs the lead after Boston went on a 13-4 run to move in front.

Rajon Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists for Boston. The Celtics had won five in a row.

Pierce had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but he couldn’t maneuver into open space after Boston inbounded the ball with 7.9 seconds left. Duncan stayed on him, forcing Pierce to step back near the top of the key for a floater that clanged harmlessly off the rim.

Avery Bradley scored 19 points off the bench for Boston, and Kevin Garnett had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Ray Allen returned after missing six games with a sore right ankle and added seven rebounds and five points, including a 3-pointer in the final minute that brought Boston within a point.

— Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press

Tom Thibodeau and Gregg Popovich named Coaches of Month for March

The Chicago Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in March.

Thibodeau led the Bulls to a league- best 13-3 (.813) record including a league-leading 6-0 mark on the road. During the month the team recorded key wins over Central Division competitors Indiana (92-72 on March 5) and Milwaukee (106-104, March 7), while holding opponents to a league-low 43 percent shooting from the floor. Thibodeau recorded his 100th career win on March 19 at Orlando (86-59), his 131st game as head coach, becoming the fastest coach in NBA history to reach 100 wins.

Popovich guided the Spurs to a Western Conference-best 12-3 (.800) record in March, including a seven-game winning streak to close the month and victories in nine of the team’s last 10 games. During the month, the Spurs ranked first with 107.1 points per game, nearly six points above their season average of 101.4. San Antonio went 4-1 on the road, including a 114-105 win March 16 at Western-Conference leading Oklahoma City, only the Thunder’s third home loss.

Other nominees for Coach of the Month were Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks, Boston’s Doc Rivers, Phoenix’s Alvin Gentry and New York’s Mike Woodson.

Spurs sign guard Patrick Mills

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Patrick Mills. Per club policy details of the contract were not released.

Mills, a 6-0, 185-pound product out of St. Mary’s (CA), was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the Blazers, Mills appeared in 74 games, averaging 5.1 points and 1.5 assists in 11.1 minutes. He has a career-mark of .358 (47-133) from three-point range.

A native of Australia, Mills has spent the 2011-12 season playing overseas in his home country and China. Most recently, Mills played for the Xinjian Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 12 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Prior to making the move to China, Mills played in nine games with the Melbourne Tigers, averaging 18.6 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds.

Mills is a member of the Australian National Team which qualified for the 2012 Olympics.

Mills will wear No. 8 for the Spurs and is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Silver and Black take on the Suns in Phoenix at 9 p.m.

Spurs sign Justin Dentmon to 10-day contract, release Eric Dawson

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed Justin Dentmon from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League to a 10-day contract. At the same time, the Spurs released Eric Dawson from his 10-day contract.

A 6-0, 185-pound guard, Dentmon has appeared in 38 games with the Toros this season, averaging a team-best 22.9 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.47 steals in 37.3 minutes while shooting .463 (285-616) from the field, 421 (88-209) from three-point range and .865 (212-245) from the foul line. A D-League All-Star, Dentmon has scored in double figures in 37 of 38 games, including 28 games with 20-or-more and six games with 30-or-more.

Undrafted out of the University of Washington in 2010, Dentmon spent the 2010-11 season with the Texas Legends. He appeared in all 50 games, averaging 19.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.40 steals in 35.1 minutes.

For his career, Dentmon has played in 88 D-League games, averaging 20.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.43 steals in 36.0 minutes. He’s shot .475 (601-1,264) from the field, .425 (182-428) from three-point range and .854 (439-514) from the foul line.

Dawson was signed to his second 10-day contract with the Spurs on March 16. He appeared in four games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes.

Spurs assign Cory Joseph to D-League

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

Joseph, a 6-3 guard, has seen action in 27 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.1 assists in 7.6 minutes.

Joseph has had two stints with the Toros this season. He has seen action in six games, averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.67 steals in 30.7 minutes.

The Spurs selected Joseph out of the University of Texas with the 29th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. In his lone season with the Longhorns, he was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Dirk scores 27, Mavs beat Spurs

No matter who or how many San Antonio Spurs were on Dirk Nowitzki, or how much they pushed, prodded or swatted at the 7-foot All-Star, he kept making big plays for the Dallas Mavericks.

“He probably doesn’t get enough credit for being the competitor that he is, and for being so tough-minded,” teammate Lamar Odom said of Nowitzki. “There’s nothing soft about Dirk. He’s tough.”

Nowitzki scored 27 points, fought for loose balls and screamed out in exhilaration several times as the defending NBA champion Mavericks won 106-99 over the Southwest Division-leading Spurs on Saturday night for their third consecutive victory.

After winning at home against Washington and Charlotte, the NBA’s two worst teams, beating San Antonio was much more impressive, even if the Spurs were playing the second consecutive night. Dallas never trailed and the only tie was at 2-all.

“It was a playoff battle. Anytime we see the Spurs it’s a fun game, great atmosphere, both teams really trying to get the win. As expected, it was a physical game,” Nowitzki said. “They went small some, tried to mix it up. At the end they were double-teaming some. I thought as a team, we always made the right play, find the open guy. That was definitely big.”

— Reported by Stephen Hawkins of the Associated Press

Warriors waive retiring guard T.J. Ford

The Golden State Warriors have waived guard T.J. Ford, the team announced today.

Ford, 28, was acquired on Thursday (March 15) from San Antonio, along with forward Richard Jefferson and a 2012 First Round pick, in exchange for Stephen Jackson. Earlier this week, Ford announced that he plans to retire from basketball activities after suffering a series of neck and spine injuries during his eight-year NBA career, most recently on March 7 vs. New York, and is contemplating retirement. He has appeared in 429 career NBA games, averaging 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

Spurs sign Eric Dawson to second 10-day contract

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed Eric Dawson from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League to a second 10-day contract. Dawson signed his first 10-day contract with the Silver and Black on Feb. 20.

Dawson saw action in two games in his first stint with the Spurs, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.0 minutes.

A 6-9 forward, Dawson has appeared in 24 games with the Toros this season, averaging 16.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.71 blocks and 1.29 steals in 29.1 minutes while shooting .556 (165-297) from the field and .779 (74-95) from the foul line. Since returning to the Toros on March 1, Dawson has averaged 19.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in six games. In his most recent game he finished with 25 points (10-19 FG, 5-7 FT), a season-high 17 rebounds and 4 steals in 35 minutes vs. Rio Grande on March 14. Dawson has posted 18 double doubles (second in the D-League) and has scored 20-or-more six times.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Dawson attended Sam Houston High School and attended Midwestern State University. Dawson was named a Division II Second Team All-American in 2007 and earned Lone Star Conference First Team honors in 2006 and 2007. He is the Mustangs all-time leader in blocked shots with 170.

Warriors trade Stephen Jackson to Spurs for Richard Jefferson

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have obtained forward Stephen Jackson from the Golden State Warriors. In exchange, San Antonio sent Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford and a protected 2012 first round draft pick to the Warriors.

The 6-8, 220-pound Jackson spent two seasons (2001-03) in San Antonio and was a part of the 2003 NBA Championship team. In his two seasons with the Silver and Black, Jackson averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.36 steals in 24.1 minutes. During the Spurs 2003 championship run, Jackson started all 24 games, averaging 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.38 steals in 33.8 minutes.

Jackson, 33, started the 2011-12 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, before being traded to Golden State on March 13. In 26 games with the Bucks, Jackson averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 27.4 minutes.

An 11-year NBA veteran, Jackson has appeared in 773 career games, averaging 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.3 minutes. He has seen action in 58 playoff games, averaging 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.53 steals in 36.5 minutes.

“We’ve been aggressive in the last 48 hours and feel this is another transaction that will benefit our team, both now and in the future,” said General Manager Larry Riley. “Richard Jefferson has played a key role and has been a solid contributor on some very successful basketball teams during his career. He has won a lot of games and will certainly provide our team with some veteran leadership and perimeter shooting skills. Additionally, as has been well-documented, we are in an unknown position in regards to our first round draft pick this season and are quite pleased to, potentially, acquire a pick in what is expected to be a pretty deep draft.”

Jefferson, 31, has appeared in 41 games (all starts) with the Spurs this season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 28.5 minutes. The 6’7” forward has played for three NBA teams (New Jersey, Milwaukee and San Antonio) during his 10-year NBA career, including the last three-plus years in San Antonio. Originally drafted by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft (#13 overall), Jefferson finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting in 2002 and was a member of the 2004 USA Olympic Team (Athens, Greece). He has averaged double figures in scoring in each of his 10 NBA seasons with the exception of his rookie campaign (9.4), highlighted by a career-high 22.6 points per game during the 2007-08 season. Last season, the Los Angeles native started 81 games for the Spurs (11.0 points and 3.8 rebounds) and ranked fourth in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (.440). Overall, Jefferson has appeared in 774 career NBA games, averaging 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He has also appeared in 94 career playoff games, including back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals with the New Jersey Nets in 2002 and 2003.

Ford, 28, has appeared in 14 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 3.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 13.6 minutes. Earlier this week, he announced that he planned to take an indefinite leave of absence from basketball activities. Originally selected in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks (#8 overall), Ford has suffered a series of neck and spine injuries during his eight-year NBA career, most recently on March 7 vs. New York, and is contemplating retirement. He has appeared in 429 career NBA games, averaging 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

T.J Ford has retired from the NBA

San Antonio Spurs guard T.J. Ford announced that he will take an indefinite leave of absence from basketball activities this season. And then on Twitter today, he announced his retirement from the NBA.

The 28-year-old Texas native suffered a series of neck and spine injuries during his eight-year NBA career, most recently a stinger on March 7 vs. New York.

“While this was a tough decision to make, it is what is best for me and my family at this time,” said Ford. “I have been blessed to play alongside wonderful teammates for great coaches and organizations from high school, to college, to the NBA. Regardless of what the future holds, I will carry the experiences, the friendships and the memories with me forever. The support I’ve received from family, friends and the fans has been humbling and I am looking forward to evaluating my professional options following this season.”

Ford joined the Spurs on Dec. 10, 2011. He appeared in 14 games for the Silver and Black, averaging 3.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes.

“The entire organization has enjoyed having T.J. Ford in San Antonio this season,” said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich. “I congratulate him on all that he has achieved as a player and fully support the difficult decision he was forced to make. T.J. has a bright future ahead of him and will always be a member of the Spurs family.”

Prior to signing with San Antonio the 6-0, 165-pound point guard enjoyed stints with Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana. Ford was selected by the Bucks in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, with the eighth overall pick, after playing two seasons at the University of Texas. He enjoyed his best NBA season during the 2008-09 campaign, averaging 14.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 74 games with the Pacers. In 2004, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, after posting averages of 7.1 points and 6.5 assists. Midway through his rookie season Ford suffered a spinal injury that he would later have surgery on which forced him to miss the entire 2004-05 season. For his career, Ford played in 429 games, averaging 11.2 points, 5.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.16 steals 27.7 minutes per game.

Ford enjoyed an outstanding high school and collegiate career in the state of Texas. In his final two seasons at Willowridge High School, his teams posted a 75-1 record, capturing back-to-back Texas 5A State Championships. In two seasons at the University of Texas, Ford averaged 12.9 points and 8.8 assists. During his sophomore year he was named both the Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year Award winner and earned 2003 First Team All-American honors.

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